Exodus 22:1-15
Restitution and Responsibility
Read the passage
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.
Berean Standard Bible
Read aloud
The law requires a thief who sells or slaughters a stolen ox to repay five oxen, and a stolen sheep four sheep. If the animal is found alive in his possession, he repays double. The penalties distinguish what was taken and what the thief did with it.
The passage also distinguishes a killing during a nighttime break-in from one after sunrise. It does not give unrestricted permission to kill over stolen property. The thief must make restitution, and the law describes the severe consequence of being sold when he cannot pay.
Careless damage carries responsibility too. Animals that stray into a neighbor's field and a fire that consumes another person's grain require restitution. The person whose action caused the loss must not make the neighbor absorb it.
Safekeeping brings further distinctions. A caught thief repays double. If a thief is not found, judges examine the custodian's possible wrongdoing. Disputed ownership is also brought before judges. With entrusted animals, an oath before the LORD and evidence of what happened matter; an animal torn by a wild beast is treated differently from theft for which the keeper is responsible.
Borrowing has its own rule. If an animal is injured or dies while borrowed without its owner present, the borrower must make full restitution. If the owner is present, no restitution is required, and rental is treated according to its fee. We must not collapse these different arrangements into a claim that every loss makes every keeper guilty.
God's law calls for both honest repair and careful judgment. A neighbor's property matters, and so does truth about responsibility. Neither a vague apology nor an unsupported accusation settles the case.
Questions
1 What repayment follows selling or slaughtering a stolen animal?
AnswerFive oxen for an ox and four sheep for a sheep. An animal recovered alive in the thief's possession requires double repayment instead.
2 Who must repay for grazing or fire that damages a neighbor's field?
AnswerThe person who allowed the animals to stray or started the spreading fire. Restitution addresses the neighbor's actual loss.
3 How are disputed ownership and suspected misuse of stored goods handled?
AnswerThe parties appear before judges. The law requires a judgment about responsibility rather than treating an accusation as proof.
4 What distinction applies to a borrowed animal that is injured or dies?
AnswerThe borrower must make restitution if the owner was absent. If the owner was present, no restitution is required; for a rented animal, the fee covers the loss.
What This Means for Us
Restitution makes repentance concrete. If you have taken or damaged something, do not make the other person carry the expense while you receive the relief of apologizing. Offer to return, replace, or repair it as appropriate.
Responsibility also requires truth. When lending or caring for another person's belongings, agree on the arrangement and report a problem promptly. When a loss is disputed, listen to the evidence before assigning blame. Fair treatment protects both the owner and the person accused.
Prayer
We pray: God of honest dealings, make our repentance costly enough to restore what we have damaged. Teach us to handle property and trust faithfully, and to make amends without waiting to be forced. Amen.