Exodus 22

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Exodus 22 outlines various civil and religious laws for Israel, focusing on justice and social responsibility. It details restitution for theft and property damage, rules for deposits and loans, and protections for the vulnerable like strangers, widows, and orphans. The chapter also includes strict prohibitions against witchcraft, bestiality, and idolatry, emphasizing the people's obligation to holiness and justice before the LORD.

Laws Concerning Theft and Restitution 1–4

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.

If the thief be found breaking in, and be smitten so that he dieth, there shall be no bloodguiltiness for him.

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.

If the theft be found in his hand alive, whether it be ox, or ass, or sheep, he shall pay double.

Laws Concerning Property Damage 5–6

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.

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.

Laws Governing Deposits and Bailments 7–13

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.

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.

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.

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:

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.

But if it be stolen from him, he shall make restitution unto the owner thereof.

If it be torn in pieces, let him bring it for witness: he shall not make good that which was torn.

Laws Concerning Loans and Hired Items 14–15

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.

If the owner thereof be with it, he shall not make it good: if it be a hired thing, it came for its hire.

Laws Regarding Sexual Misconduct 16–17

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.

If her father utterly refuse to give her unto him, he shall pay money according to the dowry of virgins.

Laws Against Forbidden Practices 18–20

Thou shalt not suffer a sorceress to live.

Whosoever lieth with a beast shall surely be put to death.

He that sacrificeth unto any god, save unto Jehovah only, shall be utterly destroyed.

Justice for the Vulnerable 21–24

And a sojourner shalt thou not wrong, neither shalt thou oppress him: for ye were sojourners in the land of Egypt.

Ye shall not afflict any widow, or fatherless child.

If thou afflict them at all, and they cry at all unto me, I will surely hear their cry;

and my wrath shall wax hot, and I will kill you with the sword; and your wives shall be widows, and your children fatherless.

Laws Concerning Interest and Pledges 25–27

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.

If thou at all take thy neighbor’s garment to pledge, thou shalt restore it unto him before the sun goeth down:

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.

Obligations to God and Authority 28–31

Thou shalt not revile God, nor curse a ruler of thy people.

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.

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.

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.

Bible text: American Standard Version (1901) · Public domain

Study Notes for Exodus 22

Verse 1

five oxen for an ox — 'Restore' is shalam, the verb of restitution through this chapter. The sum is higher when the animal has been killed or sold, so that it cannot be returned, than the double of v.4 for one found alive. David judged the man who took the poor man's lamb: 'he shall restore the lamb fourfold' (2 Sam 12:6); Zacchaeus says, 'I restore him fourfold' (Luke 19:8).

Verse 2

found breaking up — Machteret, a burglary, from the root chathar, to dig through. The thief caught breaking in and killed leaves no bloodguilt: 'there shall no blood be shed for him'. Christ uses the same figure for his coming: 'if the goodman of the house had known in what watch the thief would come' (Matt 24:43).

Verse 3

If the sun be risen upon him — Daylight changes the case: now 'there shall be blood shed for him', and bloodguilt falls on the one who strikes him down. The thief who has nothing to repay 'shall be sold for his theft'. Prov 6:31 gives the measure for a thief found out: 'he shall restore sevenfold; he shall give all the substance of his house.'

Verse 4

he shall restore double — The stolen animal is found 'alive' in the thief's hand, so it is returned and the thief adds as much again (shenayim, two). Verse 1 sets five and four where the animal has been killed or sold. The same 'double' returns in vv.7 and 9 for goods taken from a neighbour's keeping.

Verse 6

he that kindled the fire — The fire spreads through 'thorns', the hedge about a field: 'they are quenched as the fire of thorns' (Ps 118:12). The one who kindled it pays whether or not he meant the loss. The verb 'kindled', the 'stacks' and the 'standing corn' are the same three Hebrew words as in Samson's fire (Judg 15:5).

Verse 7

to keep — Shamar, to guard: goods left with a neighbour are in his keeping. If the thief is found he pays 'double'; if not, the keeper answers before the judges (vv.8–11). Lev 6:2–5 gives the other side: a man who lies 'in that which was delivered him to keep' restores it 'and shall add the fifth part more thereto'.

Verse 8

unto the judges — Elohim, the word rendered 'god' in v.20 and 'gods' in v.28; the KJV gives 'judges' where men decide in God's name. The keeper is brought 'to see whether he have put his hand unto his neighbour's goods'. Ps 82:6 and John 10:34–35 use the title of those who judge: 'If he called them gods, unto whom the word of God came'.

Verse 9

whom the judges shall condemn — 'Condemn' is rasha, to declare in the wrong, the judge's verb in Deut 25:1: 'they shall justify the righteous, and condemn the wicked'. 'Trespass' is pesha, transgression, and the list runs from ox to 'any manner of lost thing'. The one found wrong pays 'double unto his neighbour'.

Verse 11

an oath of the LORD — Shebuah, a sworn oath, taken in the LORD's name where there is no witness. The owner accepts it and the keeper 'shall not make it good'. Israel is told to swear by his name: 'Thou shalt fear the LORD thy God, and serve him, and shalt swear by his name' (Deut 6:13). 'An oath for confirmation is to them an end of all strife' (Heb 6:16).

Verse 14

shall surely make it good — The same verb shalam as the restitution of vv.1–9. The borrower pays when the thing is hurt or dies 'the owner thereof being not with it'; v.15 gives the other case: 'If the owner thereof be with it, he shall not make it good.' For the pit-digger the rule is alike: 'The owner of the pit shall make it good' (21:34).

Verse 16

endow her to be his wife — Mahar, to pay the bride-price (mohar), the word of Shechem's offer, 'Ask me never so much dowry and gift' (Gen 34:12). Deut 22:28–29 sets the sum for a like case at fifty shekels of silver, and adds that 'he may not put her away all his days'.

Verse 17

utterly refuse — The verb is doubled in Hebrew: the father keeps the right to say no. The man still pays 'according to the dowry of virgins', the mohar of v.16. Deut 22:29 sets fifty shekels of silver in the parallel case, so the wrong is not left unanswered whichever way the father decides.

Verse 18

a witch — Kashaph, sorcery; the same root names Pharaoh's 'sorcerers' (Ex 7:11). Deut 18:10 lists 'a witch' among the practices not to be found in Israel, and Paul names 'witchcraft' among 'the works of the flesh' (Gal 5:20). In Rev 22:15 'sorcerers' are among those 'without'.

Verse 20

utterly destroyed — Charam, to devote to destruction, the verb of Deut 7:2, 'thou shalt smite them, and utterly destroy them'. The sentence guards the first commandment: 'Thou shalt have no other gods before me' (Ex 20:3). The phrase 'save unto the LORD only' names the one God to whom sacrifice may be made.

Verse 21

a stranger — Ger, a sojourner living among Israel. 'Vex' (yanah) and 'oppress' (lachats, to squeeze) bar wrong; lachats is the word for what Egypt did to Israel (Ex 3:9). Ex 23:9 repeats the law with its reason, 'ye know the heart of a stranger', and Lev 19:34 adds 'thou shalt love him as thyself'.

Verse 22

any widow, or fatherless child — 'Afflict' is anah, the verb for what Egypt did to Israel: 'to afflict them with their burdens' (Ex 1:11). Verse 23 gives the answer: 'they cry at all unto me, I will surely hear their cry'. Ps 68:5 says, 'A father of the fatherless, and a judge of the widows, is God in his holy habitation.'

Verse 24

your wives shall be widows — The penalty answers the offence: those who afflict widows and fatherless children (v.22) leave their own. 'I will kill you with the sword' is the reply to the cry of v.23. Deut 10:18 states the same character: 'He doth execute the judgment of the fatherless and widow, and loveth the stranger.'

Verse 25

usury — Neshek, from nashak, to bite: interest taken on a loan. The law concerns 'my people that is poor by thee' and returns in Lev 25:36–37, 'Take thou no usury of him', and Deut 23:19–20, where the brother is spared and the stranger is not. Ps 15:5 names the man 'that putteth not out his money to usury'.

Verse 26

by that the sun goeth down — 'Pledge' (chabal) is security for a loan; the garment is returned by sunset. Deut 24:12–13 repeats it: 'that he may sleep in his own raiment, and bless thee'. Amos 2:8 charges Israel with those who 'lay themselves down upon clothes laid to pledge by every altar'.

Verse 27

for I am gracious — Channun, the word of the name proclaimed in Ex 34:6, 'merciful and gracious'. The reason for returning the garment is the poor man's need, 'his covering only', and the LORD's hearing: 'when he crieth unto me, that I will hear'. The verb for crying is the one of v.23.

Verse 28

the gods — Elohim, rendered 'judges' in vv.8–9 and 'god' in v.20; here it covers those who judge, set beside 'the ruler of thy people'. Paul quotes the law in Acts 23:5, 'Thou shalt not speak evil of the ruler of thy people.' Ps 82:1 says that God 'judgeth among the gods'.

Verse 29

the firstborn of thy sons — 'Ripe fruits' is melea, fullness, the harvest; 'liquors' is dema, juice. The firstborn son belongs to the LORD (Ex 13:2) and is redeemed: 'all the firstborn of man among thy children shalt thou redeem' (Ex 13:13), at five shekels (Num 18:16).

Verse 31

holy men unto me — Holiness is tied to what is eaten: flesh 'torn of beasts' (terephah) is cast to the dogs. Ezekiel pleads his own clean life: 'from my youth up even till now have I not eaten of that which dieth of itself, or is torn in pieces' (Ezek 4:14). Lev 22:8 gives the priests the same rule.