Deuteronomy 22:4

4 si videris asinum fratris tui aut bovem cecidisse in via non despicies sed sublevabis cum eo

Deuteronomy 22:4 Meaning and Commentary

Deuteronomy 22:4

Thou shall not see thy brother's ox or his ass fall down by the
way
And lie under his burden, not being able to rise with it of himself, nor with all the assistance about it, without further help:

and hide thyself from them;
cover thine eyes, or turn them another way, and make as if thou didst not see them in distress:

thou shalt surely help him to lift them up again;
that is, help the brother and owner of it, the ox and ass; assist him in getting them up again, and lay on their burden, and fasten them aright, which either were rolled off by the fall, or were obliged to be taken off in order to raise them up; and if this was to be done for an enemy, then much more for a brother, as is required, (See Gill on Exodus 23:5), or "lifting up, thou shall lift them up with him" F4; that is, most certainly do it, and lift with all his strength, and as often as there is occasion; if they fell down again after raised up, help is still to be continued, even, as Maimonides F5 says, though it was an hundred times.


FOOTNOTES:

F4 (Myqt Mqh) "erigendo eriges", Pagninus, Montanus.
F5 Hilchot Rotzeach, c. 13. sect. 5.

Deuteronomy 22:4 In-Context

2 etiam si non est propinquus tuus frater nec nosti eum duces in domum tuam et erunt apud te quamdiu quaerat ea frater tuus et recipiat
3 similiter facies de asino et de vestimento et de omni re fratris tui quae perierit si inveneris eam ne neglegas quasi alienam
4 si videris asinum fratris tui aut bovem cecidisse in via non despicies sed sublevabis cum eo
5 non induetur mulier veste virili nec vir utetur veste feminea abominabilis enim apud Deum est qui facit haec
6 si ambulans per viam in arbore vel in terra nidum avis inveneris et matrem pullis vel ovis desuper incubantem non tenebis eam cum filiis
The Latin Vulgate is in the public domain.