Exodus 22:10

10 si quis commendaverit proximo suo asinum bovem ovem et omne iumentum ad custodiam et mortuum fuerit aut debilitatum vel captum ab hostibus nullusque hoc viderit

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 si latet dominus domus adplicabitur ad deos et iurabit quod non extenderit manum in rem proximi sui
9 ad perpetrandam fraudem tam in bove quam in asino et ove ac vestimento et quicquid damnum inferre potest ad deos utriusque causa perveniet et si illi iudicaverint duplum restituet proximo suo
10 si quis commendaverit proximo suo asinum bovem ovem et omne iumentum ad custodiam et mortuum fuerit aut debilitatum vel captum ab hostibus nullusque hoc viderit
11 iusiurandum erit in medio quod non extenderit manum ad rem proximi sui suscipietque dominus iuramentum et ille reddere non cogetur
12 quod si furto ablatum fuerit restituet damnum domino
The Latin Vulgate is in the public domain.