(KJV) Exodus 221

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⥃Property Laws

[1] If a man shall steal an ox, or a sheep2, and kill it, or sell it; he shall3 restore five oxen4 for an ox, and four sheep for a sheep.

[2] [¶]If a thief be found breaking5 up, and be smitten that he die, [there shall] no blood6 [be shed] for him. [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 shall7 be sold for his theft. [4] If the theft be certainly found8 in his hand alive, whether it be ox, or ass, or sheep; he shall restore double9.

[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 restitution10.

[6] [¶]If fire break out11, and catch in thorns, so that the stacks of corn12, or the standing corn, or the field, be consumed [therewith]; he that kindled the fire13 shall surely make restitution.

[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 found14, let him pay double15. [8] If the thief be not found, then the master of the house shall be brought unto the judges16, [to see] whether he have put his hand unto his neighbour’s goods. [9] For all manner of trespass17, [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 parties18 shall come before the judges; [and] whom the judges shall condemn, he shall pay double unto his19 neighbour. [10] 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]:20 [11] [Then] shall an oath of the Lord21 be between them both, that he hath not22 put his hand unto his neighbour’s goods; and the owner of it shall accept [thereof], and he shall not make [it] good. [12] And if it be stolen from him23, he shall make restitution unto the owner thereof. [13] If it be torn in pieces24, [then] let him bring it [for] witness25, [and] he shall not make good that which was torn.

[14] [¶]And if a man borrow26 [ought] of his neighbour, and it be hurt, or die, the owner thereof [being] not with it, he shall surely make [it] good27. [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 hire28.

⥃Laws of Social Responsibility

[16] And if a man entice29 a maid that is not betrothed, and lie with her, he shall surely endow her to be his wife. [17] If her father utterly30 refuse to give her unto him, he shall pay31 money according to the dowry of virgins32.

[18] [¶]Thou shalt not suffer a witch to live.33

[19] [¶]Whosoever lieth with a beast shall surely be put to death.34

[20] [¶]He that sacrificeth35 unto [any] god, save unto the Lord only, he shall be utterly36 destroyed.

[21] [¶]Thou shalt neither vex a stranger37, nor oppress him: for ye were strangers38 in the land of Egypt.

[22] [¶]Ye shall not afflict any widow, or fatherless child.39 [23] If thou afflict them in any wise, and they cry at all40 unto me, I will surely41 hear their cry; [24] And my wrath42 shall wax hot, and I will kill you with the sword; and your wives43 shall be widows, and your children fatherless.

[25] If thou lend money to [any of] my people [that is] poor by thee, thou shalt not be to him as an usurer, neither shalt thou lay upon him usury.44 [26] If thou at all take thy neighbour’s raiment to pledge45, thou shalt deliver it unto him by that the sun goeth down: [27] For that [is] his covering only, it [is] his raiment for his skin: wherein shall he sleep? and it shall come to pass, when he crieth46 unto me, that I will hear; for I [am] gracious47.

[28] [¶]Thou shalt not revile the gods48, nor curse49 the ruler of thy people.

[29] [¶]Thou shalt not delay50 [to offer] the first of thy ripe fruits51, and of thy liquors52: the firstborn53 of thy sons shalt thou give unto me. [30] Likewise54 shalt thou do with thine oxen, [and] with thy sheep: seven days55 it shall be with his dam; on the eighth day thou shalt give it me.

[31] [¶]And ye shall be holy56 men unto me: neither57 shall ye eat [any] flesh [that is] torn of beasts in the field; ye shall cast it to the dogs.

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  1. Exod 22:1, Of theft; Exod 22:5, Of damage; Exod 22:7, Of trespasses; Exod 22:14, Of borrowing; Exod 22:16, Of fornication; Exod 22:18, Of witchcraft; Exod 22:19, Of bestiality; Exod 22:20, Of idolatry; Exod 22:21, Of strangers, widows, and fatherless; Exod 22:25, Of usury; Exod 22:26, Of pledges; Exod 22:28, Of reverence to magistrates; Exod 22:29, Of the first fruits; Exod 22:31, Of torn flesh. ↩

  2. or, goat ↩

  3. There is a smaller compensation required in other things (Exod 22:9), and also a disproportion between an ox and a sheep. The reason of the former is, as Maimonides explains it, because money, goods, etc., are better guarded in houses and cities, than cattle in a field; which consequently can be more easily stolen. The reason of the latter seems to be, as it is explained by Bishop Patrick, that an ox was of greater value, and more useful for the purposes of husbandry. Lev 6:1-6; Num 5:7; 2Sam 12:6; Prov 6:31; Luke 19:8 ↩

  4. Prov 14:4 ↩

  5. Job 24:14, Job 30:5; Hos 7:1; Joel 2:9; Matt 6:19-20, Matt 24:43; 1Thess 5:2 ↩

  6. Num 35:27 ↩

  7. Exod 21:2; Judg 2:14, Judg 10:7; Isa 50:1 ↩

  8. Exod 21:16 ↩

  9. Exod 22:1, Exod 22:7, Exod 22:9; Prov 6:31; Isa 40:2; Jer 16:18; Rev 18:6 ↩

  10. Exod 22:3, Exod 22:12, Exod 21:34; Job 20:18 ↩

  11. Mr. Harmer observes, that it is a common custom in the East to set the dry herbage on fire; which fires, from want of care, often produce great damage. Hence a law to guard against such evils was highly expedient. ↩

  12. Judg 15:4-5; 2Sam 14:30-31 ↩

  13. Exod 22:9, Exod 22:12, Exod 21:33-34 ↩

  14. Prov 6:30-31; Jer 2:26; John 12:6; 1Cor 6:10 ↩

  15. Exod 22:4 ↩

  16. Exod 22:28 *marg. Exod 21:6; Deut 16:18, Deut 19:17-18; 1Chr 23:4; Ps 82:1 ↩

  17. Num 5:6-7; 1Kgs 8:31; Matt 6:14-15, Matt 18:15, Matt 18:35; Luke 17:3-4 ↩

  18. Exod 18:21-22, Exod 23:6-8; Deut 16:18-19, Deut 25:1; 2Chr 19:10 ↩

  19. Exod 22:4, Exod 22:7 ↩

  20. Gen 39:8; Luke 12:48, Luke 16:11; 2Tim 1:12 ↩

  21. Lev 5:1, Lev 6:3; 1Kgs 2:42-43; Prov 30:9; Heb 6:16 ↩

  22. Exod 22:8, Exod 23:1 ↩

  23. Exod 22:7; Gen 31:39 ↩

  24. Ezek 4:14; Amos 3:12; Mic 5:8; Nah 2:12 ↩

  25. Or, rather, "Let him bring" aid hatteraiphah, an evidence of the thing torn, such as the horns, hoofs, etc. ↩

  26. Deut 15:2, Deut 23:19-20; Neh 5:4; Ps 37:21; Matt 5:42; Luke 6:35 ↩

  27. Exod 22:11, Exod 21:34; Lev 24:18 ↩

  28. Zech 8:10 ↩

  29. Gen 34:2-4; Deut 22:28-29 ↩

  30. Deut 7:3-4 ↩

  31. Heb. weigh, Gen 23:16 ↩

  32. Gen 34:12; Deut 22:29; 1Sam 18:25 ↩

  33. Lev 19:26, Lev 19:31, Lev 20:6, Lev 20:27; Deut 18:10-11; 1Sam 28:3, 1Sam 28:9; Isa 19:3; Acts 8:9-11; Acts 16:16-19, Acts 19:19; Gal 5:20; Rev 22:15 ↩

  34. Lev 18:23, Lev 18:25, Lev 20:15-16; Deut 27:21 ↩

  35. Num 25:2-4, Num 25:7-8; Deut 13:1-15, Deut 17:2-5, Deut 18:20 ↩

  36. Num 21:3; Josh 23:15-16 ↩

  37. Exod 23:9; Lev 19:33, Lev 25:35; Deut 10:19; Jer 7:6, Jer 22:3; Zech 7:10; Mal 3:5 ↩

  38. Exod 20:2, Exod 23:9; Deut 10:19, Deut 15:15, Deut 23:7 ↩

  39. Deut 10:18, Deut 24:17, Deut 27:19; Ps 94:6-7; Isa 1:17, Isa 1:23, Isa 10:2; Ezek 22:7; Zech 7:10; Jas 1:27 ↩

  40. Deut 15:9, Deut 24:15; Job 31:38-39, Job 35:9; Luke 18:7 ↩

  41. Job 34:28; Ps 10:17-18, Ps 18:6, Ps 140:12, Ps 145:19, Ps 146:7-9; Prov 22:22-23; Prov 23:10-11; Jas 5:4 ↩

  42. Job 31:23; Ps 69:24, Ps 76:7, Ps 90:11; Nah 1:6; Rom 2:5-9; Heb 10:31 ↩

  43. Job 27:13-15; Ps 78:63-64, Ps 109:9; Jer 15:8, Jer 18:21; Lam 5:3; Luke 6:38 ↩

  44. Lev 25:35-37; Deut 23:19-20; 2Kgs 4:1, 2Kgs 4:7; Neh 5:2-5, Neh 5:7, Neh 5:10-11; Ps 15:5; Prov 28:8; Jer 15:10; Ezek 18:8, Ezek 18:17; Matt 25:27; Luke 19:23 ↩

  45. Deut 24:6, Deut 24:10-13, Deut 24:17; Job 22:6, Job 24:3, Job 24:9; Prov 20:16, Prov 22:27; Ezek 18:7, Ezek 18:16; Ezek 33:15; Amos 2:8 ↩

  46. Exod 2:23-24; Ps 34:6, Ps 72:12; Isa 19:20 ↩

  47. Exod 34:6; 2Chr 30:9; Ps 86:15, Ps 136:10-11 ↩

  48. or, judges, Exod 22:8-9; Ps 32:6, Ps 82:1-7, Ps 138:1; John 10:34-35 ↩

  49. Exod 21:17; 1Sam 24:6, 1Sam 24:10, 1Sam 26:9; Eccl 10:20; Acts 23:3, Acts 23:5; Rom 13:2-7; Titus 3:1-2; 1Pet 2:17; 2Pet 2:10; Jude 1:8 ↩

  50. Exod 23:16, Exod 23:19; Deut 26:2-10; 2Kgs 4:42; 2Chr 31:5; Prov 3:9-10; Ezek 20:40; Mic 7:1; Matt 6:33; Rom 8:23; Jas 1:18 ↩

  51. Heb. thy fulness ↩

  52. Heb. tear. ↩

  53. Exod 13:2, Exod 13:12, Exod 34:19 ↩

  54. Deut 15:19 ↩

  55. Lev 22:27 ↩

  56. Exod 19:5-6; Lev 11:45, Lev 19:2; Deut 14:21; 1Pet 1:15-16 ↩

  57. Lev 17:15-16, Lev 20:25, Lev 22:8; Deut 14:21; Ezek 4:14, Ezek 44:31; Acts 10:14, Acts 15:20 ↩