Bible Encyclopedias
Fourfold

International Standard Bible Encyclopedia

fōr -fōld : Occurs but twice in English Versions: 2 Samuel 12:6 , "He shall restore the lamb fourfold"; and Luke 19:8 the King James Version, "If I have wrongfully exacted ought ... I restore fourfold." From this statement of Zaccheus we are to understand that fourfold the amount of that which was stolen was the restoration the law required of a thief. This was the extreme penalty the law imposed. In some cases double the amount was to be restored ( Exodus 22:4 , Exodus 22:7 ); in others, a fifth of its value was added to the thing restored (Leviticus 6:5 ); still again, an amount equal to that taken was to be restored (1 Samuel 12:3 ).