71. on the third offence, place ye a mark upon his brow so that, thus identified, he may not be accepted in the cities of God and His countries
The mark to be placed on the thief's forehead serves the purpose of warning people of his proclivities. All details concerning the nature of the mark, how the mark is to be applied, how long it must be worn, on what conditions it may be removed, as well as the seriousness of various degrees of theft have been left by Baha'u'llah for the Universal House of Justice to determine when the law is applied. (198:2)

72. Whoso wisheth to make use of vessels of silver and gold is at liberty to do so.
In the Bayan the Bab allowed the use of gold and silver utensils, thus abrogating the Islamic condemnation of their use which stems not from an explicit injunction of the Qur'an but from Muslim traditions. Baha'u'llah here confirms the Bab's ruling. (198:3)

73. Take heed lest, when partaking of food, ye plunge your hands into the contents of bowls and platters.
This prohibition was defined by Shoghi Effendi as "plunging one's hand in food". In many parts of the world it has been customary to eat with the hands from a communal bowl. (198:4)

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