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Monday, July 21st, 2025
the Week of Proper 11 / Ordinary 16
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Read the Bible

Literal Standard Version

Exodus 22:2

If in the breaking through, the thief is found, and he has been struck and has died, there is no blood for him;

Bible Study Resources

Concordances:

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

Dictionaries:

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

Encyclopedias:

- Condensed Biblical Cyclopedia - Peculiarities of the Law of Moses;   International Standard Bible Encyclopedia - Bloodguiltiness;   Covenant, the Book of the;   Crime;   Homicide;   Punishments;   Slave;   The Jewish Encyclopedia - Burglary;   Crime;   Hammurabi;   Homicide;   Slaves and Slavery;   Sun;   Theft and Stolen Goods;  

Parallel Translations

Hebrew Names Version
If the thief is found breaking in, and is struck so that he dies, there shall be no guilt of bloodshed for him.
King James Version
If a thief be found breaking up, and be smitten that he die, there shall no blood be shed for him.
Lexham English Bible
"‘If a thief is found in the act of breaking in and he is struck and he dies, there is not bloodguilt for him.
New Century Version
"The robber who is caught must pay back what he stole. If he owns nothing, he must be sold as a slave to pay for what he stole. If the stolen animal is found alive with the robber, he must give the owner two animals for every animal he stole, whether it was a bull, donkey, or sheep. "If a thief is killed while breaking into a house at night, the one who killed him is not guilty of murder. But if this happens during the day, he is guilty of murder.
New English Translation
"If a thief is caught breaking in and is struck so that he dies, there will be no blood guilt for him.
Amplified Bible
"If a thief is caught breaking in [after dark] and is struck [by the owner] so that he dies, there shall be no bloodguilt for him.
New American Standard Bible
"If the thief is caught while breaking in and is struck so that he dies, there will be no guilt for bloodshed on his account.
Geneva Bible (1587)
If a thiefe bee founde breaking vp, and be smitten that he dye, no blood shall be shed for him.
Legacy Standard Bible
"If the thief is caught while breaking in and is struck so that he dies, there will be no bloodguiltiness on his account.
Contemporary English Version
But if you cannot afford to replace the animals, you must be sold as a slave to pay for what you have stolen. If you steal an ox, donkey, or sheep, and are caught with it still alive, you must pay the owner double. If you happen to kill a burglar who breaks into your home after dark, you are not guilty. But if you kill someone who breaks in during the day, you are guilty of murder.
Complete Jewish Bible
unless it happens after sunrise, in which case it is murder. A thief must make restitution; so if he has nothing, he himself is to be sold to make good the loss from the theft.
Darby Translation
If the thief be encountered breaking in, and be smitten so that he die, there shall be no blood-guiltiness for him.
Easy-to-Read Version
If he owns nothing, then he will be sold as a slave. But if the man still has the animal and you find it, that man must give the owner two animals for every animal he stole. It doesn't matter if the animal was a bull, a donkey, or a sheep. "If a thief is killed while trying to break into a house at night, then no one will be guilty for killing him. But if this happens during the day, the one who killed him will be guilty of murder.
English Standard Version
If a thief is found breaking in and is struck so that he dies, there shall be no bloodguilt for him,
George Lamsa Translation
If a thief is found breaking into a house and is wounded so that he dies, there is no penalty for bloodshed.
Good News Translation
He must pay for what he stole. If he owns nothing, he shall be sold as a slave to pay for what he has stolen. If the stolen animal, whether a cow, a donkey, or a sheep, is found alive in his possession, he shall pay two for one. "If a thief is caught breaking into a house at night and is killed, the one who killed him is not guilty of murder. But if it happens during the day, he is guilty of murder.
Christian Standard Bible®
If a thief is caught in the act of breaking in, and he is beaten to death, no one is guilty of bloodshed.
Literal Translation
If the thief is found breaking in, and is stricken and dies, no blood shall be shed for him.
Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
Yf a thefe be taken breakinge in, & vpon that be smytten that he dye, then shall not he that smote him, be giltie of his bloude.
American Standard Version
If the thief be found breaking in, and be smitten so that he dieth, there shall be no bloodguiltiness for him.
Bible in Basic English
If a thief is taken in the act of forcing his way into a house, and his death is caused by a blow, the owner of the house is not responsible for his blood.
Bishop's Bible (1568)
If a theefe be found breaking vp, and be smitten that he dye: there shall no blood be shed for hym.
JPS Old Testament (1917)
If the sun be risen upon him, there shall be bloodguiltiness for him--he shall make restitution; if he have nothing, then he shall be sold for his theft.
King James Version (1611)
If a thiefe bee found breaking vp, and be smitten that he die, there shal no blood be shed for him.
Brenton's Septuagint (LXX)
And if the thief be found in the breach made by himself and be smitten and die, there shall not be blood shed for him.
English Revised Version
If the thief be found breaking in, and be smitten that he die, there shall be no bloodguiltiness for him.
Berean Standard Bible
If a thief is caught breaking in and is beaten to death, no one shall be guilty of bloodshed.
Wycliffe Bible (1395)
And if a nyyt theef brekynge an hows, ether vndurmynynge, is foundun, and is deed bi a wounde takun, the smytere schal not be gilti of blood;
Young's Literal Translation
`If in the breaking through, the thief is found, and he hath been smitten, and hath died, there is no blood for him;
Update Bible Version
If the thief is found breaking in, and is smitten so that he dies, there shall be no bloodguiltiness for him.
Webster's Bible Translation
If a thief shall be found breaking through, and be smitten that he die, [there shall] no blood [be shed] for him.
World English Bible
If the thief is found breaking in, and is struck so that he dies, there shall be no guilt of bloodshed for him.
New King James Version
If the thief is found breaking in, and he is struck so that he dies, there shall be no guilt for his bloodshed.
New Living Translation
"If a thief is caught in the act of breaking into a house and is struck and killed in the process, the person who killed the thief is not guilty of murder.
New Life Bible
If the robber is caught while breaking in, and is hit so that he dies, the owner of the house is not guilty for his blood.
New Revised Standard
If a thief is found breaking in, and is beaten to death, no bloodguilt is incurred;
J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
If, in the place of breaking in, the thief be found and he is smitten so that he dieth, there is due for him no shedding of blood:
Douay-Rheims Bible
If a thief be found breaking open a house or undermining it, and be wounded so as to die: he that slew him shall not be guilty of blood.
Revised Standard Version
If the stolen beast is found alive in his possession, whether it is an ox or an ass or a sheep, he shall pay double.
New American Standard Bible (1995)
"If the thief is caught while breaking in and is struck so that he dies, there will be no bloodguiltiness on his account.

Contextual Overview

1When a man steals an ox or sheep, and has slaughtered it or sold it, he repays [with] five of the herd for the ox, and four of the flock for the sheep. 2If in the breaking through, the thief is found, and he has been struck and has died, there is no blood for him;3if the sun has risen on him, blood [is] for him, he certainly repays; if he has nothing, then he has been sold for his theft; 4if the theft is certainly found alive in his hand, whether ox, or donkey, or sheep—he repays double. 5When a man depastures a field or vineyard, and has sent out his beast, and it has pastured in the field of another, he repays [with] the best of his field, and the best of his vineyard. 6When fire goes forth and has found thorns, and a stack, or the standing grain, or the field has been consumed, he who causes the burning certainly repays.

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

breaking: Job 24:14, Job 30:5, Hosea 7:1, Joel 2:9, Matthew 6:19, Matthew 6:20, Matthew 24:43, 1 Thessalonians 5:2

no blood: Numbers 35:27

Reciprocal: Genesis 9:6 - by Deuteronomy 17:8 - between blood Job 24:16 - In the dark Ezekiel 18:10 - a robber

Cross-References

Genesis 17:19
and God says, "Your wife Sarah is certainly bearing a son to you, and you have called his name Isaac, and I have established My covenant with him, for a perpetual covenant, to his seed after him.
Genesis 21:12
and God says to Abraham, "Let it not be wrong in your eyes because of the youth, and because of your handmaid: all that Sarah says to you—listen to her voice, for in Isaac is a seed called to you.
Genesis 22:9
And they come to the place of which God has spoken to him, and there Abraham builds the altar, and arranges the wood, and binds his son Isaac, and places him on the altar above the wood;
Genesis 22:10
and Abraham puts forth his hand, and takes the knife—to slaughter his son.
Genesis 22:12
and He says, "Do not put forth your hand to the youth, nor do anything to him, for now I have known that you are fearing God, and have not withheld your son, your only one, from Me."
Genesis 22:16
and says, "I have sworn by Myself—a declaration of YHWH—that because you have done this thing, and have not withheld your son, your only one,
Judges 11:31
then it has been, that which comes out from the doors of my house at all to meet me in my turning back in peace from the sons of Ammon—it has been for YHWH, or I have offered up a burnt-offering for it."
Judges 11:39
and it comes to pass at the end of two months that she turns back to her father, and he does to her his vow which he has vowed, and she did not know a man; and it is a statute in Israel:
2 Kings 3:27
and he takes his son, the firstborn who reigns in his stead, and causes him to ascend [as] a burnt-offering on the wall, and there is great wrath against Israel, and they journey from off him, and return to the land.
2 Chronicles 3:1
And Solomon begins to build the house of YHWH in Jerusalem, on the mount of Moriah where He appeared to his father David, in the place that David had prepared, in the threshing-floor of Ornan the Jebusite,

Gill's Notes on the Bible

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 window of it) a thief be found''

that is, in the night, as appears from the following verse, "if the sun", c. to which this is opposed, as Aben Ezra observes some render it, with a digging instrument x; and it is a Jewish canon y, that

"if anyone enter with a digging instrument: he is condemned on account of his end;''

his design, which is apparent by the instrument found upon him; for, as Maimonides z observes,

"it is well known, that if anyone enters with a digging instrument, that he intends, if the master of the house opposes him to deliver his goods out of his power, that he will kill him, and therefore it is lawful to kill him; but it does not signify whether he enters with a digging instrument, either by the way of the court, or roof;''

and be smitten that he die be knocked down with a club, by the master of the house, or any of his servants, or be run through with a sword, or be struck with any other weapon, to hinder him from entrance and carrying off any of the goods of the house, and the blow be mortal: there shall no blood be shed for him: as for a man that is murdered; for to kill a man when breaking into a house, and, by all appearance, with an intention to commit murder, if resisted, in defence of a man's self, his life and property, was not to be reckoned murder, and so not punishable with death: or, "no blood" shall be "unto him" a; shall be imputed to him, the man that kills the thief shall not be chargeable with his blood, or suffer for shedding it; because his own life was risked, and it being at such a time, could call none to his assistance, nor easily discern the person, nor could know well where and whom he struck.

x במחתרת "cum perfossorio", Pagninus; "cum instrumento perfosserio", Tigurine version. y Misn. Sanhedrin, c. 8. sect. 6. z Comment. in ib. a אין לו דמים "non ei sanguines", Montanus, Vatablus, Drusius.

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 22:2. If a thief be found — If a thief was found breaking into a house in the night season, he might be killed; but not if the sun had risen, for then he might be known and taken, and the restitution made which is mentioned in the succeeding verse. So by the law of England it is a burglary to break and enter a house by night; and "anciently the day was accounted to begin only from sunrising, and to end immediately upon sunset: but it is now generally agreed that if there be daylight enough begun or left, either by the light of the sun or twilight, whereby the countenance of a person may reasonably be discerned, it is no burglary; but that this does not extend to moonlight, for then many midnight burglaries would go unpunished. And besides, the malignity of the offence does not so properly arise, as Mr. Justice Blackstone observes, from its being done in the dark, as at the dead of night when all the creation except beasts of prey are at rest; when sleep has disarmed the owner, and rendered his castle defenceless." - East's Pleas of the Crown, vol. ii., p. 509.


 
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