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 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 stacked grain, standing grain, or the field is consumed, he who kindled the fire shall surely make restitution. 7“If a man delivers to his neighbor money or articles to keep, and it is stolen out of the man’s house, if the thief is found, he shall pay double. 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. 9“For any kind of trespass, whether it concerns an ox, a donkey, a sheep, or clothing, or for any kind of lost thing which another claims to be his, the cause of both parties shall come before the judges; and whomever the judges condemn shall pay double to his neighbor. 10If a man delivers to his neighbor a donkey, an ox, a sheep, or any animal to keep, and it dies, is hurt, or driven away, no one 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 the judges. He shall also bring him to the door, or to the doorpost, and his master shall pierce his ear with an awl; and he shall serve him forever.
• Deuteronomy 16:18“You shall appoint judges and officers in all your gates, which the Lord your God gives you, according to your tribes, and they shall judge the people with just judgment.
• Deuteronomy 19:17then both men in the controversy shall stand before the Lord, before the priests and the judges who serve in those days.
• 1 Chronicles 23:4Of these, twenty-four thousand were to look after the work of the house of the Lord, six thousand were officers and judges,
• Psalms 82:1God stands in the congregation of the mighty; He judges 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