Exodus 22:7-15

Exodus 22:7-15

[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.  [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;  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  [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  [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  [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. 

What does Exodus 22:7-15 Mean?

Contextual Meaning

Next we have four cases involving property held in custody. In the Hammurabi Code the penalty for losing or allowing a thief to steal what someone else had committed to one"s trust was death [1] as was falsely accusing someone of this crime. [2] The Torah required only twofold payment in both situations ( Exodus 22:9).
Second, if what someone entrusted to his neighbor for safekeeping perished by accident ( Exodus 22:10-13) the neighbor was not responsible to make restitution. This was the law under the Code of Hammurabi too. [3]
Third, if someone borrowed something and it then suffered damage or it died ( Exodus 22:14-15 a) the borrower was responsible to make restitution. This was the procedure unless the owner (lender) was present when the damage or death took place. In that case the lender was responsible for his own property.
Fourth, if someone rented something and then damaged it or it died ( Exodus 22:15 b) the borrower was not responsible to make restitution since the fee he had paid covered his liability. The Code of Hammurabi specified no liability in either of these last two instances. [4]