Exodus 22:14
in Exodus 22If 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.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
And if a man borrow aught of his neighbor, and it be hurt, or die, the owner thereof not being with it, he shall surely make restitution.
KJV
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.
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This verse in Exodus 22
Commentary
3 notes on this verseThis site's exposition
And if a man borrow ought of his neighbour
on Exodus 22:14-15
A borrower carries the whole loss, where a paid keeper in the verses above could clear himself by an oath. The reason is in the two exceptions, since the owner standing by can see what happened and a hired thing has already had the risk priced into its hire. The sons of the prophets at 2 Kings 6:5 cry out over an axe head precisely because it was borrowed, and Psalm 37:21 makes failure to repay a mark of the wicked.
The record, by era
The Puritans and the Awakening2 voices
And if a man borrow ought of his neighbour,....
Let us learn hence to be very careful not to abuse any thing that is lent us; it is not only unjust, but base and disingenuous, inasmuch as it is rendering evil for good; we should much rather choose to lose ourselves than that any should sustain loss by their kindness to us.
How the passage was read
What the Jewish commentators add
On the verses either side of this one
AND IF A MAN ‘Y’FATEH’ — “speaks to her emotions [until she submits to him]. And so did Onkelos render it arei y’shadeil, the term shidul in Aramaic being like pitui [persuasion, seduction], in the Sacred Language.
This section is reception history: how the passage was read and kept in the Jewish tradition. Where a reading parts from an essential of the Christian faith, the section says so at that point.
Texts and citation data: Sefaria; each excerpt follows its version’s licence. 5 further sources are cited on this chapter that carry no English text this site may quote or only restate the verse.
The words behind it
13 Hebrew wordsEvery Hebrew word of this verse in the order it stands, with what it means and the door to its own study. The last column counts the times a word stands in the whole Bible: the rarer the word, the more the places it appears belong together.
| Hebrew | Sound | Meaning | Word study | In the Bible |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| וְכִֽי־ | vekhi- | and if | H3588 → | 4482 times |
| יִשְׁאַ֥ל | yishal | he will ask | H7592 → | 171 times |
| אִ֛ישׁ | ʾish | anyone | H376 → | 1663 times |
| מֵעִ֥ם | meim | from with | H5973 → | 1050 times |
| רֵעֵ֖הוּ | reehu | neighbor his | H7453 → | 188 times |
| וְנִשְׁבַּ֣ר | venishbar | and it will be maimed | H7665 → | 147 times |
| אוֹ־ | ʾov- | or | H176 → | 321 times |
| מֵ֑ת | met | it died | H4191 → | 839 times |
| בְּעָלָ֥יו | bealav | owner<s> its | H1167 → | 84 times |
| אֵין־ | ʾein- | not | H369 → | 789 times |
| עִמּ֖וֹ | imo | [was] with it | H5973 → | 1050 times |
| שַׁלֵּ֥ם | shalem | certainly <make restitution> | H7999 → | 116 times |
| יְשַׁלֵּֽם׃ | yeshalem | he will make restitution | H7999 → | 116 times |
וְכִֽי־and if
vekhi-H3588 →4482 times
יִשְׁאַ֥לhe will ask
yishalH7592 →171 times
אִ֛ישׁanyone
ʾishH376 →1663 times
מֵעִ֥םfrom with
meimH5973 →1050 times
רֵעֵ֖הוּneighbor his
reehuH7453 →188 times
וְנִשְׁבַּ֣רand it will be maimed
venishbarH7665 →147 times
אוֹ־or
ʾov-H176 →321 times
מֵ֑תit died
metH4191 →839 times
בְּעָלָ֥יוowner<s> its
bealavH1167 →84 times
אֵין־not
ʾein-H369 →789 times
עִמּ֖וֹ[was] with it
imoH5973 →1050 times
שַׁלֵּ֥םcertainly <make restitution>
shalemH7999 →116 times
יְשַׁלֵּֽם׃he will make restitution
yeshalemH7999 →116 times
A shaded row is a word that stands 400 times or fewer in the Bible.
The walk
8 stopsEach card is a verse this one points to, and under it the verses that one points to in turn. Where several paths arrive at the same place, that place is listed first: the text keeps returning to it.
Through
Luke 6:35But love your enemies, do good to them, and lend to them, expecting nothing in return. Then your reward will be great, and you will be sons of the Most High; for He is…
it leads to
- Matthew 5:44–45
But I tell you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you,
- John 13:35
By this everyone will know that you are My disciples, if you love one another.”
- Proverbs 19:17
Kindness to the poor is a loan to the LORD, and He will repay the lender.
- Romans 5:8–10
But God proves His love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.
- Psalms 145:9
The LORD is good to all; His compassion rests on all He has made.
- Matthew 5:44–45
Through
Deuteronomy 15:2This is the manner of remission: Every creditor shall cancel what he has loaned to his neighbor. He is not to collect anything from his neighbor or brother, because the LORD’s time of release…
it leads to
- James 2:13
For judgment without mercy will be shown to anyone who has not been merciful. Mercy triumphs over judgment.
- Luke 7:42
When they were unable to repay him, he forgave both of them. Which one, then, will love him more?”
- James 2:13
Through
Leviticus 24:18Whoever kills an animal must make restitution—life for life.
it leads to
- Leviticus 24:21
Whoever kills an animal must make restitution, but whoever kills a man must be put to death.
- Leviticus 24:21
Where this verse is studied
On this page
Studies4
On this verse
About Exodus
This page draws on John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763); Keil and Delitzsch, Biblical Commentary on the Old Testament: The Pentateuch and Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible.