Preface: This chapter of Exodus is a variety of laws, including lending procedures, what happens if a man seduces a virgin, executing a witch, liability with work animals, and stealing (among other things).

The Bible Summary of Exodus 22 (in 140 characters or less): Whoever steals shall make restitution. If a man sleeps with a virgin he shall marry her. You shall not oppress strangers or the poor.

There are many chapter commentaries on the book of Exodus. This will be the most extensive examination of Exodus 22, where you will be able to examine in depth every word of the original text. Every attempt has been made to make this both a complete and self-contained study. Therefore, all references, vocabulary, and related concepts should be found within this extensive study. Easy access links to more in-depth studies of some vocabulary words, concepts and doctrines are also provided.

Outline of Chapter 22:

Introduction

         vv.     1–15         Stealing/Responsibility for Another’s Property

         vv.    16–31         Miscellaneous Laws

Chapter Summary

Addendum

Charts, Graphics and Short Doctrines:

         Preface               Quotations

         Introduction         Titles and/or Brief Descriptions of Exodus 22 (by various commentators)

         Introduction         Brief, but insightful observations of Exodus 22 (various commentators)

         Introduction         Fundamental Questions About Exodus 22

         Introduction         The Prequel of Exodus 22

         Introduction 

         Introduction 

         Introduction         The Principals of Exodus 22

         Introduction         The Places of Exodus 22

         Introduction         By the Numbers

         Introduction         Timeline for Exodus 22

         Introduction         A Synopsis of Exodus 22

         Introduction         Outlines of Exodus 22 (Various Commentators)

         Introduction         A Synopsis of Exodus 22 from the Summarized Bible

         Introduction         The Big Picture (Exodus –)

         Introduction         Paragraph Divisions of Modern Translation for Exodus 22

         Introduction 

         Introduction 

         Introduction         Changes—additions and subtractions (for Exodus 22)

         Introduction 

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         v.      30              Message to the Pastor of a Small Congregation

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         Summary            A Set of Summary Doctrines and Commentary

         Summary            Why Exodus 22 is in the Word of God

         Summary            What We Learn from Exodus 22

         Summary            Jesus Christ in Exodus 22

         Summary            Shmoop Summary of Exodus 22

         Summary            Edersheim Summarizes Exodus 22

         Summary 

         Addendum          Josephus’ History of this Time Period

         Addendum          A Complete Translation of Exodus 22

         Addendum          Word Cloud from a Reasonably Literal Paraphrase of Exodus 22

         Addendum          Word Cloud from Exegesis of Exodus 22

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An Introduction to Exodus 22

I ntroduction: Exodus 22 continues with property rights and related laws and it legislates morality, of all things. Most of the laws carry with them penalties up until v. 21. At that point we have particular regulations for the Hebrews but we do not have in place an appropriate penalty to be levied by the judicial system. Here, as before, the Ten Commandments have provided a framework upon which hang these laws.

The division between chapters 21 and 22 seems arbitrary to me.

Timeline for Exodus 22

The Hebrew and English are out of synch by one verse in this chapter. I will take note of that in the first two verses and in the final verse.

As is my custom, I will begin and end this chapter with quotation marks, as it is God Who is speaking throughout. I will not make any attempt to identify a new paragraph and begin that paragraph with quotation marks.

For this chapter, there is the Israeli version and the Christian version, where the verses are out of synch by one. The Jewish tradition places this first verse at the end of the previous chapter, where it does not belong. The end of the previous chapter deal with damage or harm caused by men or by their animals. V. 1 begins with a man stealing an animal, which theme of theft continues in this chapter through v. 5. So, the Christian sense of organization is the superior choice here.

The division into chapters and verses occurred much later than the text. If memory serves, these divisions did not occur until the Christian era. I am more surprised that there are so few instances of differences than I would be if there were hundreds or thousands.

The difference in the numbering will be noted in the first two verses and then at the end of this chapter. With Exodus 23, the Hebrew and Christian versions synch up once again.

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Stealing/Responsibility for Another's Property

How this is different from the previous chapter is, in the previous chapter, there was responsibility and liability assigned (for instance, someone had a neighbor’s bull or sheep, and someone else stole it). In this chapter, the person making restitution has intentionally stolen something from the aggrieved party.

A few translations brought in text from v. 3 and added it to the end of v. 1, which seems eminently necessary.

Here is how others have translated this verse:

Ancient texts:                       Note: I compare the Hebrew text to English translations of the Latin, Syriac (= Aramaic) and Greek texts, using the Douay-Rheims translation; George Lamsa’s translation, and Sir Lancelot Charles Lee Brenton’s translation as revised and edited by Paul W. Esposito, respectively. I often update these texts with non-substantive changes (e.g., you for thou, etc.). I often use the text of the Complete Apostles’ Bible instead of Brenton’s translation, because it updates the English text.

The Septuagint was the earliest known translation of a book (circa 200 b.c.). Since this translation was made before the textual criticism had been developed into a science and because different books appear to be translated by different men, the Greek translation can sometimes be very uneven.

When there are serious disparities between my translation and Brenton’s (or the text of the Complete Apostles’ Bible), I look at the Greek text of the Septuagint (the LXX) to see if a substantive difference actually exists (and I reflect these changes in the English rendering of the Greek text). I use the Greek LXX with Strong’s numbers and morphology available for e-sword. The only problem with this resource (which is a problem for similar resources) is, there is no way to further explore Greek verbs which are not found in the New Testament. Although I usually quote the Complete Apostles’ Bible here, I have begun to make changes in the translation when their translation conflicts with the Greek and note what those changes are.

The Masoretic text is the Hebrew text with all of the vowels (vowel points) inserted (the original Hebrew text lacked vowels). We take the Masoretic text to be the text closest to the original. However, differences between the Masoretic text and the Greek, Latin and Syriac are worth noting and, once in a great while, represent a more accurate text possessed by those other ancient translators.

In general, the Latin text is an outstanding translation from the Hebrew text into Latin and very trustworthy (I say this as a non-Catholic). Unfortunately, I do not read Latin—apart from some very obvious words—so I am dependent upon the English translation of the Latin (principally, the Douay-Rheims translation).

The comparisons which I do are primarily between the English translations which are taken from the ancient tongues. For the most part, the variances are so minor that I rarely investigate them any further than that.

Underlined words indicate differences in the text.

Bracketed portions of the Dead Sea Scrolls are words, letters and phrases lost in the scroll due to various types of damage. Underlined words or phrases are those in the Dead Sea Scrolls but not in the Masoretic text.

I will only list the translation from the Dead Sea Scrolls if it exists and if it is different from the Masoretic text.

The Targum of Onkelos is actually the Pentateuchal Targumim, which are The Targums of Onkelos and Jonathan Ben Uzziel. On the Pentateuch With The Fragments of the Jerusalem Targum From the Chaldee by J. W. Etheridge, M.A. From http://www.becomingjewish.org/texts/targum/onkelos_Exodus.html and first published in 1862.

Occasionally, there is an obvious error in the English translation, and I correct those without additional mention or footnoting. For instance, the online version of the Targum of Onkelos which I use has gorund in Ex. 4:9; I simply corrected the text. This may occur once or twice in a chapter.

I attempt to include translations which are different in their vocabulary and phrasing. On many occasions, I may include a translation which is not substantially different than another listed translation.

Most of the translations can be found here.

Ancient texts:

Masoretic Text (Hebrew)        “When steals a man an ox or a sheep and he has killed him or he has sold him, five oxen he will restore in exchange for the ox and four sheep in exchange for the sheep.

Dead Sea Scrolls                   .

Targum (Onkelos)                  If a man steal an ox or a lamb, and kill or sell it, he shall repay five oxen for the ox, and four sheep for the lamb. Translation for Onkelos and Pseudo-Jonathan by J. W. Etheridge, M.A. (1862).

Targum (Pseudo-Jonathan)   When a man stealeth an ox or a sheep, and killeth or selleth it, five oxen shall he make good for one ox, because he hath hindered him from his ploughing; and four sheep for one, because he hath impoverished him by his theft, and not done service by it.

Jerusalem targum                  .

Revised Douay-Rheims         If any man steal an ox or a sheep, and kill or sell it: he shall restore five oxen for one ox, and four sheep for one sheep.

Douay-Rheims 1899 (Amer.) .

Aramaic ESV of Peshitta        "If a man steals an ox or a sheep, and kills it, or sells it; he shall pay five oxen for an ox, and four sheep for a sheep.

Lamsa’s Peshitta (Syriac)     .

V. Alexander’s Aramaic T.     IF a man shall steal an ox or a ewe, and kill it, or sell it; he shall restore five oxen for an ox and four ewes for a ewe.

Updated Brenton (Greek)       And if one steal an ox or a sheep, and kill it or sell it, he shall pay five calves for a calf, and four sheep for a sheep..

Significant differences: 

There are almost no differences in the translations which follow, apart from the headings (or sub-headings). There are some translations who are careful to almost always present a maverick translation.

Limited Vocabulary Translations:

Bible in Basic English             If a man takes without right another man's ox or his sheep, and puts it to death or gets a price for it, he is to give five oxen for an ox, or four sheep for a sheep, in payment: the thief will have to make payment for what he has taken; if he has no money, he himself will have to be exchanged for money, so that payment may be made. [A portion of v. 3 is added into v. 1.]

Easy English                          When a man takes something that is not his own

Perhaps a bad man may take a cow or a sheep. He may kill it or he may sell it. Then he must pay the animal's master. He must pay five cows for the one cow that he took. And he must pay four sheep for the one sheep that he took.

Easy-to-Read Version–2006  “How should you punish a man who steals a bull or a sheep? If the man kills the animal or sells it, then he cannot give it back. So he must pay five bulls for the one he stole. Or he must pay four sheep for the one he stole. He must pay for stealing. If he owns nothing, then he will be sold as a slave. But if the man still has the animal and you find it, that man must give the owner two animals for every animal he stole. It doesn’t matter if the animal was a bull, a donkey, or a sheep. [A portion of v. 3 is added into v. 1.]

God’s Word™                         The Lord continued, “Whenever someone steals a bull or a sheep and butchers it or sells it, he must make up for the loss with five head of cattle to replace the bull or four sheep to replace the sheep. Exodus 22:1–31 in English Bibles is Exodus 21:37–22:30 in the Hebrew Bible.

Good News Bible (TEV)         Laws about Repayment

“If someone steals a cow or a sheep and kills it or sells it, he must pay five cows for one cow and four sheep for one sheep. He must pay for what he stole. If he owns nothing, he shall be sold as a slave to pay for what he has stolen. If the stolen animal, whether a cow, a donkey, or a sheep, is found alive in his possession, he shall pay two for one. [A portion of v. 3 is added into v. 1.]

“If a thief is caught breaking into a house at night and is killed, the one who killed him is not guilty of murder. But if it happens during the day, he is guilty of murder. Vv. 2–4 are included for context.

The Message                         .

Names of God Bible               .

NIRV                                      Laws About Keeping Property Safe

“Suppose someone steals an ox or a sheep. And suppose that person kills it or sells it. Then the thief must pay back five oxen for the ox. Or the thief must pay back four sheep for the sheep..

New Simplified Bible              .

Thought-for-thought translations; dynamic translations; paraphrases:

Contemporary English V.       If you steal an ox and slaughter or sell it, you must replace it with five oxen; if you steal a sheep and slaughter it or sell it, you must replace it with four sheep.

The Living Bible                     “If a man steals an ox or sheep and then kills or sells it, he shall pay a fine of five to one—five oxen shall be returned for each stolen ox. For sheep, the fine shall be four to one—four sheep returned for each sheep stolen.

New Berkeley Version           .

New Life Version                    Laws about Paying Back What Is Owed

“If a man steals a bull or a sheep and kills it or sells it, he will pay five bulls for the bull and four sheep for the sheep..

New Living Translation           Protection of Property

^[a]“If someone steals an ox^[b] or sheep and then kills or sells it, the thief must pay back five oxen for each ox stolen, and four sheep for each sheep stolen.

a. 22:1a Verse 22:1 is numbered 21:37 in Hebrew text.

b. 22:1b Or bull, or cow; also in 22:4, 9, 10.

Unlocked Dynamic Bible        .

Unfolding Bible (simplified)    .

Partially literal and partially paraphrased translations:

American English Bible          ‘If someone should steal an ox or a sheep and kills it or sells it; he must pay back five calves for a calf, and four sheep for a sheep.

Beck’s American Translation .

Common English Bible           .

New Advent (Knox) Bible       The man who steals ox or sheep and slaughters or sells it, must make restitution at the rate of five oxen for one, and four sheep for one.

Translation for Translators                                           Laws regarding possessions

Yahweh also said, “If someone steals a bull or a sheep, and then slaughters it to sell it or to sacrifice it or sells its meat to someone else, he must pay five bulls for the bull that he stole, and he must pay four sheep for the sheep that he stole.

Mostly literal renderings (with some occasional paraphrasing):

Conservapedia                       .

Ferrar-Fenton Bible                ‘If a man steals a bullock or a sheep, and slaughters it, or sells it, he shall compensate with five bullocks in place of the ox, or four sheep in place of theisheep.

God’s Truth (Tyndale)           .

HCSB                                     Laws about Theft

“When a man steals an ox or a sheep and butchers it or sells it, he must repay five cattle for the ox or four sheep for the sheep. Ex 21:37 in Hb

International Standard V        Laws Concerning Theft of Personal Property

^a “If a man steals an ox or sheep and slaughters it or sells it, he is to repay five oxen^b for the ox and four sheep for the sheep.

a 22:1 This verse is 21:37 in MT

b 22:1 Or cattle

Jubilee Bible 2000                  .

Lexham English Bible            Regulations Regarding Theft, Borrowing, and Accidental Damage or Loss

" 'If a man steals an ox or small livestock and slaughters it or sells it, he will make restitution with five cattle in place of the ox and with four sheep or goats in place of the small livestock. [I do not know why Lexham has a double quote here.]

NIV, ©2011                             Protection of Property

^[a]“Whoever steals an ox or a sheep and slaughters it or sells it must pay back five head of cattle for the ox and four sheep for the sheep.

^[a] In Hebrew texts 22:1 is numbered 21:37, and 22:2-31 is numbered 22:1-30.

Tree of Life Version                .

Unfolding Bible Literal Text    .

Unlocked Literal Bible            .

Urim-Thummim Version         .

Wikipedia Bible Project          .

Catholic Bibles (those having the imprimatur):

Christian Community (1988)  .

The Heritage Bible                 .

New American Bible (2002)   .

New American Bible (2011)   When someone steals an ox or a sheep and slaughters or sells it, he shall restore five oxen for the one ox, and four sheep for the one sheep. 2 Sm 12:6. [This is Exodus 21:37 in the NAB.]

New English Bible–1970        Compensation.

When a man steals an ox or a sheep and slaughters or sells it, he shall repay five beasts for the ox and four sheep for the sheep.

New Jerusalem Bible             'If anyone steals an ox or a sheep and slaughters or sells it, he will pay back five beasts from the herd for the ox, and four animals from the flock for the sheep.' [This is Exodus 21:37 in the NJB.]

New RSV                               When someone steals an ox or a sheep, and slaughters it or sells it, the thief shall pay five oxen for an ox, and four sheep for a sheep. The thief shall make restitution, but if unable to do so, shall be sold for the theft. [The New RSV quite unceremoniously moves a portion of v. 3 to end v. 1.]

Jewish/Hebrew Names Bibles:

Complete Jewish Bible           .

exeGeses companion Bible   JUDGMENTS FOR PROPERTIES

If a man steals an ox, or a lamb

and slaughters or sells it;

he shalams five oxen for an ox

and four flocks for a lamb.

Hebraic Roots Bible               .

Israeli Authorized Version      .

JPS (Tanakh—1985)               .

Judaica Press Complete T.    .

Kaplan Translation                 . The Kaplan Translation, particularly in Exodus through Deuteronomy, takes note of historic rabbinic opinions.

The Scriptures 1998              .

Most (but not all) of the Catholic and Jewish Bibles have the Hebrew verse numbering at this point. Notable exceptions: the Christian Community Bible, the Heritage Bible, the New RSV, and the Orthodox Jewish Bible. Not every translation is so marked, as it is a pretty minor detail.

Weird English, Olde English, Anachronistic English Translations:

Alpha & Omega Bible            .

Awful Scroll Bible                   Was a man to steal a plowing beast or one of the small cattle, even is to have slaughtered it or is to have sold it, he was to restore five plowing beasts for the plowing beast, and four small cattle for the small cattle.

Charles Thompson OT           .

Concordant Literal Version    When a man steals a bull or a flockling and slaughters it or sells it, five oxen shall he repay for the bull and four small cattle for the flockling.

Darby Translation (1889)       .

exeGeses companion Bible   .

Orthodox Jewish Bible           If a ganav takes a shor, or a seh, and slaughter it, or sell it; he shall restore five cattle for an ox, and the seh. This Bible matches up with the Christian Bible.

Rotherham’s Emphasized B. When a man stealeth an ox or a sheep, and slayeth it, or selleth it, with five of the herd, shall he make good—for the ox, or with four of the flock, for the sheep.

Third Millennium Bible            .

Expanded/Embellished Bibles:

The Amplified Bible                .

The Expanded Bible              Property Laws

“If a man steals a ·bull [ox] or a sheep and ·kills [slaughters] or sells it, he must ·pay back [compensate] five ·bulls [oxen] for the one bull he stole and four sheep for the one sheep he stole.

Kretzmann’s Commentary    Verses 1-15

Regarding Property

If a man shall steal an ox or a sheep, and kill it or sell it, he shall restore five oxen, five head of cattle, for an ox and four sheep for a sheep. The Lord wanted complete restoration to be made, the indemnity being in proportion to the transgression.

Syndein/Thieme                     .

The Voice                               Eternal One: If someone steals an ox or a sheep and either kills or sells it for profit, then he must pay five oxen for the one ox he stole or four sheep for the one sheep he stole. But if the stolen animal—the ox or donkey or sheep—is still alive and in his possession when he is caught, then the thief must pay the owner double. A thief must make restitution for what he has taken. If he has no means of doing so, he must be sold to pay for his theft. Verses 2–4 have been rearranged to assist in the comprehension of the passage. [Vv. 1&3 are grouped together; then vv. 2&4.]

Bible Translations with Many Footnotes:

The Complete Tanach           If a man steals a bull or a lamb and slaughters it or sells it, he shall pay five cattle for the bull or four sheep for the lamb.

The Geneva Bible                  .

Kaplan Translation                 Penalties for Stealing

If a person steals an ox or sheep and then slaughters or sells it, he must repay five oxen for each ox, and four sheep for each sheep.

four sheep

See 2 Samuel 12:6.

NET Bible®                             Laws about Property

22:1¹ (21:37)² “If a man steals an ox or a sheep and kills it or sells it, he must pay back³ five head of cattle for the ox, and four sheep for the one sheep.⁴

^1sn The next section of laws concerns property rights. These laws protected property from thieves and oppressors, but also set limits to retribution. The message could be: God’s laws demand that the guilty make restitution for their crimes against property and that the innocent be exonerated.

^2sn Beginning with 22:1, the verse numbers through 22:31 in the English Bible differ from the verse numbers in the Hebrew text (BHS), with 22:1 ET = 21:37 HT, 22:2 ET = 22:1 HT, etc., through 22:31 ET = 22:30 HT. Thus in the English Bible ch. 22 has 31 verses, while in the Hebrew Bible it has 30 verses, with the one extra verse attached to ch. 21 in the Hebrew Bible.

^3tn The imperfect tense here has the nuance of obligatory imperfect – he must pay back.

^4tn בָּקַר (baqar) and צֹאן (tso’n) are the categories to which the ox and the sheep belonged, so that the criminal had some latitude in paying back animals.

Literal, almost word-for-word, renderings:

Brenner’s Mechanical Trans....(if) a man steals an ox or a ram, and he butchers him, or he sells him, he will make restitution with five cattle (in place of) the ox, and four flocks (in place of) the ram,...

C. Thompson LXX (updated) .

Context Group Version          .

English Standard Version      .

Green’s Literal Translation    .

Modern English Version         Laws About Restitution

If a man steals an ox or a sheep and kills it or sells it, then he shall repay five oxen for an ox, and four sheep for a sheep.

Modern Literal Version           .

NASB                                     Property Rights

“If a man steals an ox or a sheep and slaughters it or sells it, he shall pay five oxen for the ox and four sheep for the sheep. Ch 21:37 in Heb

New European Version          Regulations about Theft and Loss

If a man steals an ox or a sheep, and kills it, or sells it; he shall pay five oxen for an ox, and four sheep for a sheep.

New King James Version       Responsibility for Property

“If a man steals an ox or a sheep, and slaughters it or sells it, he shall restore five oxen for an ox and four sheep for a sheep.

Niobi Study Bible                   .

Owen's Translation                .

Restored Holy Bible 6.0         .

Updated Bible Version 2.11   .

A Voice in the Wilderness      .

Webster’s Bible Translation  .

World English Bible                .

Young's Literal Translation     .

Young’s Updated LT             “When a man steals an ox or sheep, and has slaughtered it or sold it, five of the herd he does repay for the ox, and four of the flock for the sheep.

The gist of this passage:     A person who steals livestock from another, must pay 4x or 5x the value of the animal taken.

The first thing that you may notice is, the Hebrew and the English Bible do not synch up at this point. This verse is the end of Exodus 21 in the Hebrew.

About the only thing that stands out to me is, the use of the preposition kîy to begin this verse, and the hypothetical particle begins the next verse (and vv. 2, 3, 7, etc.). However, we will find the kîy preposition used throughout this chapter as well.

The chapter divisions were set centuries after the original text was written. Now, did the Hebrew copyists see what the Christians were doing or vice versa? Did one mostly synch up with the other? I don’t know the answers to these questions.

This verse rightfully belongs in a section different from chapter 21 because it deals with property rights whereas the previous verses dealt with injuries. However, apart from this being a new section, God is still enumerating laws to Moses.

Notice here that we have departed from an eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth; stealing requires payback + interest + penalties. If only this could be applied today—we have so many white collar criminals who, because they don't carry a gun and walk into a convenience store and demand $80 from the till, receive very little punishment for the money which they have extorted, embezzled, defrauded. They should pay back as the Bible demands, five times for grand larceny and four times for petty larceny. Here their house should be sold, along with their car and their salary attached, if necessary, for the rest of their natural lives; and this should not be expunged by bankruptcy.

Similarly, there are thieves who should be locked up until they can earn enough money to (1) pay for their stay in Jail and (2) to reimburse their victim(s) four to five-fold. A criminal cannot do this while being paid a few dollars a day; he should receive a reasonable wage according to his work output and the value of his services. Those who refuse to work or are an escape risk and a security risk, should rot in jail until they are ready to tow the line. However, notice that there is no jail time prescribed by this verse. The thief pays four to five times as much as he has stolen and then he is off. Also, there is nothing said here about a thief who is poor and hungry getting a break (however, such robberies certainly make up a very small minority of the crime of today).

Translation: “When a man steals an ox or a sheep,...

Interestingly enough, God uses the word when rather than the word if; which suggests to me that this violation of law is inevitable.

We are considering a situation where a man steals an ox or a sheep. No other relevant circumstances are brought into the picture.

Translation: ...and he [either] kills it or sells it,...

The man may kill the sheep or sell it; but, whatever the case, the sheep is no longer in his possession.

Translation: ...he will restore with five oxen for the ox and four sheep for the sheep.

I would understand the imperfect tense of restore to indicate that payment back might be a process rather than something which is accomplished in a moment.

God requires more of a restitution than simply replacing the animal which was stolen. There is a penalty. The thief must restore the ox with 5 oxen; and the sheep with 4 sheep.

Why is there not a fourfold (or fivefold) restitution for both categories? Why are these treated differently? My assumption here is, it is more difficult and/or most costly to raise an ox as over against a sheep. So the ox represents a much greater value as well as represents much more feed and care given to the ox.

Exodus 22:1 “If a man has stolen an ox or a sheep, he will restore to the owner five oxen for the ox he stole, or four sheep for the sheep that he stole.

Quite a number of translations take a portion of v. 3 and add it in at the end of v. 1:

Easy-to-Read Version–2006  “How should you punish a man who steals a bull or a sheep? If the man kills the animal or sells it, then he cannot give it back. So he must pay five bulls for the one he stole. Or he must pay four sheep for the one he stole. He must pay for stealing. If he owns nothing, then he will be sold as a slave. But if the man still has the animal and you find it, that man must give the owner two animals for every animal he stole.

You might expect, at this point, a lengthy discussion of, does v. 3 belong here or not? The situation is this—no doubt, people would wonder, what about the thief who has nothing to restore with? This is answered when we get to v. 3, so we do not have to deal with that now. However, for many people, it is a logical place to go, first off.

Since the text is here, whether placed at the end of v. 1 or left where it is found, the information is the same.

It might be more interesting to discuss, why does God’s mind work in this way to lay out the text as it is; but our minds want to see this text moved around? Interesting question, but, at this time, I am unable to provide any insight into this topic.

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Several translations revised the order of vv. 2–4, which appears to be in an odd order. At least one translation suggested that this was a part of a larger passage which had been lost with the passage of time.

I left off several footnotes which identified v. 2 and v. 1 in the Hebrew.

Here is how others have translated this verse:

Ancient texts:

Masoretic Text (Hebrew)        If in a burglary is discovered a thief and he was beaten and he has died, [there is] to him no bloodguilt. If he rises [with] the sun, upon him [is] bloodguilt to him. Restoring, he will restore. If [there is] nothing to him and he was sold as a slave in his theft. If being found is found in his hand the stolen item, from an ox as far as a sheep—alive—a pair he will restore.

Dead Sea Scrolls                   .

Jerusalem targum                  .

Targum (Onkelos)                  If a thief be found breaking through, and he be smitten and die, there shall be no blood due to him. If the eyes of witnesses fall upon him, blood shall be due to him, paying he shall pay. If he have nothing, he shall be sold for his robbery. If the thing stolen, from an ox to an ass, be found in his possession, they being alive, he shall restore two for one.

Targum (Pseudo-Jonathan)   If a thief be found in a window of the wall, and be smitten and die, there shall not be on his account the guilt of the shedding of innocent blood. If the thing be as clear as the sun that he was not entering to destroy life, and one hath killed him, the guilt of the shedding of innocent blood is upon him; and if spared from his hand, restoring he shall restore. If he have not wherewith to restore, the beth din shall sell him for his theft until the year of release. If before witnesses, the thing stolen was found in his possession, from an ox or an ass, unto a sheep alive, he shall restore two for one.

Revised Douay-Rheims         If a thief be found breaking open a house or undermining it, and be wounded so as to die: he that slew him shall not be guilty of blood. But if he did this when the sun is risen, he has committed murder, and he shall die. If he have not wherewith to make restitution for the theft, he shall be sold. If that which he stole be found with him, alive, either ox, or ass, or sheep: he shall restore double.

Douay-Rheims 1899 (Amer.) .

Aramaic ESV of Peshitta        If the thief is found breaking in, and is struck so that he dies, there shall be no guilt of bloodshed for him. If the sun has risen on him, there shall be guilt of bloodshed for him; he shall make restitution. If he has nothing, then he shall be sold for his theft. If the stolen property is found in his hand alive, whether it is ox, donkey, or sheep, he shall pay double.

V. Alexander’s Aramaic T.     .

Plain English Aramaic Bible   .

Lamsa’s Peshitta (Syriac)     If a thief is found breaking into a house and is wounded so that he dies, there is no penalty for bloodshed. But if the sun be risen upon him, there shall be blood penalty for him; and he should make full restitution; if he has nothing, then he shall be sold for his theft. If the animal is found in his possession alive, whether it is an ox or an ass, or a ewe, he shall restore double.

Updated Brenton (Greek)       And if the thief be found in the breach made by himself and be smitten and die, there shall not be blood shed for him. But if the sun be risen upon him, he is guilty, he shall die instead; and if a thief have nothing, let him be sold in compensation for what he has stolen. And if the thing stolen be left and be in his hand alive, whether ox or sheep, he shall restore them two-fold.

Significant differences: 

Limited Vocabulary Translations:

Bible in Basic English             If a thief is taken in the act of forcing his way into a house, and his death is caused by a blow, the owner of the house is not responsible for his blood. But if it is after dawn, he will be responsible. If he still has what he had taken, whatever it is, ox or ass or sheep, he is to give twice its value.

Easy English                          Perhaps someone may catch a bad man, just as he goes into another man's house. He hits the bad man and the bad man dies. This thing is not murder, if it happens at night. But if it happens during the day, it is murder. A man who takes another man's animal must certainly give it back. If he cannot do this, then someone must buy him as a slave. And he must give the money to the man whose animal he took. Perhaps someone will find the animal alive, in the man's field. Then the man must give back two animals. He must do this, whether it was a cow, or a donkey, or a sheep.

Easy-to-Read Version–2001  "How should you punish a man who steals a bull or a sheep? If the man kills the animal or sells it, then he can't give it back. So he must pay five bulls for the one he stole. Or, he must pay four sheep for the one he stole. He must pay for stealing.If he owns nothing, then he will be sold as a slave. But if the man still has the animal and you find it, then that man must give the owner two animals for every animal he stole. It doesn't matter if the animal was a bull or a donkey or a sheep. "If a thief is killed while trying to break into a house {at night}, then no one will be guilty for killing him. But if this happens during the day, then the person who killed him will be guilty {of murder}. V. 1 is included for context.

Easy-to-Read Version–2006  “If a thief is killed while trying to break into a house at night, then no one will be guilty for killing him. But if this happens during the day, the one who killed him will be guilty of murder. The ERV put much of the previous passage back with v. 1.

God’s Word™                         “If anyone catches a thief breaking in and hits him so that he dies, he is not guilty of murder. But if it happens after sunrise, he is guilty of murder.

“A thief must make up for what he has stolen. If he is unable to do so, he must be sold as a slave to pay for what he stole. But if the stolen animal is found alive in his possession, whether it’s a bull, donkey, or a sheep, he must make up for the loss with double the amount.

Good News Bible (TEV)         .

The Message                         “If someone steals an ox or a lamb and slaughters or sells it, the thief must pay five cattle in place of the ox and four sheep in place of the lamb. If the thief is caught while breaking in and is hit hard and dies, there is no bloodguilt. But if it happens after daybreak, there is bloodguilt.

“A thief must make full restitution for what is stolen. The thief who is unable to pay is to be sold for his thieving. If caught red-handed with the stolen goods, and the ox or donkey or lamb is still alive, the thief pays double. V. 1 is included for context.

Names of God Bible               .

NIRV                                      “Suppose you catch a thief breaking into your house at night. And suppose you hit the thief and the thief dies. Then you are not guilty of murder. But suppose it happens after the sun has come up. Then you are guilty of murder.

“Anyone who steals must pay for whatever they steal. But suppose the thief does not have anything. Then the thief must be sold to pay for what was stolen. What if the stolen ox, donkey or sheep is found alive with the thief? Then the thief must pay back twice as much.

New Simplified Bible              »If the thief is caught while breaking in and is struck so that he dies, there will be no blood guiltiness on his account. »But if it happens after sunrise, he is guilty of murder. A thief must make up for what he has stolen. If he is unable to do so, he should be sold as a slave to pay for what he stole. »If the stolen animal is found alive in his possession, whether it is a bull, donkey, or a sheep, he must make up for the loss with double the amount.

Thought-for-thought translations; dynamic translations; paraphrases:

Casual English Bible             .

College Press Bible Study     .

Contemporary English V.       But if you cannot afford to replace the animals, you must be sold as a slave to pay for what you have stolen. If you steal an ox, donkey, or sheep, and are caught with it still alive, you must pay the owner double. If you happen to kill a burglar who breaks into your home after dark, you are not guilty. But if you kill someone who breaks in during the day, you are guilty of murder.

The Living Bible                     “If a thief is caught in the act of breaking into a house and is killed, the one who killed him is not guilty. But if it happens in the daylight, it must be presumed to be murder and the man who kills him is guilty.

“If a thief is captured, he must make full restitution; if he can’t, then he must be sold as a slave for his debt.

“If he is caught in the act of stealing a live ox or donkey or sheep or whatever it is, he shall pay double value as his fine.

New Berkeley Version           .

New Life Version                    If the robber is caught while breaking in, and is hit so that he dies, the owner of the house is not guilty for his blood. But if the sun has risen on him, there will be guilt for his blood. The robber must pay for the loss. If he has nothing, then he must be sold for stealing. If the stolen bull or donkey or sheep is found alive with him, he must pay twice what it is worth.

New Living Translation           “If a thief is caught in the act of breaking into a house and is struck and killed in the process, the person who killed the thief is not guilty of murder. But if it happens in daylight, the one who killed the thief is guilty of murder.

“A thief who is caught must pay in full for everything he stole. If he cannot pay, he must be sold as a slave to pay for his theft. If someone steals an ox or a donkey or a sheep and it is found in the thief’s possession, then the thief must pay double the value of the stolen animal.

Unlocked Dynamic Bible        If a thief is caught while he is breaking into someone’s house at night, if the one who catches him kills the thief, he is not guilty of killing him. But if that happens during the daytime, the one who killed the thief is guilty of murdering him. A thief must pay for what he stole. If he has no animal with which to pay for the one that he stole, he must be sold to become someone else’s slave, and the money from his sale must be used to pay for what he stole. If a thief still has the animal when he is caught, whether it is a bull or a donkey or a sheep, and it is still alive, the thief must pay back the stolen animal as well as another one of the same kind.

Unfolding Bible Simplified      .

Partially literal and partially paraphrased translations:

American English Bible          And if a thief should be caught inside a fence and is beaten and dies as the result; no one will be found guilty [of killing him]. However, if someone [kills a thief] the next day, he is guilty and should be [put to death].

‘If a thief has nothing left [of what he stole]; he can be sold [as a slave] to repay what he has stolen. But if the thing he stole is still around and can be found alive in his possession (as with an ox or a sheep); he must pay back twice as much.

Beck’s American Translation .

Common English Bible           If the thief is caught breaking in and is beaten and dies, the one who killed him won’t be guilty of bloodshed. However, if this happens in broad daylight, then the one who killed him is guilty of bloodshed. For his part, the thief must make good on what he stole. If he has nothing, he must be sold to pay for his theft. If an animal (whether ox, donkey, or sheep) is found alive in the thief’s possession, he must pay back double.

New Advent (Knox) Bible       When a thief is caught breaking into a house, or digging under the walls of it, the man who deals him a fatal wound is not guilty of murder, unless the deed was done after sun-rise. If the sun be risen, there is murder done, and life must pay for life.[1]

The thief who has no money to make restitution with, must himself be sold as a slave.

[1] In Jewish as in Roman law, housebreaking by night was counted a more serious offence than open robbery by day. The text here is perhaps inaccurate; verse 4 would fit in better after verse 1.

If something stolen, ox or ass or sheep, is found alive in the possession of the thief, he shall make restitution twofold.

Translation for Translators     If a thief is caught while he is breaking into someone else's house at night, if the one who catches him kills the thief, he is not guilty of murdering him. But if that happens during the daytime, the one who killed the thief is guilty of murdering him. The thief must pay for what he stole. If he has no animals with which to pay for the one that he stole, he must be sold to become someone's else's slave and the money must be used to pay for what he stole. If the thief still has the animal when he is caught, whether it is a bull or a donkey or a sheep, and it is still alive, the thief must give back the stolen animal as well as giving two additional animals for each one that he stole.

Mostly literal renderings (with some occasional paraphrasing):

Alpha & Omega Bible            .

Christian Standard Bible        .

Conservapedia Translation    If a thief is caught trying to break in, and is struck a fatal blow, no blood will be shed on his account. [If the thief dies in the act of thieving, that's the end of the case.] If the sun rises on him, blood will be shed on his account, in that he must make full restitution. If he has nothing to repay with, he must be sold on account of his theft. If the stolen livestock is found alive in his hand, be it ox or donkey or sheep, he must repay double.

Ferrar-Fenton Bible                If a thief is found breaking in, and is struck and dies; there is not blood–guilt for him. If the sun was shining on him, he may redeem his blood. If he has nothing then he shall be sold for stealing. ‘ If you find his theft in his hand, as a bullock, or an ass, or sheep, alive, he shall be lined by two.

God’s Truth (Tyndale)           If a thief be found breaking up and be smitten that he die, there shall no blood be shed for him: except the *sonne be up when he is found, then there shall be blood shed for him. *sonne (exact spelling, sun is found in this text as sunne)

A thief shall make restitution: If he have not wherewith, he shall be sold for his theft. If the theft be found in his hand alive (whether it be ox, ass or sheep) he shall restore double.

HCSB                                     If a thief is caught in the act of breaking in, and he is beaten to death, no one is guilty of bloodshed. But if this happens after sunrise, [Lit if the sun has risen over him] there is guilt of bloodshed. A thief must make full restitution. If he is unable, he is to be sold because of his theft. If what was stolen—whether ox, donkey, or sheep—is actually found alive in his possession, he must repay double.

International Standard V        “If a thief is found while breaking into a house,^c and is struck down and dies, it is not a capital crime^d in that case,^e but if the sun has risen on him, then it is a capital crime^f in that case.^g A thief^h shall certainly make restitution, but if he has nothing, he is to be soldⁱ for his theft. If what was stolen is actually found alive in his possession, whether an ox, a donkey or a sheep, he is to repay double.

c 22:2 Lit. while breaking in

d 22:2 Lit. dies, there is no bloodguilt

e 22:2 Lit. for him or for it

f 22:3 Lit. then there is bloodguilt

g 22:3 Lit. for him or for it

h 22:3 Lit. He

i 22:3 i.e. sold into slavery

Jubilee Bible 2000                  .

H. C. Leupold                         .

Lexham English Bible            " 'If a thief is found in the act of breaking in and he is struck and he dies, there is not bloodguilt for him. (If the sun has risen over him, [there is] bloodguilt for him. He will make full restitution. If {he does not have enough}, he will be sold for his theft. If indeed the stolen item is found {in his possession} alive, from ox to donkey to small livestock, he will make double restitution. [I have no idea what the first “(“ is all about.]

NIV, ©2011                             “If a thief is caught breaking in at night and is struck a fatal blow, the defender is not guilty of bloodshed; but if it happens after sunrise, the defender is guilty of bloodshed.

“Anyone who steals must certainly make restitution, but if they have nothing, they must be sold to pay for their theft. If the stolen animal is found alive in their possession—whether ox or donkey or sheep—they must pay back double.

Peter Pett’s translation          .

Unfolding Bible Literal Text    .

Unlocked Literal Bible            If a thief is found breaking in, and if he is struck so that he dies, in that case no guilt for murder will attach to anyone on his account. But if the sun has risen before he breaks in, guilt for murder will attach to the person who kills him. A thief must make restitution. If he has nothing, then he must be sold for his theft. If the stolen animal is found alive in his possession, whether it is an ox, a donkey, or a sheep, he must pay back double.

Urim-Thummim Version         If a thief is found in the middle of a burglary and is beaten so that he dies, there will be no blood spilled in exchange for his. But if this occurs after sunrise to the thief there would be spilling of blood due for him. The thief will be required to make restitution or be sold for his theft. If the thief is caught red handed whether it is ox, donkey or sheep then he will restore double.

Wikipedia Bible Project          If a thief will be found in the shadows, and he is struck and dies, he has no blood cost. If the sun shone upon him, he has blood cost--- pay he will pay, if he has not, and he will be sold for his thieving. If find you shall find the theft in his hand, from ox to donkey to lamb, alive, he will pay two.

Catholic Bibles (those having the imprimatur):

Christian Community (1988)  If a thief is caught breaking into a house and receives a mortal blow, the man who struck him will not be guilty of his death, but if it happened after dawn he will be guilty of murder. The thief must make full restitution. If he cannot do this he must be sold for what he has stolen. If what has been stolen is found alive in his possession, be it ox, donkey or sheep, he must pay double. [In this and several other translations, this passage is vv. 1–3.]

The Heritage Bible                 If a thief is found burglarizing, and is struck and he dies, there shall be no blood required for him. If the sun has risen upon him, blood, being completed, shall be completed for him; if there is nothing that is his, then he shall be sold for his theft. If the theft, being found, is found in his hand alive, ox, or donkey, or flock animal, he shall make it complete double.

New American Bible (2002)   .

New American Bible (2011)   [If a thief is caught* in the act of housebreaking and beaten to death, there is no bloodguilt involved. But if after sunrise he is thus beaten, there is bloodguilt.] He must make full restitution. If he has nothing, he shall be sold to pay for his theft. If what he stole is found alive in his possession, be it an ox, a donkey or a sheep, he shall make twofold restitution.

* [22:1–2] If a thief is caught: this seems to be a fragment of what was once a longer law on housebreaking, which has been inserted here into the middle of a law on stealing animals. At night the householder would be justified in killing a burglar outright, but not so in the daytime, when the burglar could more easily be caught alive. He must make full restitution: this stood originally immediately after 21:37.

New English Bible–1970        (2-4) vv2-4 rearranged thus: 3b, 4, 2, 3a He shall pay in full; if he has no means, he shall be sold to pay for the theft. But if the animal is found alive in his possession, be it ox, ass, or sheep, he shall repay two.

If a burglar is caught in the act and is fatally injured, it is not murder; but if he breaks in after sunrise and is fatally injured, then it is murder.

New Jerusalem Bible             'If a thief is caught breaking in and is struck a mortal blow, his blood may not be avenged, but if it happens after sunrise, his blood may be avenged. He will make full restitution; if he has not the means, he will be sold to pay for what he has stolen. If the stolen animal is found alive in his possession, be it ox, donkey or animal from the flock, he will pay back double.

New RSV                               If a thief is found breaking in, and is beaten to death, no bloodguilt is incurred; but if it happens after sunrise, bloodguilt is incurred. When the animal, whether ox or donkey or sheep, is found alive in the thief's possession, the thief shall pay double.

Revised English Bible–1989   He must pay in full; if he has no means, he is to be sold to pay for the theft. But if the animal is found alive in his possession, be it ox, donkey, or sheep, he must repay two for each one stolen. If a burglar is caught in the act and receives a fatal injury, it is not murder; but if he breaks in after sunrise and receives a fatal injury, then it is murder.

Jewish/Hebrew Names Bibles:

Complete Jewish Bible           “If a thief caught in the act of breaking in is beaten to death, it is not murder; unless it happens after sunrise, in which case it is murder. A thief must make restitution; so if he has nothing, he himself is to be sold to make good the loss from the theft. If what he stole is found alive in his possession, he is to pay double, no matter whether it is an ox, a donkey or a sheep.

Hebraic Roots Bible               If the thief is found breaking in, and is stricken and dies, no blood shall be shed for him. If the sun has risen on him, blood is due for him; repaying he shall repay. If he has nothing, then he should be sold for his theft. If the stolen thing finding is found in his hand alive, from ox to donkey to flock animal, he shall pay double.

Israeli Authorized Version      .

The Israel Bible (beta)            If a thief be found breaking up, and be smitten that he die, there shall no blood be shed for him. If the sun be risen upon him, there shall be blood shed for him; for he should make full restitution; if he have nothing, then he shall be sold for his theft. If the theft be certainly found in his hand alive, whether it be ox, or ass, or sheep; he shall restore double.

JPS (Tanakh—1985)               .

Kaplan Translation                 .

The Scriptures 1998              .

Tree of Life Version                .

Weird English, Olde English, Anachronistic English Translations:

Alpha & Omega Bible            AND IF THE THIEF BE FOUND IN THE BREACH MADE BY HIMSELF AND BE SMITTEN AND DIE, THERE SHALL NOT BE BLOOD SHED FOR HIM. BUT IF THE SUN BE RISEN UPON HIM, HE IS GUILTY, HE SHALL DIE INSTEAD; AND IF A THIEF HAVE NOTHING, LET HIM BE SOLD IN COMPENSATION FOR WHAT HE HAS STOLEN. AND IF THE THING STOLEN BE LEFT AND BE IN HIS HAND ALIVE, WHETHER OX OR SHEEP, HE SHALL RESTORE THEM TWO-FOLD.

Awful Scroll Bible                   Was a thief to be found digging through, even is to have been struck and is to have died - is there to be bloodshed? - Is the sun to have come out on him, with the shedding of the blood? - He was to repay a repaying, or is he to have been sold for his theft. Was that stolen to be found, a finding in his hand being alive, even a plowing beast or an ass or one of the small cattle, he was to restore it double.

Charles Thompson OT           .

Concordant Literal Version    .

Darby Translation                  If the thief be encountered breaking in, and be smitten so that he die, there shall be no blood-guiltiness for him. If the sun be risen on him, there shall be blood-guiltiness for him; he should have made full restitution: if he had nothing, he would have been sold for his theft. If the stolen thing be actually found alive in his hand, whether it be ox, or ass, or sheep, he shall restore double.

exeGeses companion Bible   If they find a thief digging;

and smite him that he dies,

pour no blood for him.

If the sun rises on him, pour his blood;

in shalaming, he shalams:

if he has naught, sell him for his theft.

If in finding, you find the theft in his hand alive

- whether ox, or he burro, or lamb;

he shalams twofold.

exeGeses companion Bible   .

Orthodox Jewish Bible           If a ganav be caught breaking in, and be struck down so that he die, there shall be no guilt of bloodshed for him.

If the shemesh be risen upon him, there shall be guilt of bloodshed; the ganav should make full restitution; if he have nothing, then the ganav shall be sold to make restitution for his theft.

If the theft be certainly found in his yad chayyim, whether it be ox, or donkey, or seh; he shall pay back double.

Rotherham’s Emphasized B. If, in the place of breaking in, the thief be found and he is smitten so that he dieth, there is due for him no shedding of blood: should the sun have arisen upon him, there would be shedding of blood due for him,—he is surely to make restitution, if he hath nothing, then is he to be sold, for his theft. If the thing stolen is found in his hand—whether ox or ass or sheep, alive, with two, shall he make restitution.

Expanded/Embellished Bibles:

The Amplified Bible                “If a thief is caught breaking in [after dark] and is struck [by the owner] so that he dies, there shall be no bloodguilt for him. But if the sun has risen, there will be bloodguilt for him. The thief [if he lives] must make [full] restitution; if he has nothing, then he shall be sold [as a slave to make restitution] for his theft. If the animal that he stole is found alive in his possession, whether it is ox or donkey or sheep, he shall pay double [for it].

The Expanded Bible              “If a man steals a ·bull [ox] or a sheep and ·kills [slaughters] or sells it, he must ·pay back [compensate] five ·bulls [oxen] for the one bull he stole and four sheep for the one sheep he stole.

“The robber who is caught must ·pay back what he stole [make restitution]. If he owns nothing, he must be sold as a slave to pay for what he stole. If the stolen animal is found alive with the robber, he must give the owner two animals for every animal he stole, whether it was a ·bull [ox], donkey, or sheep.

“If a thief is killed while breaking into a house at night, the one who killed him is not guilty of ·murder [bloodshed]. But if this happens ·during the day [^L after the sun is risen], he is guilty of ·murder [bloodshed]. V. 1 is included for context. [You will note that these verses have been rearranged.]

The Geneva Bible                  .

Kretzmann’s Commentary    If a thief be found breaking up, breaking through a wall, breaking into a house, Matt. 6:20, and be smitten that he die, there shall no blood be shed for him, his death cannot demand the vengeance which a murder would; for the owner of the house would have to guard against every contingency, including murder. If the sun be risen upon him, there shall be blood shed for him, to kill a thief in broad daylight was to be considered murder. For he, the thief apprehended in the day, should make full restitution, most certainly pay back all that he stole. If he have nothing, then he shall be sold for his theft, for the value of the goods stolen by him. If the theft be certainly found in his hand alive, whether it be ox or ass or sheep, he shall restore double, the four and fivefold restitution being required only in case the stolen animals had already been slaughtered or sold. Theft being a severe offense against one's neighbor, severe measures were taken at once to keep men from this transgression.

Syndein/Thieme                     {Not a Capital Offense to Kill a Thief Caught in the Act of Theft}

If a thief be found breaking up, and be smitten/struck that he die, there shall no blood be shed for him.

{Punishment for a Thief who Survives His Capture}

If the sun be risen upon him, there shall be blood shed for him; for he should make full restitution; if he have nothing, then he shall be sold for his theft. If the theft be certainly found in his hand alive, whether it be ox, or ass, or sheep; he shall restore double.

The Voice                               If a person attacks a thief in the act of breaking into his house and the thief is killed during the attack, then the homeowner is innocent of blood guilt. It is different if the sun has already risen; so any homeowner who kills a thief during the day must be considered guilty of bloodshed. Verses 2–4 have been rearranged to assist in the comprehension of the passage.

Bible Translations with Many Footnotes:

The Complete Tanach           If, while breaking in, the thief is discovered, and he is struck and dies, [it is as if] he has no blood.

If the sun shone upon him, [it is as if] he has blood; he shall surely pay. If he has no [money], he shall be sold for his theft.

If the stolen article is found in his possession whether a bull, a donkey, or a lamb live ones he shall pay twofold.

Kaplan Translation                 Penalties for Stealing

If a burglar is caught in the act of breaking in, and is struck and killed, it is not considered an act of murder. However, if he robs in broad daylight, then it is an act of murder [to kill him].

[A thief] must make full restitution. If he does not have the means, he must be sold [as a slave to make restitution] for his theft. If the stolen article is found in his possession, and it is a living ox, donkey or sheep, he must make double restitution.

breaking in

(Hirsch). Cf. Jeremiah 2:34, Ezekiel 8:8; Amos 9:2, Job 24:16. Or, 'digging in' (Radak, Sherashim); or, 'with deadly intent' (Rashbam).

not considered an act of murder

Literally, 'he has no blood.'

in broad daylight

(Rashbam; Ibn Ezra; cf. Saadia). Literally, 'if the sun shines on him,' an idiom. Or, 'if it is clear (that he has no deadly intent' (Mekhilta; Sanhedrin 72a; Rashi); or 'if it is done publicly [in the presence of witnesses]' (Targum; Ramban).

NET Bible®                             “If a thief is caught⁵ breaking in⁶ and is struck so that he dies, there will be no blood guilt for him.⁷ If the sun has risen on him, then there is blood guilt for him. A thief⁸ must surely make full restitution; if he has nothing, then he will be sold for his theft. If the stolen item should in fact be found⁹ alive in his possession,¹⁰ whether it be an ox or a donkey or a sheep, he must pay back double.¹¹

^5tn Heb “found” (so KJV, ASV, NRSV).

^6tn The word בַּמַּחְתֶּרֶת (bammakhteret) means “digging through” the walls of a house (usually made of mud bricks). The verb is used only a few times and has the meaning of dig in (as into houses) or row hard (as in Jonah 1:13).

^7tn The text has “there is not to him bloods.” When the word “blood” is put in the plural, it refers to bloodshed, or the price of blood that is shed, i.e., blood guiltiness.

^sn This law focuses on what is reasonable defense against burglary. If someone killed a thief who was breaking in during the night, he was not charged because he would not have known it was just a thief, but if it happened during the day, he was guilty of a crime, on the assumption that in daylight the thief posed no threat to the homeowner’s life and could be stopped and made to pay restitution.

^8tn The words “a thief” have been added for clarification. S. R. Driver (Exodus, 224) thinks that these lines are out of order, since some of them deal with killing the thief and then others with the thief making restitution, but rearranging the clauses is not a necessary way to bring clarity to the paragraph. The idea here would be that any thief caught alive would pay restitution.

^9tn The construction uses a Niphal infinitive absolute and a Niphal imperfect: if it should indeed be found. Gesenius says that in such conditional clauses the infinitive absolute has less emphasis, but instead emphasizes the condition on which some consequence depends (see GKC 342-43 §113.o).

^10tn Heb “in his hand.”

^11sn He must pay back one for what he took, and then one for the penalty – his loss as he was inflicting a loss on someone else.

Literal, almost word-for-word, renderings:

Brenner’s Mechanical Trans....if the thief is found in the act of searching, and he is hit, and he dies, the / does (not) belong to him, if the sun comes up upon him, the / belongs to him, he will make :full: restitution, if (nothing) belongs to him, (then) he will be sold (with) his theft, if the theft is :surely: found in his hand, from the ox, (even) the donkey, (even) a ram, he will make restitution with (double) the /,...

Charles Thompson OT           If a thief be found in the act of breaking in and be struck and die, he who struck him is not liable to death; but if the sun was risen upon him he is liable and may be put to death. If a thief hath no property, let him be sold for the theft. If the thing stolen, whatever it be from an ass to a sheep, be left alive and found in his hand, he shall be fined double.

C. Thompson (updated) OT   .

Context Group Version          .

English Standard Version      .

Green’s Literal Translation    .

Modern English Version         If a thief is caught breaking in and is struck so that he dies, then there will be no blood guilt for him. If the sun has risen on him, then there is blood guilt for him.

He must make full restitution. If he has nothing, then he will be sold for his theft. If the stolen item is in fact found alive in his possession, whether it be an ox, or donkey, or sheep, then he shall repay double.

Modern Literal Version           .

Modern KJV                           .

New American Standard B.    “^[b]If the thief is ^[c]caught while breaking in and is struck so that he dies, there will be no bloodguiltiness on his account. But if the sun has risen on him, there will be bloodguiltiness on his account. He shall surely make restitution; if he owns nothing, then he shall be sold for his theft. If what he stole is actually found alive in his ^[d]possession, whether an ox or a donkey or a sheep, he shall pay double.

b. Exodus 22:2 Ch 22:1 in Heb

c. Exodus 22:2 Lit found

d. Exodus 22:4 Lit hand

New European Version          .

New King James Version       If the thief is found breaking in, and he is struck so that he dies, there shall be no guilt for his bloodshed. If the sun has risen on him, there shall be guilt for his bloodshed. He should make full restitution; if he has nothing, then he shall be sold [as a slave] for his theft. If the theft is certainly found alive in his hand, whether it is an ox or donkey or sheep, he shall restore double.

Niobi Study Bible                   .

Owen's Translation                .

Restored Holy Bible 6.0         .

Third Millennium Bible            "If a thief be found breaking in and be smitten so that he die, there shall no blood be shed for him. If the sun be risen upon him, there shall be blood shed for him, for he should make full restitution. If he have nothing, then he shall be sold for his theft. If the theft be certainly found in his hand alive, whether it be ox or ass or sheep, he shall restore double.

Updated Bible Version 2.17   .

A Voice in the Wilderness      .

Webster’s Bible Translation  .

World English Bible                .

Young's Literal Translation     .

Young’s Updated LT             “If in the breaking through, the thief is found, and he has been smitten, and has died, there is no blood for him; if the sun has risen upon him, blood is for him, he does certainly repay; if he have nothing, then he has been sold for his theft; if the theft is certainly found in his hand alive, whether ox, or ass, or sheep—double he repays.

The gist of this passage:     If a thief breaks in at night and is killed, there is no guilt assigned to the owner. However, in the daytime, the owner could be held accountable. If the thief is discovered with the animals on him, he will repay twofold; if not, the thief may be sold into slavery to recover the loss (assuming he does not have any means of repayment).

2-4

The NAB suggests that what we have here is a fragment of the original passage, which was probably much longer. They suggest that the longer law dealt with breaking into a house.

Translation: If a thief is discovered during a burglary...

A thief sneaks into a house or onto someone’s property and they are discovered. The thief is discovered when robbing the place.

Translation: ...and he is beaten and he dies,...

In this first scenario, the thief is discovered, and he is beaten and he dies as a result of the beat down.

Translation: ...[there is] no bloodguilt [imputed] to him [the homeowner].

My assumption here is, there is no guilt to be placed upon the man or men who beat him down.

Exodus 22:2 If a thief is discovered during a burglary and he is beaten and he dies, [there is] no bloodguilt [imputed] to him [the homeowner].

There is no nonsense here about whether the intruder startled, frightened or threatened the owner of the home. When a thief is caught within someone else's home, we are allowed to detain him, protect ourselves and /or protect our loved ones in any way we can, including executing the criminal on the spot. However, the next verse seriously modifies this verse. The criminal is in this verse discovered to be breaking into the house and it is possibly night (see v. 3) and/or the owner of the house is startled and surprised and possibly threatened.