Common misinterpretations of this verse include treating it as an endorsement of chattel slavery, whereas the 'selling' prescribed was indentured servitude limited to debt repayment under Israelite protections, not lifelong bondage; applying it rigidly to modern self-defense laws to either justify unlimited daytime force or prohibit it entirely, ignoring the specific context of non-violent theft versus potential assault; or viewing it as devaluing the thief's life absolutely, when it actually balances property rights with human dignity by restricting lethal force to ambiguous nighttime scenarios.
Exodus 22:3
King James Version (1769)
3 If the sun be risen upon him, there shall be blood shed for him; for he should make full restitution; if he have nothing, then he shall be sold for his theft.
Exodus 22:3 establishes a key principle of proportionate justice in ancient Israelite law concerning theft during a home invasion: if a thief is caught after sunrise, when they can be clearly identified and safely apprehended, killing them incurs bloodguilt because the owner should instead demand full restitution for the stolen property; if the thief lacks means to pay, they are to be sold into temporary servitude to make amends, emphasizing the sanctity of life, restraint in daylight when danger is lower, and restorative compensation over vigilante vengeance.