Exodus 21

The Readings · Oct 24, 2026 · 4m

Exodus 21 read aloud, in a fresh direct translation from the Hebrew — plain modern English, nothing added.

Translator's notes:

• Exodus 21:8 — אשר לו יעדה (asher lo ye'adah): chose “who designated her for himself”. Alternatives: “who did not designate her” (reading לא, “not”). Why: the written and read forms of the word differ; the rendering follows the read form, “for himself”.

• Exodus 21:10 — ענתה (onatah): chose “her marital rights”. Alternatives: “her conjugal rights”, “her sexual relations”. Why: the word occurs only here and its exact scope is uncertain.