Exodus 22 – Study
For those who may wish to ‘study’ this chapter, the following simple resources are provided for you. Each passage has a four-Part approach to help you take in and think further about what you have read.
Passage: Exodus 22:1-4
1 ‘Whoever steals an ox or a sheep and slaughters it or sells it must pay back five head of cattle for the ox and four sheep for the sheep.
2 ‘If a thief is caught breaking in at night and is struck a fatal blow, the defender is not guilty of bloodshed; 3 but if it happens after sunrise, the defender is guilty of bloodshed.
‘Anyone who steals must certainly make restitution, but if they have nothing, they must be sold to pay for their theft. 4 If the stolen animal is found alive in their possession – whether ox or donkey or sheep – they must pay back double.
A. Find Out:
- What happens when cattle or sheep are stolen? v.1
- What are the laws of killing an intruder? v.2,3a
- What must happen to a thief if he can’t pay up? v.3b
- What happens if the cattle/sheep are recovered alive? v.4
B. Think:
- How does the law of recovery differ between v.1 & 4?
- What is the overall purpose of this law do you think?
- What is the purpose of v.2,3a?
C. Comment:
We come on to the law of straight-forward theft. Being an agricultural economy, theft of animals was clearly the worst sort of theft envisaged because it took away a families food or livelihood. Domestic theft is that sort covered here. The law here seems to have an element of deterrence in it.
There is a distinction between the situation where an animal has be stolen and disposed of, and when it can be recovered. If it has been killed or sold on, then the thief must pay the owner five head of cattle or four of sheep. If it is recovered alive, he simply pays two. The former case suggests a worse crime in that the thief clearly intends never to return the animal, whereas in the latter case he may have temporarily taken it. However in both cases there is a clear ‘living fine’ imposed and if this law is known in society the potential thief knows he is going to have to pay out in a big way. If he can’t, he knows he is going to become a slave – a sure deterrent.
The situation of defending your property at night against an intruder is also covered (a very modern problem!). The law is simple. If the intrusion happens at night you cannot know the intention of the intruder and it is legitimate to take whatever steps are necessary to defend your property – including killing the intruder. However the same does not apply once it is daylight and you can see and challenge the person.
D. Application:
- Theft is a very basic form is disrespect and a crime.
- The law of restitution and retribution helps the victim and criminal.
Passage: Exodus 22:5-15
5 ‘If anyone grazes their livestock in a field or vineyard and lets them stray and they graze in someone else’s field, the offender must make restitution from the best of their own field or vineyard.
6 ‘If a fire breaks out and spreads into thorn-bushes so that it burns sheaves of corn or standing corn or the whole field, the one who started the fire must make restitution.
7 ‘If anyone gives a neighbour silver or goods for safekeeping and they are stolen from the neighbour’s house, the thief, if caught, must pay back double. 8 But if the thief is not found, the owner of the house must appear before the judges, and they must determine whether the owner of the house has laid hands on the other person’s property. 9 In all cases of illegal possession of an ox, a donkey, a sheep, a garment, or any other lost property about which somebody says, “This is mine,” both parties are to bring their cases before the judges. The one whom the judges declare guilty must pay back double to the other.
10 ‘If anyone gives a donkey, an ox, a sheep or any other animal to their neighbour for safekeeping and it dies or is injured or is taken away while no one is looking, 11 the issue between them will be settled by the taking of an oath before the Lord that the neighbour did not lay hands on the other person’s property. The owner is to accept this, and no restitution is required. 12 But if the animal was stolen from the neighbour, restitution must be made to the owner. 13 If it was torn to pieces by a wild animal, the neighbour shall bring in the remains as evidence and shall not be required to pay for the torn animal.
14 ‘If anyone borrows an animal from their neighbour and it is injured or dies while the owner is not present, they must make restitution. 15 But if the owner is with the animal, the borrower will not have to pay. If the animal was hired, the money paid for the hire covers the loss.
A. Find Out:
- What careless act is first envisaged? v.5
- What second such act is envisaged? v.6
- What third similar act is considered & how dealt with? v.7,8
- How are ‘possession disputes’ to be dealt with generally? v.9
- What further issue is covered? v.10,11
- What are the 5 sub-clauses of this law? v.12-15
B. Think:
- How would you summarise verses 5 & 6?
- How would you summarise verses.7 to 9?
- What is the point of verses 10 to 15?
C. Comment:
Verses 5 & 6 are about restitution for loss caused by the carelessness of a land owner. Verses 7 to 9 are about restitution if a neighbour’s goods, generally, are stolen while in the care of another. Verses 10 to 15 are specifically about animals left in the care of another and are summarised as follows:
a) Animals left for safe-keeping
| Animal lost. v.10,11 | No one sees, not direct act of carer | Settled by oath – carer not responsible. (General Law) |
| Animal stolen v.12 | Restitution to be made to owner (Exception to above) | |
| Animal killed by wild animals v.13 | Remains to be brought | Carer not responsible. |
b) Animals borrowed (presumably for use)
| Animal injured or dies | Owner absent | Restitution required |
| Owner present | No restitution |
Again, in an agricultural economy, these things would happen and were therefore very important. God gives the guidelines.
D. Application:
- Where we can be responsible, we should be so.
- Where responsibility is not ours, don’t take it.
Passage: Exodus 22:16-31
16 ‘If a man seduces a virgin who is not pledged to be married and sleeps with her, he must pay the bride-price, and she shall be his wife. 17 If her father absolutely refuses to give her to him, he must still pay the bride-price for virgins.
18 ‘Do not allow a sorceress to live.
19 ‘Anyone who has sexual relations with an animal is to be put to death.
20 ‘Whoever sacrifices to any god other than the Lord must be destroyed.
21 ‘Do not ill-treat or oppress a foreigner, for you were foreigners in Egypt.
22 ‘Do not take advantage of the widow or the fatherless. 23 If you do and they cry out to me, I will certainly hear their cry. 24 My anger will be aroused, and I will kill you with the sword; your wives will become widows and your children fatherless.
25 ‘If you lend money to one of my people among you who is needy, do not treat it like a business deal; charge no interest. 26 If you take your neighbour’s cloak as a pledge, return it by sunset, 27 because that cloak is the only covering your neighbour has. What else can they sleep in? When they cry out to me, I will hear, for I am compassionate.
28 ‘Do not blaspheme God or curse the ruler of your people.
29 ‘Do not hold back offerings from your granaries or your vats. ‘You must give me the firstborn of your sons. 30 Do the same with your cattle and your sheep. Let them stay with their mothers for seven days, but give them to me on the eighth day.
31 ‘You are to be my holy people. So do not eat the meat of an animal torn by wild beasts; throw it to the dogs.
A. Find Out:
- What was the law for seduction? v.16,17
- Who was to be put to death? v.18-20
- How were they to treat foreigners? v.21
- Who were they to care for and why? v.22-24
- What were the laws of lending? v.25-27
- What were the laws in respect of the Lord Himself? v.28-30
- Why? What practical eating law was added? v.31
B. Think:
- How do these laws show care towards others?
- How do they draw boundaries of decent behaviour?
- How do they relate to the Lord?
C. Comment:
Caring for others seems to have been a high priority in these laws of the Covenant. This was to be a caring people. That could vary in respect of young women being taken advantage of (v.16,17), foreigners living with them (v.21), looking after widows and orphans (v.22-24) and not taking advantage of those who needed to borrow from you (v.25-27).
Yes, this was to be a distinct people and part of that distinctiveness meant that clear boundaries were drawn as to what was considered acceptable. To emphasise the seriousness of this, the death penalty was applied to those who blurred the distinction between light and darkness by dabbling in the occult (v.18), those who blurred the distinction between human and animal (v.19), and those who blurred the distinction between real and false in the spirit realm (v.20).
But the height of that distinctiveness was to be in respect of the way they related to the Lord. Thus they were always to honour Him (v.28), express that honour in giving a token offering of their produce, as an expression of thankfulness (v.29a & 30), and their first-born son as a token offering to remember the Exodus deliverance (v.29b). This holiness was to extend even into their eating, probably to maintain health, by not eating savaged meat (v.31). A truly distinctive people!
D. Application:
- Is care and respect at the heart of my behaviour towards others?
- Am I distinct by God’s making and by my lifestyle?