Exodus 22:8

Exodus 22:8 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)If the thief be not found, then the master of the house shall be brought unto the judges, to see whether he have put his hand unto his neighbour’s goods.
• New International Version (NIV)But if the thief is not found, the owner of the house must appear before the judges, and they must determine whether the owner of the house has laid hands on the other person’s property.
• New King James Version (NKJV)If the thief is not found, then the master of the house shall be brought to the judges to see whether he has put his hand into his neighbor’s goods.
• New Living Translation (NLT)But if the thief is not caught, the neighbor must appear before God, who will determine if he stole the property.

Context of Exodus 22:8

6"If fire breaks out and catches in thorns so that the stacked grain or the standing grain or the field is consumed, he who started the fire shall make full restitution. 7"If a man gives to his neighbor money or goods to keep safe, and it is stolen from the man's house, then, if the thief is found, he shall pay double. If the thief is not found, the owner of the house shall come near to God to show whether or not he has put his hand to his neighbor's property. 9For every breach of trust, whether it is for an ox, for a donkey, for a sheep, for a cloak, or for any kind of lost thing, of which one says, 'This is it,' the case of both parties shall come before God. The one whom God condemns shall pay double to his neighbor. 10"If a man gives to his neighbor a donkey or an ox or a sheep or any beast to keep safe, and it dies or is injured or is driven away, without anyone seeing it,

Exodus 22:8 word by word

אִם־לֹ֤א יִמָּצֵא֙ הַגַּנָּ֔ב וְנִקְרַ֥ב בַּֽעַל־הַבַּ֖יִת אֶל־הָֽאֱלֹהִ֑ים אִם־לֹ֥א שָׁלַ֛ח יָד֖וֹ בִּמְלֶ֥אכֶת רֵעֵֽהוּ׃Read the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• If the thiefגַּנָּבgannâb · thiefH1590
• be notלֹאlô' lô' lôh · notH3808
• foundמָצָאmâtsâ' · to findH4672
• then the masterבַּעַלba‛al · masterH1167
• of the houseבַּ֫יִתbayith · house: homeH1004
• shall be broughtקָרַבqârab · to present: comeH7126
• unto the judgesאֱלֹהִים'ĕlôhîym · GodH430
• whether he have putשָׁלַחshâlach · to send: reachH7971
• his handיָדyâd · handH3027
• unto his neighbour’sרֵעַrêa‛ rêya‛ · neighborH7453
• goodsמְלָאכָהmelâ'kâh · workH4399

Cross-references for Exodus 22:8

• Exodus 22:28"You shall not revile God, nor curse a ruler of your people.
• Exodus 21:6then his master shall bring him to God, and he shall bring him to the door or the doorpost. And his master shall bore his ear through with an awl, and he shall be his slave forever.
• Deuteronomy 16:18"You shall appoint judges and officers in all your towns that the Lord your God is giving you, according to your tribes, and they shall judge the people with righteous judgment.
• Deuteronomy 19:17then both parties to the dispute shall appear before the Lord, before the priests and the judges who are in office in those days.
• 1 Chronicles 23:4"Twenty-four thousand of these," David said, "shall have charge of the work in the house of the Lord, 6,000 shall be officers and judges,
• Psalms 82:1God has taken his place in the divine council; in the midst of the gods he holds judgment:

Commentaries on Exodus 22:8

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 8Unto the judges - See Clarke's note on Exodus 21:6.Read the comment
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 8It would appear that if the master of the house would clear himself of imputation, the loss of the pledged article fell upon its owner.Read the comment
• Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 1-15In cases involving loss of property, the responsible person had to pay compensation equal to the value of what was lost. If the person had actually stolen the property, the compensation was multiplied (22:1, 4, 7). Where there was a question of responsibility, the parties were to appear before God for adjudication (22:8). The means by which the judgment was reached is not reported.Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 1-311-4. If a man shall steal an ox, or a sheep--The law respects the theft of cattle which constituted the chief part of their property. The penalty for the theft of a sheep which was slain or sold, was fourfold; for an ox fivefold, because of its greater utility in labor; but, should the stolen animal have been recovered alive, a double compensation was all that was required, because it was presumable he (the thief) was not a practised adept in dishonesty…Read the comment

Topics related to Exodus 22:8

• Bullock
• Fine
• Trustee

In the dictionaries

• Book
• Cause
• Curse
• Feed
• God
• Put
• Restore
• Revile
• Theft
• Torn

Commentaries on Exodus 22

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary
• Tyndale Open Study Notes
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary
• Rashi on Tanakh
• Calvin’s Commentaries
• Keil & Delitzsch Commentary
• John Wesley’s Notes
• Darby Translation Notes
• Geneva Bible Translation Notes
• Kingcomments
• Matthew Henry’s Complete Commentary
• Matthew Henry’s Modern English Commentary
• Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary
• EGW Writings