Exodus 22: Law of Trespass
1 “If a man steals an ox or a sheep, and slaughters it or sells it, he shall restore five oxen for an ox and four sheep for a sheep. 2 If the thief is found breaking in, and he is struck so that he dies, there shall be no guilt for his bloodshed. 3 If the sun has risen on him, there shall be guilt for his bloodshed. He should make full restitution; if he has nothing, then he shall be sold for his theft. 4 If the theft is certainly found alive in his hand, whether it is an ox or donkey or sheep, he shall restore double.
5 If a man causes a field or vineyard to be grazed, and lets loose his animal, and it feeds in another man’s field, he shall make restitution from the best of his own field and the best of his own vineyard.
“The Torah required restitution from 'the best' of the offender whereas the Code of Hammurabi required only restitution… These two examples further illustrate God's respect for the rights of others.” (Thomas Constable)
"He that wilfully put his cattle into his neighbour’s field, must make restitution of the best of his own. The Jews hence observed it as a general rule, that restitution must always be made of the best...” (Benson Commentary)
“An owner's animal was to be kept on his own property or the owner suffered the consequences.” (L. M. Grant)
6 If fire breaks out and catches in thorns, so that stacked grain, standing grain, or the field is consumed, he who kindled the fire shall surely make restitution.
With no evil intent, there is still accountability. "Thus men are held responsible, not only for the harm they do, but also for the harm they occasion, even though they may not have purposely designed the damage that ensued." (Kaiser)
"He that designed only the burning of thorns might become accessary to the burning of corn, and should not be held guiltless. If the fire did mischief, he that kindled it must answer for it, though it could not be proved that he designed the mischief. Men must suffer for their carelessness, as well as for their malice. It will make us very careful of ourselves, if we consider that we are accountable, not only for the hurt we do, but for the hurt we occasion through inadvertency.” (Benson Commentary)
Examples of trespassing on someone’s character, rather than property- "This chapter is full of restitution, of which there is far too little in ordinary Christian life. We try to make amends for injury done to another by an extraordinary amount of civility; but we are reluctant in so many words to frankly confess that we have done wrong, and make proper reparation for the act or speech. We often excuse ourselves by the thought that we were fully justified in speaking or acting as we did, whereas we may behave ourselves wrongly in courses of conduct which are themselves legitimate.
LOOSING A BEAST INTO ANOTHER MAN'S FIELD (Exodus 22:5). — We may through our carelessness allow another to suffer detriment. The beast ought not to have been thus allowed to stray; and, as we let it loose, we should make amends for our carelessness in respect to our brother’s interests. We wrong another not only by what we do, or permit to be done, but in what we carelessly fail to do.
KINDLING A FIRE (Exodus 22:6). — The tongue is a spark that kindles a great matter. If we drop firebrands and lighted matches in the inflammable material of a circle of gossip, we should make amends to the person whose character may have been thereby injured.” (F. B. Meyer)
Exodus 22: Laws concerning Theft.
1 If a man steals an ox or a sheep, and slaughters it or sells it, he shall restore five oxen for an ox and four sheep for a sheep. 2 If the thief is found breaking in, and he is struck so that he dies, there shall be no guilt for his bloodshed. 3 If the sun has risen on him, there shall be guilt for his bloodshed. He should make full restitution; if he has nothing, then he shall be sold for his theft. 4 If the theft is certainly found alive in his hand, whether it is an ox or donkey or sheep, he shall restore double.
If a man shall steal— God "knew full well that prohibition would not prohibit crimes of any sort without a rigid administration. The eighth commandment (Exodus 20:15) required for the good of society such further enactments as here follow… These varying penalties are apportioned according to a relative magnitude of the loss. While the crime of theft is in itself essentially the same, whether more or less be stolen, considerations of value and loss naturally enter into all wise legislation touching the measure of penal fines to be prescribed.” (Whedon's Commentary)
"If a man shall steal an ox, or a sheep.—The flocks and herds of the Israelites constituted their principal property, and hence cattle-stealing is taken as the representative of theft in general.” (Ellicott's Commentary)
"All that our society demands, when you damage or destroy a man’s property, is to replace the item or pay what it was worth. God’s command of restoring fourfold was much better (with human nature being the way it is). If we had to restore four times the amount that we destroyed or damaged, we would be much more careful. Human nature is always the same, and God is always the same. He deals with mankind on the basis of what is best for us.” (Jay Mack)
"The fourfold restitution of a sheep is the penalty named by David in his reply to Nathan’s parable (2 Samuel 12:4)… Fourfold restitution was also the penalty… by the later Roman law; and for the theft of an animal it is still usual among the modern Bedawin (Cook, p. 216). Multiple restitution (in varying ratios) the penalty prescribed by Hạmmurabi for many cases of fraud (DB. v. 596b): and it is still in many parts of the world a common penalty for theft (Post, Grundriss der ethnol. Jurispr. ii. 430 f.).” (Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges)
"Five oxen for an ox — More for an ox than for a sheep, because the owner, besides all the other profit, lost the daily labour of his ox.” (Benson Commentary)
The reasoning for multiple restitution in the case of slaughter of the stolen ox or sheep may be "that the animal slain or sold was lost to its master, and might have been of peculiar value to him" (Knobel), more than any unknown replacement. Yet if the stolen animals were found alive in his possession, and returned to its proper master, then the mystery is gone. And therefore, he was only required to make a two fold restitution. The return of the animal and another of like kind.
Nighttime verses daytime break-ins in regard to justifiable homocide— "A robber breaking into a house at midnight might, in self-defense, be slain with impunity; but if he was slain after sunrise, it would be considered murder, for it was not thought likely an assault would then be made upon the lives of the occupants.” (Jamieson-Fausset-Brown)
"In every case where a thief could not make restitution, he was sold as a slave for the usual term...” (Jamieson-Fausset-Brown)— six years… freed in the seventh year. Thus "the court of judgment was to do it, and… the person robbed received the money.” (Benson) And the guilty party was enabled to make restitution immediately by the sale price.
"He who steals must steal no longer; but rather he must labor, performing with his own hands what is good, so that he will have something to share with one who has need.” (Ephesians 4:28)
Morning Repost: Exodus 22: Law of Deposits
7 If a man delivers to his neighbor money or articles to keep, and it is stolen out of the man’s house, if the thief is found, he shall pay double. 8 If the thief is not found, then the master of the house shall be brought to the judges to see whether he has put his hand into his neighbor’s goods.
9 “For any kind of trespass, whether it concerns an ox, a donkey, a sheep, or clothing, or for any kind of lost thing which another claims to be his, the cause of both parties shall come before the judges; and whomever the judges condemn shall pay double to his neighbor. 10 If a man delivers to his neighbor a donkey, an ox, a sheep, or any animal to keep, and it dies, is hurt, or driven away, no one seeing it, 11 then an oath of Yahweh shall be between them both, that he has not put his hand into his neighbor’s goods; and the owner of it shall accept that, and he shall not make it good. 12 But if, in fact, it is stolen from him, he shall make restitution to the owner of it. 13 If it is torn to pieces by a beast, then he shall bring it as evidence, and he shall not make good what was torn.
"Deposition of property in the hands of a friend, to keep and guard, was a marked feature in the life of primitive societies... Persons about to travel, especially merchants, were wont to make such a disposition of the greater part of their movable property, which required some one to guard it in their absence. Refusals to return such deposits were rare… Sometimes, however, they took place.” (Pulpit Commentary)
Now we have "cases involving property held in custody. In the Hammurabi Code the penalty for losing or allowing a thief to steal what someone else had committed to one's trust was death as was falsely accusing someone of this crime… The Torah required only twofold payment...” (Thomas Constable) "The law of Yahweh is perfect, restoring the soul; the testimony of Yahweh is sure, making wise the simple. The precepts of Yahweh are right, rejoicing the heart; the commandment of Yahweh is pure, enlightening the eyes." (Psalm 19:7-8)
In these arrangements Mosaic legislation protected the owners, as well as the trustees. "On the one hand, it required the trustee to exercise proper care, and made him answerable for the loss if a thing intrusted to him was stolen and the thief not found. Embezzlement it punished by requiring the trustee guilty of it to 'pay double.' On the other hand, in doubtful cases it allowed the trustee to clear himself by an oath (Exodus 22:10), and in clear cases to give proof that the loss had happened through unavoidable accident (Exodus 22:12).” (Ellicott's Commentary)
The oath of Yahweh- "They should swear by the name of the Lord.” (Geneva Study Bible) If someone swore by an oath to Yahweh and was lying, then they will be discovered in the end-time judgment and a punishment more severe than Hammurabi's Code would come upon them. "Do not fear those who kill the body but are unable to kill the soul; but rather fear Him who is able to destroy both soul and body in hell." (Matthew 10:28)
"So solemn and awful were all appeals to God considered in those ancient times, that it was taken for granted that the man was innocent who could by an oath appeal to the omniscient God that he had not put his hand to his neighbor's goods. Since oaths have become multiplied, and since they have been administered on the most trifling occasions, their solemnity is gone, and their importance little regarded. Should the oath ever reacquire its weight and importance, it must be when administered only in cases of peculiar delicacy and difficulty, and as sparingly as in the days of Moses.” (Adam Clarke)
Exodus 22: The Law of Borrowing
14 And if a man borrows anything from his neighbor, and it becomes injured or dies, the owner of it not being with it, he shall surely make it good. 15 If its owner was with it, he shall not make it good; if it was hired, it came for its hire.
"This law establishes the responsibility of all borrowers for what they borrow and for the proper return of it, or the replacement of it, if it was ruined, lost, damaged, killed, or whatever." (Coffman Commentary)
"The act of borrowing is connected with that of depositing, since in both cases, the property of one man is committed to the hands of another; only, in the one case, it is at the instance and for the benefit of the man into whose hands the property passes; in the other case, it is at the instance and for the benefit of the other party. This difference causes a difference of obligation. The borrower, having borrowed solely for his own advantage, must take all the risks, and in any case return the thing borrowed, or its value, unless the owner was still, in some sort, in charge of his own property. Things hired are not, however, to be regarded as borrowed. If harm come to them, the owner must suffer the loss.
Verse 14. And it be hurt or die. - The thing borrowed might be animate or inanimate; either might be ‘hurt;' the former might not only be hurt, but 'die.' Whatever the damage, and whatever the cause, unless in the single rare case of the owner being in charge, the law required the borrower to make good the loss to the owner. This law must have acted as a considerable check upon borrowing.
Verse 15. If the owner thereof be with it. - By 'with it,' we must understand, not merely present, but in charge of it, or at any rate so near it that he might have prevented the damage, had prevention been possible. If it be an hired thing. - If anything were paid for the use of the thing, then it was not borrowed, but hired; and the owner was considered to have counted in the risk of loss or damage in fixing the amount of the hire. He was entitled therefore to no compensation..." (Pulpit Commentary)
"The Code of Hammurabi specified no liability in either of these... instances.” (Thomas Constable)
"Our own law does not rule this absolutely, but takes into consideration the proportion of the sum paid for hire to the value of the thing hired, and the general tacit understanding." (Pulpit Commentary)
"Fairness and justice was to govern all the relations of the children of Israel toward one another." (Paul E. Kretzmann) God’s law does not overanalyze the agreement— written or implied— as we do. It merely questions whether the owner was present when the loss incurred. If so, the owner was responsible. And if it was for hire, the renter is not required to make it good / restore. The owner is responsible.
If our own laws more closely resembled the law of God, we would save so much money and time in litigation. Oh if our own hearts more closely resembled that Image after which we were created, we would be so blessed, not only lending our things but ourselves to our neighbor... with no concern for restitution in this world. So as the Spirit of God enables us, let us listen to our Master saying, "Give to the one who asks you, and do not turn away from the one who wants to borrow from you.” (Matthew 5:42)
Morning Remix: Exodus 22: The Law of Broken Chastity for Hebrew Girls
16 If a man entices a virgin who is not betrothed, and lies with her, he shall surely pay the bride-price for her to be his wife. 17 If her father utterly refuses to give her to him, he shall pay money according to the bride-price of virgins.
It is important to marry within the narrow circle of the clan and the family, because religion was paramount for Israelites. Marrying a foreigner could introduce foreign beliefs and practices. This was the guise when the sons of Israel deceived the family of the seducer of their sister, Dinah, into being circumcised in order to exact revenge. Their action was trickery and evil but this righteous motive was cited as the reason for the request.
See Genesis 34 for the full story.
"Negotiating a Match—As a rule, the fathers [heads of house] arranged the match. The girl was consulted, but the 'calling of the damsel and inquiring at her mouth' after the conclusion of all negotiations was merely a formality.
… The price paid... to the father of the bride was called mohar. In the stories of Genesis, Shekhem [Dinah’s suitor] said to Dinah’s father and her brothers: 'Let me find favor in your eyes, and what ye shall say unto me I will give. Ask me never so much mohar and mattan, and I will give according as ye shall say unto me; but give me the damsel to wife.' ‘Mattan' was the Hebrew word for the gifts given by the groom to the bride in addition to the mohar.
The mohar was not always paid in cash. Sometimes it was paid in kind, or in service. The book of Genesis relates the story of the servant of Abraham, who, after his request for Rebekah [to marry Isaac] was granted, 'brought forth jewels of silver, and jewels of gold, and raiment, and gave them to Rebekah; he gave also to her brother and to her mother precious things.’ The servant thus gave mattan to Rebekah, and mohar to her brother and mother [Bethel was most likely dead.]
... In ancient days, marriage was not an agreement between two individuals, but between two families.” [Excerpt from The Lifetime of a Jew Throughout the Ages of Jewish History (UAHC Press)]
If a man entices a virgin… The Hebrew (betulah) "Was an unmarried girl who was always presumed to be a virgin." (Kaiser)
Who is not betrothed... who has not gone through the process of the head of house finding and arranging the marriage.
The seducer was obliged to pay the bride-price [mohar] and marry the girl whom he had defiled in such a way. "This was an exceedingly wise and humane law, and must have operated powerfully against seduction and fornication; because the person who might feel inclined to take the advantage of a young woman knew that he must marry her, and give her a dowry, if her parents consented... According to the Targumist here, and to Deuteronomy 22:29, the dowry was fifty shekels of silver [when exacted as by law instead of by arrangement and love / respect], which the seducer was to pay to her father, and he was obliged to take her to wife; nor had he authority, according to the Jewish canons, ever to put her away by a bill of divorce. This one consideration was a powerful curb on disorderly passions, and must tend greatly to render marriages respectable, and prevent all crimes of this nature." (Adam Clarke)
This act was to be regarded as an attack upon the family decision process for suitable mate for the girl; so, the head of house still had veto power. "If the man who took advantage of the woman was considered a completely unacceptable husband by the father of the wronged woman, then that man had to pay the dowry without receiving the bride. This was a strong incentive against taking advantage of young women.” (David Guzik)
The Church is portrayed in the Bible as the bride of Chirst, even a virgin— not going after other gods. "Then I heard something like the voice of a great multitude and like the sound of many waters and like the sound of mighty peals of thunder, saying, 'Hallelujah! For the Lord our God, the Almighty, reigns. Let us rejoice and be glad and give the glory to Him, for the marriage of the Lamb has come and His bride has made herself ready.’ It was given to her to clothe herself in fine linen, bright and clean; for the fine linen is the righteous acts of the saints.” (Revelation 19:6-8) "Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and that you are not your own? For you have been bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body.” (1 Corinthians 6:19-20)
Exodus 22: Law of Witches or Sorceresses
18 You shall not permit a witch to live.
"SORCERY— Practice whose adherents claim to have supernatural powers and knowledge; the ability to foretell the future and to summon ... spirits through charms and magical spells. Sorcerers were present in the high courts of Egypt (Ex 7:11), Assyria (Na 3:4), and Babylonia (Dn 2:2). Sorcery was forbidden in Israel (Dt 18:10) and was punishable by death (Ex 22:18). Nonetheless, Israel sought out sorcerers (2 Kgs 17:17; 2 Chr 33:6; Mi 5:12), provoking God's anger against her (Is 57:3; Mal 3:5). Paul included it in a list of sinful works (Gal 5:20), and the book of Revelation condemned its practitioners to the lake of fire (Rv 21:8) and to eternal separation from the righteous (22:15).” (Tyndale Bible Dictionary)
Many regard the presidency of Ronald Reagan as one of the strongest of the 20th century. Yet it wasn't widely circulated until after he left office that he and his wife, often sought the advice of an astrologer. Success, nor appearance, is an indicator of God's favor but rather obedience to Him.
"The word translated ‘witch' in this passage is the feminine singular of that rendered by ‘sorcerers' in Exodus 7:11, and means 'a mutterer of charms.' The use of the feminine form can only be accounted for by supposing that, practically, witchcraft was at the time mainly professed by females.” (Ellicott's Commentary) "This is the earliest denunciation of witchcraft in the law. In every form of witchcraft there is an appeal to a power not acting in subordination to the divine law. From all such notions and tendencies true worship is designed to deliver us. The practice of witchcraft was therefore an act of rebellion against Yahweh, and, as such, was a capital crime. The passages bearing on the subject in the Prophets, as well as those in the law, carry a lesson for all ages. Isaiah 8:19; Isaiah 19:3; Isaiah 44:25; Isaiah 47:12-13; Micah 5:12, etc.” (Barnes Notes)
“Such that had familiar spirits, and conversed with them, and by means thereof got knowledge of many things relating to persons... , as even to raise the spirits of departed persons, to converse with them and gain knowledge by them, though in reality they did not, and could not do such things, but used some juggling tricks to deceive the people, and in which they might be assisted by evil spirits; as appears from the case of the witch of Endor…” (Gill’s Exposition) See 1 Samuel 28.
According to the word of the law, even the prophet Samuel, King Saul had put the mediums and the spiritists out of the land of Israel by threat of death. "God commanded that mediums and spiritists (those who either can or claim to contact the dead and spirit beings) should have no place among His people in passages such as Leviticus 19:31, 20:6, 27 and in Deuteronomy 18:9-14. Saul did this in his earlier days when he was still influenced by Samuel's leadership… [ but then Samuel the prophet died- 1 Sam 25:1; and the Philistines threatened; and Saul inquired of Yahweh... but He did not answer.]….Saul was in a terrible place. The Philistines threatened, Saul's courage failed, and now God was silent when Saul sought Him. Saul hoped God would speak to him through dreams, but God was silent. He hoped God would speak to him through the Urim, but God was silent. He wanted to hear from God through the prophets, but God would not talk to Saul.
The LORD did not answer him: This silence demonstrates that God will not always answer everyone who seeks Him; not when a man is in a place of judgment as Saul is. King Saul has rejected and is currently rejecting God's previously revealed will. Since Saul didn't care to obey God in what he already knew, God will not give him more to know.
At the very least, Saul knew that God did not want him hunting David, hoping to kill him. Saul said as much in passages such as 1 Samuel 24:16-20 and 26:21. Yet Saul disregarded what he knew to be God's will in this matter. If we want God to guide us, we must follow what guidance we already have from Him.
When we reject the word of the LORD we can still be comforted by the fact that He speaks to us. As we continue to reject His word He may stop speaking to us - and we will lose even that comfort.
[Thus, in place of the voice of Yahweh and in contrast to His Word] Saul consults a spirit medium.” (David Guzik) And as a result, Saul and his sons die in the battle. See 1 Samuel 31. The witch was not speaking with Samuel, but rather with evil spirits impersonating the prophet of Yahweh.
"For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the Man Christ Jesus." (1 Timothy 2:5)
Morning Repost: Exodus 22: Law Against Beastiality
19 Whoever lies with an animal shall surely be put to death.
“Bestiality was practiced in the ancient world, and here God commanded specifically against it.” (David Guzik) "This offensive sex act apparently was prevalent among the Canaanites." (Kaiser) "What we learn from this passage is that there are some crimes that are particularly spiritually injurious to the covenant community. These laws are all put in the imperative; they sound just like The Ten Commandments. 'You shall not allow; shall surely be put to death; shall utterly be destroyed.' You get the imperative feel of The Ten Commandments even though they are dealing with specific situations. They are not phrased like the previous case laws--if this happens, if this happens, if this such and such. They are imperative; they are categorical laws about society; they are categorical ethical statements or religious stipulations and that reminds us that they are basic and fundamental… In verse 19 you see the laws regarding sex with an animal. Sex with an animal… was a capital crime in Israel. Now, it is interesting that some of the nations around Israel had laws like this but exempted certain animals from these laws. And so you can tell that since the law is begin given, it needed to be given...” (J. Ligon Duncan)
It is no longer a part of the United States Code of Military Justice. But it has been a problem in every age and the law of God made it a capital offense.
Before man was created in the image of God on the sixth day (Genesis 1:26-27), Yahweh created water creatures and birds on the fifth day (Genesis 1:20-23) and “cattle and creeping thing and beast of the earth, each according to its kind...” (Genesis 1:24) In a lesson about our resurrection bodies, Paul taught: "All flesh is not the same flesh, but there is one flesh of men, and another flesh of beasts, and another flesh of birds, and another of fish." (1 Corinthians 15:39)
Woman was created as a help made for man and sex is for procreation. In the New Testament, Jude taught that the apostate went "after strange flesh" in Sodom and Gomorrah. There are many teachings as to the meaning, and it includes seeking sex with the angels who came to destroy the cities, but I believe it could have included the sin of beastiality- or any flesh other than human. Jude taught:
“But I want to remind you, though you once knew this, that the Lord, having saved the people out of the land of Egypt, afterward destroyed those who did not believe. And the angels who did not keep their proper domain, but left their own abode, He has reserved in everlasting chains under darkness for the judgment of the great day; as Sodom and Gomorrah, and the cities around them in a similar manner to these, having given themselves over to sexual immorality and gone after strange flesh, are set forth as an example, suffering the vengeance of eternal fire." (Jude 1:5-7)
Perhaps it was a capital offense because of its tie to idolatry. "Bestiality... figured so often in the Canaanite cycle 'Tales of Baal' that it probably had a religious significance for the Canaanites." (Cole) “Having intercourse with animals (bestiality, Exodus 22:19) was something the Canaanites and Mesopotamians attributed to their gods and which they practiced in worshipping those gods. Whereas some law codes imposed the death penalty for having intercourse with certain animals, the Torah prohibited this practice completely.” (Dr. Thomas Constable)
Putting it into perspective, Jesus sent out the twelve to work and spread the Gospel saying, "And whoever will not receive you nor hear your words, when you depart from that house or city, shake off the dust from your feet. Assuredly, I say to you, tit will be more tolerable for the land of Sodom and Gomorrah in the day of judgment than for that city!" (Matthew 10:14:15)
Exodus 22: Law of Sacrifice to Idols
20 He who sacrifices to any god, except to Yahweh only, he shall be utterly destroyed.
Those who sacrificed to Yahweh in spirit and in truth attained forgiveness of sins / atonement by the blood of the sacrifice. They had been under the sentence of death under Adam, but now were possessors of eternal life under Messiah of Israel. This salvation or atonement "presupposes a separation or alienation [from the fall as described in Genesis] that needs to be overcome if human beings are to know God and have fellowship with him. As a term expressing relationship, atonement is tied closely to such terms as reconciliation and forgiveness.” (Tyndale Bible Dictionary)
Those who sacrifice to any other 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…” (Gill's Exposition) Those should be run from the land (or congregation) under threat of death. If these misguided individuals miss capital punishment in this life, they will surely be found in the life to come. If they are not punished with the first, temporal death, they will surely be found by Yahweh and punished with the second, eternal death.
"In full harmony with the sanctions against perversion and witchcraft, both of which had theological implications and were in essence denials of the true God, the order visible here in Exodus 22:20 was designed to establish among God's people the principle that idolatrous gods were non-entities and that the only God is Jehovah - the God of Abraham, and the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob.” (Coffman Commentary)
Whoever sacrifices… "sacrificing takes in all the acts of service performed to an idol as to the true God, as offering incense, pouring out a libation, as well as slaying and burning an animal..” (Gill’s Exposition)
This encompasses not just sacrifice but “sacrificeth, or otherwise worshippeth, as appears from Deu 17:2-5, and many other places. One act of worship put for all by a very familiar synecdoche." (Matthew Poole)
"Elsewhere the death-penalty is affixed to any acknowledgment of false gods.” (Deuteronomy 13:1-16) (Ellicott's Commentary)
"Whoever offered sacrifice to strange gods instead of to Jehovah alone, was liable to death. יחרם he shall be banned, put under the ban (cherem), i.e., put to death, and by death devoted to the Lord [committed to His judgement], to whom he would not devote himself in life (cf. Leviticus 27:29, and my Archologie, 70).” (Keil and Delitzsch OT Commentary)
"He shall be utterly destroyed; be accursed, anathematized, devoted to destruction, as the word used signifies: the Targum of Jonathan is,'he shall be killed with the sword, and his goods consumed,' not only lose his life but his substance, and so be destroyed in body and estate." (Gill's Exposition)
"Utterly destroyed - The word חרם cherem denotes a thing utterly and finally separated from God and devoted to destruction, without the possibility of redemption.” (Adam Clarke) These idolators shall be “destroyed, Heb. anathematized, i.e. esteemed execrable, and as such destroyed without mercy. See Deu 13:15 18:20." (Mathew Poole)
And this, as an example and testimony to any others. (2 Peter 2: 6-10)
"This law was often broken, and this penalty was rarely applied. One rare example of its application was when Elijah executed the prophets of Baal in 1 Kings 18:40.” (David Guzik) "This law might have prevented the woeful apostasies of the Jewish nation in after times, if those that should have executed it had not been ringleaders in the breach of it.” (Mathew Henry)
Exodus 22: Law of Treatment of Strangers
21 You shall neither vex a stranger nor oppress him, for you were strangers in the land of Egypt.
"The alien who had been attracted to shelter, as Ruth did, beneath the wing of the God of Israel, was to share the Sabbath rest (Exo 22:10), might bring his offerings to the Tabernacle door (Lev 17:8-9), and was even assured of the love of God (Dt 10:18-19). So far, therefore, from vexing, the Israelites were bidden to love them.” (F. B. Meyer) "The Israelites were not to offer sacrifice to foreign deities; but a foreigner himself they were not only to tolerate...” (Keil and Delitzsch) they where to apply the golden rule towards them.
"It may be doubted whether such a law as this was ever made in any other country.” (Pulpit Commentary) "It is remarkable that offenses against this law are not left to the discretion of the judges to be punished; God reserves the punishment to himself, and by this he strongly shows his abhorrence of the crime. It is no common crime, and shall not be punished in a common way; the wrath of God shall wax hot against him who in any wise afflicts or wrongs a widow or a fatherless child: and we may rest assured that he who helps either does a service highly acceptable in the sight of God.” (Adam Clarke)
"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… 'not vex' them, nor irritate them with words, as the Targum of Jonathan, and so Jarchi; by calling them names, Gentiles, uncircumcised persons, and the like; upbraiding them with their country, ignorance, and manner of life;...
nor oppress him; by taking his goods, as the above Targum, and so Jarchi; by refusing to assist him with advice or otherwise, to trade with him, or to give him lodging, and furnish him with the necessaries of life…” (Gill’s Exposition)
"For you were strangers in the land of Egypt: Israel's own experience of being strangers should have given them appropriate sympathy for strangers in their midst.” (David Guzik) "The Israelites were to remember the oppression they had endured in Egypt and were to refrain from oppressing others. They were not only to refrain from doing evil but were to do positive good (Exodus 22:26-27; cf. Matthew 5:44; Romans 12:14).” (Dr Thomas Constable)
Exodus 22: Law of Widows and Fatherless
22 You shall not afflict any widow or fatherless child. 23 If you afflict them in any way, and they cry at all to Me, I will surely hear their cry; 24 and My wrath will become hot, and I will kill you with the sword; your wives shall be widows, and your children fatherless.
"Afflict- A word including all cold and contemptuous treatment." (Barnes Note)
Yahweh--"administers justice for the fatherless and the widow, and loves the stranger, giving him food and clothing. (Deuteronomy 10:18)
We participate as believers, "At the end of every third year you shall bring out the tithe of your produce of that year and store it up within your gates. And the Levite, because he has no portion nor inheritance with you, and the stranger and the fatherless and the widow who are within your gates, may come and eat and be satisfied, that the Lord your God may bless you in all the work of your hand which you do." (Deuteronomy 14:28-29)
Yahweh Himself is the protector of the defenseless. "In the absence of their natural guardians He takes them under His wing." (J W Burn)
On the whole, this law appears "to have been fairly well observed by the Israelites; but there were times when, in spite of them, poor widows suffered much oppression. (See Psalm 94:6; Isaiah 1:23; Isaiah 10:2; Jeremiah 7:3-6; Jeremiah 22:3; Zechariah 7:10; Malachi 3:5; Matthew 23:14.) ...
'Surely, if they cry unto me... I will kill you with the sword... It was, in large measure, on account of the neglect of this precept, that the capture of Jerusalem by Nebuchadnezzar, and destruction of its inhabitants, was allowed to take place (Jeremiah 22:3-5). Your wives shall be widows, etc. A quasi-retaliation. They shall be exposed to the same sort of ill-usage as you have dealt out to other widows." (Pulpit Commentary)
In the New Testament, James speaks of being not just a hearer but also a doer of the word. He says "Pure and undefiled religion before God and the Father is this: to visit orphans and widows in their trouble, and to keep oneself unspotted from the world." (James 1:27)
"Then the Lord said, 'Hear what the unjust judge said. And shall God not avenge His own elect who cry out day and night to Him, though He bears long with them? I tell you that He will avenge them speedily. Nevertheless, when the Son of Man comes, will He really find faith on the earth?” (Luke 18:6-8)
Exodus 22: The Law of Lending
25 If you lend money to any of My people who are poor among you, you shall not be like a moneylender to him; you shall not charge him interest. 26 If you ever take your neighbor’s garment as a pledge, you shall return it to him before the sun goes down. 27 For that is his only covering, it is his garment for his skin. What will he sleep in? And it will be that when he cries to Me, I will hear, for I am gracious.
This is an unique law for God's people unlike the laws enacted by any other nation. America has laws against usury mainly focused on full disclosure but Israel's law makes it illegal to charge any interest to the poor. Just as Yahweh was found to be the Defender of the widows and fatherless who cry out to Him, so He is a Help to the needy who call on His name.
"The meaning of these verses is clear. In an agrarian society a loan to a poor man to tide him over, for instance, until the harvest or to help him buy farming instruments, was a basic act of human kindness which should be done freely without demanding any return. For the lender to take interest on the loan would be to impoverish the borrower still further. But the 'foreigner,' the man who is on a visit to the land of Israel, is not bound by this law. He will take interest on any loans he makes to Israelites so that there can be no obligation for the Israelite not to reciprocate and take interest when lending to him." http://www.myjewishlearning.com/article/usury-and-moneylending-in-judaism/
"While the taking of interest is forbidden, the taking of a pledge [collateral] for repayment of a loan is sanctioned, and frequent reference is made in Scripture to the practice: see e.g. Amos 2:8... The outer garment of the Israelite (the simlah) is a kind of cloak or plaid about 4 ft. square, which may be used as a coverlet by night. In the case of a poor man this might be the only thing he could give as a pledge, in which case he is to be allowed the use of it each night..." (John Dummelow's Commentary)
The law said that when the poor cry to Yahweh against abuse, He would answer them. Thus later, among the grievances of Yahweh God with Judah... before the Assyrian captivity, was the transgression of this law concerning outer garments. It seems that the leaders changed God's law. The clothes were kept during the term of the loan, but rather than being used personally, they we're used in the house of God for them to rest upon in sacred feasts.
"On garments taken as pledges they stretch out beside every altar, And in the house of their God they drink the wine of those who have been fined." (Amos 2:8)
But the children of Israel "kept such pledges, and used them as cloths upon which they stretched their limbs at feasts... ; and this they did by every altar, at sacrificial meals, without standing in awe of God. It is very evident that Amos is speaking of sacrificial feasting, from the reference in the second clause of the verse to the drinking of wine in the house of God. עמוּשׁים, punished in money, i.e., fined. Wine of the punished is wine purchased by the produce of the fines." (Keil and Delitzsch OT Commentary)
"The Jews of old did not sit upright at their meals, but leaned on one side. Upon clothes - Of which the law had expressly said, none should detain them all night, Deuteronomy 24:12-13 . Every altar - Of their idols. Drink the wine - They offer their drink - offerings in wine, which they bought with the fines laid on the innocent." (John Wesley)
The spirit of this law was broken and the meaning lost but both are recovered in the Words of Jesus: "But if you love those who love you, what credit is that to you? For even sinners love those who love them. And if you do good to those who do good to you, what credit is that to you? For even sinners do the same. And if you lend to those from whom you hope to receive back, what credit is that to you? For even sinners lend to sinners to receive as much back. But love your enemies, do good, and lend, hoping for nothing in return; and your reward will be great, and you will be sons of the Most High. For He is kind to the unthankful and evil. Therefore be merciful, just as your Father also is merciful." (Luke 6:32-38)
"Give to him who asks you, and from him who wants to borrow from you do not turn away." (Matthew 5:42)
Exodus 22: Law of Reverence Towards Yahweh and His Annointed
28 You shall not revile the gods, nor curse a ruler of your people.
This law "urges reverence toward God and the leaders of the community. Having dealt with proper behavior toward people on a lower social level, God also specified how to deal with those on higher levels of authority." (Constable's Expository Notes )
"the ruler of thy people... the last mentioned Jewish writer intend of the king [of Israel- even the King of kings] who is the supreme ruler in things civil, and ought to be honoured and loved, served and obeyed, and not hated and cursed, no, not secretly, not in the bedchamber, nor in the thought of the heart, since not only the thing is criminal but dangerous; it is much if it is not discovered, and then ruin follows upon it, Ecclesiastes 10:20.
The Apostle Paul applies it to the high priest among the Jews, who was the ruler in sacred things, Acts 23:5 and may be applicable to the prince of the sanhedrim, or chief in the grand court of judicature; and even to all dignified persons, who ought not to be spoken ill of, and to be abused in the execution of their office, and especially when they perform well."(John Gill's Exposition of the Whole Bible)
So magistrates are included in the second phrase. "Magistrates must be treated with respect, both their persons and their decisions (Joshua 1:16-18)" (The Biblical Illustrator),
Then Paul, looking earnestly at the council, said, 'Men and brethren, I have lived in all good conscience before God until this day.' And the high priest Ananias commanded those who stood by him to strike him on the mouth. Then Paul said to him, 'God will strike you, you whitewashed wall! For you sit to judge me according to the law, and do you command me to be struck contrary to the law?' And those who stood by said, 'Do you revile God’s high priest?'Then Paul said, 'I did not know, brethren, that he was the high priest; for it is written, ‘You shall not speak evil of a ruler of your people.’ [Exodus 22:28]" (Acts 23:1-5)
The phrase "rulers of My people" can also be applied to that "Great High Priest" (Hebrews 4:14) of our faith- the Lord Jesus Christ.
Morning Repost: Exodus 22: Law of Reverence Towards Yahweh and His Annointed
28 You shall not revile the gods, nor curse a ruler of your people.
At the beach and researching and posting each morning from my iPhone, I did not realize that Adam Clarke's insight- the second paragraph - was missing.
This law "urges reverence toward God and the leaders of the community. Having dealt with proper behavior toward people on a lower social level, God also specified how to deal with those on higher levels of authority." (Constable's Expository Notes )
"Thou shalt not revile the gods - Most commentators believe that the word gods here means magistrates. The original is אלהים Elohim, and should be understood of the true God only: Thou shalt not blaspheme or make light of God, the fountain of justice and power, nor curse the ruler of thy people, who derives his authority from God." (Adam Clarke Commentary)
"the ruler of thy people... the last mentioned Jewish writer intend of the king [of Israel- even the King of kings] who is the supreme ruler in things civil, and ought to be honoured and loved, served and obeyed, and not hated and cursed, no, not secretly, not in the bedchamber, nor in the thought of the heart, since not only the thing is criminal but dangerous; it is much if it is not discovered, and then ruin follows upon it, Ecclesiastes 10:20.
The Apostle Paul applies it to the high priest among the Jews, who was the ruler in sacred things, Acts 23:5 and may be applicable to the prince of the sanhedrim, or chief in the grand court of judicature; and even to all dignified persons, who ought not to be spoken ill of, and to be abused in the execution of their office, and especially when they perform well."(John Gill's Exposition of the Whole Bible)
So magistrates are included in the second phrase. "Magistrates must be treated with respect, both their persons and their decisions (Joshua 1:16-18)" (The Biblical Illustrator),
Then Paul, looking earnestly at the council, said, 'Men and brethren, I have lived in all good conscience before God until this day.' And the high priest Ananias commanded those who stood by him to strike him on the mouth. Then Paul said to him, 'God will strike you, you whitewashed wall! For you sit to judge me according to the law, and do you command me to be struck contrary to the law?' And those who stood by said, 'Do you revile God’s high priest?'Then Paul said, 'I did not know, brethren, that he was the high priest; for it is written, ‘You shall not speak evil of a ruler of your people.’ [Exodus 22:28]" (Acts 23:1-5)
The phrase "rulers of your [Hebrew] people" can also be applied to that "Great High Priest" (Hebrews 4:14) of our faith- the Lord Jesus Christ.
Exodus: 22 Law Concerning Firstfruits
29 You shall not delay to offer the first of your ripe produce and your juices. The firstborn of your sons you shall give to Me. 30 Likewise you shall do with your oxen and your sheep. It shall be with its mother seven days; on the eighth day you shall give it to Me.
Sorts of firstfruits offering were "the spontaneous tribute of natural piety among almost all nations. They were called by the Greeks ἀπαρχαί, by the Romans primitive... and Cain’s [offering was] probably one of firstfruits."(Ellicott's Commentary) But these offerings are without oblation /atonement as established in God's law.
The offering of the first-born both of animals and of men in service was already established in Exodus 13:2; but here the firstfruits of the land is added. "This command was to be obeyed when they came into the land of Canaan. Much of the Mosaic Law didn't make sense for Israel in the wilderness, and was given... for life in Canaan." (Guzik)
Upon entering the land of their inheritance, this law of God required "an offering of their first-fruits to God..." (Matthew Henry)
You shall not delay... "True obedience is prompt and present, ready and speedy, without demurs anpd consults." (Trapp's Complete Commentary)
"Thou shalt not delay beyond the times appointed, lest this delay grow to a total neglect. And delay may here be put for neglect, as that word is used, Deu 7:10 23:21 Habakkuk 2:3; which may seem to be favored..." (Matthew Poole's Commentary) And in fact, in Nehemiah's time, "the entire custom had at one period fallen into disuse. (Nehemiah 10:35, 36.)" (Pulpit Commentary)
"The adoption of the first-born on the part of Jehovah was a perpetual guarantee to the whole nation of the right of covenant fellowship. (On the rule laid down in Exodus 22:30, see Leviticus 22:27.)" (Keil & Delitzsch Commentary on the Old Testament)
“When a bull or a sheep or a goat is born, it shall be seven days with its mother; and from the eighth day and thereafter it shall be accepted as an offering made by fire to the Lord." (Leviticus 22:27)
But here the firstfruits offering of Israel in order, as distinct from other nations, allows life of the firstborn of man and beast.
1) to offer the first of your ripe fruits... "Which, according to Maimonides, 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, grapes, figs, pomegranates, olives, and dates;' and how much of these were to be offered is not fixed by the law, but were left to the generosity of the people..." (Gill's Exposition)
2) and of your juice... "these, according to Maimonides, were only the firstfruits of olives and grapes..." (Gill's Exposition)
and so, oil and wine.
3) The firstborn of thy sons thou shall give unto me... "It was a reasonable demand that the existing firstborn of Israel, spared by God when the Egyptian firstborn were destroyed, should be regarded thenceforth as His, and set apart for His service." (Ellicott's Commentary)
4) Likewise you shall do with your oxen and your sheep... "The extension of the demand to existing beasts was also reasonable, since they too had been spared. God’s further requirement, that henceforth all the future firstborn should also be His, was intended to perpetuate the memory of the recent deliverance, and to help to fix it in the mind of the nation.
The substitution of a redemption in the case of unclean beasts was necessitated by the circumstances of the case, since they could not be sacrificed;
and the redemption of the firstborn sons naturally followed when the Levitical priesthood was established, and their services were no longer necessary. (See Numbers 3:40-51; Numbers 18:16.)"(Ellicott's Commentary)
Faithful Israelites were "to offer the first fruits of the soil, to consecrate the firstborn son, and to devote the firstborn of cattle at the same age when a son ought to be circumcised." (Expositor's Bible Commentary)
"Was not this typical of the Lord Jesus Christ? Luke 2:21-23." (Hawker's Poor Man's Commentary) "And when eight days were completed for the circumcision of the Child, His name was called Jesus, the name given by the angel before He was conceived in the womb." (Luke 2:21-23)
Morning Repost: Exodus 22: Call to Holiness
31 “And you shall be holy men to Me: you shall not eat meat torn by beasts in the field; you shall throw it to the dogs.
"Ye shall be holy men unto me.—Compare Exodus 19:6." (Ellicott's Commentary)
"‘You have seen what I did to the Egyptians, and how I bore you on eagles’ wings and brought you to Myself. 5 Now therefore, if you will indeed obey My voice and keep My covenant, then you shall be a special treasure to Me above all people; for all the earth is Mine. 6 And you shall be to Me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation." (Exodus 19)
"The holiness really desired was holiness of heart and spirit. Outward ordinances could not effect this; but, to keep the thought perpetually before- men’s minds, a network of external obligations was devised, whereof a specimen is given in the law which follows." (Ellicott's Commentary)
"Neither shall ye eat - flesh - torn (or worried) of beasts in the field - ... The reason of the prohibition against eating the flesh of animals that had been torn, or as we term it worried in the field, appears to have been simply this: That the people might not eat the blood, which in this case must be coagulated in the flesh; and the blood, being the life of the beast, and emblematical of the blood of the covenant, was ever to be held sacred, and was prohibited from the days of Noah." (Adam Clarke Commentary)
"Ye shall cast it to the dogs [Gentiles],—i.e., ye shall do this rather than eat it... (Cf. Deuteronomy 14:21.).." (Ellicott's Commentary) Let them have it.
"Without holiness, no man shall see the Lord." (Hebrews 12:14)
Holiness is obtain by meditating on the law of God and understanding its precepts / requirements and thus trusting in the person of Messiah for salvation... And allowing Him to change you. Thus: "In the conclusion of this chapter we see the grand reason of all the ordinances and laws which it contains. No command was issued merely from the sovereignty of God. He gave them to the people as restraints on disorderly passions, and incentives to holiness; and hence he says, 'Ye shall be holy men unto me.' Mere outward services could neither please him nor profit them; for from the very beginning of the world the end of the commandment was love out of a pure heart and good conscience, and faith unfeigned, 1 Timothy 1:5." (Adam Clarke Commentary)
"Dearest, and ever blessed Jesus, be thou all in all to my soul! Do thou keep me from all covetous and inordinate desires, bring every thought into the obedience of thyself, that, with simplicity and godly sincerity, I may have my conversation in the world, and in all things behave myself as becometh thy blessed Gospel." (Hawker's Poor Man's Commentary)
"Then she came and worshiped Him [Jesus], saying, 'Lord, help me!' But He answered and said, 'It is not good to take the children’s bread and throw it to the little dogs.' And she said, 'Yes, Lord, yet even the little dogs eat the crumbs which fall from their masters’ table.' Then Jesus answered and said to her, 'O woman, great is your faith! Let it be to you as you desire.' And her daughter was healed from that very hour." (Matthew 15:26-28)