Year of the Bible
Exodus 22
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Commentary on the Book of Exodus, Chapter 22:
God’s laws for a just society continue. After looking at personal harm in the previous chapter, the focus now shifts to the loss of material goods through such events as theft, arson, and breach of trust. Full restitution for the damages or loss is the common consequence. The next group of laws focus on the dignity of individuals and proper religious ritual. A wide variety of sexual practices were commonly used in pagan religions in the ancient world, and God prohibits those practices among His people. God’s own demonstration of care toward the Jews while they were in Egypt is a witness to how His people are to treat the poor and outsiders within their own community. Finally, the people are reminded to give God what He is due.
The Book of Exodus, Chapter 22:
Laws of Restitution
1 “If a man steals an ox or a sheep, and kills it or sells it, he shall pay five oxen for an ox, and four sheep for a sheep. He shall make restitution; if he has nothing, then he shall be sold for his theft. 4 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.
2 “If a thief is found breaking in, and is struck so that he dies, there shall be no bloodguilt for him; 3 but if the sun has risen upon him, there shall be bloodguilt for him.
5 “When a man causes a field or vineyard to be grazed over, or lets his beast loose and it feeds in another man’s field, he shall make restitution from the best in his own field and in his own vineyard.
6 “When fire breaks out and catches in thorns so that the stacked grain or the standing grain or the field is consumed, he that kindled the fire shall make full restitution.
7 “If a man delivers to his neighbor money or goods to keep, and it is stolen out of the man’s house, then, if the thief is found, he shall pay double. 8 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 goods.
9 “For every breach of trust, whether it is for ox, for donkey, for sheep, for clothing, or for any kind of lost thing, of which one says, ‘This is it,’ the case of both parties shall come before God; he whom God shall condemn shall pay double to his neighbor.
10 “If a man delivers to his neighbor a donkey or an ox or a sheep or any beast to keep, and it dies or is hurt or is driven away, without any one seeing it, 11 an oath by the LORD shall be between them both to see whether he has not put his hand to his neighbor’s property; and the owner shall accept the oath, and he shall not make restitution. 12 But if it is stolen from him, he shall make restitution to its owner. 13 If it is torn by beasts, let him bring it as evidence; he shall not make restitution for what has been torn.
14 “If a man borrows anything of his neighbor, and it is hurt or dies, the owner not being with it, he shall make full restitution. 15 If the owner was with it, he shall not make restitution; if it was hired, it came for its hire.
Social and Religious Laws
16 “If a man seduces a virgin who is not betrothed, and lies with her, he shall give the marriage present for her, and make her his wife. 17 If her father utterly refuses to give her to him, he shall pay money equivalent to the marriage present for virgins.
18 “You shall not permit a sorceress to live.
19 “Whoever lies with a beast shall be put to death.
20 “Whoever sacrifices to any god, save to the LORD only, shall be utterly destroyed.
21 “You shall not wrong a stranger or oppress him, for you were strangers in the land of Egypt. 22 You shall not afflict any widow or orphan. 23 If you do afflict them, and they cry out to me, I will surely hear their cry; 24 and my wrath will burn, and I will kill you with the sword, and your wives shall become widows and your children fatherless.
25 “If you lend money to any of my people with you who is poor, you shall not be to him as a creditor, and you shall not exact interest from him. 26 If ever you take your neighbor’s garment in pledge, you shall restore it to him before the sun goes down; 27 for that is his only covering, it is his mantle for his body; in what else shall he sleep? And if he cries to me, I will hear, for I am compassionate.
28 “You shall not revile God, nor curse a ruler of your people.
29 “You shall not delay to offer from the fulness of your harvest and from the outflow of your presses.
“The first-born of your sons you shall give to me. 30 You shall do likewise with your oxen and with your sheep: seven days it shall be with its dam; on the eighth day you shall give it to me.
31 “You shall be men consecrated to me; therefore you shall not eat any flesh that is torn by beasts in the field; you shall cast it to the dogs.
*Daily Lectio Divina Question:
The Lord hears the cry of the poor. How have we set aside time and resources to care for the least and the lost in our midst?
Biblical Commentary provided by the Catholic Biblical School of Michigan. Join a Catholic Biblical School of Michigan class this September at Holy Family in Grand Blanc or online.
Revised Standard Version; Second Catholic Edition. (San Francisco: Ignatius Press, 2006).
Permission to use the RSV-2CE given for Bishop's Year of the Bible by Ignatius Press. Many thanks to Ignatius for this.
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»Si un ladrón es sorprendido
asaltando una propiedad, es herido
y muere, no habrá venganza de
sangre; 2 pero si ya luce el sol, habrá
venganza de sangre. El ladrón deberá indemnizar;
y si no tiene nada, será vendido
por lo que robó; 3 y si lo robado, sea un
buey, un asno o una oveja, se encuentra
todavía vivo en su poder, pagará el doble.
4 »Cuando uno destroce un campo o
una viña, dejando a su ganado pastar en
campo ajeno, pagará con lo mejor de su
ganado y lo mejor de su viña.
5 »Cuando se declare un incendio y
se propague por los espinos devorando
haces, mieses o un campo, el que provocó
el incendio deberá indemnizar.
6 »Cuando uno entregue dinero o
cualquier objeto en depósito a su prójimo,
y lo roban de casa del depositario
y se encuentra al ladrón, éste pagará el
doble. 7 Si el ladrón no aparece, el dueño
de la casa se acercará ante Dios y jurará
que no ha puesto su mano sobre la propiedad
de su prójimo.
8 »En toda causa delictiva, sobre un
buey o un asno o una oveja o un ves
tido o cualquier cosa desaparecida, si
uno dice: “Esto es así”, el pleito de ambos
se llevará ante Dios, y aquél a quien
Dios declare culpable pagará el doble a
su prójimo.
9 »Si uno entrega en depósito a su
prójimo un asno o un buey o una oveja
o cualquier otro animal, y mueren, se
dañan o son robados, sin que nadie lo
vea, 10 se interpondrá entre ambos el juramento
por el Señor de que aquél no
ha puesto sus manos en la propiedad
de su prójimo; el propietario aceptará
el juramento y el depositario no tendrá
que pagar. 11 Pero si se lo robaron en
su presencia, tendrá que pagar al dueño.
12 Y si el animal ha sido despedazado,
aportará los despojos y no tendrá
que pagar.
13 »Cuando uno pida prestado a su
prójimo un animal y se dañe o muera,
en ausencia del dueño, tendrá que pagar.
14 Pero si el dueño estaba con él, no
tendrá que pagar. Si el préstamo fue en
alquiler, la indemnización va incluida
en el alquiler.
15 »Cuando uno seduzca a una doncella
no desposada y tenga relación con
ella, pagará la dote y la tomará como esposa.
16 Si su padre se niega a desposarla
con él, pagará en dinero la dote que se
acostumbra dar a las doncellas.
17 »No dejarás con vida a la hechicera.
18 »El que se ayunta a un animal, deberá
morir.
19 »El que ofrezca sacrificios a otros
dioses distintos del Señor, será entregado
al anatema.
20 »No maltratarás ni oprimirás al
extranjero, pues extranjeros fuisteis vosotros
en el país de Egipto. 21 No maltratarás
a la viuda y al huérfano. 22 Si le haces
daño, clamará a mí y yo escucharé
su clamor; 23 se inflamará mi cólera y os
haré morir a espada, dejando viudas a
vuestras mujeres y huérfanos a vuestros
hijos.
24 »Si prestas dinero a uno de mi pueblo,
al pobre que vive contigo, no te portarás
con él como un usurero; no le exigirás
intereses.
25 »Si tomas en prenda el manto de tu
prójimo, se lo devolverás antes de que el
sol se ponga, 26 porque es su única ropa
y con ella abriga su piel; si no, ¿con qué
va a dormir? En caso contrario clamará
a mí, y yo le escucharé porque soy misericordioso.
27 »No blasfemarás contra Dios ni
maldecirás al príncipe de tu pueblo.
28 »No retrasarás la ofrenda de tu
mies y de tu vendimia.
»Me entregarás al primogénito de
tus hijos. 29 Lo mismo harás con tu ganado
mayor y menor: siete días estará
la cría con su madre y al séptimo me la
entregarás.
30 »Hombres santos habréis de ser
para mí. No comeréis carne de animal
despedazado en el campo; se la echaréis
a los perros.
Pregunta de Lectio Divina del día de hoy
La Biblia de Navarra
Permiso para usar esta versión de la primera edición de la Biblia de Navarra
para el Año de la Biblia del Obispo
dado por Ediciones Universidad de Navarra, S.A. (EUNSA).