Deuteronomy 22:4

Thou shalt not see thy brother’s ass or his ox fall down by the way, and hide thyself from them: thou shalt surely help him to lift them up again.

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Word by word — the Hebrew

Word	Hebrew	Strong’s	Meaning
see	תִרְאֶה֩ tir.'Eh	H7200	to see · verb, qal imperfect, 2nd person masculine singular
brother’s	אָחִ֜יךָ 'a.Chi.kha	H251	a brother (used in the widest sense of literal relation… · noun, common masculine singular construct + pronominal suffix, 2nd person masculine singular
ass	חֲמ֨וֹר cha.Mor	H2543	a male ass (from its dun red) · noun, common both genders singular construct
ox	שׁוֹרוֹ֙ sho.Ro	H7794	a bullock (as a traveller) · noun, common masculine singular construct + pronominal suffix, 3rd person masculine singular
down	נֹפְלִ֣ים no.fe.Lim	H5307	to fall · verb, qal active participle, masculine plural absolute
way	בַּדֶּ֔רֶךְ ba.De.rekh	H1870	a road (as trodden) · preposition with the article + noun, common both genders singular absolute
hide	וְהִתְעַלַּמְתָּ֖ ve.hit.'a.lam.Ta	H5956	to veil from sight · conjunction + verb, hithpael sequential perfect, 2nd person masculine singular
surely	הָקֵ֥ם ha.Kem	H6965	to rise (in various applications · verb, hiphil infinitive absolute
again	תָּקִ֖ים ta.Kim	H6965	to rise (in various applications · verb, hiphil imperfect, 2nd person masculine singular

Strong's Exhaustive Concordance (James Strong, 1890/1894), public domain; digitized by Open Scriptures (CC BY-SA). KJV word tagging: eBible.org (public domain). Original-language text, parsing and brief lexicon: STEPBible.org data from Tyndale House, Cambridge (CC BY 4.0).

Cross-references

Exodus 23:4-5 If thou meet thine enemy’s ox or his ass going astray, thou shalt surely bring it back to him again.
Matthew 5:44 But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use yo…
Luke 10:29-37 But he, willing to justify himself, said unto Jesus, And who is my neighbour?
Romans 15:1 We then that are strong ought to bear the infirmities of the weak, and not to please ourselves.
2 Corinthians 12:15 And I will very gladly spend and be spent for you; though the more abundantly I love you, the less I be loved.
Galatians 6:1-2 Brethren, if a man be overtaken in a fault, ye which are spiritual, restore such an one in the spirit of meekness; considering thyself, lest…
1 Thessalonians 5:14 Now we exhort you, brethren, warn them that are unruly, comfort the feebleminded, support the weak, be patient toward all men.
Hebrews 12:12-13 Wherefore lift up the hands which hang down, and the feeble knees;

Cross-references from OpenBible.info (CC BY), in the lineage of the Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (public domain).

Commentary

Matthew Henry on Deuteronomy 22:1-4

The kindness that was commanded to be shown in reference to an enemy (Exo 23:4, etc.) is here required to be much more done for a neighbour, though he were not an Israelite, for the law is consonant to natural equity. 1. That strayed cattle should be brought back, either to the owner or to the pasture out of which they had gone astray, Deu 22:1, Deu 22:2. This must be done in pity to the very cattle, which, while they wandered, were exposed; and in civility and respect to the owner, nay, and in justice to him, for it was doing as we would be done by, which is one of the fundamental laws of equity. Note, Religion teaches us to be neighbourly, and to be ready to do all good offices, as we have…

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John Gill on Deuteronomy 22:4

Thou shall not see thy brother's ox or his ass fall down by the way,.... And lie under his burden, not being able to rise with it of himself, nor with all the assistance about it, without further help: and hide thyself from them; cover thine eyes, or turn them another way, and make as if thou didst not see them in distress: thou shalt surely help him to lift them up again; that is, help the brother and owner of it, the ox and ass; assist him in getting them up again, and lay on their burden, and fasten them aright, which either were rolled off by the fall, or were obliged to be taken off in order to raise them up; and if this was to be done for an enemy, then much more for a brother, as is…

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John Calvin on Deuteronomy 22:4-5

Deuteronomy 22:4 4. Thou shalt not see thy brother's ass or his ox fall down by the way, and hide thyself from them; thou shalt surely help him to lift them up again. 4. Non videbis asinum fratris tui aut boves ejus jacentes in via, et abscondes te ab eis: erigendo eriges cum eo. By this law also, God exhorts His people to exercise the duties of humanity towards brute animals, in order that they may be the more disposed to assist their brethren; for we must bear in memory what Paul teaches, where God commands oxen to be kindly treated, viz., that He does not care so much for them in this, as for mankind. (1 Corinthians 9:9.) God prescribes elsewhere, that if any should see the ox or ass…

The Church Fathers

You are commanded to pull out the ass or the ox which is lying in the mud. Do you then see a Christian like yourself, who was redeemed by the blood of Christ, lying in the sewer of drunkenness and wallowing in the mud of dissipation, and remain silent? Do you pass by and not stretch forth the hand of mercy? Do you merely shout at him or rebuke him or instill fright in him?
— Caesarius of Arles, SERMON 225.4

The Church Fathers: public-domain translations (Ante-Nicene and Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers), verse-indexed by SermonIndex (CC BY 4.0).

Dictionary and topics

Cattle — Abounded in the Holy Land. To the rearing and management of them the inhabitants chiefly devoted themselves (Deut. 8:13; 12:21; 1 Sam. 11:5; 12:3; Ps. 144:14; Jer. 3:24). They may be classified as,…
Brother · .Used among the Israelites — .Used among the Israelites
Kindness · General scriptures concerning — General scriptures concerning
Neighbor · 6:2-5;19:13,16-18; — 6:2-5;19:13,16-18;
Ox, The · Laws respecting: Fallen under its burden to be raised up again — Laws respecting: Fallen under its burden to be raised up again

Dictionary: Easton's (1897) and Smith's (1863), public domain. Topics: Nave's Topical Bible (1896) and Torrey's Topical Textbook (1897), public domain. Both as parsed by NEUU (CC BY 4.0).

Deuteronomy 22:4

Word by word — the Hebrew

Cross-references

Commentary

Matthew Henry on Deuteronomy 22:1-4

John Gill on Deuteronomy 22:4

John Calvin on Deuteronomy 22:4-5

The Church Fathers

Dictionary and topics

Deuteronomy 22:4

Word by word — the Hebrew

Cross-references

Commentary

Matthew Henry on Deuteronomy 22:1-4

John Gill on Deuteronomy 22:4

John Calvin on Deuteronomy 22:4-5

The Church Fathers

Dictionary and topics

Keil & Delitzsch on Deuteronomy 22:1-12

Tyndale Open Study Notes on Deuteronomy 22:1

Rashi on Deuteronomy 22:4