Exodus 22: 1 – 31
Payback
22 “If a man steals an ox or a sheep, and slaughters it or sells it, he shall restore five oxen for an ox and four sheep for a sheep. 2 If the thief is found breaking in, and he is struck so that he dies, there shall be no guilt for his bloodshed. 3 If the sun has risen on him, there shall be guilt for his bloodshed. He should make full restitution; if he has nothing, then he shall be sold for his theft. 4 If the theft is certainly found alive in his hand, whether it is an ox or donkey or sheep, he shall restore double. 5 “If a man causes a field or vineyard to be grazed, and lets loose his animal, and it feeds in another man’s field, he shall make restitution from the best of his own field and the best of his own vineyard. 6 “If fire breaks out and catches in thorns, so that stacked grain, standing grain, or the field is consumed, he who kindled the fire shall surely make restitution. 7 “If a man delivers to his neighbor money or articles 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 is not found, then the master of the house shall be brought to the judges to see whether he has put his hand into his neighbor’s goods. 9 “For any kind of trespass, whether it concerns an ox, a donkey, a sheep, or clothing, or for any kind of lost thing which another claims to be his, the cause of both parties shall come before the judges; and whomever the judges condemn 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, is hurt, or driven away, no one seeing it, 11 then an oath of the LORD shall be between them both, that he has not put his hand into his neighbor’s goods; and the owner of it shall accept that, and he shall not make it good. 12 But if, in fact, it is stolen from him, he shall make restitution to the owner of it. 13 If it is torn to pieces by a beast, then he shall bring it as evidence, and he shall not make good what was torn. 14 “And if a man borrows anything from his neighbor, and it becomes injured or dies, the owner of it not being with it, he shall surely make it good. 15 If its owner was with it, he shall not make it good; if it was hired, it came for its hire. 16 “If a man entices a virgin who is not betrothed, and lies with her, he shall surely pay the bride-price for her to be his wife. 17 If her father utterly refuses to give her to him, he shall pay money according to the bride-price of virgins. 18 “You shall not permit a sorceress to live. 19 “Whoever lies with an animal shall surely be put to death. 20 “He who sacrifices to any god, except to the LORD only, he shall be utterly destroyed. 21 “You shall neither mistreat a stranger nor oppress him, for you were strangers in the land of Egypt. 22 “You shall not afflict any widow or fatherless child. 23 If you afflict them in any way, and they cry at all to Me, I will surely hear their cry; 24 and My wrath will become hot, and I will kill you with the sword; your wives shall be widows, and your children fatherless. 25 “If you lend money to any of My people who are poor among you, you shall not be like a moneylender to him; you shall not charge him interest. 26 If you ever take your neighbor’s garment as a pledge, you shall return it to him before the sun goes down. 27 For that is his only covering, it is his garment for his skin. What will he sleep in? And it will be that when he cries to Me, I will hear, for I am gracious. 28 “You shall not revile God, nor curse a ruler of your people. 29 “You shall not delay to offer the first of your ripe produce and your juices. The firstborn of your sons you shall give to Me. 30 Likewise you shall do with your oxen and your sheep. It shall be with its mother seven days; on the eighth day you shall give it to Me. 31 “And you shall be holy men to Me: you shall not eat meat torn by beasts in the field; you shall throw it to the dogs.
No matter what your position in life, Hollywood star, politician, or one of us normal people, the actions of others can sometimes hurt you. Some people try to tough it out and will pretend the words roll right off them, but there is always a little something that gets into our heads and rattles our emotional cages. We want to pay back the other party for the hurt they have done to us.
I was thinking of some statements or quotes people have commented to me over the years relating to payback. Here are a couple of them.
. ‘Some debts cannot be repaid in money.’
. ‘My attitude is based on how you treat me. Treat me right and I will treat you better. Do me wrong and I will do you worse.’
. ‘One thing about tables, they always turn.’
. ‘The revenge that is postponed is not forgotten.’
.’The best revenge is to be unlike him who did the injury.’
. ‘The last thing that I want to do is to hurt your feelings…It’s still on my list though.’
.’The greatest revenge is to go out and accomplish what others said you could not do.’
.’Holding onto anger for what someone else did to you is like drinking poison and expecting the other person to die.’
Today our Great and Holy Lord God Is going to deal with issues resulting in the hurt they do to us and to things that belong to us. We will see that there are incidences that are displayed in other chapters of our bibles where these rules implemented by our Holy God are utilized. So let’s take a look at today’s passages.
22 If a man steals an ox or a sheep, and slaughters it or sells it, he shall restore five oxen for an ox and four sheep for a sheep. 2 If the thief is found breaking in, and he is struck so that he dies, there shall be no guilt for his bloodshed. 3 If the sun has risen on him, there shall be guilt for his bloodshed. He should make full restitution; if he has nothing, then he shall be sold for his theft. 4 If the theft is certainly found alive in his hand, whether it is an ox or donkey or sheep, he shall restore double.
When a thief breaks in at night, whether to a tent, a house or an animal enclosure, any resulting harm to him is his own fault. The owner cannot know his intentions and cannot be held blood guilty for killing him. But if it is by daylight this does not apply, except of course in defense of himself or his family, as the owner is more aware of who it is and what is going on and knows what threat he is facing. The requirement then is that the thief makes restitution.
In all cases a thief who is caught must make restitution. If he kills or sells a stolen animal the restitution is fivefold. If the animal is still alive it is twofold. If he cannot make adequate restitution pay then he can be sold to pay the debt.
There is a principle here that among other punishments a thief should pay recompense to his victim. There is also the clear distinction between killing a thief because he is a threat to life, and killing one in anger, the one being allowed the other being forbidden.
King David applied this principal of our Lord God in a situation he should have not applied because he stated the punishment on himself. You know from scripture that David had committed adultery with Bathsheba. To hide his sin he ultimately arranged to have her husband Uriah killed in battle. He then took Bathsheba for his wife and thought everything was good. However, he forgot that there Is One Who has witnessed everything he did. Our Holy Lord God told His spokesman Nathan to go and tell David all about his sins. We pick up the story in the book of Second Samuel chapter 12, Nathan’s Parable and David’s Confession12 Then the LORD sent Nathan to David. And he came to him, and said to him: “There were two men in one city, one rich and the other poor. 2 The rich man had exceedingly many flocks and herds. 3 But the poor man had nothing, except one little ewe lamb which he had bought and nourished; and it grew up together with him and with his children. It ate of his own food and drank from his own cup and lay in his bosom; and it was like a daughter to him. 4 And a traveler came to the rich man, who refused to take from his own flock and from his own herd to prepare one for the wayfaring man who had come to him; but he took the poor man’s lamb and prepared it for the man who had come to him.” 5 So David’s anger was greatly aroused against the man, and he said to Nathan, “As the LORD lives, the man who has done this shall surely die! 6 And he shall restore fourfold for the lamb, because he did this thing and because he had no pity.” 7 Then Nathan said to David, “You are the man!
David’s anger was stirred to the horrible man who took someone else’s lamb. He pronounced the decree which we read here in verse 1. However he did not realize that he was the evil man. His sin resulted in suffering the death of four of his sons as payback for the sin of murdering Uriah.
5 “If a man causes a field or vineyard to be grazed, and lets loose his animal, and it feeds in another man’s field, he shall make restitution from the best of his own field and the best of his own vineyard.
Please take note that restitution is made from the best of his own fields. There is to be no argument about the quality of the lost grain. We may not have fields or vineyards, but there are two principles here, responsibility for damage caused when it is our fault, and the need for proper and full compensation.
6 “If fire breaks out and catches in thorns, so that stacked grain, standing grain, or the field is consumed, he who kindled the fire shall surely make restitution.
Here a man who starts a fire is responsible for any damage it does. The ‘thorns’ are probably the thorn hedges that divide fields from each other. Thus, while burning his own fields, he has been careless and allowed the hedges to catch on fire which in turn have spread the fire to the neighboring fields. Alternately the brushwood in his field may have caught fire and spread it to the neighboring fields. Full restitution is to be made, presumably again from the best in his fields. We are to take responsibility for our actions.
7 “If a man delivers to his neighbor money or articles 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 is not found, then the master of the house shall be brought to the judges to see whether he has put his hand into his neighbor’s goods. 9 “For any kind of trespass, whether it concerns an ox, a donkey, a sheep, or clothing, or for any kind of lost thing which another claims to be his, the cause of both parties shall come before the judges; and whomever the judges condemn shall pay double to his neighbor.
The case here is where someone has entrusted silver, goods or livestock to his neighbor for one cause or another, and the neighbors’ claims it has been lost or stolen. If the thief is caught there is no problem. He has to pay back twice the value of what he stole.
But if no thief is caught then the question is as to whether the receiver of the goods is being honest. He may therefore be required to ‘come near to God’, through Moses or a deputy, or, later, the priests. This may involve his having to swear a solemn oath before God as to the truth of the situation (verse 11).
However, if the other party points to something and say, “This is it,” but cannot prove it to everyone’s satisfaction, the only answer then is to let God resolve the issue. ‘Come before God.’ In this case both parties come before God that is approach God through Moses or his deputies, or later through the priests. In this case both may be required to swear an oath of Yahweh (verse 11), or the decision might be made by oracle from God (especially while Moses was alive), or by use of lots probably through the Urim and Thummim (Numbers 27.21). The aim is partly to frighten any guilty party into admitting the truth and to resolve the matter finally. The guilty person knows that Yahweh will know the truth. In this last case recompense is made to the innocent party of twice the value of what the guilty party sought to steal.
10 If a man delivers to his neighbor a donkey, an ox, a sheep, or any animal to keep, and it dies, is hurt, or driven away, no one seeing it, 11 then an oath of the LORD shall be between them both, that he has not put his hand into his neighbor’s goods; and the owner of it shall accept that, and he shall not make it good. 12 But if, in fact, it is stolen from him, he shall make restitution to the owner of it. 13 If it is torn to pieces by a beast, then he shall bring it as evidence, and he shall not make good what was torn.
The idea here would seem to be that the neighbor has taken responsibility for looking after the animal, presumably being rewarded for doing so. One difference between the case here and that in verse 9 is that here the owner does not specifically claim ‘this is it’, pointing to another animal. Thus the oath before Yahweh is to be accepted.
There are three possible eventualities;
1) that the animal has been hurt, or has died naturally or has disappeared without anyone knowing how, and the neighbor denies that it is his fault
2) that it is known that it was stolen because there is evidence to that effect. In this case the neighbor should have kept better care of it and has been negligent,
3) that the animal has been torn to pieces by wild beasts. ‘If it be stolen’ must refer to where the theft is somehow testified to, as against the cases where it just ‘disappeared’ because driven away with no man seeing it. In the former case restitution must be paid, but in the latter no restitution is required. The suggestion would seem to be that he should have prevented it from being stolen. It was his job. But that he could not be blamed for something not witnessed, because no one would really know what had happened. Where it is torn in pieces by a wild beast no restitution is required, but the evidence is required. This would prove that the keeper was on the alert.
In all these cases the background is that the neighbor is originally doing a good turn to the owner who has asked him to care for his property or is doing it for pay. Where the neighbor borrows the goods or beasts the situation is different.
14 “And if a man borrows anything from his neighbor, and it becomes injured or dies, the owner of it not being with it, he shall surely make it good. 15 If its owner was with it, he shall not make it good; if it was hired, it came for its hire.
In the case of borrowing restitution must be made for loss unless it was lost while the owner was in charge of it. But in the case of hire it is assumed that the insurance against loss is included in the hire so that no restitution is required.
16 “If a man entices a virgin who is not betrothed, and lies with her, he shall surely pay the bride-price for her to be his wife. 17 If her father utterly refuses to give her to him, he shall pay money according to the bride-price of virgins.
The unmarried daughter is seen as totally subject to her father, who takes responsibility for her welfare. If the man is seen as suitable he pays the dowry price and marries her. He seemingly has no choice in the matter. By his act he has basically chosen to marry her. But if the father objects then the man still has to pay the marriage dowry because the father will now have difficulty in marrying his daughter to someone else and thus loses the benefit of the marriage dowry.
In the case of rape the dowry is later fixed at fifty shekels of silver and the man must marry her and cannot ever divorce her (Deuteronomy 22.28-29). Where the virgin is betrothed the penalty is death (Deuteronomy 22.23-27).
The regulations that follow are direct commands made specifically by God requiring total obedience. As such they are not paralleled in the law codes.
These three sins represent contact with alien situations which are so unseemly that they warrant the death penalty;
.dealings with sorcery (the occult, the world above man)
. sexual relations with beasts (the world below man)
. sacrificing to false gods (the world of demons).
Those who involve themselves with such things are to be put to death.
18 “You shall not permit a sorceress to live.
This refers most specifically to one who weaves charms and spells, in other words to what we tend to think of as white witchcraft, although witches can be more virulent. Using enchantments and practicing divination by omens was considered to be on a parallel with the eating of blood which was strictly forbidden (Leviticus 19.26).
The use of magic which sought to control higher occult powers for personal purposes was widespread in the ancient world, both in Egypt and especially in Babylon and Assyria. Nineveh was described as ‘the mistress of sorceries’ (Nahum 5.4). It was also widespread among the Canaanites, and Jezebel was looked on as a sorceress (2 Kings 9.22). Examples of what is condemned are given in Deuteronomy 18.9-12. The condemnation includes not only witches but spiritualist mediums, tarot cards, Ouija boards, etc. because these are ways of seeking to consult ‘familiar spirits’ (Deuteronomy 18.11). The word ‘wizard’ is always paralleled with those who have familiar spirits.
The fact that reference is to a sorceress demonstrates that the practise, in Israel’s experience was more widespread among women. The penalty was death. Such things were (and are) not to be treated lightly. The severity of the sentence suggests that such activity has an unusual virulence and is not just superstition. It is positively evil, and takes men and women into spheres which are harmful to them.
19 “Whoever lies with an animal shall surely be put to death.
It is absolutely forbidden by God and the death penalty follows. It is the opposite of reaching into the occult. It is diminishing men and women to being but beasts, and denying the image of God in man.
20 “He who sacrifices to any god, except to the LORD only, he shall be utterly destroyed.
Sacrificing to any god or goddess is absolutely forbidden on pain of death. Yahweh alone Is to receive worship. The word means ‘devoted’, that is, handed over to God and doomed to destruction. Contact with such ‘gods’ was seen by Moses as being involvement with demons (Deuteronomy 32.17).
21 “You shall neither mistreat a stranger nor oppress him, for you were strangers in the land of Egypt.
Israel was to show love and concern for ‘strangers’, which is resident foreigneers, remembering how they had once been the same. It was all too easy to see the stranger as a threat or a menace in some way, or even as the equivalent of ‘beasts’. But Israelites must beware how they behave towards them, for unless such do misbehave they are watched over by God. They are not to be seen as outside Israel’s sphere, and despised because of their not being in the covenant, and thus to be rejected and ill-treated. We too should have a concern for those who are from foreign parts, remembering that they may feel lost and lonely.
. 22 “You shall not afflict any widow or fatherless child. 23 If you afflict them in any way, and they cry at all to Me, I will surely hear their cry; 24 and My wrath will become hot, and I will kill you with the sword; your wives shall be widows, and your children fatherless.
Those who have no protector can look to God for their protection. The widow and the fatherless child have none to watch over them. They are therefore God’s special concern. It was all too easy to see them as under punishment from God because of their misfortune, and therefore as those for whom none need be concerned. But it was not to be so. Those who harm them in any way will suffer God’s anger and the result will be that they will be slain, leaving their own wives as widows and their own children as fatherless. God is applying here the judgment of like for like.
This injunction is remarkable in that those who disobey it are warned of God’s direct intervention. He says -‘I will kill you with the sword.’ Like the law against coveting it cannot always be dealt with in court and so will be dealt with by the great Judge Himself. The warning is that God will then withhold His own protecting hand. The group or nation that ignores its needy will receive what it deserves. ‘Kill with the sword’ involves brigands or invading forces and therefore God’s direct action by bringing violence against them.
25 “If you lend money to any of My people who are poor among you, you shall not be like a moneylender to him; you shall not charge him interest.
This is not dealing with business interest as a fair return on capital. It refers to exploitation of poor people by charging them interest when ‘helping’ them in their need. God expects that His people will help the needy. He also expects that they will not seek to gain from it.
26 If you ever take your neighbor’s garment as a pledge, you shall return it to him before the sun goes down. 27 For that is his only covering, it is his garment for his skin. What will he sleep in? And it will be that when he cries to Me, I will hear, for I am gracious.
A man who has to pledge his own basic clothing is poor indeed, for it is essential to his well-being. Thus the essential outer garment must only be used as a short term pledge, within the day. It must not be required as a long term pledge, for it is as essential to him especially in the cold of night. Amos 2.8 speaks of breaches of this commandment. Of what use then is the pledge? It prevents him pledging it again to someone else.
‘When he cries to me I will hear.’ As with widows and orphans the poor are God’s special concern, allowed on earth that we may do them good, and He will be directly involved in dealing with those who mistreat them. Man’s responsibility for his fellowman comes out strongly in these verses, it is man who has been appointed as God’s agent to run the world and he will be responsible for any failure to do it properly, and that includes us.
The principles behind these provisions apply to us all. They are that God is concerned about the needy and helpless and that we should be equally concerned.
28 “You shall not revile God, nor curse a ruler of your people.
The two thoughts are in parallel. The ruler stands in the place of God. As such, to curse or revile him is to curse or revile God. And to revile God in any way is to commit the greatest of sins. How careful we should be in our dealings with those whom God has set over us. The emphasis is on authority not covenant relationship. In contrast Israel was to be holy to Yahweh, not only regarding His authority but walking in covenant obedience.
The thought in this verse is of our stance in relation to authority. Authorities, while they are acceptable authorities, are to be treated with respect because of the position that they hold under God as Creator. The people as a whole may replace them, but while they are there, their position deserves respect even if they do not.
29 “You shall not delay to offer the first of your ripe produce and your juices. The firstborn of your sons you shall give to Me. 30 Likewise you shall do with your oxen and your sheep. It shall be with its mother seven days; on the eighth day you shall give it to Me. 31 “And you shall be holy men to Me: you shall not eat meat torn by beasts in the field; you shall throw it to the dogs.
Literally in the Hebrew ‘to offer the abundance of your fruits and of your liquors’ is strictly, ‘your fullness and you’re trickling. It may refer to fullness of harvest and trickling of the vintage. Deuteronomy 22.9 refers to ‘the fullness of your seed’ in contrast with the vintage. However, in Numbers 18.27 ‘fullness’ is used of ‘the fullness of the winepress’ and some have seen the ‘fullness’ as the vintage and the ‘trickling’ as oils. Either way you take this passage, it is an expression of gratitude and recognition that all belongs to God.
The principle of the redemption of the firstborn of man has already been laid down in chapter 13.12-13. The principle of the eighth day parallels circumcision (Genesis 17.12). On the eighth day the firstborn of the ox or sheep is sacrificed as given to God the firstborn of man is circumcised as given to and belonging to God, and redeemed by the offering of a sacrifice.
One sign of the man of the covenant is that he abstains from all flesh that would render him ‘unclean’ and thus displeasing to Yahweh. In Leviticus 22.8 such flesh is contrasted with the ‘holy things’, including the flesh of sacrifices given to the priests as ‘holy things’ for their consumption when holy. So there is there the thought that the flesh of slain beasts is not ‘holy’. That is why here, because the people are holy to God, they should not eat of it. Besides to eat of the flesh of slain beasts would be to eat flesh from which the blood has not been properly drained. (It could also be dangerous medically, and this, unknown to them, was a health safeguard for the people of Israel.
Dogs are rarely mentioned but their presence is assumed They are usually seen as scavengers and not highly thought of. They were domesticated from earliest times, and in Egypt were held in reverence and used in hunting. Job 30.1 suggests they were used by shepherds. Thus they were seen as suitable recipients for ‘unholy’ meat. But the use of ‘dogs’ here may indicate foreigners, not in an insulting way but as being ‘unclean’, and not of the true stock. For such meat could be given or sold to resident aliens and foreigners (Deuteronomy 14.21).
