1 “If a man steals an ox or a sheep, and slaughters it or sells it, he shall arestore five oxen for an ox and four sheep for a sheep.
2 If the thief is found abreaking in, and he is struck so that he dies, thereshallbebno guilt for his bloodshed.
3 If the sun has risen on him, thereshallbe guilt for his bloodshed. He should make full restitution; if he has nothing, then he shall be asold for his theft.
4 If the theft is certainlya found alive in his hand, whether it is an ox or donkey or sheep, he shall brestore 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.
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.
7 “If a man adelivers to his neighbor money or articles to keep, and it is stolen out of the man’s house, bif 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 ajudges tosee whether he has put his hand into his neighbor’s goods.
9 “For any kind of trespass, whetheritconcerns an ox, a donkey, a sheep, or clothing, or for any kind of lost thing which another claims to be his, the acause 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,
The theft of an ox appears to have been regarded as a greater crime than the theft of a sheep, because it showed a stronger purpose in wickedness to take the larger and more powerful animal. It may have been on similar moral ground that the thief, when he had proved his persistency in crime by adding to his theft the slaughter, or sale, of the animal, was to restore four times its value in the case of a sheep (compare the marginal references), and five times its value in the case of an ox; but if the animal was still in his possession alive (see Exodus 22:4) he had to make only twofold restitution.
Other Barnes' Notes entries containing Exodus 22:1:
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