Deuteronomium 22:2

2 En indien uw broeder niet nabij u is, of gij hem niet kent, zo zult gij ze binnen in uw huis vergaderen, dat zij bij u zijn, totdat uw broeder die zoeke, en gij ze hem wedergeeft.

Deuteronomium 22:2 Meaning and Commentary

Deuteronomy 22:2

And if thy brother be not nigh unto thee
Does not live in the same neighbourhood, but at some considerable distance; so that he cannot soon and easily be informed of his cattle, or they be sent to him:

or if thou know him not;
the owner of them, what is his name, or where he lives:

then thou shall bring it into thine house;
not into his dwelling house, but some out house, barn, or stable:

and it shall be with thee;
remain in his custody, and be taken care of by him; and, as the Targum of Jonathan says, "be fed and nourished by him"; for, according to the Jewish canon ^F19, whatsoever could work and eat, that should work and eat, and whatsoever did not work and eat was to be sold; for which there was a set time, as the commentators say {t}, for large cattle, as oxen, twelve months; for lesser cattle, as sheep, goats three months, here it is fixed,

until thy brother seek after it;
though in the mean while the finder was to make use of means, whereby the owner might be informed of it; for whatsoever was lost, in which were marks and signs by which inquiries might be made, were to be proclaimed ^F21; (and it is asked) how long a man was obliged to proclaim? until it was known to his neighbours; same say (he must proclaim it) at three feasts, and seven days after the last feast, so that he may go home three days, and return three days, and proclaim one day; if (the owner) tells what is lost, but does not tell the marks or signs, he may not give it him; and a deceiver, though he tells the signs, he may not give it him, as it is said, "until thy brother seek after it"; until thou inquirest of thy brother whether he is a deceiver or not: and elsewhere it is said ^F23, formerly if a man lost anything, and gave the signs or marks of it, he took it; but after deceivers increased, it was ordered to be said to him, bring witnesses that thou art not a deceiver, and take it; and in the same place it is observed, that there was at Jerusalem a stone, called Eben Toim, "the stone of strays", and whoever had lost or found anything repaired thither, and gave the signs and marks of it, and took it:

and thou shalt restore it to him again;
he having made it fully to appear to be his, and having defrayed all expenses in advertising and keeping it; but if no owner appear to claim it, or not to satisfaction, the finder was to keep it as his own; but otherwise he was by all means to restore it, or, as in ( Deuteronomy 23:1 ) "in restoring thou shalt restore them" ^F24, that is, certainly restore them; and continually wherever it so happens: the Jewish canon is ^F25,

``if he restores it, and afterwards it strays away, and he restores it again and it strays away, even though four or five times, he is bound to restore it; as it is said, "in restoring thou shalt restore them"; Maimonides says ^F26, that even an hundred times he is bound to restore them.''

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FOOTNOTES:

F19 Misn. Bava Metzia, c. 2. sect. 7.
F20 Maimon. & Bartenora in ib.
F21 Misn. ib. sect. 5, 6, 7.
F23 T. Bab. Bava Metzia, fol. 28. 2.
F24 (Mbyvt bvh) "reducendo reduces eos", Pagninus, Montanus.
F25 Misn. ut supra, (^F19) sect. 9.
F26 Hilchot Gazelah ve abadah, c. 11. sect. 14.

Deuteronomium 22:2 In-Context

1 Gij zult uws broeders os of klein vee niet zien afgedreven, en u van die verbergen; gij zult ze uw broeder ganselijk weder toesturen.

2 En indien uw broeder niet nabij u is, of gij hem niet kent, zo zult gij ze binnen in uw huis vergaderen, dat zij bij u zijn, totdat uw broeder die zoeke, en gij ze hem wedergeeft.

3 Alzo zult gij ook doen aan zijn ezel, en alzo zult gij doen aan zijn kleding, ja, alzo zult gij doen aan al het verlorene uws broeders, dat van hem verloren zal zijn, en dat gij zult hebben gevonden; gij zult u niet mogen verbergen.

4 Gij zult uws broeders ezel of zijn os niet zien, vallende op den weg, en u van die verbergen; gij zult ze met hem ganselijk oprichten.

5 Het kleed eens mans zal niet zijn aan een vrouw, en een man zal geen vrouwenkleed aantrekken; want al wie zulks doet, is den HEERE, uw God, een gruwel.