Lectionary Calendar
Monday, August 18th, 2025
the Week of Proper 15 / Ordinary 20
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Read the Bible

New Century Version

Deuteronomy 22:1

If you see your fellow Israelite's ox or sheep wandering away, don't ignore it. Take it back to its owner.

Bible Study Resources

Concordances:

- Nave's Topical Bible - Brother;   Kindness;   Neighbor;   Property;   Stray;   Thompson Chain Reference - Animals;   Oxen;   The Topic Concordance - Help;   Torrey's Topical Textbook - Ass, the Domestic;   Ox, the;  

Dictionaries:

- Charles Buck Theological Dictionary - Alms;   Easton Bible Dictionary - Cattle;   Holman Bible Dictionary - Justice;   Hastings' Dictionary of the Bible - Agriculture;   Crimes and Punishments;   Deuteronomy;   Leviticus;   Hastings' Dictionary of the New Testament - Brotherhood (2);  

Encyclopedias:

- The Jewish Encyclopedia - Baba Meẓi'a;   Breach of Trust;   Finder of Property;   Gentile;  

Parallel Translations

Christian Standard Bible®
“If you see your brother Israelite’s ox or sheep straying, do not ignore it; make sure you return it to your brother.
Hebrew Names Version
You shall not see your brother's ox or his sheep go astray, and hide yourself from them: you shall surely bring them again to your brother.
King James Version
Thou shalt not see thy brother's ox or his sheep go astray, and hide thyself from them: thou shalt in any case bring them again unto thy brother.
Lexham English Bible
"You shall not watch the ox of your neighbor or his sheep or goat straying and ignore them; certainly you shall return them to your neighbor.
English Standard Version
"You shall not see your brother's ox or his sheep going astray and ignore them. You shall take them back to your brother.
New English Translation
When you see your neighbor's ox or sheep going astray, do not ignore it; you must return it without fail to your neighbor.
Amplified Bible
"You shall not see your countryman's ox or his sheep straying away or being stolen, and ignore [your duty to help] them; you shall certainly take them back to him.
New American Standard Bible
"You shall not see your countryman's ox or his sheep straying away, and avoid them; you shall certainly bring them back to your countryman.
Geneva Bible (1587)
Thou shalt not see thy brothers oxe nor his sheepe go astray, & withdraw thy selfe from them, but shalt bring the againe vnto thy brother.
Legacy Standard Bible
"You shall not see your brother's ox or his sheep straying away and ignore them; you shall certainly bring them back to your brother.
Contemporary English Version
Moses said to Israel: If you see a cow or sheep wandering around lost, take the animal back to its owner.
Complete Jewish Bible
"You are not to watch your brother's ox or sheep straying and behave as if you hadn't seen it; you must bring them back to your brother.
Darby Translation
Thou shalt not see thy brother's ox or his sheep go astray, and hide thyself from them: thou shalt in any case bring them back unto thy brother.
Easy-to-Read Version
"If you see that your neighbor's ox or sheep is loose, you must not ignore it. Be sure to take it back to its owner.
George Lamsa Translation
YOU shall not see your brothers ox or his sheep go astray, and disregard them; but you shall surely bring them back to your brother.
Good News Translation
"If you see an Israelite's cow or sheep running loose, do not ignore it; take it back.
Literal Translation
You shall not see your brother's ox or his sheep driven away, and hide yourself from them. Turning you shall turn them back to your brother.
Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
Yf thou se thy brothers oxe or shepe, go astraie, thou shalt not withdrawe thy selfe from them, but shalt brynge the againe vnto yi brother.
American Standard Version
Thou shalt not see thy brother's ox or his sheep go astray, and hide thyself from them: thou shalt surely bring them again unto thy brother.
Bible in Basic English
If you see your brother's ox or his sheep wandering, do not go by without helping, but take them back to your brother.
Bishop's Bible (1568)
Thou shalt not see thy brothers oxe or sheepe go astray, and withdrawe thy selfe from them: but shalt bryng them agayne vnto thy brother.
JPS Old Testament (1917)
Thou shalt not see thy brother's ox or his sheep driven away, and hide thyself from them; thou shalt surely bring them back unto thy brother.
King James Version (1611)
Thou shalt not see thy brothers oxe, or his sheepe go astray, and hide thy selfe from them: thou shalt in any case bring them againe vnto thy brother.
Brenton's Septuagint (LXX)
When thou seest the calf of thy brother or his sheep wandering in the way, thou shalt not overlook them; thou shalt by all means turn them back to thy brother, and thou shalt restore them to him.
English Revised Version
Thou shalt not see thy brother's ox or his sheep go astray, and hide thyself from them: thou shalt surely bring them again unto thy brother.
Berean Standard Bible
If you see your brother's ox or sheep straying, you must not ignore it; be sure to return it to your brother.
Wycliffe Bible (1395)
Thou schalt not se `thi brotheris oxe, ethir scheep, errynge, and schalt passe, but thou schalt brynge ayen to thi brother.
Young's Literal Translation
`Thou dost not see the ox of thy brother or his sheep driven away, and hast hidden thyself from them, thou dost certainly turn them back to thy brother;
Update Bible Version
You shall not see your brother's ox or his sheep go astray, and hide yourself from them: you shall surely bring them again to your brother.
Webster's Bible Translation
Thou shalt not see thy brother's ox or his sheep go astray, and hide thyself from them: thou shalt in any case bring them again to thy brother.
World English Bible
You shall not see your brother's ox or his sheep go astray, and hide yourself from them: you shall surely bring them again to your brother.
New King James Version
"You shall not see your brother's ox or his sheep going astray, and hide yourself from them; you shall certainly bring them back to your brother.
New Living Translation
"If you see your neighbor's ox or sheep or goat wandering away, don't ignore your responsibility. Take it back to its owner.
New Life Bible
"If you see your brother's bull or sheep walking away, do not pretend that you do not see them. Be sure to return them to your brother.
New Revised Standard
You shall not watch your neighbor's ox or sheep straying away and ignore them; you shall take them back to their owner.
J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
Thou shalt not see the ox of thy brother or his sheep, going astray, and turn away from them, - thou shalt, bring them back unto thy brother.
Douay-Rheims Bible
Thou shalt not pass by if thou seest thy brother’s ox, or his sheep go astray: but thou shalt bring them back to thy brother.
Revised Standard Version
"You shall not see your brother's ox or his sheep go astray, and withhold your help from them; you shall take them back to your brother.
THE MESSAGE
If you see your kinsman's ox or sheep wandering off loose, don't look the other way as if you didn't see it. Return it promptly. If your fellow Israelite is not close by or you don't know whose it is, take the animal home with you and take care of it until your fellow asks about it. Then return it to him. Do the same if it's his donkey or a piece of clothing or anything else your fellow Israelite loses. Don't look the other way as if you didn't see it.
New American Standard Bible (1995)
"You shall not see your countryman's ox or his sheep straying away, and pay no attention to them; you shall certainly bring them back to your countryman.

Contextual Overview

1 If you see your fellow Israelite's ox or sheep wandering away, don't ignore it. Take it back to its owner. 2 If the owner does not live close to you, or if you do not know who the owner is, take the animal home with you. Keep it until the owner comes looking for it; then give it back. 3 Do the same thing if you find a donkey or coat or anything someone lost. Don't just ignore it. 4 If you see your fellow Israelite's donkey or ox fallen on the road, don't ignore it. Help the owner get it up.

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

Thou shalt: Exodus 23:4, Ezekiel 34:4, Ezekiel 34:16, Matthew 10:6, Matthew 15:24, Matthew 18:12, Matthew 18:13, Luke 15:4-6, James 5:19, James 5:20, 1 Peter 2:25

hide thyself: Deuteronomy 22:3, Deuteronomy 22:4, Leviticus 20:4, Proverbs 24:11, Proverbs 28:27, Isaiah 8:17, Isaiah 58:7, Luke 10:31, Luke 10:32

Reciprocal: Leviticus 6:3 - have found

Cross-References

Genesis 22:7
Isaac said to his father Abraham, "Father!" Abraham answered, "Yes, my son." Isaac said, "We have the fire and the wood, but where is the lamb we will burn as a sacrifice?"
Genesis 22:11
But the angel of the Lord called to him from heaven and said, "Abraham! Abraham!" Abraham answered, "Yes."
Genesis 22:12
The angel said, "Don't kill your son or hurt him in any way. Now I can see that you trust God and that you have not kept your son, your only son, from me."
Genesis 22:14
So Abraham named that place The Lord Provides. Even today people say, "On the mountain of the Lord it will be provided."
Exodus 3:4
When the Lord saw Moses was coming to look at the bush, God called to him from the bush, "Moses, Moses!" And Moses said, "Here I am."
Exodus 16:4
Then the Lord said to Moses, "I will cause food to fall like rain from the sky for all of you. Every day the people must go out and gather what they need for that day. I want to see if the people will do what I teach them.
Deuteronomy 8:2
Remember how the Lord your God has led you in the desert for these forty years, taking away your pride and testing you, because he wanted to know what was in your heart. He wanted to know if you would obey his commands.
Deuteronomy 8:16
and manna to eat in the desert. Manna was something your ancestors had never seen. He did this to take away your pride and to test you, so things would go well for you in the end.
Deuteronomy 13:3
But you must not listen to those prophets or dreamers. The Lord your God is testing you, to find out if you love him with your whole being.
Judges 2:22
I will use them to test Israel, to see if Israel will keep the Lord 's commands as their ancestors did."

Gill's Notes on the Bible

Thou shall not see thy brother's ox or his sheep go astray,.... Or "driven away" r; frightened and starved away from the herd or from the flock by a wolf or dog; and the ox and sheep are put for every other creature a man has, as camels, asses, c. which last sort is after mentioned and a brother means not one in the natural relation of kindred only, for it is supposed, in the next verse, that he might not only be at a distance, but unknown; nor by religion only, or one of the commonwealth or church of the Jews, for what is enjoined is a piece of humanity the law of nature requires and directs unto, and is even to be done to enemies, Exodus 23:4 and hide thyself from them; make as if he did not see them, and so be entirely negligent of them, and takes no care and show no concern about them, but let them go on wandering from the herd and flock from whence they were driven, and to which they cannot find the way of themselves:

thou shalt in any case bring them again to thy brother: to his herd or flock, or to his house, and deliver them into his own hands, or to the care of his servants.

r נדחים "expulsos", Montanus; "impulsos", Munster; "depulsos", Piscator.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

On the general character of the contents of this chapter see Deuteronomy 21:10 note.

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

CHAPTER XXII

Ordinances relative to strayed cattle and lost goods, 1-3.

Humanity to oppressed cattle, 4.

Men and women shall not wear each other's apparel, 5.

No bird shall be taken with her nest of eggs or young ones,

6, 7.

Battlements must be made on the roofs of houses, 8.

Improper mixtures to be avoided, 9-11.

Fringes on the garments, 12.

Case of the hated wife, and the tokens of virginity, and the

proceedings thereon, 13-21.

The adulterer and adulteress to be put to death, 22.

Case of the betrothed damsel corrupted in the city, 23, 24.

Cases of rape and the punishment, 25-27;

of fornication, 28, 29.

No man shall take his father's wife, 30.

NOTES ON CHAP. XXII

Verse Deuteronomy 22:1. Thou shalt not see thy brother's ox or his sheep go astray — The same humane, merciful, and wise regulations which we met with before, Exodus 23:4-5, well calculated to keep in remembrance the second grand branch of the law of God, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. A humane man cannot bear to see even an ass fall under his burden, and not endeavour to relieve him; and a man who loves his neighbour as himself cannot see his property in danger without endeavouring to preserve it. These comparatively small matters were tests and proofs of matters great in themselves, and in their consequences. Exodus 23:4.


 
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