Tree of Life Version
Exodus 23:4
4“If you find your enemy’s ox or his donkey going astray, you must surely bring it back to him again.
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“Do not follow a crowd to do evil. Nor are you to testify in a case, to follow a crowd and pervert justice. 3On the other hand, nor should you takes sides with a poor man in his case. “If you find your enemy’s ox or his donkey going astray, you must surely bring it back to him again. 5If you see the donkey of the one that hates you lying down under its burden, do not leave it. Rather, you are to release it with him. 6“You are not to pervert justice to your poor in his dispute.
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 are not to watch your brother’s ox or sheep going astray and ignore them —you must certainly bring them back to your brother.
- Job 31:29“If I rejoiced at my enemy’s misfortune or gloated because calamity found him—
- Proverbs 24:17Do not rejoice when your enemy falls, or let 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 tell you, love your enemies 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 12:17Repay no one evil for evil; give thought to what is good in the eyes of all people.
- 1 Thessalonians 5:15See that no one repays 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
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