Exodus 23:5

5 If thou see the ass of him that hates thee lying under his burden, will thou forbear to help him? Thou shalt surely help him to raise it up.

Exodus 23:5 Meaning and Commentary

Exodus 23:5

If thou see the ass of him that hateth thee lying under his
burden
Fallen down, and such a burden upon him that he cannot rise up again, but lies under it, and the owner of it is not able of himself to raise it up again:

and wouldst forbear to help him;
show an inclination to pass on without giving him any assistance to get up his beast again; or "wouldst thou forbear to help him?" ^F23 as Jarchi, and others, read with an interrogation, could it be in thine heart to forbear helping him? couldest thou go on, and take no notice of him and his case, and not join him in endeavouring to get up his beast again, that he may proceed its his journey? canst thou be so cruel and hardhearted, though he is thine enemy? but if thou art, know this,

thou shalt surely help with him;
to get up his ass again: hence the Jewish canon runs thus ^F24,

``if an ass is unloaded and loaded four or five times, a man is bound, i.e. to help, as it is said, "in helping thou shalt help"; if he (the owner) goes away, and sets himself down, seeing the command is upon thee, if it is thy will and pleasure to unload, unload, he is free; for it is said, with him; if he is an old man, or sick, he is bound, the command of the law is to unload, but not to load.''

The words may be rendered, "in leaving thou shalt leave with him" ^F25; either leave or forsake thine enmity to help him, as Onkelos; or leave thy business, thou art about, to lend him an hand to raise up his beast again.

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FOOTNOTES:

F23 (bzem tldxw) "num desines sublevare eum?" some in Vatablus; "cessabis auxitiari ei?" Drusius; "desines auxiliari ei?" Pagninus.
F24 Misn. Bava Metzia, c. 2. sect. 10.
F25 "Deserendo deseres cum eo", Montanus; so Ainsworth.

Exodus 23:5 In-Context

3 neither shalt thou honour a poor man in his cause.

4 If thou should encounter thine enemy’s ox or his ass astray, thou shalt surely bring it back to him again.

5 If thou see the ass of him that hates thee lying under his burden, will thou forbear to help him? Thou shalt surely help him to raise it up.

6 Thou shalt not pervert the rights of thy poor in his cause.

7 Keep thee far from a false matter; and slay thou not the innocent and righteous; for I will not justify the wicked.