The meaning is: Since taking another person’s life by any means whatever is murder and exposes the murderer to the penalty of retaliation, if the d…

And if he smite him with an instrument of iron. God appears to contradict Himself. A little further on, He absolves involuntary murderers,…

And if he smite him with an instrument of iron, so that he die As with an hatchet, hammer, sword, knife, &c.