The chapter describes a famous law, often called the "law of retaliation". It is said, an "eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, foot for foot". This does not mean a person who causes another person to lose their eye must have their own eye removed as punishment. Instead, it is about limiting the punishment or the ability of a person to retaliate. Also, this chapter describes the establishment of special cities to protect those fleeing from revenge killings.
Yahweh destroying the people who live in Canaan is spoken of as if he were cutting them off, as one would cut a piece of cloth or cut a branch from a tree.