Exodus 21:28
““If a bull gores a man or a woman to death, the bull shall surely be stoned, and its meat shall not be eaten; but the owner of the bull shall not be held responsible.”
What does Exodus 21:28 mean?
In ancient Israel's legal system, this law addresses what happens when someone's livestock causes a death—a real problem in an agricultural society. The bull itself faces execution (stoning) and is treated as ritually unclean, unfit for food, because it caused a human death. However, the owner isn't criminally liable if the goring was a genuine accident and the animal hadn't previously shown dangerous behavior. What strikes many readers is how the law distinguishes between negligence and tragedy. If you kept a known dangerous animal and it killed someone, you'd face serious consequences (the law addresses this in the next verse). But if your livestock simply had an unforeseen accident, you weren't held responsible for circumstances beyond your control. It's a surprisingly nuanced system that tries to balance justice with mercy, recognizing that not every death represents someone's fault.