If anyone steals an ox or a sheep and slaughters it or sells it, they must pay back five head of cattle for the ox and four sheep for the sheep. The theft law begins with the most economically significant animals and the most complete form of theft: slaughter or sale makes recovery impossible, so the penalty is multiplied. Five cattle for an ox, four sheep for a sheep — the higher ratio for cattle reflects the ox's greater economic value as a work animal, not only food. Proverbs 6:30–31 says people do not despise a thief if he steals to satisfy his hunger when he is starving — even so, if he is caught, he must pay sevenfold. The multiplication of restitution above the original value is the law's way of making theft economically unattractive and restorative justice proportionally consequential.

COMMUNITY REFLECTIONS

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