Exodus 22 focuses on a person’s possessions. There is no capital punishment for the theft of a possession, but there must still be proper restitution.

(1) Definition of stealing (Exod 22:1-4): Stealing is the taking away of what is not yours. God’s law demands that the penalty corresponds with the thing stolen. In verse 2, the thief stole in the dark. If one killed this thief, one is not guilty. However, if the theft occurred in daylight (Exod 22:3), the killing of the thief would be considered excessive, and one would have to pay for taking the thief’s life. (This shows a right view of possessions: that they are just physical things.)

According to verse 3, the thief has to “make full restitution.” If he is unable to do so, he “shall be sold for his theft.” If the stolen animals are found in the thief’s possession (Exod 22:4), he has to “restore double,” thus taking into account the owner’s loss of earnings as a result of his animals being stolen.

(2) Principle of restitution (Exod 22:5-9): In Exodus 22:5, selfishness is involved. Thus, the thief has to “make restitution.” Similarly in the event of a possession being burnt due to carelessness (Exod 22:6). The restitution is not just a penalty for a crime committed, it is also to help the owner who has suffered loss. Thus, the principle of restitution is to restore to the victim. In Exodus 22:7, you entrusted your neighbour with something, and it was stolen. If the thief is found, the thief has to pay double. If the thief is not found (Exod 22:8), your neighbour must then be brought to the judges to see if he was the thief. And “whom the judges shall condemn, he shall pay double...” (Exod 22:9).

(3) Principle of being responsible (Exod 22:10-17): When an animal is entrusted to a neighbour, and it dies/hurt without anybody knowing what happened (Exod 22:10), then the neighbour has to make an oath that he is innocent (Exod 22:11), and the owner has to accept that. If the animal is stolen, the neighbour has to make restitution (Exod 22:12). But if the animal died due to an act of nature (Exod 22:13), then the neighbour is not responsible for it. If a man borrows an animal from his neighbour (Exod 22:14), and it was hurt/died without the neighbour’s supervision, the man has to make restitution. But if the neighbour was present (Exod 22:15), then no restitution is needed. When we entrust a person to take care of something, the principle is not to blame that person when your possession is damaged. In Exodus 22:16, if a man stole a woman’s virginity, the man must marry her. If her father objects to the marriage, then the man has to “pay money according to the dowry of virgins” (Exod 22:17). The principle is that one must bear responsibility. This also shows the high view of sexual purity.