MPV Commentary

Restitution Enjoined.

When someone commits a sin that involves doing harm to another person by lying under oath or denying the truth, they are guilty of a serious offense against God (Acts 5:3-4). This is because God is the ultimate judge of what is true and false. In such cases, the person must take two steps: first, they must confess their sin and acknowledge its gravity; secondly, they must make restitution to the person they have wronged by returning or paying back the equivalent value of what was taken.

The law requires that the person who has been defrauded receive not only the original amount but also an additional fine of one-fifth of the total. This is both a compensation for the harm done and a penalty to deter others from committing similar offenses (Exodus 22:1). The key difference between this law and the one in Exodus is that this law applies to people who may have been driven by necessity, whereas the other law was aimed at hardened thieves.

In cases where the person who was wronged has died, the compensation due to their heirs must be paid to the priest, who acts as God's representative.