Civil law deals with private disputes between individuals, such as those about debt, divorce, inheritance, or other relationships. Criminal law, on the other hand, deals with crimes like murder, treason, or theft. In civil cases, the guilty party must compensate the victim appropriately.
This distinction between civil and criminal law is very different from biblical thinking. Almost all offenses were handled by private prosecution. If someone was murdered, their relatives were responsible for killing the murderer or chasing him to the nearest city of refuge for a trial.
In Israel, all offenses had a religious dimension: theft or adultery was not only an offense against a neighbor but also a sin against God. This meant that every Israelite would be shocked by such behavior and would want it punished. If these acts continued, God might intervene to punish the individual, their family, or even the whole nation. This religious aspect made every offense seem like a crime, even though most prosecutions were left to individuals.
See also Biblical Concept of Law; Book of Leviticus; Certificate of Divorce; Courts and Trials; Criminal Law and Punishment; Dietary Laws; Divorce; Law Code of Hammurabi; Marriage, Marriage Customs; Ten Commandments.
Aquifer Open Bible Dictionary © 2026 Mission Mutual, an adaptation of the Tyndale Open Bible Dictionary © 2023 Tyndale House Publishers. Licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.