Exodus 22:4

Exodus 22:4 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)If the theft be certainly found in his hand alive, whether it be ox, or ass, or sheep; he shall restore double.
• New International Version (NIV)If the stolen animal is found alive in their possession—whether ox or donkey or sheep—they must pay back double.
• English Standard Version (ESV)If the stolen beast is found alive in his possession, whether it is an ox or a donkey or a sheep, he shall pay double.
• New King James Version (NKJV)If the theft is certainly found alive in his hand, whether it is an ox or donkey or sheep, he shall restore double.

Context of Exodus 22:4

2“If a thief is caught in the act of breaking into a house and is struck and killed in the process, the person who killed the thief is not guilty of murder. 3But if it happens in daylight, the one who killed the thief is guilty of murder. “A thief who is caught must pay in full for everything he stole. If he cannot pay, he must be sold as a slave to pay for his theft. If someone steals an ox or a donkey or a sheep and it is found in the thief’s possession, then the thief must pay double the value of the stolen animal. 5“If an animal is grazing in a field or vineyard and the owner lets it stray into someone else’s field to graze, then the animal’s owner must pay compensation from the best of his own grain or grapes. 6“If you are burning thornbushes and the fire gets out of control and spreads into another person’s field, destroying the sheaves or the uncut grain or the whole crop, the one who started the fire must pay for the lost crop.

Exodus 22:4 word by word

אִֽם־הִמָּצֵא֩ תִמָּצֵ֨א בְיָד֜וֹ הַגְּנֵבָ֗ה מִשּׁ֧וֹר עַד־חֲמ֛וֹר עַד־שֶׂ֖ה חַיִּ֑ים שְׁנַ֖יִם יְשַׁלֵּֽם׃ סRead the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• If the theftגְּנֵבָהgenêbâh · theftH1591
• be certainlyמָצָאmâtsâ' · to findH4672
• in his handיָדyâd · hand: powerH3027
• aliveחַיchay · aliveH2416
• whether it be oxשׁוֹרshôr · cattleH7794
• or assחֲמוֹרchămôr chămôr · donkeyH2543
• or sheepשֶׂהώeh ώêy · sheepH7716
• he shall restoreשָׁלֵםshâlam · to completeH7999
• doubleשְׁנַ֫יִםshenayim shettayim · twoH8147

Cross-references for Exodus 22:4

• Exodus 21:16“Kidnappers must be put to death, whether they are caught in possession of their victims or have already sold them as slaves.
• Exodus 21:1“These are the regulations you must present to Israel.
• Proverbs 6:31But if he is caught, he must pay back seven times what he stole, even if he has to sell everything in his house.
• Isaiah 40:2“Speak tenderly to Jerusalem. Tell her that her sad days are gone and her sins are pardoned. Yes, the Lord has punished her twice over for all her sins.”
• Jeremiah 16:18I will double their punishment for all their sins, because they have defiled my land with lifeless images of their detestable gods and have filled my territory with their evil deeds.”
• Revelation 18:6Do to her as she has done to others. Double her penalty for all her evil deeds. She brewed a cup of terror for others, so brew twice as much for her.

Commentaries on Exodus 22:4

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 4He shall restore double - In no case of theft was the life of the offender taken away; the utmost that the law says on this point is, that, if when found breaking into a house, he should be smitten so as to die, no blood should be shed for him; Exodus 22:2. If he had stolen and sold the property, then he was to restore four or fivefold, Exodus 22:1; but if the animal was found alive in his possession, he was to restore double.Read the comment
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 2-4Verses 2-4 If a thief, in breaking into a dwelling in the night, was slain, the person who slew him did not incur the guilt of blood; but if the same occurred in daylight, the slayer was guilty in accordance with Exodus 21:12. The distinction may have been based on the fact that in the light of day there was a fair chance of identifying and apprehending the thief.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 22:4

• Animals
• Bullock
• Fine
• Restitution
• Theft and Thieves

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