Exodus 22:9
in Exodus 22In 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.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
For every matter of trespass, whether it be for ox, for ass, for sheep, for raiment, or for any manner of lost thing, whereof one saith, This is it, the cause of both parties shall come before God; he whom God shall condemn shall pay double unto his neighbor.
KJV
For all manner of trespass, 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 parties shall come before the judges; and whom the judges shall condemn, he shall pay double unto his neighbour.
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This verse in Exodus 22
Commentary
5 notes on this verseA commentator
Albert Barnes1798–1870
Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869)
All manner of trespass - He who was accused, and he who had lost the stolen property, were both to appear before the judges Exo 18:25-26.
This site's exposition
deliver unto his neighbour money or stuff to keep
on Exodus 22:7-9
Goods left with a neighbour for safekeeping go missing and no thief can be found, so the keeper himself is brought before the judges. Those judges exist because of chapter 18, where Jethro told Moses the work was too heavy and able men were set over thousands and hundreds and tens. The double penalty falls on whichever party the court condemns, which puts a false claim at the same price as a theft.
The record, by era
The Puritans and the Awakening2 voices
For all manner of trespass,....
It is unjust and base, and that which all the world cries shame on, to betray a trust. That there is such a general failing of truth and justice upon earth as gives too much occasion to suspect men's honesty whenever it is their interest to be dishonest.
The Nineteenth Century1 voice
Challengeth to be his - It was necessary that such a matter should come before the judges, because the person in whose possession the goods were found might have had them by a fair and honest purchase; and, by sifting the business, the thief might be found out, and if found, be obliged to pay double to his neighbor.
The words behind it
31 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| עַֽל־ | ʾal- | on | H5921 → | 5755 times |
| כָּל־ | kol- | every | H3605 → | 5413 times |
| דְּבַר־ | devar- | matter of | H1697 → | 1440 times |
| פֶּ֡שַׁע | pesha' | transgression | H6588 → | 93 times |
| עַל־ | ʾal- | on | H5921 → | 5755 times |
| שׁ֡וֹר | shor | an ox | H7794 → | 79 times |
| עַל־ | ʾal- | on | H5921 → | 5755 times |
| חֲ֠מוֹר | chamor | a donkey | H2543 → | 96 times |
| עַל־ | ʾal- | on | H5921 → | 5755 times |
| שֶׂ֨ה | seh | a sheep | H7716 → | 47 times |
| עַל־ | ʾal- | on | H5921 → | 5755 times |
| שַׂלְמָ֜ה | salmah | a garment | H8008 → | |
| עַל־ | ʾal- | on | H5921 → | 5755 times |
| כָּל־ | kol- | every | H3605 → | 5413 times |
| אֲבֵדָ֗ה | ʾavedah | thing lost | H9 → | |
| אֲשֶׁ֤ר | ʾasher | which | H834 → | 5497 times |
| יֹאמַר֙ | yomar | anyone will say | H559 → | 5305 times |
| כִּי־ | ki- | that | H3588 → | 4482 times |
| ה֣וּא | hu' | [is] it | H1931 → | 1879 times |
| זֶ֔ה | zeh | this | H2088 → | 1180 times |
| עַ֚ד | ʾad | to | H5704 → | 1261 times |
| הָֽאֱלֹהִ֔ים | haelohim | the judges | H430 → | 2601 times |
| יָבֹ֖א | yavo' | it will come | H935 → | 2568 times |
| דְּבַר־ | devar- | [the] case of | H1697 → | 1440 times |
| שְׁנֵיהֶ֑ם | sheneihem | both of them | H8147 → | 768 times |
| אֲשֶׁ֤ר | ʾasher | [the one] whom | H834 → | 5497 times |
| יַרְשִׁיעֻן֙ | yarshiun | they will condemn as guilty ! | H7561 → | |
| אֱלֹהִ֔ים | ʾelohim | [the] judges | H430 → | 2601 times |
| יְשַׁלֵּ֥ם | yeshalem | he will make restitution | H7999 → | 116 times |
| שְׁנַ֖יִם | shenayim | twofold | H8147 → | 768 times |
| לְרֵעֵֽהוּ׃ ס | lereehu | to neighbor his | H7453 → | 188 times |
עַֽל־on
ʾal-H5921 →5755 times
כָּל־every
kol-H3605 →5413 times
דְּבַר־matter of
devar-H1697 →1440 times
פֶּ֡שַׁעtransgression
pesha'H6588 →93 times
עַל־on
ʾal-H5921 →5755 times
שׁ֡וֹרan ox
shorH7794 →79 times
עַל־on
ʾal-H5921 →5755 times
חֲ֠מוֹרa donkey
chamorH2543 →96 times
עַל־on
ʾal-H5921 →5755 times
שֶׂ֨הa sheep
sehH7716 →47 times
עַל־on
ʾal-H5921 →5755 times
שַׂלְמָ֜הa garment
salmahH8008 →
עַל־on
ʾal-H5921 →5755 times
כָּל־every
kol-H3605 →5413 times
אֲבֵדָ֗הthing lost
ʾavedahH9 →
אֲשֶׁ֤רwhich
ʾasherH834 →5497 times
יֹאמַר֙anyone will say
yomarH559 →5305 times
כִּי־that
ki-H3588 →4482 times
ה֣וּא[is] it
hu'H1931 →1879 times
זֶ֔הthis
zehH2088 →1180 times
עַ֚דto
ʾadH5704 →1261 times
הָֽאֱלֹהִ֔יםthe judges
haelohimH430 →2601 times
יָבֹ֖אit will come
yavo'H935 →2568 times
דְּבַר־[the] case of
devar-H1697 →1440 times
שְׁנֵיהֶ֑םboth of them
sheneihemH8147 →768 times
אֲשֶׁ֤ר[the one] whom
ʾasherH834 →5497 times
יַרְשִׁיעֻן֙they will condemn as guilty !
yarshiunH7561 →
אֱלֹהִ֔ים[the] judges
ʾelohimH430 →2601 times
יְשַׁלֵּ֥םhe will make restitution
yeshalemH7999 →116 times
שְׁנַ֖יִםtwofold
shenayimH8147 →768 times
לְרֵעֵֽהוּ׃ סto neighbor his
lereehuH7453 →188 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
Exodus 22:4If what was stolen is actually found alive in his possession—whether ox or donkey or sheep—he must pay back double.
it leads to
- Exodus 22:7
If 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.
- Exodus 22:1
“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.
- Exodus 21:16
Whoever kidnaps another man must be put to death, whether he sells him or the man is found in his possession.
- Proverbs 6:31
Yet if caught, he must pay sevenfold; he must give up all the wealth of his house.
- Revelation 18:6
Give back to her as she has done to others; pay her back double for what she has done; mix her a double portion in her own cup.
- Exodus 22:7
Through
Deuteronomy 25:1If there is a dispute between men, they are to go to court to be judged, so that the innocent may be acquitted and the guilty condemned.
it leads to
- Proverbs 17:15
Acquitting the guilty and condemning the righteous—both are detestable to the LORD.
- Deuteronomy 17:8–9
If a case is too difficult for you to judge, whether the controversy within your gates is regarding bloodshed, lawsuits, or assaults, you must go up to the place the LORD your God will…
- Proverbs 17:15
Through
1 Kings 8:31When a man sins against his neighbor and is required to take an oath, and he comes to take an oath before Your altar in this temple,
it leads to
- Exodus 22:8–11
If 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.
- Exodus 22:8–11
Where this verse is studied
About Exodus
This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; Albert Barnes, Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869); Albert Barnes, Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763) and Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible.