Justice and Mercy

Exodus 22 continues the Book of the Covenant with property laws. Theft required restitution, often double or more, so the thief would repay the victim rather than simply be punished. Damage from grazing animals or a spreading fire had to be repaid. These laws taught personal responsibility and respect for a neighbor's property, applying the eighth and tenth commandments.

The chapter then turns to God's heart for the vulnerable. Israel must not wrong or oppress the foreigner, for you were aliens in the land of Egypt. They must not take advantage of widows or orphans. God promises to hear their cry and act as their defender. Their own history of suffering was meant to make them compassionate. Scripture repeats this concern again and again (Deuteronomy 10:18-19; Psalm 68:5).

Lending to the poor was to be an act of help, not profit: no interest, and a cloak taken as a pledge must be returned at sunset. The reason given is God's own character: I will hear, for I am gracious. The chapter also calls for honoring God with the firstfruits and for Israel to be holy men to me. Holiness and compassion belong together. In the New Testament, Jesus cared for the poor, the sick and the outsider.