Exodus 22:4

22:4 If the stolen item should in fact be found alive in his possession, whether it be an ox or a donkey or a sheep, he must pay back double.

Exodus 22:7

22:7 “If a man gives his neighbor money or articles for safekeeping, and it is stolen from the man’s house, if the thief is caught, he must repay double.

Exodus 22:9

22:9 In all cases of illegal possessions, whether for an ox, a donkey, a sheep, a garment, or any kind of lost item, about which someone says ‘This belongs to me,’ the matter of the two of them will come before the judges, and the one whom 10  the judges declare guilty 11  must repay double to his neighbor.

tn The construction uses a Niphal infinitive absolute and a Niphal imperfect: if it should indeed be found. Gesenius says that in such conditional clauses the infinitive absolute has less emphasis, but instead emphasizes the condition on which some consequence depends (see GKC 342-43 §113.o).

tn Heb “in his hand.”

sn He must pay back one for what he took, and then one for the penalty – his loss as he was inflicting a loss on someone else.

tn The word usually means “vessels” but can have the sense of household goods and articles. It could be anything from jewels and ornaments to weapons or pottery.

tn Heb “to keep.” Here “safekeeping,” that is, to keep something secure on behalf of a third party, is intended.

tn Heb “found.”

tn Heb “concerning every kind [thing] of trespass.”

tn The text simply has “this is it” (הוּא זֶה, huzeh).

tn Again, or “God.”

10 tn This kind of clause Gesenius calls an independent relative clause – it does not depend on a governing substantive but itself expresses a substantival idea (GKC 445-46 §138.e).

11 tn The verb means “to be guilty” in Qal; in Hiphil it would have a declarative sense, because a causative sense would not possibly fit.