EXOD619 From the following ordinance, we can derive a moral lesson. The Bible evinces compassion, even for a thief. The thief suffers less embarrassment when he steals an ox, as compared to a sheep. He must carry away the sheep in his arms, and the owner's neighbors may well suspect the stranger's motives. But an ox may be led by its halter, and observers naturally suppose it belongs to the man leading it. Therefore, the penalty is less for a sheep because the theft is more obvious, and the thief is more easily spotted. The Bible even feels compassion for the lawbreaker who must suffer the penalty for his transgression.