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The eighth commandment
Leviticus 24.21a
“Whoever kills an animal shall make it good…”
Leviticus 24.18
“Whoever takes an animal’s life shall make it good, life for life.”
These statutes would seem to be addressed to a situation in which one person is responsible for the death of another’s animal, whether intentionally or unintentionally. Stealing does not appear to be in view, only the death of an animal. In this case, the requirement of justice is only that the dead animal be replaced, whereas, had stealing been involved, more restoration would be required.
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.