Exodus 22:10

10 "If a man gives to his neighbor a donkey or an ox or a sheep or any beast to keep safe, and it dies or is injured or is driven away, without anyone seeing it,

Exodus 22:10 Meaning and Commentary

Exodus 22:10

If a man deliver to his neighbour an ass, or an ox, or a
sheep, or any beast to keep
And he keeps it without a reward, as the Targum of Jonathan; but Jarchi and Aben Ezra more rightly interpret this of one that keeps for hire, as herdsmen, shepherds The Jews say F20 there are

``four sorts of keepers; he that keeps for nought (or freely), he that borrows, he that takes hire, and he that hires; he that keeps for nought swears in all cases (and is free), he that borrows pays for all (that is lost or stolen) he that takes hire, and he that hires, swear on account of that which is torn, or carried away, or dies, and they pay for that which is lost or stolen,''

which are the cases after supposed:

and it die;
either of the above, or any other under the care of another; that is, dies of itself, not being killed by any, and its death sudden, and not easily accounted for:

or be hurt;
receive any damage in any part, though it die not; or "be broken" F21; have any of its limbs or bones broken; or be torn by a wild beast, as the Targum of Jonathan adds:

or driven away;
from the flock or herd by thieves or robbers, or rather carried captive by an enemy in an hostile way, see ( Exodus 22:12 ) :

no man seeing it;
die, or be hurt, or carried off; and so, as the above Targum paraphrases it, there is no witness that sees and can bear witness, that is, to any of the said things which have happened to it.


FOOTNOTES:

F20 Misn. Bava Metzia, c. 7. sect. 8.
F21 (rbvn) "confractum", Pagninus, Montanus; "fractum", Junius & Tremelius, Piscator, Drusius; so Ainsworth.

Exodus 22:10 In-Context

8 If the thief is not found, the owner of the house shall come near to God to show whether or not he has put his hand to his neighbor's property.
9 For every breach of trust, whether it is for an ox, for a donkey, for a sheep, for a cloak, or for any kind of lost thing, of which one says, 'This is it,' the case of both parties shall come before God. The one whom God condemns shall pay double to his neighbor.
10 "If a man gives to his neighbor a donkey or an ox or a sheep or any beast to keep safe, and it dies or is injured or is driven away, without anyone seeing it,
11 an oath by the LORD shall be between them both to see whether or not he has put his hand to his neighbor's property. The owner shall accept the oath, and he shall not make restitution.
12 But if it is stolen from him, he shall make restitution to its owner.
The English Standard Version is published with the permission of Good News Publishers.