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Sunday, July 13th, 2025
the Week of Proper 10 / Ordinary 15
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Geneva Bible

Exodus 22:4

If the theft bee founde with him, aliue, (whether it be oxe, asse, or sheepe) he shal restore the double.

Bible Study Resources

Concordances:

- Nave's Topical Bible - Animals;   Bullock;   Fine;   Restitution;   Theft and Thieves;   The Topic Concordance - Recompense/restitution;   Torrey's Topical Textbook - Ox, the;   Punishments;   Theft;  

Dictionaries:

- American Tract Society Bible Dictionary - Restitution;   Theft;   Bridgeway Bible Dictionary - Punishment;   Steal;   Baker Evangelical Dictionary of Biblical Theology - Law;   Punishment;   Wealth;   Easton Bible Dictionary - Theft;   Fausset Bible Dictionary - Beast;   Holman Bible Dictionary - Crimes and Punishments;   Hammurabi;   Law, Ten Commandments, Torah;   Robbery;   Hastings' Dictionary of the Bible - Canon of the Old Testament;   Covenant, Book of the;   Ethics;   Hexateuch;   Law;   Leviticus;   Priests and Levites;   Sin;   Slave, Slavery;   Ten Commandments;   Smith Bible Dictionary - Law of Moses;   Watson's Biblical & Theological Dictionary - Thief;  

Encyclopedias:

- Condensed Biblical Cyclopedia - Peculiarities of the Law of Moses;   International Standard Bible Encyclopedia - Covenant, the Book of the;   Double;   Fourfold;   Slave;   The Jewish Encyclopedia - Accident;   Baba Ḳamma;   Tort;   Triennial Cycle;  

Parallel Translations

Hebrew Names Version
If the stolen property is found in his hand alive, whether it is ox, donkey, or sheep, he shall pay double.
King James Version
If the theft be certainly found in his hand alive, whether it be ox, or ass, or sheep; he shall restore double.
Lexham English Bible
If indeed the stolen item is found in his possession alive, from ox to donkey to small livestock, he will make double restitution.
New English Translation
If the stolen item should in fact be found alive in his possession, whether it be an ox or a donkey or a sheep, he must pay back double.
Amplified Bible
"If the animal that he stole is found alive in his possession, whether it is ox or donkey or sheep, he shall pay double [for it].
New American Standard Bible
"If what he stole is actually found alive in his possession, whether an ox or a donkey or a sheep, he shall pay double.
Legacy Standard Bible
If what he stole is actually found alive in his hand, whether an ox or a donkey or a sheep, he shall pay double.
Complete Jewish Bible
(iii) "If a person causes a field or vineyard to be grazed over or lets his animal loose to graze in someone else's field, he is to make restitution from the best produce of his own field and vineyard.
Darby Translation
If the stolen thing be actually found alive in his hand, whether it be ox, or ass, or sheep, he shall restore double.
English Standard Version
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.
George Lamsa Translation
If the animal is found in his possession alive, whether it is an ox or an ass, or a ewe, he shall restore double.
Christian Standard Bible®
If what was stolen—whether ox, donkey, or sheep—is actually found alive in his possession, he must repay double.
Literal Translation
If the stolen thing finding is found in his hand alive, from ox to ass to flock animal, he shall pay double.
Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
But yf ye theft be founde by him alyue (from the oxe vnto the Asse or shepe) then shall he restore dubble.
American Standard Version
If the theft be found in his hand alive, whether it be ox, or ass, or sheep; he shall pay double.
Bible in Basic English
If he still has what he had taken, whatever it is, ox or ass or sheep, he is to give twice its value.
Bishop's Bible (1568)
If the theft be founde in his hande, aliue, whether it be oxe, asse, or sheepe, he shall restore double.
JPS Old Testament (1917)
If a man cause a field or vineyard to be eaten, and shall let his beast loose, and it feed in another man's field; of the best of his own field, and of the best of his own vineyard, shall he make restitution.
King James Version (1611)
If the theft be certainely found in his hand aliue, whether it bee oxe or asse, or sheepe, he shall restore double.
Brenton's Septuagint (LXX)
And if the thing stolen be left and be in his hand alive, whether ox or sheep, he shall restore them two-fold.
English Revised Version
If the theft be found in his hand alive, whether it be ox, or ass, or sheep; he shall pay double.
Berean Standard Bible
If what was stolen is actually found alive in his possession-whether ox or donkey or sheep-he must pay back double.
Wycliffe Bible (1395)
if that thing that he staal, is foundun quyk at hym, ether oxe, ether asse, ether scheep, he schal restore the double.
Young's Literal Translation
if the theft is certainly found in his hand alive, whether ox, or ass, or sheep -- double he repayeth.
Update Bible Version
If the theft is found in his hand alive, whether it is ox, or donkey, or sheep, he shall pay double.
Webster's Bible Translation
If the theft shall be certainly found in his hand alive, whether an ox, or ass, or sheep; he shall restore double.
World English Bible
If the stolen property is found in his hand alive, whether it is ox, donkey, or sheep, he shall pay double.
New King James Version
If the theft is certainly found alive in his hand, whether it is an ox or donkey or sheep, he shall restore double.
New Living Translation
If someone steals an ox or a donkey or a sheep and it is found in the thief's possession, then the thief must pay double the value of the stolen animal.
New Life Bible
If the stolen bull or donkey or sheep is found alive with him, he must pay twice what it is worth.
New Revised Standard
When the animal, whether ox or donkey or sheep, is found alive in the thief's possession, the thief shall pay double. If a thief is found breaking in, and is beaten to death, no bloodguilt is incurred; but if it happens after sunrise, bloodguilt is incurred.
J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
If the thing stolen is found in his hand - whether ox or ass or sheep, alive, with two, shall he make restitution.
Douay-Rheims Bible
If that which he stole be found with him, alive, either ox, or ass, or sheep: he shall restore double.
Revised Standard Version
but if the sun has risen upon him, there shall be bloodguilt for him.
THE MESSAGE
"If someone steals an ox or a lamb and slaughters or sells it, the thief must pay five cattle in place of the ox and four sheep in place of the lamb. If the thief is caught while breaking in and is hit hard and dies, there is no bloodguilt. But if it happens after daybreak, there is bloodguilt. "A thief must make full restitution for what is stolen. The thief who is unable to pay is to be sold for his thieving. If caught red-handed with the stolen goods, and the ox or donkey or lamb is still alive, the thief pays double.
New American Standard Bible (1995)
"If what he stole is actually found alive in his possession, whether an ox or a donkey or a sheep, he shall pay double.

Contextual Overview

1 If a man steale an oxe or a sheepe, and kill it or sell it, he shal restore fiue oxen for the oxe, & foure sheepe for the sheepe. 2 If a thiefe bee founde breaking vp, and be smitten that he dye, no blood shall be shed for him. 3 But if it be in the day light, blood shall be shed for him: for he should make full restitution: if he had not wherewith, then shoulde he bee solde for his theft. 4 If the theft bee founde with him, aliue, (whether it be oxe, asse, or sheepe) he shal restore the double. 5 If a man doe hurt fielde, or vineyarde, and put in his beast to feed in an other mans fielde, he shall recompence of the best of his owne fielde, and of the best of his owne vineyard. 6 If fire breake out, and catche in ye thornes, and the stackes of corne, or the standing corne, or the fielde be consumed, he that kindled the fire shall make full restitution.

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

found: Exodus 21:16

he shall restore double: Exodus 22:1, Exodus 22:7, Exodus 22:9, Proverbs 6:31, Isaiah 40:2, Jeremiah 16:18, Revelation 18:6

Reciprocal: Leviticus 5:16 - make Leviticus 6:5 - restore 1 Samuel 12:3 - I will 1 Samuel 12:5 - in my hand

Cross-References

Exodus 5:3
And they saide, We worship the God of the Ebrewes: we pray thee, let vs goe three daies iourney in the desert, and sacrifice vnto the Lord our God, least he bring vpon vs the pestilence or sword.
Exodus 15:22
Then Moses brought Israel from the redde Sea, and they went out into the wildernesse of Shur: and they went three dayes in the wildernesse, and found no waters.
Exodus 19:11
And let them be ready on the third day: for the thirde day the Lorde will come downe in the sight of all the people vpon mount Sinai:
Exodus 19:15
And he said vnto the people, Be ready on the third day, and come not at your wiues.
Leviticus 7:17
But as much of the offered flesh as remaineth vnto the third day, shalbe burnt with fire.
Numbers 10:33
So they departed from the mount of the Lorde, three dayes iourney: and the Arke of the couenant of the Lorde went before them in the three dayes iourney, to searche out a resting place for them.
Numbers 19:12
Hee shall purifie himselfe therewith the third day, and the seuenth day he shall be cleane: but if he purifie not himselfe the thirde day, then the seuenth day he shall not be cleane.
Numbers 19:19
And the cleane person shall sprinkle vpon the vncleane the third day, and the seuenth day, and hee shall purifie him selfe the seuenth day, and wash his clothes, and wash himself in water, and shalbe cleane at euen.
Numbers 31:19
And ye shal remaine without the host seuen dayes, all that haue killed any person, and all that haue touched any dead, and purifie both your selues and your prisoners the third day and the seuenth.
Joshua 1:11
Passe through the hoste, and commande the people, saying, Prepare you vitailes: for after three dayes ye shall passe ouer this Iorden, to goe in to possesse the lande, which the Lord your God giueth you to possesse it.

Gill's Notes on the Bible

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 stolen, and to could be had again directly, and without any damage well as it would appear by this that he was not an old expert thief, and used to such practices, since he would soon have made away with this theft in some way or another:

whether it be ox, or ass, or sheep, or any other creature; and even, as Jarchi thinks, anything else, as raiment, goods, c.

he shall restore double two oxen for an ox, two asses for an ass, and two sheep for a sheep: and, as the same commentator observes, two living ones, and not dead ones, or the price of two living ones: so Solon made theft, by his law, punishable with death, but with a double restitution k; and the reason why here only a double restitution and not fourfold is insisted on, as in Exodus 22:1 is, because there the theft is persisted in, here not; but either the thief being convicted in his own conscience of his evil, makes confession, or, however, the creatures are found with alive, and so more useful being restored, and, being had again sooner, the loss is not quite so great.

i המצא תמצא "inveniendo inventum fuerit", Pagninus, Montanus, Piscator. k A. Gell, l. 11. c. 18.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

If a thief, in breaking into a dwelling in the night, was slain, the person who slew him did not incur the guilt of blood; but if the same occurred in daylight, the slayer was guilty in accordance with Exodus 21:12. The distinction may have been based on the fact that in the light of day there was a fair chance of identifying and apprehending the thief.

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse Exodus 22:4. He shall restore double. — In no case of theft was the life of the offender taken away; the utmost that the law says on this point is, that, if when found breaking into a house, he should be smitten so as to die, no blood should be shed for him; Exodus 22:2. If he had stolen and sold the property, then he was to restore four or fivefold, Exodus 22:1; but if the animal was found alive in his possession, he was to restore double.


 
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