Exodus 22:14
If a man borrows an animal from his neighbor and it is injured or dies while its owner is not present, he must make full restitution.
If a man borrows
The Hebrew word for "borrows" is "שָׁאַל" (sha'al), which implies a request or demand for something with the intention of returning it. In ancient Israelite society, borrowing was a common practice, reflecting a community-oriented culture where resources were shared. This phrase sets the stage for a legal and moral obligation, emphasizing the responsibility that comes with using another's property.

an animal
The term "animal" here is "בְּהֵמָה" (behemah), which generally refers to domesticated animals used for labor or transportation, such as oxen or donkeys. These animals were vital to the agrarian lifestyle of the Israelites, serving as essential tools for farming and trade. The mention of an animal underscores the economic and practical importance of the property being borrowed.

from his neighbor
The word "neighbor" is "רֵעַ" (rea), indicating a fellow member of the community. This reflects the close-knit nature of Israelite society, where relationships were built on mutual trust and cooperation. The use of "neighbor" highlights the relational aspect of the law, reminding the borrower of their duty to respect and care for their neighbor's property.

and it is injured or dies
The phrase "injured or dies" covers a range of potential mishaps that could befall the borrowed animal. The Hebrew words "נִשְׁבַּר" (nishbar) for "injured" and "מֵת" (met) for "dies" indicate physical harm or death, which could occur due to negligence or unforeseen circumstances. This part of the verse acknowledges the risks involved in borrowing and the need for accountability.

while its owner is not present
The absence of the owner, "בְּעָלָיו אֵין עִמּוֹ" (be'alav ein imo), is a crucial detail. It implies that the borrower has full responsibility for the animal's well-being. The owner's absence removes any shared responsibility, placing the onus entirely on the borrower to ensure the animal's safety and care.

he must make full restitution
The phrase "make full restitution" is "שַׁלֵּם יְשַׁלֵּם" (shalem yeshalem), which means to compensate completely or repay in full. This legal requirement underscores the principle of justice and fairness in the Mosaic Law. It serves as a deterrent against carelessness and encourages the borrower to treat the borrowed property with the same care as their own. The concept of restitution reflects God's desire for His people to live in harmony and integrity, ensuring that wrongs are righted and relationships are preserved.

Persons / Places / Events
1. The Borrower
The individual who borrows an animal from his neighbor. This person is responsible for the care and return of the borrowed property.

2. The Neighbor/Owner
The person who owns the animal and lends it to the borrower. The owner is not present when the incident occurs.

3. The Animal
Represents property or resources that are borrowed. In the context of ancient Israel, animals were valuable assets for work and livelihood.

4. The Event of Injury or Death
The situation where the borrowed animal is harmed or dies, triggering the need for restitution.

5. Restitution
The act of compensating the owner for the loss of the animal, emphasizing responsibility and justice.
Teaching Points
Responsibility and Accountability
Borrowing comes with the responsibility to care for and return the borrowed item in good condition. This principle applies to all areas of life, including finances, relationships, and resources.

The Principle of Restitution
Making restitution is a biblical principle that underscores justice and fairness. It teaches us to take responsibility for our actions and to make things right when we have caused loss or harm.

Trust and Community Relationships
Lending and borrowing require trust. Maintaining integrity in these transactions strengthens community bonds and reflects our commitment to living out biblical values.

God's Concern for Justice
This law reflects God's concern for justice and fairness in society. As believers, we are called to uphold these values in our interactions with others.

Application in Modern Context
While the specific context involves animals, the principle applies to any borrowed item or resource. We should be diligent in caring for what belongs to others and be prepared to make amends if necessary.
Bible Study Questions
1. How does the principle of restitution in Exodus 22:14 apply to modern-day situations involving borrowed items or resources?

2. In what ways can we demonstrate responsibility and accountability in our personal and professional lives, as illustrated by this verse?

3. How does the concept of restitution in Exodus 22:14 connect with Jesus' teachings on reconciliation and making amends in the New Testament?

4. What are some practical steps we can take to ensure we are trustworthy borrowers and lenders within our communities?

5. How can understanding God's concern for justice and fairness in Exodus 22:14 influence our interactions and relationships with others?
Connections to Other Scriptures
Leviticus 6:1-7
Discusses the laws of restitution for various wrongs, emphasizing the importance of making amends and restoring what was lost.

Luke 19:8
Zacchaeus' promise to repay fourfold if he has defrauded anyone, illustrating the principle of restitution in the New Testament.

Proverbs 19:17
Highlights the virtue of lending to the Lord by being generous to the poor, which can be related to the trust involved in lending and borrowing.

Matthew 5:25-26
Jesus' teaching on settling matters quickly with an adversary, which can be related to the importance of resolving issues of restitution promptly.
RestitutionJ. Orr Exodus 22:1-16
BorrowingG. Hughes, B. D.Exodus 22:14-15
Concerning BorrowingJ. W. Burn.Exodus 22:14-15
People
Moses
Places
Mount Sinai
Topics
Animal, Anything, Aught, Beasts, Borrow, Borrows, Certainly, Damaged, Death, Die, Died, Dies, Full, Fully, Gets, Hurt, Injured, Loss, Neighbor, Neighbor's, Neighbour, Ought, Owner, Payment, Present, Repay, Restitution, Surely, Thereof
Dictionary of Bible Themes
Exodus 22:14

     5389   lending
     8452   neighbours, duty to

Exodus 22:1-17

     5492   restitution

Exodus 22:3-15

     5264   compensation

Exodus 22:5-15

     5511   safety

Exodus 22:10-15

     4605   animals, religious role

Exodus 22:14-15

     5233   borrowing

Library
Excursus on Usury.
The famous canonist Van Espen defines usury thus: "Usura definitur lucrum ex mutuo exactum aut speratum;" [96] and then goes on to defend the proposition that, "Usury is forbidden by natural, by divine, and by human law. The first is proved thus. Natural law, as far as its first principles are concerned, is contained in the decalogue; but usury is prohibited in the decalogue, inasmuch as theft is prohibited; and this is the opinion of the Master of the Sentences, of St. Bonaventura, of St. Thomas
Philip Schaff—The Seven Ecumenical Councils

Parable of the Importunate Widow.
^C Luke XVIII. 1-8. ^c 1 And he spake a parable unto them to the end that they ought always to pray, and not to faint; 2 saying, There was in a city a judge, who feared not God, and regarded not man [an utterly abandoned character]: 3 and there was a widow in that city; and she came oft unto him, saying, Avenge me of [rather, Do justice to me as to] mine adversary. [In Scripture language widowhood is symbolic of defenselessness (Ex. xxii. 22-24; Deut. x. 18; xxvii. 19; Mal. iii. 5; Mark xii. 40),
J. W. McGarvey—The Four-Fold Gospel

Ciii. Zacchæus. Parable of the Pounds. Journey to Jerusalem.
(Jericho.) ^C Luke XIX. 1-28. ^c 1 And he entered and was passing through Jericho. [This was about one week before the crucifixion. Jericho is about seven miles from the Jordan and about seventeen and a half from Jerusalem.] 2 And behold, a man called by name Zacchaeus; and he was a chief publican, and he was rich. [See p. 76. It is probable that Zacchæus was a sub-contractor under some Roman knight who had bought the privilege of collecting taxes at Jericho, or perhaps the privilege of all
J. W. McGarvey—The Four-Fold Gospel

Epistle Xl. To Mauricius Augustus.
To Mauricius Augustus. Gregory to Mauricius, &c. The Piety of my Lords in their most serene commands, while set on refuting me on certain matters, in sparing me has by no means spared me. For by the use therein of the term simplicity they politely call me silly. It is true indeed that in Holy Scripture, when simplicity is spoken of in a good sense, it is often carefully associated with prudence and uprightness. Hence it is written of the blessed Job, The man was simple and upright (Job i. 1).
Saint Gregory the Great—the Epistles of Saint Gregory the Great

Appeal to the Christian Women of the South
BY A.E. GRIMKE. "Then Mordecai commanded to answer Esther, Think not within thyself that thou shalt escape in the king's house more than all the Jews. For if thou altogether holdest thy peace at this time, then shall there enlargement and deliverance arise to the Jews from another place: but thou and thy father's house shall be destroyed: and who knoweth whether thou art come to the kingdom for such a time as this. And Esther bade them return Mordecai this answer:--and so will I go in unto the king,
Angelina Emily Grimke—An Appeal to the Christian Women of the South

Epistle xvii. To Felix, Bishop of Messana.
To Felix, Bishop of Messana. To our most reverend brother, the Bishop Felix, Gregory, servant of the servants of God [246] . Our Head, which is Christ, to this end has willed us to be His members, that through His large charity and faithfulness He might make us one body in Himself, to whom it befits us so to cling that, since without Him we can do nothing, through Him we may be enabled to be what we are called. From the citadel of the Head let nothing divide us, lest, if we refuse to be His members,
Saint Gregory the Great—the Epistles of Saint Gregory the Great

Feast of the Dedication. The Jews Attempt to Stone Jesus and He Retires to Peræa.
(Jerusalem and Beyond Jordan.) ^D John X. 22-42. ^d 22 And it was the feast of the dedication at Jerusalem: 23; it was winter; and Jesus walked in the temple in Solomon's porch. [The feast of dedication was one of eight days' duration and began upon the 25th Chisleu, which, according to the calculation of M. Chevannes, fell upon the nineteenth or twentieth of December, a.d. 29. The feast was kept in honor of the renovation and purification of the temple in the year b.c. 164, after it had been desecrated
J. W. McGarvey—The Four-Fold Gospel

A Summary of the Christian Life. Of Self-Denial.
The divisions of the chapter are,--I. The rule which permits us not to go astray in the study of righteousness, requires two things, viz., that man, abandoning his own will, devote himself entirely to the service of God; whence it follows, that we must seek not our own things, but the things of God, sec. 1, 2. II. A description of this renovation or Christian life taken from the Epistle to Titus, and accurately explained under certain special heads, sec. 3 to end. 1. ALTHOUGH the Law of God contains
Archpriest John Iliytch Sergieff—On the Christian Life

Jesus' Last Public Discourse. Denunciation of Scribes and Pharisees.
(in the Court of the Temple. Tuesday, April 4, a.d. 30.) ^A Matt. XXIII. 1-39; ^B Mark XII. 38-40; ^C Luke XX. 45-47. ^a 1 Then spake Jesus ^b 38 And in his teaching ^c in the hearing of all the people he said unto ^a the multitudes, and to his disciples [he spoke in the most public manner], 2 saying, ^c 46 Beware of the scribes, ^a The scribes and the Pharisees sit on Moses' seat: 3 all things whatsoever they bid you, these do and observe: but do not ye after their works: for they say, and do not.
J. W. McGarvey—The Four-Fold Gospel

Circumcision, Temple Service, and Naming of Jesus.
(the Temple at Jerusalem, b.c. 4) ^C Luke II. 21-39. ^c 21 And when eight days [Gen. xvii. 12] were fulfilled for circumcising him [The rite was doubtless performed by Joseph. By this rite Jesus was "made like unto his brethren" (Heb. ii. 16, 17); that is, he became a member of the covenant nation, and became a debtor to the law--Gal. v. 3] , his name was called JESUS [see Luke i. 59], which was so called by the angel before he was conceived in the womb. [Luke i. 31.] 22 And when the days of their
J. W. McGarvey—The Four-Fold Gospel

The Development of the Earlier Old Testament Laws
[Sidenote: First the principle, and then the detailed laws] If the canon of the New Testament had remained open as long as did that of the Old, there is little doubt that it also would have contained many laws, legal precedents, and ecclesiastical histories. From the writings of the Church Fathers and the records of the Catholic Church it is possible to conjecture what these in general would have been. The early history of Christianity illustrates the universal fact that the broad principles are
Charles Foster Kent—The Origin & Permanent Value of the Old Testament

The Blessing of Jacob Upon Judah. (Gen. Xlix. 8-10. )
Ver. 8. "Judah, thou, thy brethren shall praise thee; thy hand shall be on the neck of thine enemies; before thee shall bow down the sons of thy father. Ver. 9. A lion's whelp is Judah; from the prey, my son, thou goest up; he stoopeth down, he coucheth as a lion, and as a full-grown lion, who shall rouse him up? Ver. 10. The sceptre shall not depart from Judah, nor lawgiver from between his feet, until Shiloh come, and unto Him the people shall adhere." Thus does dying Jacob, in announcing
Ernst Wilhelm Hengstenberg—Christology of the Old Testament

The Eighth Commandment
Thou shalt not steal.' Exod 20: 15. AS the holiness of God sets him against uncleanness, in the command Thou shalt not commit adultery;' so the justice of God sets him against rapine and robbery, in the command, Thou shalt not steal.' The thing forbidden in this commandment, is meddling with another man's property. The civil lawyers define furtum, stealth or theft to be the laying hands unjustly on that which is another's;' the invading another's right. I. The causes of theft. [1] The internal causes
Thomas Watson—The Ten Commandments

Exodus
The book of Exodus--so named in the Greek version from the march of Israel out of Egypt--opens upon a scene of oppression very different from the prosperity and triumph in which Genesis had closed. Israel is being cruelly crushed by the new dynasty which has arisen in Egypt (i.) and the story of the book is the story of her redemption. Ultimately it is Israel's God that is her redeemer, but He operates largely by human means; and the first step is the preparation of a deliverer, Moses, whose parentage,
John Edgar McFadyen—Introduction to the Old Testament

Links
Exodus 22:14 NIV
Exodus 22:14 NLT
Exodus 22:14 ESV
Exodus 22:14 NASB
Exodus 22:14 KJV

Exodus 22:14 Commentaries

Bible Hub
Exodus 22:13
Top of Page
Top of Page