And if men strive together, and one smite another with a stone, or with his fist, and he die not, but keepeth his bed:
If men strive together ... Should a quarrel arise between two or more individuals, and a scuffle ensue, in which one of the party may receive such serious injuries as to disable him for work, in the event of his recovery, the individual who dealt the blow would be treated as innocent, implying, of course, that if he died in consequence of the damage done to him, the assailant would be held guilty of murder (Exodus 21:12); only he would have to compensate the invalid for the loss of his time, and for all the expenses incurred during his illness.