Leviticus 24:17
New International Version
“’Anyone who takes the life of a human being is to be put to death.

New Living Translation
“Anyone who takes another person’s life must be put to death.

English Standard Version
“Whoever takes a human life shall surely be put to death.

Berean Standard Bible
And if a man takes the life of anyone else, he must surely be put to death.

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

New King James Version
‘Whoever kills any man shall surely be put to death.

New American Standard Bible
‘Now if someone takes any human life, he must be put to death.

NASB 1995
‘If a man takes the life of any human being, he shall surely be put to death.

NASB 1977
‘And if a man takes the life of any human being, he shall surely be put to death.

Legacy Standard Bible
‘If a man strikes down the life of any human being, he shall surely be put to death.

Amplified Bible
‘If a man takes the life of any human being [unlawfully], he shall most certainly be put to death.

Christian Standard Bible
“If a man kills anyone, he must be put to death.

Holman Christian Standard Bible
If a man kills anyone, he must be put to death.

American Standard Version
And he that smiteth any man mortally shall surely be put to death.

Contemporary English Version
Death is also the penalty for murder,

English Revised Version
And he that smiteth any man mortally shall surely be put to death;

GOD'S WORD® Translation
"Whoever kills another person must be put to death.

Good News Translation
"Any who commit murder shall be put to death,

International Standard Version
"If a man beats a human being to death, he is certainly to be executed,

Majority Standard Bible
And if a man takes the life of anyone else, he must surely be put to death.

NET Bible
"'If a man beats any person to death, he must be put to death.

New Heart English Bible
"'He who strikes any man mortally shall surely be put to death.

Webster's Bible Translation
And he that killeth any man shall surely be put to death.

World English Bible
“‘He who strikes any man mortally shall surely be put to death.
Literal Translations
Literal Standard Version
And when a man strikes any soul of man, he is certainly put to death.

Young's Literal Translation
'And when a man smiteth any soul of man, he is certainly put to death.

Smith's Literal Translation
And when a man shall smite any soul of man, dying, he shall die.
Catholic Translations
Douay-Rheims Bible
He that striketh and killeth a man, dying let him die.

Catholic Public Domain Version
Whoever will have struck and killed a man shall be put to death.

New American Bible
Whoever takes the life of any human being shall be put to death;

New Revised Standard Version
Anyone who kills a human being shall be put to death.
Translations from Aramaic
Lamsa Bible
And he who kills any man shall surely be put to death.

Peshitta Holy Bible Translated
And if a man will kill any person of mankind, he shall surely be killed.
OT Translations
JPS Tanakh 1917
And he that smiteth any man mortally shall surely be put to death.

Brenton Septuagint Translation
And whosoever shall smite a man and he die, let him die the death.

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
An Eye for an Eye
17And if a man takes the life of anyone else, he must surely be put to death. 18Whoever kills an animal must make restitution—life for life.…

Cross References
Exodus 21:12
Whoever strikes and kills a man must surely be put to death.

Numbers 35:16-21
If, however, anyone strikes a person with an iron object and kills him, he is a murderer; the murderer must surely be put to death. / Or if anyone has in his hand a stone of deadly size, and he strikes and kills another, he is a murderer; the murderer must surely be put to death. / If anyone has in his hand a deadly object of wood, and he strikes and kills another, he is a murderer; the murderer must surely be put to death. ...

Deuteronomy 19:11-13
If, however, a man hates his neighbor and lies in wait, attacks him and kills him, and then flees to one of these cities, / the elders of his city must send for him, bring him back, and hand him over to the avenger of blood to die. / You must show him no pity. You are to purge from Israel the guilt of shedding innocent blood, that it may go well with you.

Genesis 9:6
Whoever sheds the blood of man, by man his blood will be shed; for in His own image God has made mankind.

Matthew 5:21-22
You have heard that it was said to the ancients, ‘Do not murder’ and ‘Anyone who murders will be subject to judgment.’ / But I tell you that anyone who is angry with his brother will be subject to judgment. Again, anyone who says to his brother, ‘Raca,’ will be subject to the Sanhedrin. But anyone who says, ‘You fool!’ will be subject to the fire of hell.

Romans 13:9
The commandments “Do not commit adultery,” “Do not murder,” “Do not steal,” “Do not covet,” and any other commandments, are summed up in this one decree: “Love your neighbor as yourself.”

Exodus 20:13
You shall not murder.

Deuteronomy 5:17
You shall not murder.

Matthew 19:18
“Which ones?” the man asked. Jesus answered, “‘Do not murder, do not commit adultery, do not steal, do not bear false witness,

Mark 10:19
You know the commandments: ‘Do not murder, do not commit adultery, do not steal, do not bear false witness, do not cheat others, honor your father and mother.’”

Luke 18:20
You know the commandments: ‘Do not commit adultery, do not murder, do not steal, do not bear false witness, honor your father and mother.’”

1 John 3:15
Everyone who hates his brother is a murderer, and you know that eternal life does not reside in a murderer.

Numbers 35:30-31
If anyone kills a person, the murderer is to be put to death on the testimony of the witnesses. But no one is to be put to death based on the testimony of a lone witness. / You are not to accept a ransom for the life of a murderer who deserves to die; he must surely be put to death.

Deuteronomy 17:6
On the testimony of two or three witnesses a man shall be put to death, but he shall not be executed on the testimony of a lone witness.

Matthew 26:52
“Put your sword back in its place,” Jesus said to him. “For all who draw the sword will die by the sword.


Treasury of Scripture

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

And he

Genesis 9:5,6
And surely your blood of your lives will I require; at the hand of every beast will I require it, and at the hand of man; at the hand of every man's brother will I require the life of man…

Exodus 21:12-14
He that smiteth a man, so that he die, shall be surely put to death…

Numbers 35:31
Moreover ye shall take no satisfaction for the life of a murderer, which is guilty of death: but he shall be surely put to death.

Jump to Previous
Another's Death Human Killeth Kills Life Mortally Smiteth Soul Surely
Jump to Next
Another's Death Human Killeth Kills Life Mortally Smiteth Soul Surely
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














And if a man
This phrase introduces the subject of the law, emphasizing personal responsibility. In Hebrew, the word for "man" is "אִישׁ" (ish), which can refer to an individual male but often represents humanity in general. This highlights the universal application of the law, underscoring that it is not limited to a specific group but applies to all individuals within the community. The use of "man" here reflects the patriarchal context of ancient Israelite society, where men were often the primary subjects of legal discourse.

takes the life
The Hebrew phrase "יַכֶּה כָּל־נֶפֶשׁ" (yakeh kol-nephesh) literally means "strikes any soul." The term "נֶפֶשׁ" (nephesh) is often translated as "soul" or "life," indicating the essence of a living being. This phrase underscores the sanctity of life, a core principle in the biblical worldview. The act of taking a life is not merely a physical act but a profound moral and spiritual violation, as life is a divine gift from God. This reflects the biblical understanding that humans are created in the image of God (Genesis 1:27), and thus, life is sacred and inviolable.

of anyone
The phrase "כָּל־נֶפֶשׁ אָדָם" (kol-nephesh adam) translates to "any human soul," emphasizing the universality of the law. It signifies that the law applies to the life of any person, regardless of status, ethnicity, or social standing. This reflects the biblical principle of equality before the law, as all human life is equally valuable in the eyes of God. The inclusion of "anyone" reinforces the comprehensive nature of the commandment, ensuring that justice is applied impartially.

he must surely be put to death
The Hebrew phrase "מוֹת יוּמָת" (mot yumat) is a strong expression, often translated as "shall surely be put to death." This repetition of the root "מוּת" (mut), meaning "to die," emphasizes the certainty and seriousness of the penalty. It reflects the principle of lex talionis, or the law of retribution, which is a foundational aspect of ancient Near Eastern legal systems. The death penalty here serves as a deterrent and a means of upholding justice within the community. From a theological perspective, this underscores the gravity of taking a life, as it is an offense not only against the individual but against God, the giver of life. The severity of the punishment reflects the high value placed on human life and the need to maintain order and righteousness within the covenant community.

(17) And he that killeth a man.--The enactment that in case of blaspheming no difference is to be made between a non-Israelite and Israelite, is now followed by other laws respecting murder and personal injury which have been given before (Exodus 21:12, &c.), but which are here repeated in order to show that, like blasphemy, they apply alike to Gentile and Jew. It may also be that the repetition here of the law of murder is designed to draw a distinction between the judicial sentence of death carried out by the community, and the illegal taking away of life by individuals.

Verse 17. - In close connection with the command to slay the blasphemer is repeated the prohibition of murder, and the injunction that the murderer shall surely be put to death. Thus a distinction is sharply drawn between the judicial sentence carried out by the congregation, and the unsanctioned smiting the life of a man by another, and a warning is given against any man fanatically taking the law into his own hands, even in the case of a blasphemer.

Parallel Commentaries ...


Hebrew
And if
כִּ֥י (kî)
Conjunction
Strong's 3588: A relative conjunction

a man
וְאִ֕ישׁ (wə·’îš)
Conjunctive waw | Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 376: A man as an individual, a male person

takes the life
יַכֶּ֖ה (yak·keh)
Verb - Hifil - Imperfect - third person masculine singular
Strong's 5221: To strike

of anyone else,
כָּל־ (kāl-)
Noun - masculine singular construct
Strong's 3605: The whole, all, any, every

he must surely be put to death.
מ֖וֹת (mō·wṯ)
Verb - Qal - Infinitive absolute
Strong's 4191: To die, to kill


Links
Leviticus 24:17 NIV
Leviticus 24:17 NLT
Leviticus 24:17 ESV
Leviticus 24:17 NASB
Leviticus 24:17 KJV

Leviticus 24:17 BibleApps.com
Leviticus 24:17 Biblia Paralela
Leviticus 24:17 Chinese Bible
Leviticus 24:17 French Bible
Leviticus 24:17 Catholic Bible

OT Law: Leviticus 24:17 He who strikes any man mortally shall (Le Lv Lev.)
Leviticus 24:16
Top of Page
Top of Page