| Scripture |
Expanded Comments |
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| 1 If a man shall steal an ox or a sheep, and kill it, or sell it; he shall pay five oxen for an ox, and four sheep for a sheep. |
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| 2 If the thief be found breaking in, and be smitten so that he dieth, there shall be no bloodguiltiness for him. |
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| 3 If the sun be risen upon him, there shall be bloodguiltiness for him; he shall make restitution: if he have nothing, then he shall be sold for his theft. |
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| 4 If the theft be found in his hand alive, whether it be ox, or ass, or sheep; he shall pay double. |
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| 5 If a man shall cause a field or vineyard to be eaten, and shall let his beast loose, and it feed in another man's field; of the best of his own field, and of the best of his own vineyard, shall he make restitution. |
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| 6 If fire break out, and catch in thorns, so that the shocks of grain, or the standing grain, or the field are consumed; he that kindled the fire shall surely make restitution. |
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| 7 If a man shall deliver unto his neighbor money or stuff to keep, and it be stolen out of the man's house; if the thief be found, he shall pay double. |
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| 8 If the thief be not found, then the master of the house shall come near unto God, to see whether he have not put his hand unto his neighbor's goods. |
Unto the judges – Elohim, rulers, mighty ones. A name applied to Jehovah as well as to men. E68; R1410:3
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| 9 For every matter of trespass, whether it be for ox, for ass, for sheep, for raiment, or for any manner of lost thing, whereof one saith, This is it, the cause of both parties shall come before God; he whom God shall condemn shall pay double unto his neighbor. |
Before the judges – Elohim, rulers, mighty ones. E68; R1410:3
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| 10 If a man deliver unto his neighbor 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: |
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| 11 the oath of Jehovah shall be between them both, whether he hath not put his hand unto his neighbor's goods; and the owner thereof shall accept it, and he shall not make restitution. |
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| 12 But if it be stolen from him, he shall make restitution unto the owner thereof. |
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| 13 If it be torn in pieces, let him bring it for witness; he shall not make good that which was torn. |
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| 14 And if a man borrow aught of his neighbor, and it be hurt, or die, the owner thereof not being with it, he shall surely make restitution. |
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| 15 If the owner thereof be with it, he shall not make it good: if it be a hired thing, it came for its hire. |
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| 16 And if a man entice a virgin that is not betrothed, and lie with her, he shall surely pay a dowry for her to be his wife. |
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| 17 If her father utterly refuse to give her unto him, he shall pay money according to the dowry of virgins. |
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| 18 Thou shalt not suffer a sorceress to live. |
Not suffer a witch – A medium, or mouthpiece of fallen angels. R2172:1; Q840:T
Spirit mediums, clairvoyants and the like are the modern wizards and witches. Q840:T
It is not superstitious to believe that men and women may be so given over to Satan, and be so controlled by him as to be wizards and witches. R265:4
Witchcraft was instituted by Satan to prove his lie that the dead are not dead. R1216:2
Some of God's people today, notwithstanding this instruction, have attended Spiritualistic seances "just to see how it was done." R3240:5
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| 19 Whosoever lieth with a beast shall surely be put to death. |
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| 20 He that sacrificeth unto any god, save unto Jehovah only, shall be utterly destroyed. |
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| 21 And a sojourner shalt thou not wrong, neither shalt thou oppress him: for ye were sojourners in the land of Egypt. |
Vex a stranger – The laws protected the weak, the stranger, the servant. OV10:5
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| 22 Ye shall not afflict any widow, or fatherless child. |
Widow, or fatherless child – The Lord's special care is over the weak, helpless and bereaved ones. Q781:4
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| 23 If thou afflict them at all, and they cry at all unto me, I will surely hear their cry; |
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| 24 and my wrath shall wax hot, and I will kill you with the sword; and your wives shall be widows, and your children fatherless. |
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| 25 If thou lend money to any of my people with thee that is poor, thou shalt not be to him as a creditor; neither shall ye lay upon him interest. |
That is poor – The Mosaic Law was far ahead of its time. A50
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| 26 If thou at all take thy neighbor's garment to pledge, thou shalt restore it unto him before the sun goeth down: |
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| 27 for that is his only covering, it is his garment for his skin: wherein shall he sleep? and it shall come to pass, when he crieth unto me, that I will hear; for I am gracious. |
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| 28 Thou shalt not revile the judges, nor curse a ruler of thy people. |
Not revile the gods – Elohim, rulers, mighty ones. E68; R1410:3
Nor curse the ruler – The tendency to speak evil of dignitaries, to belittle and caricature them, is a prevalent sin and does much to undermine good government. R5952:5
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| 29 Thou shalt not delay to offer of thy harvest, and of the outflow of thy presses. The firstborn of thy sons shalt thou give unto me. |
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| 30 Likewise shalt thou do with thine oxen, and with thy sheep: seven days it shall be with its dam; on the eighth day thou shalt give it me. |
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| 31 And ye shall be holy men unto me: therefore ye shall not eat any flesh that is torn of beasts in the field; ye shall cast it to the dogs. |
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