New International Version
Exodus 22:8
8But 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.
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.
- 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.
- 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 a fire breaks out and spreads into thornbushes so that it burns shocks of grain or standing grain or the whole field, the one who started the fire must make restitution. 7“If anyone gives a neighbor silver or goods for safekeeping and they are stolen from the neighbor’s house, the thief, if caught, must pay back double. 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. 9In all cases of illegal possession of an ox, a donkey, a sheep, a garment, or any other lost property about which somebody says, ‘This is mine,’ both parties are to bring their cases before the judges. The one whom the judges declare guilty must pay back double to the other. 10“If anyone gives a donkey, an ox, a sheep or any other animal to their neighbor for safekeeping and it dies or is injured or is taken away while no one is looking,
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“Do not blaspheme God or curse the ruler of your people.
- Exodus 21:6then his master must take him before the judges. He shall take him to the door or the doorpost and pierce his ear with an awl. Then he will be his servant for life.
- Deuteronomy 16:18Appoint judges and officials for each of your tribes in every town the Lord your God is giving you, and they shall judge the people fairly.
- Deuteronomy 19:17the two people involved in the dispute must stand in the presence of the Lord before the priests and the judges who are in office at the time.
- 1 Chronicles 23:4David said, “Of these, twenty-four thousand are to be in charge of the work of the temple of the Lord and six thousand are to be officials and judges.
- Psalms 82:1God presides in the great assembly; he renders 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
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
New International Version — © NIV® 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 Biblica
Commentaries