EasyEnglish Bible 2018
Exodus 23:4
4Perhaps you may find your enemy's cow or his donkey when he has lost it. If so, you must give it back to him.
Exodus 23:4 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)If thou meet thine enemy’s ox or his ass going astray, thou shalt surely bring it back to him again.
- New International Version (NIV)“If you come across your enemy’s ox or donkey wandering off, be sure to return it.
- English Standard Version (ESV)"If you meet your enemy's ox or his donkey going astray, you shall bring it back to him.
- New King James Version (NKJV)“If you meet your enemy’s ox or his donkey going astray, you shall surely bring it back to him again.
Context of Exodus 23:4
2Do not join a group of bad people to do evil things. When you speak in court, tell the truth so that the judges will decide what is right. Do not tell lies to agree with what everyone else says. 3Do not speak on behalf of a poor man only because you like him. Perhaps you may find your enemy's cow or his donkey when he has lost it. If so, you must give it back to him. 5Perhaps you may see your enemy's donkey when it is carrying a heavy load. If the donkey has fallen down, do not refuse to give help. Do not leave the donkey there. 6Always do what is right for your poor people when they stand in front of a judge.
Read all of Exodus 23Exodus 23:4 word by word
כִּ֣י תִפְגַּ֞ע שׁ֧וֹר אֹֽיִבְךָ֛ א֥וֹ חֲמֹר֖וֹ תֹּעֶ֑ה הָשֵׁ֥ב תְּשִׁיבֶ֖נּוּ לֽוֹ׃ סRead the interlinear
Words taken from the KJV.
Cross-references for Exodus 23:4
- Deuteronomy 22:1You may see your neighbour's cow or sheep that has become lost. If so, do not look the other way. You must catch the animal. You must take it back to your neighbour.
- Job 31:29I do not laugh at my enemies when they suffer. If my enemy has troubles, it does not make me happy.
- Proverbs 24:1728. Do not shout with joy when your enemy falls down. Do not be happy when his foot slips.
- Proverbs 25:21If your enemy is hungry, give him something to eat. If he is thirsty, give him some water to drink.
- Matthew 5:44What I tell you is this: You should love the people who want to hurt you. If people want to give you pain, pray for them. Pray that God would help them.
- Luke 6:27Jesus then said, ‘I say this to you who are listening carefully to me: Love the people who want to hurt you. Do good things to people that hate you.
- Romans 12:17If someone has done bad things against you, do not do bad things back to them. Try to live in a good way so that people will respect you. They will see that you do good things.
- 1 Thessalonians 5:15If someone does something bad against you, do not do anything bad against them in return. Never do that. Instead, always try to do good things that will help one other and help everyone else.
Commentaries on Exodus 23:4
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 4If thou meet thine enemy's ox - going astray - From the humane and heavenly maxim in this and the following verse, our blessed Lord has formed the following precept: "Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you and persecute you;" Matthew 5:44. A precept so plain, wise, benevolent, and useful, can receive no other comment than that which its influence on the heart of a kind and…Read the comment
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 4So far was the spirit of the law from encouraging personal revenge that it would not allow a man to neglect an opportunity of saving his enemy from loss. Exodus 23:5 The sense appears to be: “If thou see the ass of thine enemy lying down under his burden, thou shalt forbear to pass by him; thou shalt help him in loosening the girths of the ass.”Read the comment
- Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 1-9This call for justice includes a mixed list of covenant requirements. Most of these requirements deal with fairness and honesty in daily life. They show how God’s people should treat others with integrity.Read the comment
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 1-331. put not thine hand--join not hands.Read the comment
Topics related to Exodus 23:4
In the dictionaries
Commentaries on Exodus 23
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
- Matthew Henry Concise Commentary
- Tyndale Open Study Notes
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary
- Rashi on Tanakh
- Calvin’s Commentaries
- Keil & Delitzsch Commentary
- John Wesley’s Notes
- Darby Translation Notes
- Geneva Bible Translation Notes
- Kingcomments
- Matthew Henry’s Complete Commentary
- Matthew Henry’s Modern English Commentary
- Scofield Reference Notes, 1917 Edition
- Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary
- EGW Writings
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