21:28 1 “If an ox 2 gores a man or a woman so that either dies, 3 then the ox must surely 4 be stoned and its flesh must not be eaten, but the owner of the ox will be acquitted. 21:29 But if the ox had the habit of goring, and its owner was warned, 5 and he did not take the necessary precautions, 6 and then it killed a man or a woman, the ox must be stoned and the man must be put to death.
1 sn The point that this section of the laws makes is that one must ensure the safety of others by controlling the circumstances.
2 tn Traditionally “ox,” but “bull” would also be suitable. The term may refer to one of any variety of large cattle.
3 tn Heb “and he dies”; KJV “that they die”; NAB, NASB “to death.”
4 tn The text uses סָקוֹל יִסָּקֵל (saqol yissaqel), a Qal infinitive absolute with a Niphal imperfect. The infinitive intensifies the imperfect, which here has an obligatory nuance or is a future of instruction.
5 tn The Hophal perfect has the idea of “attested, testified against.”
6 tn Heb “he was not keeping it” or perhaps guarding or watching it (referring to the ox).