"If a man strikes his servant or his maid with a rod, and he dies under his hand, he shall surely be punished.
KJV
And if a man smite his servant, or his maid, with a rod, and he die under his hand; he shall be surely punished.
Commentary
Commentary
And if a man smite his servant or his maid with a rod,.... A Canaanitish servant or maid, as the Targum of Jonathan, and so Jarchi; and that only with a rod for the correction of them, and not with a sword or any such destroying weapon, which would seem as though he intended to kill, yet nevertheless:
and he die under his hand; immediately, while he is smiting or beating him or her, on the same day, as the above Targum interprets it:
he shall be surely punished; or condemned to the punishment of being slain with the sword, as the said Targum and Jarchi explain it: this law was made to deter masters from using severity and cruelty towards their servants.
Commentary
Commentary