2 "If a thief is caught breaking in at night and is struck a fatal blow, the defender is not guilty of bloodshed;
2 If a thief be found breaking up, and be smitten that he die, there shall no blood be shed for him.
2
2 If the thief is caught while breaking in and is hit hard and dies, there is no bloodguilt.
2 If the thief is found breaking in, and he is struck so that he dies, there shall be no guilt for his bloodshed.
2 "If a thief is caught in the act of breaking into a house and is struck and killed in the process, the person who killed the thief is not guilty of murder.
Matthew Henry's Commentary on Exodus 22:2
Chapter Contents
Judicial laws.
The people of God should ever be ready to show mildness and mercy, according to the spirit of these laws. We must answer to God, not only for what we do maliciously, but for what we do heedlessly. Therefore, when we have done harm to our neighbour, we should make restitution, though not compelled by law. Let these scriptures lead our souls to remember, that if the grace of God has indeed appeared to us, then it has taught us, and enabled us so to conduct ourselves by its holy power, that denying ungodliness and wordly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly in this present world, Titus 2:12. And the grace of God teaches us, that as the Lord is our portion, there is enough in him to satisfy all the desires of our souls.