How does Exodus 20:15 relate to the concept of private property in biblical times? Text of the Command (Exodus 20:15) “You shall not steal.” Divine Ownership and Human Stewardship Psalm 24:1 declares, “The earth is the LORD’s,” yet Scripture simultaneously entrusts dominion to humanity (Genesis 1:28; 2:15). Within this stewardship structure, individuals and families hold property; God remains the ultimate Owner, but He delegates real, meaningful possession to people. The Eighth Command therefore guards God-ordained stewardship. Private Property in the Ancient Near East Archaeological finds—Nuzi tablets (c. 15th century BC), Mari letters, and Hittite land grants—record sales, leases, and inheritances paralleling biblical language. Boundary stones from Mesopotamia curse anyone who “removes my neighbor’s landmark,” echoing Deuteronomy 19:14. Such artifacts confirm that Israel’s audience already understood legal private property; Exodus 20:15 codifies God’s moral authority behind what existing cultures treated merely as civil custom. Covenant Case Laws That Clarify the Command Exodus 22:1-15 specifies restitution: fourfold for a stolen ox, fivefold for a sheep, double for ordinary goods, and direct replacement for borrowed items. By requiring restoration plus penalty, the Torah upholds deterrence and affirms the victim’s right to uncompromised ownership. Land Tenure and Inalienability Leviticus 25 ties land to families perpetually. A sale is actually a long-term lease until the Jubilee, when property reverts to its original clan. This protects both private property and economic balance: land may not be permanently confiscated, yet interim ownership is genuine enough for theft to be meaningful. Boundary Ethics Proverbs 22:28 and 23:10—“Do not move an ancient boundary stone”—extend the Eighth Command from movable goods to immovable real estate. Stealthy encroachment on land is theft just as surely as rustling livestock. Provisions for the Poor Without Abolishing Ownership Gleaning laws (Leviticus 19:9-10; Deuteronomy 24:19-22) allow the needy to gather leftover grain, olives, and grapes, but do not annul the field owner’s title. Charity flows from voluntary obedience, not coerced redistribution. The command not to steal remains intact even for the hungry: Proverbs 6:30-31 still demands sevenfold restitution of bread taken in extremity. Restitution vs. Retribution Israel’s civil code centers on restitution rather than imprisonment. The thief works to repay; if unable, he serves as a bondservant until the debt is satisfied (Exodus 22:3). This paradigm underscores property restoration over punitive suffering. Prophetic Enforcement Isaiah 5:8; Micah 2:1-2; Amos 8:5 rebuke elites who seize houses or rig measures. Prophets treat theft—whether judicial fraud or exploitative commerce—as covenant violation because it trespasses private property instituted by God. Wisdom Literature and Industry Proverbs constantly contrasts the diligent, who build assets, with “the sluggard” or “the one who hastens to get rich by unjust gain” (Proverbs 13:11). Honest labor presupposes the right to reap the fruit of one’s work (Ecclesiastes 5:18-19). New Testament Continuity Jesus affirms Torah (Matthew 5:17-19). His instruction to the rich young ruler, “You know the commandments: … do not steal” (Mark 10:19), presumes ongoing validity. Paul exhorts, “Let him who steals steal no longer, but rather labor, performing with his own hands what is good, so that he may have something to share” (Ephesians 4:28). Ownership is the substrate for both theft and generosity. Acts 5 recounts Ananias and Sapphira’s property sale: Peter states, “While it remained unsold, did it not remain your own?” Private ownership persisted even amid the Jerusalem church’s voluntary sharing. Early Church Fathers Clement of Alexandria called theft “an invasion of another’s property, which God condemns.” Tertullian argued that because God will judge thieves, Christians must respect ownership to witness honorably before pagans. Practical Application Today • Economic integrity: honoring patents, copyrights, taxes, and workplace resources. • Digital era: illicit downloads and plagiarism qualify as theft. • Missional witness: honest handling of money differentiates believers (2 Corinthians 8:20-21). Summary Exodus 20:15 presupposes and protects legitimate private property while situating it under God’s higher ownership. Through case law, prophetic admonition, and New Testament affirmation, Scripture presents a unified, historically grounded, and morally compelling vision: property rights are indispensable to human stewardship and social righteousness, and their violation is sin against both neighbor and Creator. |
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