Justice and Accountability – The Value of Life

The next portion of Exodus 21 lays out laws that govern bodily harm and injury—what happens when one person harms another. These are the roots of civil justice, but more than that, they reveal the value God places on human life and the importance of justice.

God makes clear distinctions between intentional murder and accidental killing. If someone strikes another fatally with intent, they are to be put to death. But if it was unintentional, there is mercy—a place of refuge. This distinction shows that God weighs the heart and the motive, not just the action (Exodus 21:12–13).