What is the meaning of Exodus 21:36? But if it was known that the ox had a habit of goring • Scripture assumes a pattern of dangerous behavior, not a one-time accident. • Knowledge creates heightened accountability (Proverbs 24:12; Luke 12:47-48). • Like the watchman in Ezekiel 33:6, ignoring a known threat endangers others and invites judgment. yet its owner failed to restrain it • God’s law requires proactive stewardship—fencing roofs (Deuteronomy 22:8) and, here, fencing livestock. • Negligence is sin when we “know the good we ought to do and do not do it” (James 4:17). • Practical steps expected: secure pens, chains, vigilance—love your neighbor (Leviticus 19:18). he shall pay full compensation • Justice is restorative, not merely punitive (Exodus 22:1; Numbers 5:7). • The victim receives tangible relief, reflecting God’s heart for the injured (Luke 19:8). • Payment also deters future disregard for community safety. ox for ox • Restitution matches the loss—no more, no less (Exodus 21:23-25; Leviticus 24:18). • This “eye for eye” principle upholds fairness while preventing vengeance. • Jesus later cites the rule (Matthew 5:38-39) to call believers beyond mere equality toward mercy, but He never cancels its truthfulness. and the dead animal will be his • After full payment, the negligent owner keeps the carcass—perhaps for meat or hide—offsetting some cost. • This detail balances justice with practicality (compare Exodus 22:10-13). • Responsibility remains, yet God’s law does not impoverish the offender beyond necessity. summary Exodus 21:36 teaches that when we know a danger and ignore it, we bear full responsibility for resulting harm. God’s just standard requires complete restitution—equal value for the loss—while allowing limited recovery of what remains. The verse underscores accountable stewardship, love for neighbor, and a fair, restorative approach to wrongdoing that honors both victim and offender under God’s righteous law. |
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