Can I Know The Will of God? Pt. 9 God's Will Concerning Theft & Negligence

Exodus 22:1  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. 

The section of God's will regarding stealing begins by setting the penalty for a man who steals and ox or a sheep. The thief may either kill it for meat or sell the stolen property to someone else. 

The penalty is that a thief must restore five oxen if he stole one. Thus, if he stole three oxen the sentence would be fifteen oxen paid to the victim of his crime. The ratio is four to one for each sheep that is stolen.

Although this may seem harsh, remember that livestock was a measure of wealth in the ancient economy. Also, stealing an ox would be like stealing an expensive tractor from a farm, because the ox carries the burden of doing heavy work. 

Exodus 22:2  If a thief be found breaking up, and be smitten that he die, there shall no blood be shed for him. 

If a thief broke into an out building or a home during the night, and the landowner killed the thief, that was the end of the matter. The landowner was in the clear because he could not know if the thief would harm him when confronted. 

Exodus 22:3  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.

However, if the landowner killed the thief in daylight, then he was guilty of murder, for the identity of the thief was known and restitution was possible. 

Exodus 22:4  If the theft be certainly found in his hand alive, whether it be ox, or ass, or sheep; he shall restore double. 

If the thief was caught with the ox or sheep still alive in his possession, then he had to compensate the owner double, two oxen for one, and so on.  

In every case when a thief could not make restitution, he was sold as a slave for the usual term.

Exodus 22:5  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.

There is another kind of thief. One who lets his cattle graze in another landowner's field, or who allows his animals to eat fruit or olives from a neighbors vineyards. 

The thief is required to make full restitution but the text does not spell out the details. It would be safe to assume that if twenty pounds of apples were eaten by the trespassing animals, then the thief would have to restore twenty pounds of good fruit to the landowner.  

Exodus 22:6  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. 

If a neighboring farmer is negligent and starts a fire on his own property, and allows it to spread to his neighbors property, he must make a full restitution of any goods or crops damaged by his carelessness. 

Exodus 22:7  If a man shall 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 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 neighbour's goods.

What happens if your neighbor gives you something valuable to safeguard in his absence and it is stolen? 

If the thief is later apprehended, then he was forced to pay double to the man whose property was stolen. 

However, if no thief can be identified, then the judges were to investigate to make sure the neighbor to whom the valuables were entrusted, did not steal them for himself.  

Exodus 22:9  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 neighbour. 

If a dispute arose between neighbors challenging ownership of a certain animal or item, the judges were to hear the arguments from both parties. 

The judges were to do their best to ascertain the facts and render a decision. If they determined that one neighbor was guilty, then the guilty party was to pay double to the victim. 

Exodus 22:10-11  If a man deliver unto his neighbour 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 neighbour's goods; and the owner of it shall accept thereof, and he shall not make it good. 

What happened when a landowner gave some of his livestock to his neighbor to care for, and it either died or ran away? 

If there were no witnesses, then the neighbor caring for the other man's possessions went before a judge. If he swore before a judge that he did not take his neighbors animal, then the neighbor will accept his word and no restitution was required.   

Exodus 22:12-13  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.

If a neighbor's animal was stolen while in the care of another neighbor, then the other neighbor was required to make restitution to the owner. 

If the neighbor's  animal was caught be a predator and torn, then the remains were to be presented to the owner, and no restitution was required. 

Exodus 22:14  And if a man borrow ought of his neighbour, 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. 

If a man borrows an animal from his neighbor and the animal died in the owner's absence, then the neighbor who borrowed it must make restitution. However, if the owner was with the animal when it died, then the neighbor did not have to make restitution. 

Thoughts to Ponder...

The details in this post are an amplification of the eight commandment, "Thou shalt not steal" Exodus 20:15. 

I think we could also say that the tenth commandment against the sin of covetousness, is closely related to the sin of theft. 

If you covet your neighbor's property, then that can lead to the action of stealing from your neighbor. 

Let us then pray for one another, that we do not have a covetous spirit, so that we can avoid the sin of stealing.

Bob