Laws About Restitution
Exodus 22:1-15
Exo.22.1 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- אם: CONJ
- במחתרת: PREP+NOUN,f,sg,abs
- ימצא: VERB,qal,impf,3,m,sg
- הגנב: NOUN,m,sg,def
- והכה: VERB,qal,perf,3,m,sg
- ומת: CONJ+VERB,qal,perf,3,m,sg
- אין: PART,neg
- לו: PRON,3,m,sg
- דמים: NOUN,m,pl,abs
Parallels
- Exodus 22:2–3 (structural): Immediate context in the same legal unit; continues and qualifies the rule about killing a burglar (distinguishes night intrusion and discovery, and liability if the thief is found at day).
- Deuteronomy 19:4–5 (thematic): Addresses 'bloodguilt' and the protection of someone who kills without intent; reflects concern to distinguish intentional murder from justifiable or accidental killing.
- Numbers 35:11–15 (thematic): Laws establishing cities of refuge and the distinction between manslaughter and murder; another legal context where 'bloodguilt' and permissible killing are legally regulated.
- Proverbs 6:30–31 (thematic): Deals with the social and moral response to theft (notably compassion or measured restitution when theft arises from need), offering a contrasting perspective on how communities treat thieves.
- Luke 12:39–40 (allusion): Uses the image of a thief coming unexpectedly at night; not a legal parallel but thematically connected through the motif of nocturnal burglary and the ethics of vigilance and response.
Alternative generated candidates
- If the thief is found in the break-in and is struck so that he dies, there is no bloodguilt for him.
- If the thief is found breaking in and is struck so that he dies, there is no bloodguilt for the one who struck him.
Exo.22.2 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- אם: CONJ
- זרחה: VERB,qal,perf,3,f,sg
- השמש: NOUN,f,sg,def
- עליו: PREP,3,m,sg
- דמים: NOUN,m,pl,abs
- לו: PRON,3,m,sg
- שלם: NOUN,prop,m,sg
- ישלם: VERB,qal,impf,3,m,sg
- אם: CONJ
- אין: PART,neg
- לו: PRON,3,m,sg
- ונמכר: VERB,nif,perf,3,m,sg
- בגנבתו: PREP+NOUN,f,sg,abs+3,m,sg
Parallels
- Lev.5:21-26 (verbal): Prescribes restitution for theft and adds an additional payment (a fifth) to the owner — closely parallels Exodus' concern with repayment when a thief is caught.
- Deut.22:1-3 (thematic): Commands responsibility for others' lost property and returning what is taken — relates to the law's broader theme of protecting property and obligating restoration.
- Prov.6:30-31 (thematic): States that a thief, when found, must make multiplefold restitution (e.g., sevenfold) or lose all he has — echoes the principle of repayment for theft found in Exodus.
- Lev.25:39-46 (structural): Regulates selling oneself or others into servitude for inability to pay debts and provides provisions for redemption — parallels Exodus' provision that an insolvent thief may be sold to satisfy the loss.
Alternative generated candidates
- If the sun has risen upon him, there is bloodguilt for him; he shall surely make restitution; if he has nothing, then he shall be sold for his theft.
- If the sun has risen upon him, bloodguilt is upon him. The thief shall surely pay; if he has nothing, then he shall be sold for his theft.
Exo.22.3 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- אם: CONJ
- המצא: VERB,qal,impf,3,m,sg
- תמצא: VERB,qal,impf,2,m,sg
- בידו: PREP+NOUN,m,sg,abs+3,m,sg
- הגנבה: NOUN,f,sg,def
- משור: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- עד: PREP
- חמור: PNOUN,m,sg
- עד: PREP
- שה: PRON,rel
- חיים: ADJ,m,pl,abs
- שנים: NOUN,f,pl,abs
- ישלם: VERB,qal,impf,3,m,sg
Parallels
- Leviticus 5:21-26 (verbal): Prescribes confession and restitution for theft, requiring the thief to restore what was taken plus an additional fifth — parallels Exodus’ requirement that a thief make good the loss.
- Deuteronomy 22:1-3 (thematic): Rules about finding and returning lost or straying animals and the responsibility to restore them to their owner; shares the concern for owners’ property and obligations when animals are found.
- Proverbs 6:30-31 (thematic): States that a thief, if caught, must repay manyfold (sevenfold) to the owner; parallels the principle of making monetary restitution for stolen goods.
- Luke 19:8 (thematic): Zacchaeus’ pledge to repay those he defrauded fourfold reflects New Testament application of OT restitution practices for theft and wrongful taking.
- Exodus 22:2 (structural): The immediately preceding/parallel clause addresses a thief found breaking in and the question of bloodguilt — helps situate verse 22:3’s concern with found/stolen property and the legal consequences for the thief.
Alternative generated candidates
- If the stolen goods are indeed found in his hand—whether an ox or a donkey or a sheep alive—he shall pay double.
- If the stolen thing is indeed found in his hand—be it an ox, or a donkey, or a sheep—alive, he shall pay double.
Exo.22.4 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- כי: CONJ
- יבער: VERB,qal,impf,3,m,sg
- איש: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- שדה: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- או: CONJ
- כרם: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- ושלח: VERB,qal,wayyiqtol,3,m,sg
- את: PRT,acc
- בעירו: PREP+NOUN,f,sg,abs+PRON,3,m,sg
- ובער: CONJ+VERB,qal,impf,3,m,sg
- בשדה: PREP+NOUN,m,sg,abs
- אחר: PREP
- מיטב: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- שדהו: NOUN,m,sg,abs+PRON,3,m,sg
- ומיטב: CONJ+NOUN,m,sg,abs
- כרמו: NOUN,m,sg,abs+PRON,3,m,sg
- ישלם: VERB,qal,impf,3,m,sg
Parallels
- Exod.22.5 (verbal): Immediate parallel in the same legal unit — another case where the party who causes loss (here by fire) 'shall surely make restitution' using the same restitution formula.
- Exod.21.33-36 (thematic): Law concerning an owner’s liability when his animal damages another’s property or person; similarly assigns financial responsibility for harm caused by animals.
- Lev.6.2-5 (thematic): Rules for restitution when someone wrongfully takes or damages another’s property, including making full restitution (and additional compensation), reflecting the broader restitution principle.
- Deut.22.1-4 (thematic): Commands to recover or care for a neighbor’s stray beast and to prevent harm to another’s property — same concern for responsibility regarding animals and crops.
- Luke 19:8 (thematic): Zacchaeus’s voluntary pledge to make restitution (fourfold) to those he defrauded — an NT example of the ethical demand to restore what was taken or damaged.
Alternative generated candidates
- If a man lets a field or a vineyard be eaten bare, and he sends his beast and it grazes in another's field, from the best of his field and the best of his vineyard he shall make restitution.
- If a man lets a field or a vineyard be grazed, and he lets his animal loose and it grazes in another’s field, he shall pay from the best of his field and from the best of his vineyard.
Exo.22.5 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- כי: CONJ
- תצא: VERB,qal,impf,3,f,sg
- אש: NOUN,f,sg,abs
- ומצאה: VERB,qal,perf,3,f,sg
- קצים: NOUN,m,pl,abs
- ונאכל: VERB,niphal,impf,3,m,sg
- גדיש: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- או: CONJ
- הקמה: NOUN,f,sg,def
- או: CONJ
- השדה: NOUN,m,sg,def
- שלם: NOUN,prop,m,sg
- ישלם: VERB,qal,impf,3,m,sg
- המבער: NOUN,m,sg,def
- את: PRT,acc
- הבערה: NOUN,f,sg,def
Parallels
- Exod.21:33-34 (structural): Both set forth liability for damage caused by a hazardous condition under one’s control (open pit in 21:33–34; fire in 22:5) and require the responsible party to make restitution.
- Deut.22:8 (thematic): Prescribes a homeowner’s duty to prevent injury (build a parapet on roofs); parallels Exodus 22:5’s concern with responsibility to prevent and answer for harms originating on one’s property.
- Deut.22:1-4 (thematic): Commands care for a neighbor’s lost or endangered property and pro-active responsibility; reflects the same social-legal ethic of duty and restitution behind the fire-law in Exodus 22:5.
- Lev.6:2-5 (verbal): Deals explicitly with making restitution for wrongs (repayment plus penalty) and echoes the legal formulaic requirement in Exodus 22:5 that the person who caused loss ‘shall make restitution.’
Alternative generated candidates
- If fire breaks out and catches in thorns so that stacked grain or standing grain or the field is consumed, the one who kindled the blaze shall surely make restitution.
- If fire breaks out and catches in thorns, so that a stack of grain or standing grain or the field is consumed, he who kindled the blaze shall surely pay.
Exo.22.6 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- כי: CONJ
- יתן: VERB,qal,imperf,3,m,sg
- איש: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- אל: NEG
- רעהו: NOUN,m,sg,abs+3ms
- כסף: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- או: CONJ
- כלים: NOUN,m,pl,abs
- לשמר: VERB,qal,infc
- וגנב: VERB,qal,ptc,3,m,sg
- מבית: PREP+NOUN,m,sg,abs
- האיש: NOUN,m,sg,def
- אם: CONJ
- ימצא: VERB,qal,impf,3,m,sg
- הגנב: NOUN,m,sg,def
- ישלם: VERB,qal,impf,3,m,sg
- שנים: NOUN,f,pl,abs
Parallels
- Exod.22.1-4 (verbal): Closely related set of laws on theft and restitution in the same chapter — prescribes repayment (including multiplefold restitution) and specifically states that if a thief is caught in the house he must repay double, directly paralleling 22:6's double payment when a thief is found.
- Exod.22.8-9 (structural): Continues the household/custody legal material: addresses disputes over deposits given to a neighbor and the evidentiary/oath procedures when the custodian denies receipt — closely linked to 22:6's rule about items entrusted for safekeeping.
- Lev.6.2-5 (thematic): Law concerning one who steals or defrauds a neighbor — requires confession and restitution (repayment plus an additional fifth) and a guilt offering; shares the theme of mandated compensation to make wrongs right.
- Prov.6.30-31 (thematic): Describes a thief who, when caught, must repay manyfold (sevenfold) — echoes the principle that discovery of theft triggers a multiplied restitution obligation, similar in spirit to Exodus 22:6's double payment.
- Deut.22.1-3 (thematic): Commands caring for and returning a neighbor's lost or stray property and not ignoring another's goods — relates to the broader concern for responsibility toward others' possessions and the duties of custodianship reflected in 22:6.
Alternative generated candidates
- If a man gives to his neighbor money or goods to keep, and it is stolen from the man's house: if the thief is found, he shall pay double;
- If a man gives to his neighbor silver or goods to keep, and it is stolen from the man’s house—if the thief is found, he shall pay double.
Exo.22.7 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- אם: CONJ
- לא: PART_NEG
- ימצא: VERB,qal,impf,3,m,sg
- הגנב: NOUN,m,sg,def
- ונקרב: VERB,niphal,impf,3,m,sg
- בעל: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- הבית: NOUN,m,sg,def
- אל: NEG
- האלהים: NOUN,m,sg,def
- אם: CONJ
- לא: PART_NEG
- שלח: VERB,qal,perf,3,m,sg
- ידו: NOUN,m,sg,abs+PRON,3,m,sg
- במלאכת: PREP+NOUN,f,sg,cons
- רעהו: NOUN,m,sg,abs+3ms
Parallels
- Exodus 22:1–4 (structural): Nearby legislation on theft and restitution (stolen ox/sheep); sets the broader legal framework for handling stolen property and penalties when a thief is caught or the goods are recovered.
- Exodus 22:8–9 (verbal): Immediate continuation of the clause — prescribes bringing the dispute before God (oath/test) and the procedure if the thief is not found; closely parallels wording and legal procedure.
- Leviticus 6:1–7 (cf. 5:20–26) (thematic): Law requiring restitution plus an additional fifth and a guilt offering when one wrongs a neighbor — parallels the concern for making restitution and resolving claims before God.
- Numbers 5:6–8 (thematic): Prescribes confession and full restitution (with an added fifth) for wrongs against a neighbor; shows a similar cultic/legal mechanism for resolving property disputes and guilt.
- Deuteronomy 22:1–3 (thematic): Duty to return lost or stray property to its owner (and care for it until he claims it); echoes the communal responsibility for others' property and procedures when ownership is uncertain.
Alternative generated candidates
- but if the thief is not found, the owner of the house shall come near to God, that he has not stretched out his hand to his neighbor's goods.
- If the thief is not found, the owner of the house shall come near before God, to show that he has not laid his hand upon his neighbor’s goods.
Exo.22.8 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- על: PREP
- כל: DET
- דבר: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- פשע: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- על: PREP
- שור: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- על: PREP
- חמור: PNOUN,m,sg
- על: PREP
- שה: PRON,rel
- על: PREP
- שלמה: NOUN,f,sg,abs
- על: PREP
- כל: DET
- אבדה: VERB,qal,perf,3,f,sg
- אשר: PRON,rel
- יאמר: VERB,qal,imperfect,3,m,sg
- כי: CONJ
- הוא: PRON,3,m,sg
- זה: PRON,dem,m,sg
- עד: PREP
- האלהים: NOUN,m,sg,def
- יבא: VERB,qal,impf,3,m,sg
- דבר: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- שניהם: PRON,3,m,pl
- אשר: PRON,rel
- ירשיען: VERB,qal,impf,3,m,sg
- אלהים: NOUN,m,pl,abs
- ישלם: VERB,qal,impf,3,m,sg
- שנים: NOUN,f,pl,abs
- לרעהו: PREP+NOUN,m,sg,abs,prs:3,m
Parallels
- Exod.22.1-4 (structural): Immediate context in the same law code on theft, straying animals and restitution; these verses set the wider legal framework for handling claims about lost or stolen animals.
- Deut.22.1-4 (thematic): Commands to return a neighbor's lost beast and procedures for determining ownership — a parallel concern with responsibility for and adjudication of lost/strayed animals.
- Lev.6:2-5 (6:1-7 in Hebrew numbering) (verbal): Law about deceit or theft requiring confession and making restitution to the injured party (with an added payment) — parallels the requirement that the guilty restore what was lost.
- Num.5:6-7 (verbal): Instruction that one who wrongs another must confess and make full restitution plus an additional fifth — echoes the sacrificial/compensatory settlement pattern for property wrongs.
- Prov.6:30-31 (thematic): Describes a thief being compelled to repay multiple times over when caught; parallels the principle that a guilty party must compensate the victim (here, multiplied restitution).
Alternative generated candidates
- For every matter of transgression—concerning an ox, a donkey, a sheep, a garment, about any lost thing of which one says, 'This is it'—the case of both shall come before God; whomever God condemns shall pay double to his neighbor.
- In every case of trespass—concerning an ox, a donkey, a sheep, a garment, or any lost thing of which one says, “This is it”—the case of both shall come before God; he whom God condemns shall pay double to his neighbor.
Exo.22.9 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- כי: CONJ
- יתן: VERB,qal,imperf,3,m,sg
- איש: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- אל: NEG
- רעהו: NOUN,m,sg,abs+3ms
- חמור: PNOUN,m,sg
- או: CONJ
- שור: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- או: CONJ
- שה: PRON,rel
- וכל: CONJ+PRON,indef
- בהמה: NOUN,f,sg,abs
- לשמר: VERB,qal,infc
- ומת: CONJ+VERB,qal,perf,3,m,sg
- או: CONJ
- נשבר: VERB,niphal,perf,3,m,sg
- או: CONJ
- נשבה: VERB,niphal,perf,3,f,sg
- אין: PART,neg
- ראה: VERB,qal,imperat,2,m,sg
Parallels
- Exodus 22:10-13 (structural): Immediate continuation of the same legal unit on bailment and borrowed animals — specifies hired vs. borrowed animals, conditions for restitution, and penalties for theft.
- Deuteronomy 22:1-4 (thematic): Commands the return and care of a neighbor's lost or driven-off ox or sheep (and other animals); shares the same duty to safeguard others' livestock and to restore them.
- Deuteronomy 22:6-7 (thematic): Requires rescue and care for a bird's nest (young and mother) found in the field; reflects the broader obligation to protect vulnerable animals and act on behalf of another's property.
- Leviticus 19:18 (thematic): The injunction to 'love your neighbor as yourself' undergirds laws governing treatment of others' property and responsibility toward neighbors, including care for their animals.
Alternative generated candidates
- If a man gives to his neighbor a donkey or an ox or a sheep, or any animal, to keep, and it dies or is injured or is taken captive, with no one seeing,
- If a man gives to his neighbor a donkey or an ox or a sheep, or any animal, to keep, and it dies or is injured or is taken captive, with no one seeing,
Exo.22.10 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- שבעת: NUM,card,construct
- יהוה: NOUN,prop,m,sg,abs
- תהיה: VERB,qal,imperfect,3,f,sg
- בין: PREP
- שניהם: PRON,3,m,pl
- אם: CONJ
- לא: PART_NEG
- שלח: VERB,qal,perf,3,m,sg
- ידו: NOUN,m,sg,abs+PRON,3,m,sg
- במלאכת: PREP+NOUN,f,sg,cons
- רעהו: NOUN,m,sg,abs+3ms
- ולקח: VERB,qal,impf,3,m,sg
- בעליו: NOUN,m,sg,abs+3,m,sg
- ולא: CONJ
- ישלם: VERB,qal,impf,3,m,sg
Parallels
- Exod.22:8-12 (structural): Immediate context—same legal unit about custody of animals, liability of a keeper when an entrusted beast dies, is injured, or is taken; repeats the procedure for deciding between owner and custodian and invokes the LORD as witness/oath.
- Deut.22:1-4 (thematic): Domestic/neighborly responsibility for stray or lost animals: obligation to return or safeguard a neighbor’s ox or sheep and rules for custody and restoration—shares the theme of guardian liability and duty to restore.
- Lev.5:21-26 (see also Lev.6:1-7) (verbal): Laws governing wrongful deprivation of a neighbor’s property and required restitution (including making full restoration and bringing the matter before the priest); parallels the obligation to compensate and the formal procedure for resolving disputes.
- Num.5:6-8 (thematic): Instruction that one who wrongs a neighbor must confess and make restitution (adding a fifth) and bring the failure before the community/priests—a related legal principle of required recompense and formal adjudication.
Alternative generated candidates
- the oath of the LORD shall be between them both, that he has not stretched out his hand to his neighbor's property; the owner shall accept it, and he shall not make restitution.
- an oath of the LORD shall be between them both that he has not laid his hand upon his neighbor’s goods; its owner shall accept it, and he shall not pay.
Exo.22.11 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- ואם: CONJ
- גנב: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- יגנב: VERB,qal,impf,3,m,sg
- מעמו: PREP+PRON,3,m,sg
- ישלם: VERB,qal,impf,3,m,sg
- לבעליו: PREP+NOUN,m,pl,abs+3,pl
Parallels
- Exod.22:1 (verbal): Another restitution law in the same chapter: if a man steals an ox or sheep and is found, he must repay—directly related to obligations of a thief to make restitution.
- Lev.6:2-5 (verbal): Prescribes that one who commits theft must restore what was taken and add a fifth and make confession—explicit priestly regulation for restitution, closely paralleling the return/payment obligation.
- Num.5:7 (verbal): Requires the person who has wronged another (taken by robbery or lost thing) to restore what was taken and add a fifth—another legal formulation of restitution.
- Deut.22:1-3 (thematic): Commands Israelites to return lost property (sheep, ox, cloak) and, if the owner is unknown, to take care until it is reclaimed—shares the theme of responsibility to the rightful owner and restitution.
- Prov.6:30-31 (thematic): Notes that a thief who is caught must make multiple-fold restitution (sevenfold), reflecting the wider wisdom tradition endorsing repayment and consequences for theft.
Alternative generated candidates
- But if it is indeed stolen from him, he shall make restitution to its owner.
- But if indeed it is stolen from him, he shall pay to its owner.
Exo.22.12 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- אם: CONJ
- טרף: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- יטרף: VERB,qal,impf,3,m,sg
- יבאהו: VERB,qal,impf,3,m,sg
- עד: PREP
- הטרפה: NOUN,f,sg,def
- לא: PART_NEG
- ישלם: VERB,qal,impf,3,m,sg
Parallels
- Exod.21:28 (thematic): Law about an ox that rends (gores) and causes death; both passages treat liability when an animal harms or seizes (TRF/tear) and consequences for owner and animal.
- Exod.22:1 (thematic): Nearby civil law on theft and restitution; connects to Exodus 22’s broader concern with recovery of property and when a person must make restitution.
- Lev.5:21-26 (thematic): Priestly regulations requiring restoration and additional payment for wrongful taking—parallels the principle of making good loss or exception when restitution is not required.
- Deut.22:1-4 (thematic): Command to return lost or stray property and the responsibilities of the finder/owner; relates to duties and exceptions concerning recovered prey or property.
- Prov.6:30-31 (thematic): Says a thief, when caught, will repay sevenfold—a wisdom-law parallel addressing restitution and penal compensations for taken goods.
Alternative generated candidates
- If it is torn to pieces, he shall bring it as evidence—the torn remains; he shall not make restitution.
- If it is surely torn, he shall bring it as evidence—the torn remains; he shall not pay.
Exo.22.13 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- וכי: CONJ
- ישאל: VERB,qal,impf,3,m,sg
- איש: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- מעם: PREP
- רעהו: NOUN,m,sg,abs+3ms
- ונשבר: VERB,niphal,perf,3,m,sg
- או: CONJ
- מת: ADJ,m,sg
- בעליו: NOUN,m,sg,abs+3,m,sg
- אין: PART,neg
- עמו: PREP+PRON,3,m,sg
- שלם: NOUN,prop,m,sg
- ישלם: VERB,qal,impf,3,m,sg
Parallels
- Exod.22:1-4 (thematic): Same chapter's laws on theft and restitution — establishes the principle that one who wrongs or deprives another of property must make it good to the owner.
- Lev.6:2-5 (5:21-26 LXX numbering) (verbal): Priestly law requiring restitution (often with added compensation) when someone steals or withholds a neighbor's property — similar remedial obligation to 'make good' the loss.
- Deut.22:1-3 (thematic): Command to return a neighbor's stray ox or sheep and care for it until the owner is found — reflects communal responsibility and liability for the welfare of another's animals/property.
- Deut.24:12-13 (structural): Rules about returning a pledged cloak to a poor neighbor by evening — protects the owner's use of essential property and regulates custodial responsibility for another's goods.
Alternative generated candidates
- If a man borrows from his neighbor and it is injured or dies, its owner not being with it, he shall surely make restitution.
- And if a man borrows from his neighbor and it is injured or dies, its owner not being with it, he shall surely pay.
Exo.22.14 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- אם: CONJ
- בעליו: NOUN,m,sg,abs+3,m,sg
- עמו: PREP+PRON,3,m,sg
- לא: PART_NEG
- ישלם: VERB,qal,impf,3,m,sg
- אם: CONJ
- שכיר: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- הוא: PRON,3,m,sg
- בא: VERB,qal,perf,3,m,sg
- בשכרו: PREP+NOUN,m,sg,abs+3ms
Parallels
- Exod.22:9-13 (structural): Immediate legal context in the same chapter governing liability and restitution for loss or theft; verse 14 functions within this cluster specifying conditions (owner present or hired) that affect obligation to make good loss.
- Lev.6:1-7 (Heb. 5:21-26) (thematic): Priestly legislation on theft and restitution requiring the offender to restore what was taken plus additional compensation—parallels the concern here with who bears responsibility for loss and how restitution is handled.
- Lev.19:13 (verbal): Concise injunction about not defrauding or keeping the wages of a hired worker—connects to Exod.22:14’s distinction that where a person is ‘hired’ liability is tied to wages rather than full restitution.
- Deut.24:14-15 (thematic): Regulation protecting hired servants’ wages and requiring prompt payment; parallels Exod.22:14’s provision that a hired man’s responsibility is tied to his wages rather than full replacement.
Alternative generated candidates
- If its owner is with it, he shall not make restitution; if it is hired, it came with its hire.
- If its owner is with it, he shall not pay; if it is hired, it came for its hire.
Exo.22.15 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- וכי: CONJ
- יפתה: VERB,hiph,impf,3,m,sg
- איש: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- בתולה: NOUN,f,sg,abs
- אשר: PRON,rel
- לא: PART_NEG
- ארשה: VERB,qal,perf,3,m,sg
- ושכב: VERB,qal,perf,3,m,sg
- עמה: PREP+PRON,3,f,sg
- מהר: VERB,qal,imp,2,m,sg
- ימהרנה: VERB,qal,impf,3,m,sg
- לו: PRON,3,m,sg
- לאשה: PREP+NOUN,f,sg,abs
Parallels
- Deuteronomy 22:28-29 (verbal): Very close legal parallel: if a man lies with an unbetrothed virgin he must pay a bride-price and marry her (unless the father refuses), repeating the same obligation found in Exodus.
- Deuteronomy 22:23-27 (thematic): Related legal material distinguishing sexual intercourse with a betrothed woman and forcible rape; clarifies different penalties and social consequences for sexual relations depending on consent and betrothal.
- Genesis 34 (allusion): Narrative case (Shechem and Dinah) in which sexual intercourse with an Israelite woman leads to a demand for marriage/compensation and broader social conflict, echoing the law’s concern with honor, marriage, and compensation.
- 2 Samuel 13:1-22 (thematic): The Amnon–Tamar episode: a case of seduction/sexual violence within a family that illustrates the personal and political fallout of illicit sexual relations and expectations about marriage and honor.
- Judges 19 (thematic): The Levite’s concubine is abused and killed, provoking national crisis; like Exodus 22:15, the story highlights societal consequences of sexual violence and issues of protection, honor, and communal responsibility.
Alternative generated candidates
- If a man entices a virgin who is not betrothed and lies with her, he shall surely pay the bride-price for her to be his wife.
- And if a man seduces a virgin who is not betrothed and lies with her, he shall surely pay the bride-price for her to be his wife.
If the thief is found breaking in and is struck and dies, there is no bloodguilt for him. But if the sun has risen upon him, there is bloodguilt for him. He shall surely make restitution; if he has nothing, then he shall be sold for his theft.
If the stolen item is indeed found in his hand—whether an ox or a donkey or a sheep alive—he shall pay double.
When a man lets a field or a vineyard be grazed, and he lets his animal go and it grazes in another man’s field, he shall pay from the best of his field and the best of his vineyard.
When fire breaks out and catches in thorns so that stacked grain or standing grain or the field is consumed, he who kindled the blaze shall surely make restitution.
When a man gives to his neighbor money or goods to keep, and it is stolen from the man’s house—if the thief is found, he shall pay double.
If the thief is not found, then the master of the house shall come near to God, to attest that he has not stretched out his hand against his neighbor’s goods.
Concerning every matter of trespass—concerning an ox, a donkey, a sheep, a garment, concerning any lost thing of which one says, “This is it”—the case of both of them shall come before God; he whom God condemns shall pay double to his neighbor.
When a man gives to his neighbor a donkey or an ox or a sheep, or any animal, to keep, and it dies or is injured or is taken captive, with no one seeing,
an oath of the LORD shall be between the two of them, that he has not put forth his hand against his neighbor’s goods; and its owner shall accept it, and he shall not make restitution. But if it is indeed stolen from him, he shall pay to its owner.
If it is torn to pieces, he shall bring evidence of the torn animal; he shall not make restitution.
When a man borrows from his neighbor, and it is injured or dies—its owner not being with it—he shall surely make restitution.
If its owner is with it, he shall not make restitution; if it is hired, it came for its hire.
When a man seduces a virgin who is not betrothed and lies with her, he shall surely pay the bride-price for her to be his wife.