Exodus Worksheet - Chapter 21

Introduction:  Moses gave the 10 commandments to Moses in Exodus 20; now He gives him Judicial Instructions.
Review:  After four hundred years, the descendants of Israel have been brought out of the bondage in Egypt. Now the process begins of bringing the nation into the Promised Land. The journey in the wilderness has begun. It also includes a people coming to know what God's standards are like. And so we have the giving of the Law. First, the 10 commandments which were written by the finger of God ( ) and then the ordinances given to Moses to pass on to the people. People must have rules of regulation or there can be no justice. Of course, these do not apply for the most part in our culture, but still, we have laws of justice and rightly so for the culture that we live in.

Exodus 21

1.  If the Hebrews bought a Hebrew slave (or servant), what was the limit to the length of service they would be required to give? vs. 1,2
2.  What year would the Hebrew slave be set free? vs. 2
3.  If the Hebrew slave came alone, he would leave alone.  If he came with a wife, he would leave with his wife. (vs.3).   If his master gives him a wife and she bears him children, who does the woman and children still belong to when the slave is set free? vs. 4
4.  How can the Hebrew slave continue to be with the wife and children if he loves them and wants to stay with them? vs. 5
5.  What is the process the master takes the slave through if he chooses to be a servant for life?  vs. 6
6.  This is called a bond-servant.  What does the apostle Paul refer to himself as regarding his relationship to the Lord?

• Romans 1:1 -
• Philippians 1:1 -
• Titus 1:1 -

Paul is saying he is not forced to be a servant to Jesus; He chooses to be because of his love for Him.  Amen. 

Back to Exodus 21

7.  If a woman was sold as a slave (servant), the same rule of freedom did not apply to her. (vs.7)  This is most likely because she would not have been able to fend on her own in the culture they lived in at that time.  She could be resold or redeemed however by another, if the master did not approve of her.  Who did he not have authority to sell her to and why? vs. 8
8.   What  3 things would the person be required to provide for the woman if he had bought her for a servant and decided to take another woman instead? vs. 10
9.  What was required of a man who killed another man? vs. 12
10.  If he did not intend to kill him, what would Moses provide for that person? vs. 13
11.  What happened to a person that striked his father of his mother? vs. 15
12.  What was the penalty for kidnapping another person? vs. 16
13.  What was the penalty for 'cursing' a mother and or a father? vs. 17
14.  What would a man be required to do if after having a quarrel, and striking another with a stone or with a fist, that person did not die, but was bedridden for awhile? vs. 18,19
15.  What was the penalthy for a male or female servant dying after being sticken with a rod by their master? vs. 20
16.  What would happen if the person survived a day or two? vs. 21
17.  If men struggled with each other and they struck a woman with child so that she gave birth prematurely yet there was no injury, he would be fined what the woman's husband and the judge decided.(vs.22)  However, if there was any further injury, what was the penalty to be? vs.23-25 - Name 8 situations listed.
18.  What would happen if a man struck the eye of his male or female slave (servant) and destroyed the eye? vs. 26
19.  What if he happened to knock out a tooth? vs. 27
20.  If an ox gored a man or a woman to death, the ox would be stoned and the flesh not eaten, but the owner of the ox would not be punished. (vs.28).  If however, the ox was previously in the habit of goring and its owner had been warned, and yet they did not confine the ox .. what would happen if the ox killed a man or a woman? vs. 29
21. The owner of the ox could be ransomed but would have to give whatever was demanded of him to live. (vs.30).  The same rule applied to goring a son or a daughter. (vs.31).  What was the regulation if the ox gored a male or female slave (servant) ? vs. 32
22. What was the penalty if a man opened a pit and did not cover it and an ox or donkey fell into it? vs.33,34 -
23.  How were they to handle the situation if one man's ox hurt another's so that it died? vs. 35
24. What would be required if it had been known that the ox was previously in the habit of goring and yet the owner had not confined it? vs. 36

Application:

25. Did Jesus support these laws or give us higher laws?  Read Matthew Chapter 5.  Compare how He said to handle the various situations under the New Covenant of Grace.  How are you doing in your life with all of these?

26.  Summarize the chapter and post a prayer if you would like.