The Meaning of Leviticus 24:18 Explained

Leviticus 24:18

KJV: And he that killeth a beast shall make it good; beast for beast.

YLT: 'And he who smiteth a beast repayeth it, body for body.

Darby: And he that smiteth a beast mortally shall make it good, life for life.

ASV: And he that smiteth a beast mortally shall make it good, life for life.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

And he that killeth  a beast  shall make it good;  beast  for beast. 

What does Leviticus 24:18 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 24:18 mean?

And he who kills the life of an animal shall make it good animal for animal
וּמַכֵּ֥ה נֶֽפֶשׁ־ בְּהֵמָ֖ה יְשַׁלְּמֶ֑נָּה נֶ֖פֶשׁ תַּ֥חַת נָֽפֶשׁ

וּמַכֵּ֥ה  And  he  who  kills 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Hifil, Participle, masculine singular construct
Root: נָכָה  
Sense: to strike, smite, hit, beat, slay, kill.
נֶֽפֶשׁ־  the  life 
Parse: Noun, feminine singular construct
Root: נֶפֶשׁ  
Sense: soul, self, life, creature, person, appetite, mind, living being, desire, emotion, passion.
בְּהֵמָ֖ה  of  an  animal 
Parse: Noun, feminine singular
Root: בְּהֵמָה  
Sense: beast, cattle, animal.
יְשַׁלְּמֶ֑נָּה  shall  make  it  good 
Parse: Verb, Piel, Imperfect, third person masculine singular, third person feminine singular
Root: שָׁלֵם  
Sense: .
נֶ֖פֶשׁ  animal 
Parse: Noun, feminine singular
Root: נֶפֶשׁ  
Sense: soul, self, life, creature, person, appetite, mind, living being, desire, emotion, passion.
נָֽפֶשׁ  animal 
Parse: Noun, feminine singular
Root: נֶפֶשׁ  
Sense: soul, self, life, creature, person, appetite, mind, living being, desire, emotion, passion.

What are the major concepts related to Leviticus 24:18?

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