The Meaning of Leviticus 24:17 Explained

Leviticus 24:17

KJV: And he that killeth any man shall surely be put to death.

YLT: 'And when a man smiteth any soul of man, he is certainly put to death.

Darby: And if any one smiteth any man mortally, he shall certainly be put to death.

ASV: And he that smiteth any man mortally shall surely be put to death.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

And he  that killeth  any  man  shall surely  be put to death. 

What does Leviticus 24:17 Mean?

Context Summary

Leviticus 24:1-23 - Light And Bread And The Holy Name
The words "Before the Lord" are twice repeated in the opening paragraph. The pure lamplight, emblematic of the influence of a religious life; and the showbread, set on the golden table, emblematic of lives of obedience and devotion, which are well-pleasing to God, are both said to be "before the Lord." We are reminded of the command to Abram, "Walk before me and be thou perfect;" and of the words of the dying Jacob, "The God before whom my fathers, Abraham and Isaac, did walk." This implies the continual consciousness of the presence of God. We all possess what may be termed a sub-consciousness, which lies beneath our ordinary sense. Let that be God filled!
What a pitiable condition that half-breed was in! May we be Israelites indeed, in whom is no guile! How they reverenced the very name of God. See 3 John 1:7. [source]

Chapter Summary: Leviticus 24

1  The oil for the lamps
5  The showbread
10  Shelomith's son blasphemes
13  The law of blasphemy
17  Of murder
18  Of damage
23  The blasphemer is stoned

What do the individual words in Leviticus 24:17 mean?

And Whoever - kills any - man surely shall be put to death
וְאִ֕ישׁ כִּ֥י יַכֶּ֖ה כָּל־ נֶ֣פֶשׁ אָדָ֑ם מ֖וֹת יוּמָֽת

וְאִ֕ישׁ  And  Whoever 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Noun, masculine singular
Root: אִישׁ 
Sense: man.
כִּ֥י  - 
Parse: Conjunction
Root: כִּי 
Sense: that, for, because, when, as though, as, because that, but, then, certainly, except, surely, since.
יַכֶּ֖ה  kills 
Parse: Verb, Hifil, Imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: נָכָה  
Sense: to strike, smite, hit, beat, slay, kill.
כָּל־  any 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: כֹּל  
Sense: all, the whole.
נֶ֣פֶשׁ  - 
Parse: Noun, feminine singular construct
Root: נֶפֶשׁ  
Sense: soul, self, life, creature, person, appetite, mind, living being, desire, emotion, passion.
אָדָ֑ם  man 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular
Root: אָדָם 
Sense: man, mankind.
מ֖וֹת  surely 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Infinitive absolute
Root: מוּת  
Sense: to die, kill, have one executed.
יוּמָֽת  shall  be  put  to  death 
Parse: Verb, Hofal, Imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: מוּת  
Sense: to die, kill, have one executed.