Breach of Trust – The Eighth Commandment

Breach of Trust

The Eighth Commandment

Exodus 22:9

“For every breach of trust, whether it is for an ox, for a donkey, for a sheep, for a cloak, or for any kind of lost thing, of which one says, ‘This is it,’ the case of both parties shall come before God. The one whom God condemns shall pay double to his neighbor.”

Exodus 22:10-13

“If a man gives to his neighbor a donkey or an ox or a sheep or any beast to keep safe, and it dies or is injured or is driven away, without anyone seeing it, an oath by the LORD shall be between them both to see whether or not he has put his hand to his neighbor’s property. The owner shall accept the oath, and he shall not make restitution. But if it is stolen from him, he shall make restitution to its owner. If it is torn by beasts, let him bring it as evidence. He shall not make restitution for what has been torn.”

A “breach of trust” can occur over matters of personal property, whether because of injury or damage to the property, or loss or theft. When the dispute arising from a breach of trust could not be amicably resolved between the two parties, they were expected to “come before God.” If a sin was involved here on the part of one of the parties, an oath before the Lord, taken in the presence of a priest, would presumably elicit such a response on the part of the guilty party that his transgression would be known by all. Perhaps he would be reluctant to take such an oath, knowing how serious a transgression it is to swear in vain. Or perhaps in taking it something in his voice or countenance would reveal either his innocence or guilt. That would be for the priest to decide.

The moral here seems to be for the people of God to make sure they maintain wise and upright shepherds.

In this series of In the Gates we present a detailed explanation of the Law of God, beginning with the Ten Commandments, and working through the statutes and rules that accompany each commandment. For a practical guide to the role of God’s Law in the practice of ethics, get The Ground for Christian Ethics by going to www.MyParuchia.com and click on our Book Store.

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In the Gates is a devotional series on the Law of God by Rev. T.M. Moore, editor of the Worldview Church. He serves as dean of the Centurions Program of the Wilberforce Forum and principal of The Fellowship of Ailbe, a spiritual fellowship in the Celtic Christian tradition. He is the author or editor of twenty books, and has contributed chapters to four others. His essays, reviews, articles, papers, and poetry have appeared in dozens of national and international journals, and on a wide range of websites. His most recent books are The Ailbe Psalter and The Ground for Christian Ethics (Waxed Tablet).

Scripture quotations in this article are from The Holy Bible, English Standard Version, (c) copyright 2001, 2007 by Crossway Bibles, a division of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.