1“If a man steals an ox or a sheep and slaughters or sells it, he must repay five oxen for an ox and four sheep for a sheep.
2If a thief is caught breaking in and is beaten to death, no one shall be guilty of bloodshed.
3But if it happens after sunrise, there is guilt for his bloodshed. A thief must make full restitution; if he has nothing, he himself shall be sold for his theft.
4If what was stolen is actually found alive in his possession—whether ox or donkey or sheep—he must pay back double.
5If a man grazes his livestock in a field or vineyard and allows them to stray so that they graze in someone else’s field, he must make restitution from the best of his own field or vineyard.
6If a fire breaks out and spreads to thornbushes so that it consumes stacked or standing grain, or the whole field, the one who started the fire must make full restitution.
7If a man gives his neighbor money or goods for safekeeping and they are stolen from the neighbor’s house, the thief, if caught, must pay back double.
8If the thief is not found, the owner of the house must appear before the judges to determine whether he has taken his neighbor’s property.
9In all cases of illegal possession of an ox, a donkey, a sheep, a garment, or any lost item that someone claims, ‘This is mine,’ both parties shall bring their cases before the judges. The one whom the judges find guilty must pay back double to his neighbor.
10If a man gives a donkey, an ox, a sheep, or any other animal to be cared for by his neighbor, but it dies or is injured or stolen while no one is watching,
11an oath before the LORD shall be made between the parties to determine whether or not the man has taken his neighbor’s property. The owner must accept the oath and require no restitution.
12But if the animal was actually stolen from the neighbor, he must make restitution to the owner.
13If the animal was torn to pieces, he shall bring it as evidence; he need not make restitution for the torn carcass.
14If a man borrows an animal from his neighbor and it is injured or dies while its owner is not present, he must make full restitution.
15If the owner was present, no restitution is required. If the animal was rented, the fee covers the loss.
16If a man seduces a virgin who is not pledged in marriage and sleeps with her, he must pay the full dowry for her to be his wife.
17If her father absolutely refuses to give her to him, the man still must pay an amount comparable to the bridal price of a virgin.
18You must not allow a sorceress to live.
19Whoever lies with an animal must surely be put to death.
20If anyone sacrifices to any god other than the LORD alone, he must be set apart for destruction.
21You must not exploit or oppress a foreign resident, for you yourselves were foreigners in the land of Egypt.
22You must not mistreat any widow or orphan.
23If you do mistreat them, and they cry out to Me in distress, I will surely hear their cry.
24My anger will be kindled, and I will kill you with the sword; then your wives will become widows and your children will be fatherless.
25If you lend money to one of My people among you who is poor, you must not act as a creditor to him; you are not to charge him interest.
26If you take your neighbor’s cloak as collateral, return it to him by sunset,
27because his cloak is the only covering he has for his body. What else will he sleep in? And if he cries out to Me, I will hear, for I am compassionate.
28You must not blaspheme God or curse the ruler of your people.
29You must not hold back offerings from your granaries or vats. You are to give Me the firstborn of your sons.
30You shall do likewise with your cattle and your sheep. Let them stay with their mothers for seven days, but on the eighth day you are to give them to Me.
31You are to be My holy people. You must not eat the meat of a mauled animal found in the field; you are to throw it to the dogs.
Exodus 22 Verse Notes
Exod 22:2-3
Casuistic Laws: Case-Based Scenarios
Other laws are casuistic, presenting case studies with conditional statements (if this happens, then this is the consequence). Examples include the differing guilt for killing a robber at night versus during the day, the requirement for a man who seduces an unengaged virgin to pay a bride price and marry her, and the prohibition against charging interest on loans to the poor.
Summarized by AI · Finding Moses: What Scholars Know About the Exodus and the Jewish Law · Lecture 5: The Law of Moses | A Bird's-Eye View · watch the clip
Exod 22:16-17
Casuistic Laws: Case-Based Scenarios
Other laws are casuistic, presenting case studies with conditional statements (if this happens, then this is the consequence). Examples include the differing guilt for killing a robber at night versus during the day, the requirement for a man who seduces an unengaged virgin to pay a bride price and marry her, and the prohibition against charging interest on loans to the poor.
Summarized by AI · Finding Moses: What Scholars Know About the Exodus and the Jewish Law · Lecture 5: The Law of Moses | A Bird's-Eye View · watch the clip
Exod 22:18
Biblical Condemnation of Mediums and Necromancy
Early Israelite law codes explicitly condemn practices associated with mediums and spiritualists, particularly those who commune with the dead. Texts like Exodus 22:18 and Leviticus 20:27 prescribe the death penalty for such individuals, while Deuteronomy 18:10-11 forbids consulting ghosts, spirits, or oracles from the dead. This condemnation forms a rubric by which kings are later evaluated, with 'bad' kings engaging in such practices and 'good' kings abolishing them.
Summarized by AI · Demons and Ghosts in the Bible · Lecture 24: The Ghost of Samuel and the “Witch” of Endor · watch the clip
Exod 22:22
Jewish tradition mandates care for the poor
The Torah explicitly commands the care of the poor, widows, orphans, and strangers, emphasizing that these vulnerable groups are under God's special protection and therefore must be cared for by the community. This tradition counters any notion that Jewish thought despises the poor or discourages charitable giving.
Summarized by AI · The Parables of Jesus: Jewish Insights into Gospel Ethics, Humor, and Provocation · Lecture 3: Laborers and Management in the Vineyard | How to Assess Kingdom Economics · watch the clip
Biblical Stereotypes vs. Individual Portrayals of Widows
While biblical laws in Exodus 22, Deuteronomy 24, and Isaiah 1 generally portray widows as vulnerable, needy, and requiring protection and advocacy, individual stories like Tamar (Genesis 38), Ruth, Abigail (1 Samuel), and the widow of Zarephath (1 Kings 17) depict them as strong, self-determined, and capable of taking bold, sometimes morally ambiguous, actions to achieve their goals.
Summarized by AI · The Parables of Jesus: Jewish Insights into Gospel Ethics, Humor, and Provocation · Lecture 4: Persevering Widow and Unjust Judge | How Parables Promote and Demote Women · watch the clip
Exod 22:25
Casuistic Laws: Case-Based Scenarios
Other laws are casuistic, presenting case studies with conditional statements (if this happens, then this is the consequence). Examples include the differing guilt for killing a robber at night versus during the day, the requirement for a man who seduces an unengaged virgin to pay a bride price and marry her, and the prohibition against charging interest on loans to the poor.
Summarized by AI · Finding Moses: What Scholars Know About the Exodus and the Jewish Law · Lecture 5: The Law of Moses | A Bird's-Eye View · watch the clip
Exod 22:28
Septuagint Translation and Divine Terminology
The Greek translation of the Torah, known as the Septuagint, introduced significant changes in how foreign deities were described. For instance, where the Hebrew of Exodus 22:28 read, "Do not revile Elohim" (God), the Septuagint translated it as "Do not revile the gods." This linguistic shift accommodated the presence of other deities within the Hellenistic context.
Summarized by AI · Ancient Christianities: The First Five Hundred Years · Lecture 2: The Mediterranean Matrix | Hellenistic Judaism · watch the clip
Exod 22:29-30
The Firstborn Belongs to the Lord
In the Old Testament, the firstborn, whether of livestock or children, is consecrated to the Lord. While provisions exist for redemption through substitution, as seen with donkeys and human firstborns being redeemed by a sheep, the underlying principle is that the firstborn belongs to God. This concept is evident in passages like Exodus 13 and 22.
Summarized by AI · Jesus and the Old Testament · Lecture 6: Some Thoughts to Ponder About What the Bible is and What We're Supposed to do with it · watch the clip
Conflicted History of Child Sacrifice in Israel
Biblical texts suggest a conflicted history regarding child sacrifice among the ancient Israelites. While Exodus 13 provides for the redemption of the firstborn son, Exodus 22:29-30, stating 'the firstborn of your sons you shall give to me,' has been interpreted as a glimpse into a time when such practices might have been considered. This tension is also reflected in the near-sacrifice of Isaac in Genesis 22, where Abraham's willingness to obey implies a cultural context where such a command was not entirely alien, even if ultimately averted by divine intervention.
Summarized by AI · Jesus and the Old Testament · Lecture 6: Some Thoughts to Ponder About What the Bible is and What We're Supposed to do with it · watch the clip
