“If a man borrows anything of his neighbor, and it is injured or dies, the owner not being with it, he shall make full restitution.
English Standard Version (ESV)
This verse highlights a crucial distinction in responsibility: if you borrow something, especially a living creature, and the owner isn't there to oversee it, you're fully accountable if it's damaged or dies. This rule wasn't just about fairness; it was designed to encourage extreme care and diligence from borrowers, ensuring lenders wouldn't suffer loss from their generosity.
“If a man borrows anything of his neighbor, and it is injured or dies, the owner not being with it, he shall make full restitution.
English Standard Version (ESV)
This passage is part of a larger section of laws dealing with property damage and restitution. It directly follows regulations about damage caused by fire and theft, and precedes laws concerning the return of lost property and the care of animals. The surrounding verses focus on establishing accountability when one person's property is harmed or lost through the actions or negligence of another.
Ever borrowed something and it got damaged? This ancient law speaks directly to that uncomfortable feeling.
This verse lays down a clear principle: if you borrow something and it's harmed or dies while you have it, you are responsible to make it right.
Why would the law put such a burden on the borrower? It’s all about honoring the trust placed in them.
This law is designed to protect the lender and uphold the sacredness of trust in community.
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The Parable of the Good Samaritan highlights the principle of taking responsibility for someone in need, even when it's costly, echoing the spirit of making restitution for what was borrowed and damaged.
Proverbs 6:1-5This passage speaks to the dangers of co-signing for a neighbor's debt, emphasizing the severe consequences of being responsible for another's obligations, much like the borrower is responsible for the borrowed item.
Matthew 25:14-30The Parable of the Talents illustrates the responsibility that comes with being entrusted with resources; failure to steward them well, just as a borrower failing to care for an item, leads to loss and accountability.
Romans 13:8-10These verses emphasize that love fulfills the law, and that not causing harm to others is a core aspect of this love, directly relating to the duty of a borrower not to cause loss to the lender.
bensonExodus 22:14: "And if a man borrow ought of his neighbour, and it be hurt, or die, the owner thereof being not with it, he shall surely make it good."
Exodus 22:14-15 . If a man (suppose) lent his team to his neighbour, if the owner were with it, or were to receive profit for the loan of it, whatever harm befell the cattle the owner must stand to the loss of it; but if the owner were so kind to the borrower as to lend it him gratis, and put such a confidence in him as to trust it from under his…
calvinExodus 22:5-15: "If a man shall cause a field or vineyard to be eaten, and shall put in his beast, and shall feed in another man's field; of the best of his own field, and of the best of his own vineyard, shall he make restitution."
If a man shall cause a field or vineyard to be eaten, and shall put in his beast, and shall feed in another man's field; of the best of his own field, and of the best of his own vineyard, shall he make restitution.
Si depasci fecerit quispiam agrum aut vitem,…
This verse highlights a crucial distinction in responsibility: if you borrow something, especially a living creature, and the owner isn't there to oversee it, you're fully accountable if it's damaged or dies. This rule wasn't just about fairness; it was designed to encourage extreme care and diligence from borrowers, ensuring lenders wouldn't suffer loss from their generosity.
This passage is part of a larger section of laws dealing with property damage and restitution. It directly follows regulations about damage caused by fire and theft, and precedes laws concerning the return of lost property and the care of animals. The surrounding verses focus on establishing accountability when one person's property is harmed or lost through the actions or negligence of another.
This passage is part of a larger section of laws dealing with property damage and restitution. It directly follows regulations about damage caused by fire and theft, and precedes laws concerning the return of lost property and the care of animals. The surrounding verses focus on establishing accountability when one person's property is harmed or lost through the actions or negligence of another.
"“If a man borrows anything of his neighbor, and it is injured or dies, the owner not being with it, he shall make full restitution." — This verse highlights a crucial distinction in responsibility: if you borrow something, especially a living creature, and the owner isn't there to oversee it, you're fully accountable if it's damaged…
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Last reviewed October 2026