New English Translation
Exodus 23:4
4“If you encounter your enemy’s ox or donkey wandering off, you must by all means return it 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
2“You must not follow a crowd in doing evil things; in a lawsuit you must not offer testimony that agrees with a crowd so as to pervert justice, 3and you must not show partiality to a poor man in his lawsuit. “If you encounter your enemy’s ox or donkey wandering off, you must by all means return it to him. 5If you see the donkey of someone who hates you fallen under its load, you must not ignore him, but be sure to help him with it. 6“You must not turn away justice for your poor people in their lawsuits.
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 22:1When you see your neighbor’s ox or sheep going astray, do not ignore it; you must return it without fail to your neighbor.
- Job 31:29If I have rejoiced over the misfortune of my enemy or exulted because calamity found him –
- Proverbs 24:17Do not rejoice when your enemy falls, and when he stumbles do not let your heart rejoice,
- Proverbs 25:21If your enemy is hungry, give him food to eat, and if he is thirsty, give him water to drink,
- Matthew 5:44But I say to you, love your enemy and pray for those who persecute you,
- Luke 6:27“But I say to you who are listening: Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you,
- Romans 12:17Do not repay anyone evil for evil; consider what is good before all people.
- 1 Thessalonians 5:15See that no one pays back evil for evil to anyone, but always pursue what is good for one another and for all.
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
New English Translation — © 1996-2016 Biblical Studies Press, L.L.C.
Commentaries