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The eighth commandment
Exodus 22.7, 8
“If a man gives to his neighbor money or goods to keep safe, and it is stolen from the man’s house, then, if the thief is found, he shall pay double. 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.”
Exodus 22.14, 15
“If a man borrows anything of his neighbor, and it is injured or dies, the owner not being with it, he shall make full restitution. If the owner was with it, he shall not make restitution; if it was hired, it came for its hiring fee.”
We are responsible for goods held in trust for or borrowed from our neighbors, should they be stolen or should anything untoward happen to them while in our possession. If the goods or money were stolen, and the thief was located, he would have paid double what he took, thus inflicting upon himself the “wages” of his crime (cf. Rom. 6.23). If he was not found, yet the claim remained that a theft was committed, the one to whom the goods or money were entrusted should “come near to God” in order that his innocence or guilt might be demonstrated. Presumably, this involved some taking of an oath in the presence of a priest, who would then seek the Lord for the truth of the matter.
If the owner was present with the goods or money when they were lost or compromised, then no restitution was required, since he would be assumed to be exercising responsibility for his own possessions. If the goods were hired by a neighbor, that was considered like an insurance policy against their being lost or stolen, and no restitution would be required.
Again we can see how important the idea of justice was to ancient Hebrew society. Even in the very small areas of personal property it was important to practice justice. Those who were faithful in these small areas would be conscientious in greater areas as well, should they arise.
This series of In the Gates we present a detailed explanation of the Law of God, beginning with the Ten Commandments, and working through the statutes and rules that accompany each commandment. For a practical guide to the role of God’s Law in the practice of ethics, get The Ground for Christian Ethics by going to www.ailbe.org and click on our Book Store.