Exodus 23:5
in Exodus 23If you see the donkey of one who hates you fallen under its load, do not leave it there; you must help him with it.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
If thou see the ass of him that hateth thee lying under his burden, thou shalt forbear to leave him, thou shalt surely release it with him.
KJV
If thou see the ass of him that hateth thee lying under his burden, and wouldest forbear to help him, thou shalt surely help with him.
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This verse in Exodus 23
Commentary
5 notes on this verseThe Lord tells us to relieve and lighten the burden of beasts of burden, even when they belong to our enemies. He is teaching us at a distance not to take pleasure in the misfortunes of others and not to laugh at our enemies. He wants to teach those who have exercised themselves in these disciplines to pray for their enemies.
This site's exposition
thou shalt surely bring it back to him again
on Exodus 23:4-5
The cases are a straying ox and an ass collapsed under its load, and the owner is named as thine enemy and as him that hateth thee. Deuteronomy 22:1 and 22:4 give the same two cases with thy brother standing where the enemy stands here, so this is the harder version of a law Israel already had. What is required is labour, since the man has to lift the burden alongside someone who hates him. Jesus works the same ground at Matthew 5:44, and Paul at Romans 12:20 quotes Proverbs 25:21.
The record, by era
The Church Fathers1 voice
You are commanded to pull out the ass or the ox which is lying in the mud. Do you then see a Christian like yourself, who was redeemed by the blood of Christ, lying in the sewer of drunkenness and wallowing in the mud of …
The Puritans and the Awakening2 voices
17 Three times in the year all thy males shall appear before the Lord G OD . 18 Thou shalt not offer the blood of my sacrifice with leavened bread; neither shall the fat of my sacrifice remain until the morning.
quarantine:scripture (2026-07-29) — scripture-overlap:95%@v17-18
If thou see the ass of him that hateth thee lying under his burden,....
The words behind it
13 Hebrew wordsEvery Hebrew word of this verse in the order it stands, with what it means and the door to its own study. The last column counts the times a word stands in the whole Bible: the rarer the word, the more the places it appears belong together.
| Hebrew | Sound | Meaning | Word study | In the Bible |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| כִּֽי־ | ki- | if | H3588 → | 4482 times |
| תִרְאֶ֞ה | tireh | you will see | H7200 → | 1300 times |
| חֲמ֣וֹר | chamor | [the] donkey of | H2543 → | 96 times |
| שֹׂנַאֲךָ֗ | sonaakha | [one who] hates you | H8130 → | 146 times |
| רֹבֵץ֙ | rovetz | lying down | H7257 → | |
| תַּ֣חַת | tachat | under | H8478 → | 505 times |
| מַשָּׂא֔וֹ | masao | load its | H4853 → | |
| וְחָדַלְתָּ֖ | vechadalta | and you will refrain | H2308 → | 58 times |
| מֵעֲזֹ֣ב | meazo | from leaving | H5800 → | 215 times |
| ל֑וֹ | lo | <to> <the> it | ||
| עָזֹ֥ב | azo | certainly <to let loose> | H5800 → | 215 times |
| תַּעֲזֹ֖ב | taazo | you will let [it] loose | H5800 → | 215 times |
| עִמּֽוֹ׃ ס | imo | with him | H5973 → | 1050 times |
כִּֽי־if
ki-H3588 →4482 times
תִרְאֶ֞הyou will see
tirehH7200 →1300 times
חֲמ֣וֹר[the] donkey of
chamorH2543 →96 times
שֹׂנַאֲךָ֗[one who] hates you
sonaakhaH8130 →146 times
רֹבֵץ֙lying down
rovetzH7257 →
תַּ֣חַתunder
tachatH8478 →505 times
מַשָּׂא֔וֹload its
masaoH4853 →
וְחָדַלְתָּ֖and you will refrain
vechadaltaH2308 →58 times
מֵעֲזֹ֣בfrom leaving
meazoH5800 →215 times
ל֑וֹ<to> <the> it
lo
עָזֹ֥בcertainly <to let loose>
azoH5800 →215 times
תַּעֲזֹ֖בyou will let [it] loose
taazoH5800 →215 times
עִמּֽוֹ׃ סwith him
imoH5973 →1050 times
A shaded row is a word that stands 400 times or fewer in the Bible.
The walk
5 stopsEach card is a verse this one points to, and under it the verses that one points to in turn. Where several paths arrive at the same place, that place is listed first: the text keeps returning to it.
Through
Deuteronomy 22:4If you see your brother’s donkey or ox fallen on the road, you must not ignore it; you must help him lift it up.
it leads to
- 2 Corinthians 12:15
And for the sake of your souls, I will most gladly spend my money and myself. If I love you more, will you love me less?
- Galatians 6:1–2
Brothers, if someone is caught in a trespass, you who are spiritual should restore him with a spirit of gentleness. But watch yourself, or you also may be tempted.
- Romans 15:1
We who are strong ought to bear with the shortcomings of the weak and not to please ourselves.
- Exodus 23:4–5
If you encounter your enemy’s stray ox or donkey, you must return it to him.
- Matthew 5:44
But I tell you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you,
- 2 Corinthians 12:15
Where this verse is studied
On this page
Studies1
About Exodus
This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; Caesarius of Arles, SERMON 225.4; Clement of Alexandria, The Stromata Book 2; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763) and Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible.