The Letter and Spirit of Law The Eighth Commandment Exodus 21:18, 19 “When men quarrel and one strikes the other with a stone or with his fist and the man does not die but takes to his bed, then if the man rises again and walks outdoors with his staff, he who ...

A Brother’s Wife The Eighth Commandment Deuteronomy 25:5-10 “‘If brothers dwell together, and one of them dies and has no son, the wife of the dead man shall not be married outside the family to a stranger. Her husband’s brother shall go in to her and take her as his wife and perform ...

No Inheritance Taxes The Eighth Commandment God’s people are to be actively concerned to preserve the property and well-being of their neighbors, and to ensure that each receives what he is due. Numbers 27:8-11 “And you shall speak to the people of Israel, saying, ‘If a man dies and has no son, then ...

Preventive Justice The Eighth Commandment Exodus 21:33, 34 “When a man opens a pit, or when a man digs a pit and does not cover it, and an ox or a donkey falls into it, the owner of the pit shall make restoration. He shall give money to its owner, and the dead ...

No “Finders, Keepers” The Eighth Commandment Deuteronomy 22:1-4 “‘You shall not see your brother’s ox or his sheep going astray and ignore them. You shall take them back to your brother. And if he does not live near you and you do not know who he is, you shall bring it home to ...

Guard Against Negligence The Eighth Commandment Love for neighbor requires active concern for their property and full restoration of any loss we may cause. Exodus 22:6 “If fire breaks out and catches in thorns so that the stacked grain or the standing grain or the field is consumed, he who started the fire ...

A Call to Stewardship The Eighth Commandment Exodus 20:15 “You shall not steal.” Deuteronomy 5:19 “‘And you shall not steal.’” All things have been created to serve God’s purposes in bringing glory and honor to His Name (Ps. 119:89-91). God distributes His blessing among men as He will, to whom He will, and in the proportion ...

Stealing The Eighth Commandment You shall not steal The Commandment God is sovereign in the disposition of blessings, and He calls each of us to exercise proper stewardship over what He has entrusted to us and to respect and preserve the stewardship of others. We must not, by stealing in any way, ...

The Eighth Commandment Deuteronomy 20:10-18 “‘When you draw near to a city to fight against it, offer terms of peace to it. And if it responds to you peaceably and it opens to you, then all the people who are found in it shall do forced labor for you ...

The Eighth Commandment 8.7 Do justice in time of war Wage war when necessary without fear and in order to secure the promises of God. Deuteronomy 24:5 “‘When a man is newly married, he shall not go out with the army or be liable for any other public duty. He shall be free ...