Exodus Chapter 22 Verses 7-8

:7 “If a man shall deliver unto his neighbour money or stuff to keep, and it be stolen out of the man's house; if the thief be found, let him pay double. 8 If the thief be not found, then the master of the house shall be brought unto the judges, to see whether he have put his hand unto his neighbour's goods.” 

A note here on the simplicity of God’s laws governing man’s actions toward man.  The laws are very easy to be understood.  They are very specific and leave very little room for interpretation. 

The above situation governs man’s responsibility to keep safe and secure the goods of a neighbor who has given him something for safe keeping.  Simply if the thief is found, then the thief pays double.  If the thief is not found, then the master of the house is brought before the judges who will judge whether he has put his hand to his neighbor’s goods.   


Verses 9-15 

:9 “For all manner of trespass, whether it be for ox, for ass, for sheep, for raiment, or for any manner of lost thing, which another challengeth to be his, the cause of both parties shall come before the judges; and whom the judges shall condemn, he shall pay double unto his neighbour. 10 If a man deliver unto his neighbour an ass, or an ox, or a sheep, or any beast, to keep; and it die, or be hurt, or driven away, no man seeing it: 11 Then shall an oath of the LORD be between them both, that he hath not put his hand unto his neighbour's goods; and the owner of it shall accept thereof, and he shall not make it good. 12 And if it be stolen from him, he shall make restitution unto the owner thereof. 13 If it be torn in pieces, then let him bring it for witness, and he shall not make good that which was torn. 14 And if a man borrow ought of his neighbour, and it be hurt, or die, the owner thereof being not with it, he shall surely make it good. 15 But if the owner thereof be with it, he shall not make it good: if it be an hired thing, it came for his hire.”

“For all manner of trespass, whether it be for ox, for ass, for sheep, for raiment, or for any manner of lost thing, which another challengeth to be his, the cause of both parties shall come before the judges; and whom the judges shall condemn, he shall pay double unto his neighbour.”  In this we see a responsibility given to the judges to make righteous judgment between the challenges of neighbors.  The decision of the judges determines to whom the challenged item belongs and the losing party is required to pay double to his neighbor. 

“If a man deliver unto his neighbour an ass, or an ox, or a sheep, or any beast, to keep; and it die, or be hurt, or driven away, no man seeing it: 11 Then shall an oath of the LORD be between them both, that he hath not put his hand unto his neighbour's goods; and the owner of it shall accept thereof, and he shall not make it good.”  In this case, when a borrowed animal dies and there is no witness to the death, both neighbors are to take an oath of the LORD that he hath not put his hand unto his neighbor’s goods and the owner is to accept thereof, and it shall not be made good.  The strength of the oath of the LORD places a moral bond on the parties making the oath.   

“And if it be stolen from him, he shall make restitution unto the owner thereof.”  When the borrowing neighbor has the borrowed item or animal stolen from him he is considered responsible for the stolen item and is to make restitution unto the owner of the borrowed item or animal stolen.   

“If it be torn in pieces, then let him bring it for witness, and he shall not make good that which was torn.”  The borrowing neighbor cannot control the actions of a wild predatory beast, thus he is not considered responsible to make restitution to his neighbor. 

“And if a man borrow ought of his neighbour, and it be hurt, or die, the owner thereof being not with it, he shall surely make it good. 15 But if the owner thereof be with it, he shall not make it good: if it be an hired thing, it came for his hire.”  The distinction in judgment is dependent on whether the owner of the borrowed animal is with it or not.