English Standard Version
Exodus 23:4
4"If you meet your enemy's ox or his donkey going astray, you shall bring 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.
- 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.
- New Living Translation (NLT)“If you come upon your enemy’s ox or donkey that has strayed away, take it back to its owner.
Context of Exodus 23:4
2You shall not fall in with the many to do evil, nor shall you bear witness in a lawsuit, siding with the many, so as to pervert justice, 3nor shall you be partial to a poor man in his lawsuit. "If you meet your enemy's ox or his donkey going astray, you shall bring it back to him. 5If you see the donkey of one who hates you lying down under its burden, you shall refrain from leaving him with it; you shall rescue it with him. 6"You shall not pervert the justice due to your poor in his lawsuit.
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 22:1"You shall not see your brother's ox or his sheep going astray and ignore them. You shall take them back to your brother.
- Job 31:29"If I have rejoiced at the ruin of him who hated me, or exulted when evil overtook him
- Proverbs 24:17Do not rejoice when your enemy falls, and let not your heart be glad when he stumbles,
- Proverbs 25:21If your enemy is hungry, give him bread to eat, and if he is thirsty, give him water to drink,
- Matthew 5:44But I say to you, Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you,
- Luke 6:27"But I say to you who hear, Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you,
- Romans 12:17Repay no one evil for evil, but give thought to do what is honorable in the sight of all.
- 1 Thessalonians 5:15See that no one repays anyone evil for evil, but always seek to do good to one another and to everyone.
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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Commentaries