Exodus 22 is a chapter of case laws that show how God’s people should treat property, neighbors, the vulnerable and worship. These questions are written for a small group, a Sunday class, or personal study. Each question comes with a leader’s note so you can move through the chapter without preparing a separate summary.
Exodus 22 at a Glance
The chapter opens with laws about theft and restitution (verses 1-4), then moves through damage to fields, lost or borrowed property, and cases that must be brought before God and the judges (verses 5-15). Verses 16-20 address a seduced virgin, sorcery, bestiality and idolatry, and verses 21-27 turn to the alien, the widow, the fatherless and the poor. The chapter closes with instructions about offerings, firstborn sons and holiness (verses 28-31).
Read the chapter as a sequence moving from ordinary daily dealings outward to the relationship between God and his people. The repeated reminder “for you were aliens in the land of Egypt” in verse 21 anchors the whole section in Israel’s memory of rescue.
Observation Questions
Use these questions first, before anyone offers an opinion. Ask the group to point to the actual words on the page, and let silence sit for a moment before moving on. Observation questions keep the discussion anchored in what the text says.
Exodus 22:21-22
21 “You shall not wrong an alien or oppress him, for you were aliens in the land of Egypt. 22 “You shall not take advantage of any widow or fatherless child.
(WEB)
Read this pair early in the discussion to set the tone of compassion. The reminder of Egypt grounds the command in shared memory and invites the group to feel its weight.
Exodus 22:25-27
25 “If you lend money to any of my people with you who is poor, you shall not be to him as a creditor. You shall not charge him interest. 26 If you take your neighbor’s garment as collateral, you shall restore it to him before the sun goes down, 27 for that is his only covering, it is his garment for his skin. What would he sleep in? It will happen, when he cries to me, that I will hear, for I am gracious.
(WEB)
These verses show God’s concern for the poor debtor in concrete detail. Reading them aloud lets the group hear the tenderness in the reason given for returning the garment.
Exodus 22:1-4
1 “If a man steals an ox or a sheep, and kills it, or sells it; he shall pay five oxen for an ox, and four sheep for a sheep. 2 If the thief is found breaking in, and is struck so that he dies, there shall be no guilt of bloodshed for him. 3 If the sun has risen on him, guilt of bloodshed shall be for him; he shall make restitution. If he has nothing, then he shall be sold for his theft. 4 If the stolen property is found in his hand alive, whether it is ox, donkey, or sheep, he shall pay double.
(WEB)
Reading the opening laws gives the group a clear picture of how restitution works. It is a good place to begin discussion of justice and repair.
Exodus 22:23-24
23 If you take advantage of them at all, and they cry at all to me, I will surely hear their cry; 24 and my wrath will grow hot, and I will kill you with the sword; and your wives shall be widows, and your children fatherless.
(WEB)
This short passage makes plain that God hears the cry of the oppressed. Pausing after reading it can help the group sense the seriousness of how we treat those with no power.
Exodus 22:31
“You shall be holy men to me, therefore you shall not eat any meat that is torn by animals in the field. You shall cast it to the dogs.
(WEB)
Ending the reading with the call to holiness returns the group from the legal cases to the identity behind them. It is a fitting transition into the closing prayer.
Memory Verse for Exodus 22
Exodus 22:21
“You shall not wrong an alien or oppress him, for you were aliens in the land of Egypt.
(WEB)
This short verse is easy to remember and carries the chapter’s central concern for the vulnerable. Encourage the group to say it aloud together and to think of one person they will remember this week.
A Closing Prayer for the Group
Father, we thank you that you hear the cries of those who have no one to defend them. Thank you for the reminder that we were once outsiders and that your mercy reached us. Teach us to remember what we were and to act with fairness, generosity and honesty in our homes, businesses and friendships. Show us the widow, the stranger and the poor person near us, and give us courage to help them. Make us holy in the ordinary choices of each day, and let our lives reflect that we belong to you. Amen.
