INTRODUCTION TO EXODUS 22 This chapter contains various laws concerning theft, Exodus 22:1, concerning damage done to fields and vineyards by beasts, and to corn in stacks or standing, by fire, Exodus 22:5, concerning anything or creature deposited in the hands of a neighbour, and they be stolen or... [ Continue Reading ]
IF A MAN SHALL STEAL AN OX OR A SHEEP,.... In which the substance of men chiefly lay in those times, and particularly the people of Israel, who were now come out of Egypt, with their flocks and herds, and these lying near together, were the more liable to be stolen; and hence also the laws in the pr... [ Continue Reading ]
IF A THIEF BE FOUND BREAKING UP,.... An house, in order to steal money, jewels, household goods, c. or breaking through any fence, hedge, or wall of any enclosure, where oxen, or sheep, or any other creatures are, in order to take them away: the Targum of Jonathan is, "if in the hole of a wall (or... [ Continue Reading ]
IF THE SUN BE RISEN UPON HIM,.... Either upon the thief, or upon the master of the house, or the person that finds the thief and smites him that he dies; it matters not which it is interpreted, it is true of both, for when it is risen on the one, it is on the other: [THERE SHALL BE] BLOOD [SHED] FO... [ Continue Reading ]
IF THE THEFT BE CERTAINLY FOUND IN HIS HAND ALIVE,.... Or, "in finding be found" i, be plainly and evidently found upon him, before witnesses, as the Targum of Jonathan; so that there is no doubt of the theft; and it is a clear case that he had neither as yet killed nor sold the creature he had stol... [ Continue Reading ]
IF A MAN SHALL CAUSE A FIELD OR VINEYARD TO BE EATEN,.... Which is not his own, by putting cattle into it to feed upon it, as it is explained in the next clause: AND SHALL PUT IN HIS BEAST, AND SHALL FEED IN ANOTHER MAN'S FIELD; do damage in one or both those two ways, either by his feet treading d... [ Continue Reading ]
IF FIRE BREAK OUT,.... Even though of itself, as Jarchi interprets it: AND CATCH IN THORNS a thorn hedge or fence, with which cornfields might be en closed: SO THAT THE STACKS OF CORN, OR THE STANDING CORN, OR THE FIELD, BE CONSUMED [THEREWITH]; whether it be corn cut down, bound up in sheaves, an... [ Continue Reading ]
IF A MAN SHALL DELIVER UNTO HIS NEIGHBOUR MONEY OR STOCK TO KEEP,.... Without any reward for keeping it, as the Targum of Jonathan; and so other Jewish writers p understand this passage of such as keep a deposit freely, having nothing for it; whether it be money or goods, gold, silver, jewels, raime... [ Continue Reading ]
IF THE THIEF BE NOT FOUND,.... And so no account can be given of the goods deposited, what is become of them, and it becomes a doubtful case whether they have been stolen or embezzled, and there is suspicion of the latter: THEN THE MASTER OF THE HOUSE SHALL BE BROUGHT UNTO THE JUDGES: here called E... [ Continue Reading ]
FOR ALL MANNER OF TRESPASS,.... With respect to what is committed to a man's trust, and it is lost to the owner of it, there must be somewhere or other a trespass committed, either by the person into whose hands it was put, or by a thief that has stolen it from him: WHETHER IT BE FOR OX, FOR ASS, F... [ Continue Reading ]
IF A MAN DELIVER TO HIS NEIGHBOUR AN ASS, OR AN OX, OR A SHEEP, OR ANY BEAST TO KEEP,.... And he keeps it without a reward, as the Targum of Jonathan; but Jarchi and Aben Ezra more rightly interpret this of one that keeps for hire, as herdsmen, shepherds, c. The Jews say t there are "four sorts of... [ Continue Reading ]
THEN SHALL AN OATH OF THE LORD BE BETWEEN THEM BOTH,.... Either by the one, the keeper, for the satisfaction of the owner, or by them both; by the owner, that he delivered such and such cattle to the keeper; and by the keeper, that he was no ways concerned in the death, hurt, or carrying off of the... [ Continue Reading ]
AND IF IT BE STOLEN FROM HIM,.... Or "but if" x it was taken away by theft; and that "from with him" y, as it may be literally rendered, from among his own cattle, and they not taken; and he being present, pretending to have an eye upon them and keep them, but was careless and negligent, at least, i... [ Continue Reading ]
IF IT BE TORN IN PIECES,.... By some wild beast, at least as pretended: [THEN] LET HIM BRING IT FOR WITNESS; part of that which is torn, that it may be witness for him that it was torn, as in Amos 3:12 as Aben Ezra observes; and so the Jerusalem Targurn, "let him bring of the members of it a witne... [ Continue Reading ]
AND IF A MAN BORROW [OUGHT] OF HIS NEIGHBOUR,.... Any beast, as it should seem, as an ox to plough with, an ass, horse, or camel to ride on, though the Jewish writers carry it also to any kind of household stuff: AND IF HE BE HURT OR DIE; if any damage comes to it, or it dies while it is in the bor... [ Continue Reading ]
BUT IF THE OWNER THEREOF BE WITH IT,.... When it is hurt or dies; for in some cases the owner might go along with his beast, being borrowed or hired to do work with it; or, however, being upon the spot, must be satisfied that it was not ill used; and it may be reasonably presumed he would do all he... [ Continue Reading ]
AND IF A MAN ENTICE A MAID, THAT IS NOT BETROTHED,.... For one might be betrothed according to the custom of those times, and not be married, or the nuptials consummated, and so be yet a maid or virgin; but being betrothed, it made the case different, because such an one was as a wife to a man: but... [ Continue Reading ]
IF HER FATHER UTTERLY REFUSE TO GIVE HER UNTO HIM,.... For wife, either because of his character, family, or circumstances; or, however, being disagreeable to him on one account or another, and therefore will by no means agree to marry his daughter to him, and not only give him an absolute denial, b... [ Continue Reading ]
THOU SHALL NOT SUFFER A WITCH TO LIVE. Such that had familiar spirits, and conversed with them, and by means thereof got knowledge of many things relating to persons, at least pretending they did; and who did or seemed to do many strange and surprising feats, as even to raise the spirits of departed... [ Continue Reading ]
Ver. 19 WHOSOEVER LIETH WITH A BEAST,.... In like manner as a man and woman, by carnal copulation; this is a crime so detestable and abominable, so shocking and dishonourable to human nature, that one would think it could never be committed by any of the human species, and that there was no occasion... [ Continue Reading ]
HE THAT SACRIFICETH UNTO [ANY] GOD,.... To Elohim, to strange gods, to the idols of the people, as the Targum of Jonathan; to the Egyptian deities, to the gods of the Moabites, Amorites, Edomites, Canaanites, Philistines, or any other: Aben Ezra says the word Elohim comprehends angels; and by the ex... [ Continue Reading ]
THOU SHALL NOT VEX A STRANGER,.... One that is not born in the same country, but comes into another country to sojourn, as Jarchi; not a native of the place, but of another kingdom or country; a stranger to the commonwealth of Israel, that is only in it for a time on trade and business, or through o... [ Continue Reading ]
YE SHALL NOT AFFLICT ANY WIDOW OR FATHERLESS CHILD. Who have no friends, husband, or father to be on their side and protect them, and are weak and helpless to defend themselves, and therefore it must be barbarous to do them any injury, either to their persons or property; no one ought to be afflicte... [ Continue Reading ]
IF THOU AFFLICT THEM IN ANY WISE,..... In any way, or by any means whatever; their minds, by reproaches, censures, insults, and their bodies by stripes, false imprisonment, c. and in their substance, by withholding from them what belongs to them, taking what they have, or cheating and defrauding the... [ Continue Reading ]
AND MY WRATH SHALL WAX HOT,.... Against those that afflict them, being so devoid of humanity, compassion, and tenderness, and so guilty of oppression and injustice, which are aggravated by the circumstances of the persons they ill treat, and therefore the more provoking to God: AND I WILL KILL YOU... [ Continue Reading ]
IF THOU LEND MONEY TO ANY OF MY PEOPLE THAT IS POOR BY THEE, c,] Such only need to borrow money, and to whom it should be freely lent, when it may be to the good of the borrower, and not any injury to the lender: this law, according to the Jewish writers, only respects Israelites, and not Gentiles a... [ Continue Reading ]
IF THOU AT ALL TAKE THY NEIGHBOUR'S RAIMENT TO PLEDGE,.... So that it seems that the lender, though he might not impose usury on the borrower, or oblige him to pay interest for what he lent him, yet for the security of his money he might take his clothes, either his bed clothes or wearing apparel, o... [ Continue Reading ]
FOR THAT IS HIS COVERING ONLY,.... All that he has to cover him, the only covering he has when he lies down to sleep; and therefore should be restored to him by the time of sunset, at which time he returns from his labour; and after some refreshment retires to his bed for rest, when his covering wil... [ Continue Reading ]
THOU SHALT NOT REVILE THE GODS,.... Meaning not the idols of the Gentiles, which they reckon gods, and worship as such; which is the sense of Philo, and some others, particularly Josephus i, who, to curry favour with the Roman emperors given to idolatry, has from hence inserted the following among t... [ Continue Reading ]
THOU SHALL NOT DELAY TO OFFER THE FIRST OF THY RIPE FRUITS,.... Which, according to Maimonides k, were of seven kinds only; for he says, "they do not bring the firstfruits, but of the seven kinds, said in the praise of the land, (the land of Canaan), Deuteronomy 8:8 and they are wheat, barley, grap... [ Continue Reading ]
LIKEWISE SHALT THOU DO WITH THINE OXEN, AND WITH THY SHEEP,.... That is, with the firstborn, which were to be set apart to the Lord; and so the Targum of Jonathan paraphrases it, "the firstborn of thine oxen, and of thy sheep;'' for having spoken of the firstborn of men, the Scripture proceeds to... [ Continue Reading ]
AND YE SHALL BE HOLY MEN UNTO ME,.... They were so by God's act of election, not special and particular, but general and national; choosing and separating them to be an holy people to him, above all the people on the face of the earth, and in a ceremonial sense they observing laws and appointments o... [ Continue Reading ]