"Vengeance shall be taken" — the Torah declares this regarding a master who kills his bondservant. But what does "vengeance" mean in legal terms? The Mekhilta identifies it as death, specifically death by the sword.
The proof relies on a gezeirah shavah — a verbal analogy. The word "vengeance" appears here, and it appears in (Leviticus 26:25): "And I will bring a sword upon you, the vengeance of the covenant." Just as "vengeance" in Leviticus means death — and specifically death by the sword — so "vengeance" here means the same.
But could "vengeance" perhaps mean monetary compensation instead of death? The Torah forecloses this possibility by linking the word consistently to lethal punishment. Everywhere "vengeance" appears in connection with God's punishment, it involves death, not fines. The Mekhilta applies this consistent usage to the legal context of the master and bondservant.
The ruling establishes that a master who kills his bondservant faces execution by the sword. This is not a monetary fine or a lesser punishment. It is capital punishment in its most direct form. The Mekhilta's treatment of the master-bondservant relationship reveals a fundamental principle: while the Torah grants certain leniencies to masters, it draws a firm line at killing. A master who fatally strikes his bondservant with a lethal weapon and the servant dies immediately has committed a capital crime. Ownership does not grant the right to kill.