When translates the word ki, which introduces a new law. When fire breaks out is literally “If fire comes out,” but it does not mean that the fire starts by itself. He that kindled the fire is mentioned later in the main clause. It may be clearer to move this to the beginning of the verse, as Good News Translation has done: “If a man starts a fire in his field.” And catches in thorns is literally “and it meets [by chance] thorn bushes.” The more natural way to say this in English is “and it spreads through the weeds” (Good News Translation). The word for thorns is one of several Hebrew words referring to various “weeds” that had little use other than for burning.

So that … is consumed is literally “and it is eaten,” one word in the Hebrew. The passive form, is consumed, may easily be changed to active since it is the fire that “eats,” or “burns up” (Good News Translation) the grain. Two different words are used for grain, with the basic meaning of “what is stacked” and “what is standing.” Since the kind of grain is not indicated, it evidently includes all kinds of crops such as those mentioned in 9.31-32. The stacked grain is what has been “cut and stacked” (Good News Translation) or “shocked” (New American Bible) for drying. Revised English Bible refers to this as “sheaves.” The standing grain is what is still “growing” (Good News Translation) and not yet cut. The field refers to the entire field of grain, or “the entire crop” (Durham). These three words are connected by or, which gives the sense of “either one or the other,” so even a partial damage is subject to the penalty.

He that kindled the fire indicates that it did not start by itself. Literally the text says “the burner of the fire,” which means “the one who started the fire” (New International Version). But the implication is that this person did not intend to destroy any of the grain. It is possible that his own field is destroyed, but since compensation is to be paid, Good News Translation assumes that the man started the fire “in his field and it spreads … to another man’s field.” However, “in his field” and “another man’s field” are only implied.

Shall make full restitution is literally “paying back he shall pay back,” meaning that he must pay in full for all the “damage” (Good News Translation). This is the same emphatic form used in 21.12 for “dying he shall die.” American Standard Version has “shall surely make restitution,” and Durham has “is certainly to give compensation.” One may also say “he must pay the owner for any crops destroyed by the fire.”

An alternative translation model for this verse is:

• Suppose a person starts a fire in his own field and lets it spread through the weeds to someone else’s field or fruit garden. If it burns either the crops that are growing there or that have been cut and stacked, he must pay the owner for any crops that the fire destroys.

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 .