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.
• English Standard Version (ESV)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.
• 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.

Context of Exodus 22:8

6“Whenever a fire starts and spreads into the underbrush so that it burns up stacked or standing grain or ruins a field, the person who started the fire must make up for the loss. 7“This is what you must do whenever someone gives his neighbor silver or ⌞other⌟ valuables to keep for him, and they are stolen from that person’s house: If the thief is caught, he must make up for the loss with double the amount. If the thief is not caught, the owner of the house must be brought to God to find out whether or not he took his neighbor’s valuables. 9If there is a dispute over the ownership of a bull, a donkey, a sheep, an article of clothing, or any ⌞other⌟ lost property which two people claim as their own, both people must bring their case to God. The one whom God declares guilty must make up for his neighbor’s loss with double the amount. 10“This is what you must do whenever someone gives his neighbor a donkey, a bull, a sheep, or any other kind of animal to keep for him, and it dies, is injured, or is captured in war, and there are no witnesses.

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“Never show disrespect for God or curse a leader of your people.
• Exodus 21:6then his master must bring him to God. The master must bring him to the door or the doorframe and pierce his ear with an awl. Then he will be his slave for life.
• Deuteronomy 16:18Appoint judges and officers for your tribes in every city that the Lord your God is giving you. They are to judge the people fairly.
• Deuteronomy 19:17The two people involved must stand in the Lord’s presence, in front of the priests and judges who are serving at that time.
• 1 Chronicles 23:4Of these, 24,000 were appointed to supervise the work on the Lord’s temple, 6,000 were appointed to be officers and judges,
• Psalms 82:1God takes his place in his own assembly. He pronounces judgment among the gods:

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