Verses 26 and 27 give an additional law concerning bodily harm to a slave. (See verses 20-21.) When a man strikes is identical with the opening words of verse 20. The man here refers to “a slaveowner” (New Revised Standard Version). The eye of his slave, male or female is literally “the eye of his [male] slave or the eye of his [female] slave.” The Hebrew has a specific word for each. (See verse 20.) And destroys it is more specific, for the word here means to spoil or ruin the eye. It does not necessarily mean “puts it out” (Good News Translation) but rather “destroys the use of it” (New American Bible, New Jerusalem Bible).

He shall let the slave go free is literally “to be freed he shall send him [or, let him go].” For the eye’s sake is simply “for his eye.” New Revised Standard Version now has “to compensate for the eye.”

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 .