The Meaning of Exodus 22:2 Explained

Exodus 22:2

KJV: If a thief be found breaking up, and be smitten that he die, there shall no blood be shed for him.

YLT: 'If in the breaking through, the thief is found, and he hath been smitten, and hath died, there is no blood for him;

Darby: If the thief be encountered breaking in, and be smitten so that he die, there shall be no blood-guiltiness for him.

ASV: If the thief be found breaking in, and be smitten so that he dieth, there shall be no bloodguiltiness for him.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

If a thief  be found  breaking up,  and be smitten  that he die,  [there shall] no blood  [be shed] for him. 

What does Exodus 22:2 Mean?

Chapter Summary: Exodus 22

1  Of Theft
5  Of damage
7  Of trespasses
14  Of borrowing
16  Of fornication
18  Of witchcraft
19  Of bestiality
20  Of idolatry
21  Of strangers, widows, and fatherless
25  Of usury
26  Of pledges
28  Of reverence to magistrates
29  Of the first fruits
31  Of torn flesh

What do the individual words in Exodus 22:2 mean?

If breaking in is found the thief and he is struck so that he dies [there shall be] no guilt for his bloodshed
אִם־ בַּמַּחְתֶּ֛רֶת יִמָּצֵ֥א הַגַּנָּ֖ב וְהֻכָּ֣ה וָמֵ֑ת אֵ֥ין ל֖וֹ דָּמִֽים

בַּמַּחְתֶּ֛רֶת  breaking  in 
Parse: Preposition-b, Article, Noun, feminine singular
Root: מַחְתֶּרֶת  
Sense: a breaking in, burglary.
יִמָּצֵ֥א  is  found 
Parse: Verb, Nifal, Imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: מָצָא  
Sense: to find, attain to.
הַגַּנָּ֖ב  the  thief 
Parse: Article, Noun, masculine singular
Root: גַּנָּב  
Sense: thief.
וְהֻכָּ֣ה  and  he  is  struck 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Hofal, Conjunctive perfect, third person masculine singular
Root: נָכָה  
Sense: to strike, smite, hit, beat, slay, kill.
וָמֵ֑ת  so  that  he  dies 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Conjunctive perfect, third person masculine singular
Root: מוּת  
Sense: to die, kill, have one executed.
אֵ֥ין  [there  shall  be]  no  guilt 
Parse: Adverb
Root: אַיִן 
Sense: nothing, not, nought n.
ל֖וֹ  for  his 
Parse: Preposition, third person masculine singular
דָּמִֽים  bloodshed 
Parse: Noun, masculine plural
Root: דָּם  
Sense: blood.