New English Translation
Exodus 22:8
8If the thief is not caught, then the owner of the house will be brought before the judges to see whether he has laid his hand on his neighbor’s goods.
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“If a fire breaks out and spreads to thorn bushes, so that stacked grain or standing grain or the whole field is consumed, the one who started the fire must surely make restitution. 7“If a man gives his neighbor money or articles for safekeeping, and it is stolen from the man’s house, if the thief is caught, he must repay double. If the thief is not caught, then the owner of the house will be brought before the judges to see whether he has laid his hand on his neighbor’s goods. 9In all cases of illegal possessions, whether for an ox, a donkey, a sheep, a garment, or any kind of lost item, about which someone says ‘This belongs to me,’ the matter of the two of them will come before the judges, and the one whom the judges declare guilty must repay double to his neighbor. 10If a man gives his neighbor a donkey or an ox or a sheep or any beast to keep, and it dies or is hurt or is carried away without anyone seeing it,
Read all of Exodus 22Exodus 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 must not blaspheme God or curse the ruler of your people.
- Exodus 21:6then his master must bring him to the judges, and he will bring him to the door or the doorposts, and his master will pierce his ear with an awl, and he shall serve him forever.
- Deuteronomy 16:18You must appoint judges and civil servants for each tribe in all your villages that the Lord your God is giving you, and they must judge the people fairly.
- Deuteronomy 19:17then both parties to the controversy must stand before the Lord, that is, before the priests and judges who will be in office in those days.
- 1 Chronicles 23:4David said, “Of these, 24,000 are to direct the work of the Lord’s temple; 6,000 are to be officials and judges;
- Psalms 82:1God stands in the assembly of El; in the midst of the gods he renders 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
In the dictionaries
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
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