The negative penalties of the Old Testament case laws were not harsh but just, not a threat to society but rather the necessary judicial foundation of civic freedom… the Old Testament was harsh on criminals because it was soft on victims.

Gary North
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The Old Testament was harsh on criminals because it was soft on victims. The Old Testament was not harsh on criminals because it was soft on crime, but because it was soft on the victims of crime. What happened in the Old Testament is that crimes were actually punished in a very mild way, for example, when a thief stole an ox, he had to pay back double. But this could be seen as being kind for it kept people from being constantly victimized by crime.

Source: Victims Rights: The Biblical View Of Civil Justice

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