1 If a man shall steal an ox, or a sheep, and kill it, or sell it; he shall restore five oxen for an ox, and four sheep for a sheep.
2 If a thief be found breaking up, and be smitten that he die, there shall no blood be shed for him.
3 If the sun be risen upon him, there shall be blood shed for him; for he should make full restitution; if he have nothing, then he shall be sold for his theft.
4 If the theft be certainly found in his hand alive, whether it be ox, or ass, or sheep; he shall restore double.
5 If a man shall cause a field or vineyard to be eaten, and shall put in his beast, and shall feed in another man's field; of the best of his own field, and of the best of his own vineyard, shall he make restitution.
6 If fire break out, and catch in thorns, so that the stacks of corn, or the standing corn, or the field, be consumed therewith; he that kindled the fire shall surely make restitution.
7 If a man shall deliver unto his neighbor money or stuff to keep, and it be stolen out of the man's house; if the thief be found, let him pay double.
8 If the thief be not found, then the master of the house shall be brought unto the judges, to see whether he have put his hand unto his neighbor's goods.
9 For all manner of trespass, whether it be for ox, for ass, for sheep, for raiment, or for any manner of lost thing which another challengeth to be his, the cause of both parties shall come before the judges; and whom the judges shall condemn, he shall pay double unto his neighbor.
10 If a man deliver unto his neighbor an ass, or an ox, or a sheep, or any beast, to keep; and it die, or be hurt, or driven away, no man seeing it:
11 Then shall an oath of the LORD be between them both, that he hath not put his hand unto his neighbor's goods; and the owner of it shall accept thereof, and he shall not make it good.
12 And if it be stolen from him, he shall make restitution unto the owner thereof.
13 If it be torn in pieces, then let him bring it for witness, and he shall not make good that which was torn.
14 And if a man borrow ought of his neighbor, and it be hurt, or die, the owner thereof being not with it, he shall surely make it good.
15 But if the owner thereof be with it, he shall not make it good: if it be an hired thing, it came for his hire.
16 And if a man entice a maid that is not betrothed, and lie with her, he shall surely endow her to be his wife.
17 If her father utterly refuse to give her unto him, he shall pay money according to the dowry of virgins.
18 Thou shalt not suffer a witch to live.
19 Whosoever lieth with a beast shall surely be put to death.
20 He that sacrificeth unto any god, save unto the LORD only, he shall be utterly destroyed.
21 Thou shalt neither vex a stranger, nor oppress him: for ye were strangers in the land of Egypt.
22 Ye shall not afflict any widow, or fatherless child.
23 If thou afflict them in any wise, and they cry at all unto me, I will surely hear their cry;
24 And my wrath shall wax hot, and I will kill you with the sword; and your wives shall be widows, and your children fatherless.
25 If thou lend money to any of my people that is poor by thee, thou shalt not be to him as an usurer, neither shalt thou lay upon him usury.
26 If thou at all take thy neighbor's raiment to pledge, thou shalt deliver it unto him by that the sun goeth down:
27 For that is his covering only, it is his raiment for his skin: wherein shall he sleep? and it shall come to pass, when he crieth unto me, that I will hear; for I am gracious.
28 Thou shalt not revile the gods, nor curse the ruler of thy people.
29 Thou shalt not delay to offer the first of thy ripe fruits, and of thy liquors: the firstborn of thy sons shalt thou give unto me.
30 Likewise shalt thou do with thine oxen, and with thy sheep: seven days it shall be with his dam; on the eighth day thou shalt give it me.
31 And ye shall be holy men unto me: neither shall ye eat any flesh that is torn of beasts in the field; ye shall cast it to the dogs.
1 If a man H376 shall steal H1589 an ox, H7794 or a sheep, H7716 and kill H2873 it, or sell H4376 it; he shall restore H7999 five H2568 oxen H1241 for an ox, H7794 and four H702 sheep H6629 for a sheep. H7716
2 If a thief H1590 be found H4672 breaking up, H4290 and be smitten H5221 that he die, H4191 there shall no blood H1818 be shed for him.
3 If the sun H8121 be risen H2224 upon him, there shall be blood H1818 shed for him; for he should make full H7999 restitution; H7999 if he have nothing, then he shall be sold H4376 for his theft. H1591
4 If the theft H1591 be certainly H4672 found H4672 in his hand H3027 alive, H2416 whether it be ox, H7794 or ass, H2543 or sheep; H7716 he shall restore H7999 double. H8147
5 If a man H376 shall cause a field H7704 or vineyard H3754 to be eaten, H1197 and shall put H7971 in his beast, H1165 and shall feed H1197 in another man's H312 field; H7704 of the best H4315 of his own field, H7704 and of the best H4315 of his own vineyard, H3754 shall he make restitution. H7999
6 If fire H784 break out, H3318 and catch H4672 in thorns, H6975 so that the stacks of corn, H1430 or the standing corn, H7054 or the field, H7704 be consumed H398 therewith; he that kindled H1197 the fire H1200 shall surely H7999 make restitution. H7999
7 If a man H376 shall deliver H5414 unto his neighbour H7453 money H3701 or stuff H3627 to keep, H8104 and it be stolen H1589 out of the man's H376 house; H1004 if the thief H1590 be found, H4672 let him pay H7999 double. H8147
8 If the thief H1590 be not H3808 found, H4672 then the master H1167 of the house H1004 shall be brought H7126 unto the judges, H430 to see whether he have put H7971 his hand H3027 unto his neighbour's H7453 goods. H4399
9 For all manner H1697 of trespass, H6588 whether it be for ox, H7794 for ass, H2543 for sheep, H7716 for raiment, H8008 or for any manner of lost thing, H9 which another challengeth H559 to be his, the cause H1697 of both parties H8147 shall come H935 before the judges; H430 and whom the judges H430 shall condemn, H7561 he shall pay H7999 double H8147 unto his neighbour. H7453
10 If a man H376 deliver H5414 unto his neighbour H7453 an ass, H2543 or an ox, H7794 or a sheep, H7716 or any beast, H929 to keep; H8104 and it die, H4191 or be hurt, H7665 or driven away, H7617 no man seeing H7200 it:
11 Then shall an oath H7621 of the LORD H3068 be between them both, H8147 that he hath not put H7971 his hand H3027 unto his neighbour's H7453 goods; H4399 and the owner H1167 of it shall accept H3947 thereof, and he shall not make it good. H7999
12 And if it be stolen H1589 H1589 from him, he shall make restitution H7999 unto the owner H1167 thereof.
13 If it be torn in pieces, H2963 H2963 then let him bring H935 it for witness, H5707 and he shall not make good H7999 that which was torn. H2966
14 And if a man H376 borrow H7592 ought of his neighbour, H7453 and it be hurt, H7665 or die, H4191 the owner H1167 thereof being not with it, H5973 he shall surely H7999 make it good. H7999
15 But if the owner H1167 thereof be with it, he shall not make it good: H7999 if it be an hired H7916 thing, it came H935 for his hire. H7939
16 And if a man H376 entice H6601 a maid H1330 that is not betrothed, H781 and lie H7901 with her, he shall surely H4117 endow H4117 her to be his wife. H802
17 If her father H1 utterly H3985 refuse H3985 to give H5414 her unto him, he shall pay H8254 money H3701 according to the dowry H4119 of virgins. H1330
18 Thou shalt not suffer a witch H3784 to live. H2421
19 Whosoever lieth H7901 with a beast H929 shall surely H4191 be put to death. H4191
20 He that sacrificeth H2076 unto any god, H430 save H1115 unto the LORD H3068 only, he shall be utterly destroyed. H2763
21 Thou shalt neither vex H3238 a stranger, H1616 nor oppress H3905 him: for ye were strangers H1616 in the land H776 of Egypt. H4714
22 Ye shall not afflict H6031 any widow, H490 or fatherless child. H3490
23 If H518 thou afflict H6031 them in any wise, H6031 and they cry H6817 at all H6817 unto me, I will surely H8085 hear H8085 their cry; H6818
24 And my wrath H639 shall wax hot, H2734 and I will kill H2026 you with the sword; H2719 and your wives H802 shall be widows, H490 and your children H1121 fatherless. H3490
25 If thou lend H3867 money H3701 to any of my people H5971 that is poor H6041 by thee, thou shalt not be to him as an usurer, H5383 neither shalt thou lay H7760 upon him usury. H5392
26 If thou at all H2254 take H2254 thy neighbour's H7453 raiment H8008 to pledge, H2254 thou shalt deliver H7725 it unto him by H5704 that the sun H8121 goeth down: H935
27 For that is his covering H3682 only, it is his raiment H8071 for his skin: H5785 wherein shall he sleep? H7901 and it shall come to pass, when he crieth H6817 unto me, that I will hear; H8085 for I am gracious. H2587
28 Thou shalt not revile H7043 the gods, H430 nor curse H779 the ruler H5387 of thy people. H5971
29 Thou shalt not delay H309 to offer the first of thy ripe fruits, H4395 and of thy liquors: H1831 the firstborn H1060 of thy sons H1121 shalt thou give H5414 unto me.
30 Likewise H3651 shalt thou do H6213 with thine oxen, H7794 and with thy sheep: H6629 seven H7651 days H3117 it shall be with his dam; H517 on the eighth H8066 day H3117 thou shalt give H5414 it me.
31 And ye shall be holy H6944 men H582 unto me: neither shall ye eat H398 any flesh H1320 that is torn of beasts H2966 in the field; H7704 ye shall cast H7993 it to the dogs. H3611
1 If a man shall steal an ox, or a sheep, and kill it, or sell it; he shall pay five oxen for an ox, and four sheep for a sheep.
2 If the thief be found breaking in, and be smitten so that he dieth, there shall be no bloodguiltiness for him.
3 If the sun be risen upon him, there shall be bloodguiltiness for him; he shall make restitution: if he have nothing, then he shall be sold for his theft.
4 If the theft be found in his hand alive, whether it be ox, or ass, or sheep, he shall pay double.
5 If a man shall cause a field or vineyard to be eaten, and shall let his beast loose, and it feed in another man's field; of the best of his own field, and of the best of his own vineyard, shall he make restitution.
6 If fire break out, and catch in thorns, so that the shocks of grain, or the standing grain, or the field are consumed; he that kindled the fire shall surely make restitution.
7 If a man shall deliver unto his neighbor money or stuff to keep, and it be stolen out of the man's house; if the thief be found, he shall pay double.
8 If the thief be not found, then the master of the house shall come near unto God, `to see' whether he have not put his hand unto his neighbor's goods.
9 For every matter of trespass, whether it be for ox, for ass, for sheep, for raiment, `or' for any manner of lost thing, whereof one saith, This is it, the cause of both parties shall come before God; he whom God shall condemn shall pay double unto his neighbor.
10 If a man deliver unto his neighbor an ass, or an ox, or a sheep, or any beast, to keep; and it die, or be hurt, or driven away, no man seeing it:
11 the oath of Jehovah shall be between them both, whether he hath not put his hand unto his neighbor's goods; and the owner thereof shall accept it, and he shall not make restitution.
12 But if it be stolen from him, he shall make restitution unto the owner thereof.
13 If it be torn in pieces, let him bring it for witness: he shall not make good that which was torn.
14 And if a man borrow aught of his neighbor, and it be hurt, or die, the owner thereof not being with it, he shall surely make restitution.
15 If the owner thereof be with it, he shall not make it good: if it be a hired thing, it came for its hire.
16 And if a man entice a virgin that is not betrothed, and lie with her, he shall surely pay a dowry for her to be his wife.
17 If her father utterly refuse to give her unto him, he shall pay money according to the dowry of virgins.
18 Thou shalt not suffer a sorceress to live.
19 Whosoever lieth with a beast shall surely be put to death.
20 He that sacrificeth unto any god, save unto Jehovah only, shall be utterly destroyed.
21 And a sojourner shalt thou not wrong, neither shalt thou oppress him: for ye were sojourners in the land of Egypt.
22 Ye shall not afflict any widow, or fatherless child.
23 If thou afflict them at all, and they cry at all unto me, I will surely hear their cry;
24 and my wrath shall wax hot, and I will kill you with the sword; and your wives shall be widows, and your children fatherless.
25 If thou lend money to any of my people with thee that is poor, thou shalt not be to him as a creditor; neither shall ye lay upon him interest.
26 If thou at all take thy neighbor's garment to pledge, thou shalt restore it unto him before the sun goeth down:
27 for that is his only covering, it is his garment for his skin: wherein shall he sleep? And it shall come to pass, when he crieth unto me, that I will hear; for I am gracious.
28 Thou shalt not revile God, nor curse a ruler of thy people.
29 Thou shalt not delay to offer of thy harvest, and of the outflow of thy presses. The first-born of thy sons shalt thou give unto me.
30 Likewise shalt thou do with thine oxen, `and' with thy sheep: seven days it shall be with its dam; on the eighth day thou shalt give it me.
31 And ye shall be holy men unto me: therefore ye shall not eat any flesh that is torn of beasts in the field; ye shall cast it to the dogs.
1 `When a man doth steal an ox or sheep, and hath slaughtered it or sold it, five of the herd he doth repay for the ox, and four of the flock for the sheep.
2 `If in the breaking through, the thief is found, and he hath been smitten, and hath died, there is no blood for him;
3 if the sun hath risen upon him, blood `is' for him, he doth certainly repay; if he have nothing, then he hath been sold for his theft;
4 if the theft is certainly found in his hand alive, whether ox, or ass, or sheep -- double he repayeth.
5 `When a man depastureth a field or vineyard, and hath sent out his beast, and it hath pastured in the field of another, `of' the best of his field, and the best of his vineyard, he doth repay.
6 `When fire goeth forth, and hath found thorns, and a stack, or the standing corn, or the field, hath been consumed, he who causeth the burning doth certainly repay.
7 `When a man doth give unto his neighbour silver, or vessels to keep, and it hath been stolen out of the man's house; if the thief is found, he repayeth double.
8 `If the thief is not found, then the master of the house hath been brought near unto God, whether he hath not put forth his hand against the work of his neighbour;
9 for every matter of transgression, for ox, for ass, for sheep, for raiment, for any lost thing of which it is said that it is his; unto God cometh the matter of them both; he whom God doth condemn, he repayeth double to his neighbour.
10 `When a man doth give unto his neighbour an ass, or ox, or sheep, or any beast to keep, and it hath died, or hath been hurt, or taken captive, none seeing --
11 an oath of Jehovah is between them both, that he hath not put forth his hand against the work of his neighbour, and its owner hath accepted, and he doth not repay;
12 but if it is certainly stolen from him, he doth repay to its owner;
13 if it is certainly torn, he bringeth it in -- a witness; the torn thing he doth not repay.
14 `And when a man doth ask `anything' from his neighbour, and it hath been hurt or hath died -- its owner not being with it -- he doth certainly repay;
15 if its owner `is' with it, he doth not repay, -- if it `is' a hired thing, it hath come for its hire.
16 `And when a man doth entice a virgin who `is' not betrothed, and hath lain with her, he doth certainly endow her to himself for a wife;
17 if her father utterly refuse to give her to him, money he doth weigh out according to the dowry of virgins.
18 `A witch thou dost not keep alive.
19 `Whoever lieth with a beast is certainly put to death.
20 `He who is sacrificing to a god, save to Jehovah alone, is devoted.
21 `And a sojourner thou dost not oppress, nor crush him, for sojourners ye have been in the land of Egypt.
22 `Any widow or orphan ye do not afflict;
23 if thou dost really afflict him, surely if he at all cry unto Me, I certainly hear his cry;
24 and Mine anger hath burned, and I have slain you by the sword, and your wives have been widows, and your sons orphans.
25 `If thou dost lend My poor people with thee money, thou art not to him as a usurer; thou dost not lay on him usury;
26 if thou dost at all take in pledge the garment of thy neighbour, during the going in of the sun thou dost return it to him:
27 for it alone is his covering, it `is' his garment for his skin; wherein doth he lie down? and it hath come to pass, when he doth cry unto Me, that I have heard, for I `am' gracious.
28 `God thou dost not revile, and a prince among thy people thou dost not curse.
29 `Thy fulness and thy liquids thou dost not delay; the first-born of thy sons thou dost give to Me;
30 so thou dost to thine ox, to thy sheep; seven days it is with its dam, on the eighth day thou dost give it to Me.
31 `And ye are holy men to Me, and flesh torn in the field ye do not eat, to a dog ye do cast it.
1 If a man steal an ox, or a sheep, and kill it, or sell it, he shall restore five oxen for the ox, and four sheep for the sheep.
2 If the thief be encountered breaking in, and be smitten so that he die, there shall be no blood-guiltiness for him.
3 If the sun be risen on him, there shall be blood-guiltiness for him; he should have made full restitution: if he had nothing, he would have been sold for his theft.
4 If the stolen thing be actually found alive in his hand, whether it be ox, or ass, or sheep, he shall restore double.
5 If a man shall cause a field or vineyard to be eaten, and put in his cattle, and pasture in another man's field, of the best of his own field, and of the best of his own vineyard shall he make [it] good.
6 -- If fire break out, and seize the thorns, and the stacks of corn, or the standing corn, or the field be consumed, he that kindled the fire shall fully make it good.
7 -- If a man deliver unto his neighbour money or stuff to keep, and it be stolen out of the man's house; if the thief be found, let him restore double;
8 if the thief be not found, the master of the house shall be brought before the judges, [to see] if he has not put his hand unto his neighbour's goods.
9 As to all manner of fraud, -- as to ox, as to ass, as to sheep, as to clothing, as to everything lost, of which [a man] saith, It is this -- the cause of both parties shall come before the judges: he whom the judges shall condemn shall restore double to his neighbour.
10 If a man deliver unto his neighbour an ass, or an ox, or a sheep, or any cattle, to keep, and it die, or be hurt, or driven away, and no man see [it],
11 an oath of Jehovah shall be between them both, that he hath not put his hand unto his neighbour's goods; and the owner of it shall accept it, and he shall not make [it] good.
12 But if it have been stolen from him, he shall make [it] good unto its owner.
13 If it have been torn in pieces, let him bring it [as] witness: he shall not make good what was torn.
14 -- And if a man borrow anything of his neighbour, and it be hurt, or die, its owner not being with it, he shall fully make it good;
15 if the owner thereof be with it, he shall not make [it] good; if it be a hired [thing], it came for its hire.
16 And if a man seduce a virgin that is not betrothed, and lie with her, he shall certainly endow her, to be his wife.
17 If her father utterly refuse to give her unto him, he shall weigh money according to the dowry of virgins.
18 -- Thou shalt not suffer a witch to live.
19 -- Every one that lieth with a beast shall certainly be put to death.
20 -- He that sacrificeth to [any] god, save to Jehovah only, shall be devoted to destruction.
21 Thou shalt neither vex a stranger, nor oppress him; for ye have been strangers in the land of Egypt.
22 Ye shall not afflict any widow or fatherless child.
23 If thou afflict him in any way, if he cry at all unto me, I will certainly hear his cry;
24 and my anger shall burn, and I will slay you with the sword; and your wives shall be widows, and your children fatherless.
25 -- If thou lend money to my people, the poor with thee,thou shalt not be to him as a usurer: ye shall charge him no interest.
26 -- If thou at all take thy neighbour's garment in pledge, thou shalt return it to him before the sun goes down;
27 for that is his only covering, his garment for his skin: on what shall he lie down? And it shall come to pass, when he crieth unto me, that I will hear; for I am gracious.
28 Thou shalt not revile the judges, nor curse a prince amongst thy people.
29 -- Thou shalt not delay the fulness of thy [threshing-floor] and the outflow of thy [winepress]. The firstborn of thy sons shalt thou give unto me.
30 Likewise shalt thou do with thy calf, with thy sheep: seven days shall it be with its dam; on the eighth day thou shalt give it me.
31 -- And ye shall be holy men unto me; and ye shall not eat flesh torn in the field: ye shall cast it to the dog.
1 "If a man steals an ox or a sheep, and kills it, or sells it; he shall pay five oxen for an ox, and four sheep for a sheep.
2 If the thief is found breaking in, and is struck so that he dies, there shall be no guilt of bloodshed for him.
3 If the sun has risen on him, there shall be guilt of bloodshed for him; he shall make restitution. If he has nothing, then he shall be sold for his theft.
4 If the stolen property is found in his hand alive, whether it is ox, donkey, or sheep, he shall pay double.
5 "If a man causes a field or vineyard to be eaten, and lets his animal loose, and it grazes in another man's field, he shall make restitution from the best of his own field, and from the best of his own vineyard.
6 "If fire breaks out, and catches in thorns so that the shocks of grain, or the standing grain, or the field are consumed; he who kindled the fire shall surely make restitution.
7 "If a man delivers to his neighbor money or stuff to keep, and it is stolen out of the man's house; if the thief is found, he shall pay double.
8 If the thief isn't found, then the master of the house shall come near to God, to find out if he hasn't put his hand to his neighbor's goods.
9 For every matter of trespass, whether it be for ox, for donkey, for sheep, for clothing, or for any kind of lost thing, about which one says, 'This is mine,' the cause of both parties shall come before God. He whom God condemns shall pay double to his neighbor.
10 "If a man delivers to his neighbor a donkey, an ox, a sheep, or any animal to keep, and it dies or is injured, or driven away, no man seeing it;
11 the oath of Yahweh shall be between them both, whether he hasn't put his hand to his neighbor's goods; and the owner of it shall accept it, and he shall not make restitution.
12 But if it is stolen from him, he shall make restitution to the owner of it.
13 If it is torn in pieces, let him bring it for evidence. He shall not make good that which was torn.
14 "If a man borrows anything of his neighbor's, and it is injured, or dies, the owner of it not being with it, he shall surely make restitution.
15 If the owner of it is with it, he shall not make it good. If it is a leased thing, it came for its lease.
16 "If a man entices a virgin who isn't pledged to be married, and lies with her, he shall surely pay a dowry for her to be his wife.
17 If her father utterly refuses to give her to him, he shall pay money according to the dowry of virgins.
18 "You shall not allow a sorceress to live.
19 "Whoever has sex with an animal shall surely be put to death.
20 "He who sacrifices to any god, except to Yahweh only, shall be utterly destroyed.
21 "You shall not wrong an alien, neither shall you oppress him, for you were aliens in the land of Egypt.
22 "You shall not take advantage of any widow or fatherless child.
23 If you take advantage of them at all, and they cry at all to me, I will surely hear their cry;
24 and my wrath will grow hot, and I will kill you with the sword; and your wives shall be widows, and your children fatherless.
25 "If you lend money to any of my people with you who is poor, you shall not be to him as a creditor; neither shall you charge him interest.
26 If you take your neighbor's garment as collateral, you shall restore it to him before the sun goes down,
27 for that is his only covering, it is his garment for his skin. What would he sleep in? It will happen, when he cries to me, that I will hear, for I am gracious.
28 "You shall not blaspheme God, nor curse a ruler of your people.
29 "You shall not delay to offer from your harvest and from the outflow of your presses. "You shall give the firstborn of your sons to me.
30 You shall do likewise with your oxen and with your sheep. Seven days it shall be with its mother, then on the eighth day you shall give it me.
31 "You shall be holy men to me, therefore you shall not eat any flesh that is torn by animals in the field. You shall cast it to the dogs.
1 If a man takes without right another man's ox or his sheep, and puts it to death or gets a price for it, he is to give five oxen for an ox, or four sheep for a sheep, in payment: the thief will have to make payment for what he has taken; if he has no money, he himself will have to be exchanged for money, so that payment may be made.
2 If a thief is taken in the act of forcing his way into a house, and his death is caused by a blow, the owner of the house is not responsible for his blood.
3 But if it is after dawn, he will be responsible.
4 If he still has what he had taken, whatever it is, ox or ass or sheep, he is to give twice its value.
5 If a man makes a fire in a field or a vine-garden, and lets the fire do damage to another man's field, he is to give of the best produce of his field or his vine-garden to make up for it.
6 If there is a fire and the flames get to the thorns at the edge of the field, causing destruction of the cut grain or of the living grain, or of the field, he who made the fire will have to make up for the damage.
7 If a man puts money or goods in the care of his neighbour to keep for him, and it is taken from the man's house, if they get the thief, he will have to make payment of twice the value.
8 If they do not get the thief, let the master of the house come before the judges and take an oath that he has not put his hand on his neighbour's goods.
9 In any question about an ox or an ass or a sheep or clothing, or about the loss of any property which anyone says is his, let the two sides put their cause before God; and he who is judged to be in the wrong is to make payment to his neighbour of twice the value.
10 If a man puts an ass or an ox or a sheep or any beast into the keeping of his neighbour, and it comes to death or is damaged or is taken away, without any person seeing it:
11 If he takes his oath before the Lord that he has not put his hand to his neighbour's goods, the owner is to take his word for it and he will not have to make payment for it.
12 But if it is taken from him by a thief, he is to make up for the loss of it to its owner.
13 But if it has been damaged by a beast, and he is able to make this clear, he will not have to make payment for what was damaged.
14 If a man gets from his neighbour the use of one of his beasts, and it is damaged or put to death when the owner is not with it, he will certainly have to make payment for the loss.
15 If the owner is with it, he will not have to make payment: if he gave money for the use of it, the loss is covered by the payment.
16 If a man takes a virgin, who has not given her word to another man, and has connection with her, he will have to give a bride-price for her to be his wife.
17 If her father will not give her to him on any account, he will have to give the regular payment for virgins.
18 Any woman using unnatural powers or secret arts is to be put to death.
19 Any man who has sex connection with a beast is to be put to death.
20 Complete destruction will come on any man who makes offerings to any other god but the Lord.
21 Do no wrong to a man from a strange country, and do not be hard on him; for you yourselves were living in a strange country, in the land of Egypt.
22 Do no wrong to a widow, or to a child whose father is dead.
23 If you are cruel to them in any way, and their cry comes up to me, I will certainly give ear;
24 And in the heat of my wrath I will put you to death with the sword, so that your wives will be widows and your children without fathers.
25 If you let any of the poor among my people have the use of your money, do not be a hard creditor to him, and do not take interest.
26 If ever you take your neighbour's clothing in exchange for the use of your money, let him have it back before the sun goes down:
27 For it is the only thing he has for covering his skin; what is he to go to sleep in? and when his cry comes up to me, I will give ear, for my mercy is great.
28 You may not say evil of the judges, or put a curse on the ruler of your people.
29 Do not keep back your offerings from the wealth of your grain and your vines. The first of your sons you are to give to me.
30 In the same way with your oxen and your sheep: for seven days let the young one be with its mother; on the eighth day give it to me.
31 You are to be holy men to me: the flesh of no animal whose death has been caused by the beasts of the field may be used for your food; it is to be given to the dogs.
Worthy.Bible » Commentaries » Keil & Delitzsch Commentary » Commentary on Exodus 22
Commentary on Exodus 22 Keil & Delitzsch Commentary
With regard to cattle-stealing , the law makes a distinction between what had been killed or sold, and what was still alive and in the thief's hand (or possession). In the latter case, the thief was to restore piece for piece twofold (Exodus 22:4); in the former, he was to restore an ox fivefold and a small animal (a sheep or a goat) fourfold (Exodus 22:1). The difference between the compensation for an ox and a small animal is to be accounted for from the comparative worth of the cattle to the possessor, which determined the magnitude of the theft and the amount of the compensation. But the other distinctions of twofold, fourfold, and fivefold restitution cannot be accounted for, either by supposing “that the animal slain or sold was lost to its master, and might have been of peculiar value to him” ( Knobel ), for such a consideration of personal feelings would have been quite foreign to the law-not to mention the fact that an animal that had been sold might be recovered by purchase; or from the fact that “the thief in this case had carried his crime still further” ( Baumgarten ), for the main thing was still the theft, not the consumption or sale of the animal stolen. The reason can only have lain in the educational purpose of the law: viz., in the intention to lead the thief to repent of his crime, to acknowledge his guilt, and to restore what he had stolen. Now, as long as he still retained the stolen animal in his own possession, having neither consumed nor parted with it, this was always in his power; but the possibility was gone as soon as it had either been consumed or sold (see by Archהologie , §154, Note 3).
(Note: Calvin gives the same explanation: Major in scelere obstinatio se prodit, ubi res furtiva in quaestum conversa est, nec spes est ulla resipiscentiae, atque ita continuo progressu duplicatur malae fidei crimen. Fieri potest ut fur statim post delictum contremiscat: qui vero animal occidere ausus est, aut vendere, prorsus in maleficio obduruit .)
Exodus 22:2-4
Into the midst of the laws relating to theft, we have one introduced here, prescribing what was to be done with the thief. “ If the thief be found breaking in (i.e., by night according to Exodus 22:3), and be smitten so that he die, there shall be no blood to him (the person smiting him); if the sun has risen upon him (the thief breaking in), there is blood to him: ” i.e., in the latter case the person killing him drew upon himself blood-guiltiness ( דּמים lit., drops of blood, blood shed), in the former case he did not. “The reason for this disparity between a thief by night and one in the day is, that the power and intention of a nightly thief are uncertain, and whether he may not have come for the purpose of committing murder; and that by night, if thieves are resisted, they often proceed to murder in their rage; and also that they can neither be recognised, nor resisted and apprehended with safety” ( Calovius ). In the latter case the slayer contracted blood-guiltiness, because even the life of a thief was to be spared, as he could be punished for his crime, and what was stolen be restored according to the regulations laid down in Exodus 22:1 and Exodus 22:4. But if he had not sufficient to make retribution, he was to be sold “ for his stolen, ” i.e., for the value of what he had stolen, that he might earn by his labour the compensation to be paid.
Injury done to another man's field or corn was also to be made good by compensation for the injury done. If any one should consume a field or a vineyard, and let loose his beast, so that it fed in another man's field, he was to give the best of his field and vineyard as restitution. These words do not refer to wilful injury, for שׁלּח does not mean to drive in, but simply to let loose, set at liberty; they refer to injury done from carelessness, when any one neglected to take proper care of a beast that was feeding in his field, and it strayed in consequence, and began grazing in another man's. Hence simple compensation was all that was demanded; though this was to be made “from the best of his field,” i.e., quicquid optimum habebit in agro vel vinea ( Jerome ).
(Note: The lxx have expanded this law by interpolating ἀποτίσει ἐκ τοῦ ἀγροῦ αὐτοῦ κατὰ τὸ γέννημα αὐτοῦ ἐὰν δὲ πάντα τὸν ἀγρὸν καταβοσκήσῃ before מיטב . And the Samaritan does the same. But this expansion is proved to be an arbitrary interpolation, by the simple fact that πάντα τὸν ἀγρόν forms no logical antithesis to ἀγρὸν ἕτερον .)
Exodus 22:6
Exodus 22:6 also relates to unintentional injury, arising from want of proper care: “ If fire break out and catch thorns (thorn-hedges surrounding a corn-field, Isaiah 5:5; Sir. 28:24), and sheaves, or the standing seed ( הקּמה the corn standing in the straw), or the field be consumed, he that kindleth the fire shall make compensation (for the damage done).”
In cases of dishonesty, or the loss of property entrusted, the following was to be the recognised right: If money or articles ( כּלים , not merely tools and furniture, but clothes and ornaments, cf. Deuteronomy 22:5; Isaiah 61:10) given to a neighbour to keep should be stolen out of his house, the thief was to restore double if he could be found; but if he could not be discovered, the master of the house was to go before the judicial court ( האלהים אל , see Exodus 21:6; אל נקרב to draw near to), to see “whether he has not stretched out his hand to his neighbour's goods.” מלאכה : lit., employment, then something earned by employment, a possession. Before the judicial court he was to cleanse himself of the suspicion of having fraudulently appropriated what had been entrusted to him; and in most cases this could probably be only done by an oath of purification. The Sept. and Vulg. both point to this by interpolating καὶ ὀμεῖται , et jurabit (“and he shall swear”), though we are not warranted in supplying ויּשּׁבע in consequence. For, apart from the fact that אם־לא is not to be regarded as a particle of adjuration here, as Rosenmüller supposes, since this particle signifies “truly” when employed in an oath, and therefore would make the declaration affirmative, whereas the oath was unquestionably to be taken as a release from the suspicion of fraudulent appropriation, and in case of confession an oath was not requisite at all; - apart from all this, if the lawgiver had intended to prescribe an oath for such a case, he would have introduced it here, just as he has done in Exodus 22:11. If the man could free himself before the court from the suspicion of unfaithfulness, he would of course not have to make compensation for what was lost, but the owner would have to bear the damage. This legal process is still further extended in Exodus 22:9 : על־כּל־דּבר־פּשׁע , “ upon every matter of trespass ” (by which we are to understand, according to the context, unfaithfulness with regard to, or unjust appropriation of, the property of another man, not only when it had been entrusted, but also if it had been found), “ for ox, for ass, etc., or for any manner of lost thing, of which one says that it is this (“ this ,” viz., the matter of trespass), the cause of both (the parties contending about the right of possession) shall come to the judicial court; and he whom the court ( Elohim ) shall pronounce guilty (of unjust appropriation) shall give double compensation to his neighbour: only double as in Exodus 22:4 and Exodus 22:7, not four or fivefold as in Exodus 22:1, because the object in dispute had not been consumed.
If an animal entrusted to a neighbour to take care of had either died or hurt itself ( נשׁבּר , broken a limb), or been driven away by robbers when out at grass (1 Chronicles 5:21; 2 Chronicles 14:14, cf. Job 1:15, Job 1:17), without any one (else) seeing it, an oath was to be taken before Jehovah between both (the owner and the keeper of it), “whether he had not stretched out his hand to his neighbour's property,” i.e., either killed, or mutilated, or disposed of the animal. This case differs from the previous one, not only in the fact that the animal had either become useless to the owner or was altogether lost, but also in the fact that the keeper, if his statement were true, had not been at all to blame in the matter. The only way in which this could be decided, if there was ראה אין , i.e., no other eye-witness present than the keeper himself at the time when the fact occurred, was by the keeper taking an oath before Jehovah, that is to say, before the judicial court. And if he took the oath, the master (owner) of it (the animal that had perished, or been lost or injured) was to accept (sc., the oath), and he (the accused) was not to make reparation. “But if it had been stolen מעמּו from with him (i.e., from his house or stable), he was to make it good,” because he might have prevented this with proper care (cf. Genesis 31:39). On the other hand, if it had been torn in pieces (viz., by a beast of prey, while it was out at grass), he was not to make any compensation, but only to furnish a proof that he had not been wanting in proper care. עד יבאהוּ “ let him bring it as a witness, ” viz., the animal that had been torn in pieces, or a portion of it, from which it might be seen that he had chased the wild beast to recover its prey (cf. 1 Samuel 17:34-35; Amos 3:12).
If any one borrowed an animal of his neighbour (to use it for some kind of work), and it got injured and died, he was to make compensation to the owner, unless the latter were present at the time; but not if he were. “For either he would see that it could not have been averted by any human care; or if it could, seeing that he, the owner himself, was present, and did not avert it, it would only be right that he should suffer the consequence of his own neglect to afford assistance” ( Calovius ). The words which follow, וגו שׂכיר אם , cannot have any other meaning than this, “ if it was hired, it has come upon his hire, ” i.e., he has to bear the injury or loss for the money which he got for letting out the animal. The suggestion which Knobel makes with a “perhaps,” that שׂכיר refers to a hired labourer, to whom the word is applied in other places, and that the meaning is this, “if it is a labourer for hire, he goes into his hire, - i.e., if the hirer is a daily labourer who has nothing with which to make compensation, he is to enter into the service of the person who let him the animal, for a sufficiently long time to make up for the loss,” - is not only opposed to the grammar (the perfect בּא for which יבא should be used), but is also at variance with the context, “not make it good.”
The seduction of a girl, who belonged to her father as long as she was not betrothed (cf. Exodus 21:7), was also to be regarded as an attack upon the family possession. Whoever persuaded a girl to let him lie with her, was to obtain her for a wife by the payment of a dowry ( מהר see Genesis 34:12); and if her father refused to give her to him, he was to weigh (pay) money equivalent to the dowry of maidens, i.e., to pay the father just as much for the disgrace brought upon him by the seduction of his daughter, as maidens would receive for a dowry upon their marriage. The seduction of a girl who was betrothed, was punished much more severely (see Deuteronomy 22:23-24).
The laws which follow, from Exodus 22:18 onwards, differ both in form and subject-matter from the determinations of right which we have been studying hitherto: in form , through the omission of the כּי with which the others were almost invariably introduced; in subject-matter, inasmuch as they make demands upon Israel on the ground of its election to be the holy nation of Jehovah, which go beyond the sphere of natural right, not only prohibiting every inversion of the natural order of things, but requiring the manifestation of love to the infirm and needy out of regard to Jehovah. The transition from the former series to the present one is made by the command in Exodus 22:18, “ Thou shalt not suffer a witch to live; ” witchcraft being, on the one hand, “the vilest way of injuring a neighbour in his property, or even in his body and life” ( Ranke ), whilst, on the other hand, employment of powers of darkness for the purpose of injuring a neighbour was a practical denial of the divine vocation of Israel, as well as of Jehovah the Holy One of Israel. The witch is mentioned instead of the wizard, “not because witchcraft was not to be punished in the case of men, but because the female sex was more addicted to this crime” ( Calovius ). תחיּה לא (shalt not suffer to live) is chosen instead of the ordinary יוּמת מות (shall surely die), which is used in Leviticus 20:27 of wizards also, not “because the lawgiver intended that the Hebrew witch should be put to death in any case, and the foreigner only if she would not go when she was banished” ( Knobel ), but because every Hebrew witch was not to be put to death, but regard was to be had to the fact that witchcraft is often nothing but jugglery, and only those witches were to be put to death who would not give up their witchcraft when it was forbidden. Witchcraft is followed in Exodus 22:19 by the unnatural crime of lying with a beast; and this is also threatened with the punishment of death (see Leviticus 18:23, and Leviticus 20:15-16).
Whoever offered sacrifice to strange gods instead of to Jehovah alone, was liable to death. יחרם he shall be banned, put under the ban ( cherem ), i.e., put to death, and by death devoted to the Lord, to whom he would not devote himself in life (cf. Leviticus 27:29, and my Archäologie , §70).
The Israelites were not to offer sacrifice to foreign deities; but a foreigner himself they were not only to tolerate, but were not to vex or oppress him, bearing in mind that they also had been foreigners in Egypt (cf. Exodus 23:9, and Leviticus 19:33-34). - Whilst the foreigner, as having no rights, is thus commended to the kindness of the people through their remembrance of what they themselves had experienced in Egypt, those members of the nation itself who were most in need of protection (viz., widows and orphans) are secured from humiliation by an assurance of the special care and watchfulness of Jehovah, under which such forsaken ones stand, inasmuch as Jehovah Himself would take their troubles upon Himself, and punish their oppressors with just retribution. ענּה to humiliate, includes not only unjust oppression, but every kind of cold and contemptuous treatment. The suffix in אתו (Exodus 22:23) refers to both אלמנה and יתום , according to the rule that when there are two or more subjects of different genders, the masculine is employed ( Ges. §148, 2). The כּי before אם expresses a strong assurance: “yea, if he cries to Me, I will hearken to him” (see Ewald , §330 b ). “Killing with the sword” points to wars, in which men and fathers of families perish, and their wives and children are made widows and orphans.
If a man should lend to one of the poor of his own people, he was not to oppress him by demanding interest; and if he gave his upper garment as a pledge, he was to give it him back towards sunset, because it was his only covering; as the poorer classes in the East use the upper garment, consisting of a large square piece of cloth, to sleep in. “ It is his clothing for his skin: ” i.e., it serves for a covering to his body. “ Wherein shall he lie? ” i.e., in what shall be wrap himself to sleep? (cf. Deuteronomy 24:6, Deuteronomy 24:10-13). - With Exodus 22:28. God directs Himself at once to the hearts of the Israelites, and attacks the sins of selfishness and covetousness, against which the precepts in Exodus 22:21-27 were directed in their deepest root, for the purpose of opposing all inward resistance to the promotion of His commands.
“ Thou shalt not despise God, and the prince among thy people thou shalt not curse. ” Elohim does not mean either the gods of other nations, as Josephus, Philo , and others, in their dead and work-holy monotheism, have rendered the word; or the rulers, as Onkelos and others suppose; but simply God, deity in general, whose majesty was despised in every break of the commandments of Jehovah, and who was to be honoured in the persons of the rulers (cf. Proverbs 24:21; 1 Peter 2:17). Contempt of God consists not only in blasphemies of Jehovah openly expressed, which were to be punished with death (Leviticus 24:11.), but in disregard of His threats with reference to the oppression of the poorer members of His people (Exodus 22:22-27), and in withholding from them what they ought to receive (Exodus 22:29-31). Understood in this way, the command is closely connected not only with what precedes, but also with what follows. The prince ( נשׂיא , lit., the elevated one) is mentioned by the side of God, because in his exalted position he has to administer the law of God among His people, and to put a stop to what is wrong.
“ Thy fulness and thy flowing thou shalt not delay (to Me).” מלאה fulness, signifies the produce of corn (Deuteronomy 22:9); and דּמע (lit., tear, flowing, liquor stillans ), which only occurs here, is a poetical epithet for the produce of the press, both wine and oil (cf. δάκρυον τῶν δένδρων , lxx; arborum lacrimae , Plin. 11:6). The meaning is correctly given by the lxx: ἀπαρχὰς ἅλωνος καὶ ληνοῦ σοῦ . That the command not to delay and not to withhold the fulness, etc., relates to the offering of the first-fruits of the field and vineyard, as is more fully defined in Exodus 23:19 and Deuteronomy 26:2-11, is evident from what follows, in which the law given at the exodus from Egypt, with reference to the sanctification of the first-born of man and beast (Exodus 13:2, Exodus 13:12), is repeated and incorporated in the rights of Israel, inasmuch as the adoption of the first-born on the part of Jehovah was a perpetual guarantee to the whole nation of the right of covenant fellowship. (On the rule laid down in Exodus 22:30, see Leviticus 22:27.)
As the whole nation sanctified itself to the Lord in the sanctification of the first-born, the Israelites were to show themselves to be holy men unto the Lord by not eating “flesh torn to pieces in the field,” i.e., the flesh of an animal that had been torn to pieces by a wild beast in the field. Such flesh they were to throw to the dogs, because eating it would defile (cf. Leviticus 17:15).