Tanak Foundations-Concepts in Exodus-Chapter 22

Exo 22.1-31 tells us about the laws concerning personal property; restitution; borrowing and lending; moral offenses; seduction; witchcraft; sodomy; polytheism; oppression of the weak; loans and pledges; respect towards God and rulers; first fruit offerings; animals torn by beasts.

v 1…If a man steals an ox, or a sheep, and kill it, or sell it, he shall pay five oxen for an ox (the thief is responsible to pay for the loss of work, and it is a valuable animal), and four sheep for a sheep.

v 2…If the thief is caught while breaking in (digging through), and is struck so that he dies, there will be no bloodguiltiness on his account (because the thief would only do this at night when he knew people were at home and the owner risked his life; assistance would be hard to find).

v 3…But if the sun has risen on him there will be bloodguiltiness on his (the owner’s) account (he didn’t come to murder the owner; the owner could have called for help, so he must die). He (the thief) shall surely make restitution (if caught); if he (the thief) owns nothing, then he shall be sold for his theft (he could work it off).

v 4…If what he stole is found alive in his possession, whether an ox or a donkey or sheep, he shall pay double (return the anumaland give the owner another as a fine).

v 5…If a man lets a field or vineyard be grazed (baare) and lets his animals loose, so that it grazes in another man’s field, he shall make restitution from the best of his own vineyard.

v 6…If a fire breaks out and spreads to thorn bushes, so that stacked grain or standing grain of the field is consumed, he who started the fire shall surely make restitution (make good of all the damages suffered by his neighbors).

v 7…If a man gives his neighbor money or goods to keep for him, and it is stolen from a man’s house, if the thief is caught, he shall pay double.

v 8…If the thief is not caught , then the owner of the house shall appear before the judges (“elohim”) to determine whether he laid his hands on his neighbor’s property (asking what happened to the goods committed to him).

v 9…For every breach of trust, whether it is for ox, for donkey, for sheep, for clothing, or for any lost thing about which one says, “This is it (what he deposited),’ the case of both parties shall come before the judges (“elohim”), he whom the judges condemn (either the depositor or the holder) shall pay double to his neighbor.

v 10…If a man gives his neighbor a donkey, an ox, a sheep, or any animal to keep for him, and it dies or is driven away while no one is looking (not his fault),

v 11…an oath before the Lord (when a decision could not be made there was a last resort, an oath before the Lord shall be made by the two of them, that he has not laid hands on his neighbors property; and its owner shall accept it, and he shall not make restitution (he is believed).

v 12…But if it is actually stolen from him, he shall make restitution to its owner (single).

v 13…If it is torn to pieces, let him bring it as evidence (the carcass pieces, etc); he shall not make restitution for what has been torn to pieces.

v 14…And if a man borrows (anything) from his neighbor, and it is injured or dies while its owner is not with it, he shall make full restitution (single; to make good what he has lost).

v 15…If its owner is with it, he shall not make restitution (it was the duty of the owner to to take care of his animal); if it is hired, it came with its hire (in accepting the rent for the use of his animal).

v 16…If a man seduces a virgin who is not engaged (Hebrew (“erusin” or betrothed) and lies with her, he must pay a dowry for her to be his wife (so that the seducer could not escape his responsibility or demand her in marriage without paying a dowry).

v 17…If her father absolutely refuses to give her to him (as a wife), he shall pay money equal to the dowry for virgins (50 shekels-Deut 22.29).

v 18…You shall not allow a sorceress to live (men are included).

v 19…Whoever lies with an animal shall surely be put to death (by stoning).

v 20…He who sacrifices to any god (“elohim” or anything anyone takes for one) other than to the Lord (Yehovah) alone, shall be utterly destroyed (doomed to destruction).

v 21…And you shall not wrong a stranger or oppress him (refuse to help, or trade with him, give him lodging or give them the necessities of life, etc), for you were strangers in the land of Egypt.

v 22…You shall not afflict any widow or orphan (a two classes who have no human protector and can’t defend themselves).

v 23…If you afflict him at all, and if he cries out to me, I will surely hear his cry,

v 24…and my anger will be kindled, and I will kill you with the sword (God doesn’t need a court); and your wives shall become widows and your children orphans (be in the same class with those they have injured).

v 25…If you lend money to my people, to the poor among you, you are not to act as creditor to him, you shall not charge him interest (to get them to pay it back; it was seen as charity).

v 26…If you ever take your neighbor’s cloak as a pledge, you are to return it to him before the sun sets (it is a necessity to him),

v 27…for that is his only covering; it is his cloak for his body. What else shall he sleep in? And it shall come about when he cries out to me, I will hear him, for I am gracious (merciful and anything cruel or uncompassionate is an abomination to Yehovah).

v 28…You shall not curse God (Gen 1.1), nor curse a ruler (Hebrew “nasi” who is to administer the laws of God) of the people (Paul applied this to the high priest in Acts 23.5).

v 29…You shall not delay your harvest (offerings from it) and the outflow of your presses (olive oil, grapes, etc). The first-born of your sons you shall give to me (their sanctification to Yehovah).

v 30…You shall do the same with your oxen and with your sheep. It shall be with its mother seven days; on the eighth day you shall give it to me.

v 31…And you shall be holy men (a people with a kedusha, separate from all the other nations, with restrictions and limitations as to what they can eat in this case) to me, therefore, you shall not eat any flesh torn to pieces (“treifah”) in the field (field is used because it was the most common place to find it, but also relates to any place); you shall throw it to the dogs.

Posted in All Teachings, Articles, Idioms, Phrases and Concepts, Prophecy/Eschatology, The Festivals of the Lord, The Tanak, Tying into the New Testament

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