Exodus 21:33

“If a man shall open a pit, etc.] That has been dug in time past, and filled up again, or take the covering from it, and leave it uncovered: “or if a man shall dig a pit, and not cover it”: a new one, in the street, as the Targum of Jonathan; or in a public place, as Jarchi and Aben Ezra; otherwise a man might dig one for water, in his own fields, in enclosed places, where there was no danger of cattle coming thither, and falling therein: and an ox or an ass fall therein; or any other beast, as Jarchi observes; for these are mentioned only as instances, and are put for all others. Maimonides f669 says, “if a man digs a pit in a public place, and an ox or ass fall into it and die, though the…”

“The usual mode of protecting a well in the East was probably then, as now, by building round it a low circular wall. return to 'Top of Page'”

“21:33–22:15 In cases involving loss of property, the responsible person had to pay compensation equal to the value of what was lost. If the person had actually stolen the property, the compensation was multiplied (22:1, 4, 7). Where there was a question of responsibility, the parties were to appear before God for adjudication (22:8). The means by which the judgment was reached is not reported.”

“Psa 9:15, Psa 119:85; Pro 28:10; Ecc 10:8; Jer 18:20, Jer 18:22 Exodus 21:34”

“Passing from life to property, in connection with the foregoing, the life of the animal, the most important possession of the Israelites, is first of all secured against destruction through carelessness. If any one opened or dug a pit or cistern, and did not close it up again, and another man's ox or ass (mentioned, for the sake of example, as the most important animals among the live stock of the Israelites) fell in and was killed, the owner of the pit was to pay its full value, and the dead animal to belong to him. If an ox that was not known to be vicious gored another man's ox to death, the vicious animal was to be sold, and its money (what it fetched) to be divided; the dead animal was…”