Free group study handout
Exodus 22: Group Study Handout
How to use: read Exodus 22 aloud together, then take the questions in order. One page is enough for an evening.
Overview
A man who steals an ox or sheep must pay five oxen for an ox and four sheep for a sheep (vv. 1-4). If a thief is caught breaking in and is killed, there is no guilt for the owner.
Key verse
“If a man causes a field or vineyard to be eaten, and lets his animal loose, and it grazes in another man’s field, he shall make restitution from the best of his own field, and from the best of his own vineyard.”
Exodus 22:5 (WEB)
Outline
- Exodus 22:1–4 Laws Regarding Theft and Restitution
- Exodus 22:5–6 Damage Caused by Livestock
- Exodus 22:7–9 Security and Accountability
- Exodus 22:10–15 Loans and Borrowing Regulations
- Exodus 22:16–20 Laws on Seduction and Idolatry
- Exodus 22:21–24 Protection of the Vulnerable
- Exodus 22:25–31 Social Responsibility and Worship Laws
Discussion questions
- In v1, what must a man pay for stealing an ox or a sheep?
- In v20, who is said to be 'utterly destroyed' for sacrificing to other gods?
- The phrase 'for every matter of trespass' in v9: how does this define the scope of the laws?
- In v18, why does the command against 'sorceress' carry such severity?
- When have you felt like someone was trying to 'take advantage' of you as in v22?
Go deeper
Passages that echo Exodus 22: Leviticus 19, Leviticus 20, Exodus 21.
Before next time: read Exodus 23.