9102. He shall repay five oxen for an ox. That this signifies the corresponding penalty to much, is evident from the signification of "five," as being somewhat (see n. 4638, 5291), and also much (n. 5708, 5956); and from the signification of "repaying," as being amendment (n. 9087), and as being restoration (n. 9097). That it signifies the penalty also, is because when alienated good is to be amended or restored, the man suffers hard things; for he is either left to his evil, thus also to the penalty of his evil (for evil is attended with its penalty, n. 8214), or he is let into temptations, whereby the evil is subdued and removed, which temptations are the penalty that is here signified by "repaying." The reason why a corresponding penalty is meant, is that the evil of the penalty and the evil of the fault correspond (see n. 1857, 6559, 8214).
