When is “And if,” using the word ki (see verse 2). When one man’s ox hurts another’s is literally “And if a bull of a man injures the bull of his fellow.” The word for hurts is the same word used in verse 22 for hurting a pregnant woman. Here, of course, it refers to serious injury. So that it dies means that the bull is killed by the injury. Good News Translation simply has “If one man’s bull kills another man’s bull.”

Then they shall sell the live ox refers to the two owners, even though the “live bull” (Good News Translation) had belonged to only one man. The owner of the dead bull must also participate in the sale of the live animal. And divide the price of it is literally “and they will divide its silver,” meaning “the money” received from the sale of the “live bull.” So Good News Translation has “and divide the money.” And the dead beast also they shall divide is literally “and also the dead they will divide.” This means, of course, that they will “divide up the meat from the dead animal” (Good News Translation). The word for divide does not necessarily mean to divide into two equal parts, but here the context suggests just that. So New American Bible and Contemporary English Version add the word “equally” since this is a safe assumption.

Quoted with permission from Osborn, Noel D. and Hatton, Howard A. A Handbook on Exodus. (UBS Helps for Translators). New York: UBS, 1999. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .