Many of our present day laws have roots in the Mosaic Law (the ten commandments and the other laws given by God to Moses). The concept of paying money for the damage done to another was first annunciated within the context of these God given laws. The following few verses are not intended to be exhaustive on the subject. There are other examples that can be found, express or implied, to support this basic principle of restitution. The following scriptures are offered as a starting point for consideration of the topic:

1. Exodus 21:18,19--"And if men have a quarrel and one strikes the other with a stone or with his fist, and he does not die but remains in bed; he gets up and walks around outside on his staff, then he who struck him shall go unpunished; he shall only pay for his loss of time, and shall take care of him until he is completely healed."

2. Exodus 21:22-26--"And if a man opens a pit, or digs a pit and does not cover it over, and an ox or a donkey falls into it, the owner of the pit shall make restitution; he shall give money to its owner, and the dead animal shall become his. And if one man's ox hurts another's so that it dies, then they shall sell the live ox and divide its price equally; and also they shall divide the dead ox. Pr if it is known that the ox was previously in the habit of goring, yet its owner has not confirmed it, he shall surely pay ox for ox, and the dead animal shall become his."

3. Exodus 22:5,6--"If a man lets a field or vineyard be grazed bare and lets his animal loose so that it grazes in another man's field, he shall make restitution from the best of his own filed and the best of his own vineyard. If a fire breaks out and spreads to thorn bushes, so that staked-grain or the standing grain or the filed itself is consumed, he who started the fire shall surely make restitution.

4. Exodus 22:9--"For every breach of trust, whether it is for ox, for donkey, for sheep, for clothing, or forany lost thing about which one says, "Thisis it," the cas of botu hparties shall ocme before the judges; he whom the judges condemn shall pay double to his neighbor."

5. Exodus 22:14--"And if a man borrows anything from is neighbor, and it is injured or dies while its ownder in not with it, he shall make full restitution"

6. Romans 13:1,7,8--"Let every person be in subjection to the governing authourities....Render to all what is due them; tax to whom tax is due; custom to whom custom; fear to whom fear; honor to whom honor. Owe nothing to anyone...."