Deuteronomy 22:10

J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible

Thou shalt not plough with an ox and an ass together,

Parallel Translations

Geneva Bible (1587)
Thou shalt not plow with an oxe and an asse together.

Hebrew Names Version
You shall not plow with an ox and a donkey together.

Easy-to-Read Version
"You must not plow with an ox and a donkey together.

English Standard Version
You shall not plow with an ox and a donkey together.

American Standard Version
Thou shalt not plow with an ox and an ass together.

Bible in Basic English
Do not do your ploughing with an ox and an ass yoked together.

Contemporary English Version
Don't hitch an ox and a donkey to your plow at the same time.

Complete Jewish Bible
You are not to plow with an ox and a donkey together.

JPS Old Testament (1917)
Thou shalt not plow with an ox and an ass together.

King James Version (1611)
Thou shalt not plow with an oxe and an asse together.

Amplified Bible
"You shall not plow with an ox [a clean animal] and a donkey [an unclean animal] together.

Brenton's Septuagint (LXX)
Thou shalt not plough with an ox and an ass together.

English Revised Version
Thou shalt not plow with an ox and an ass together.

Berean Standard Bible
Do not plow with an ox and a donkey yoked together.

Lexham English Bible
"You shall not plow with an ox and with a donkey yoked together.

Literal Translation
You shall not plow with an ox and an ass together.

New Century Version
Don't plow with an ox and a donkey tied together.

New English Translation
You must not plow with an ox and a donkey harnessed together.

New King James Version
"You shall not plow with an ox and a donkey together.

New Living Translation
"You must not plow with an ox and a donkey harnessed together.

New Life Bible
Do not plow with a bull and a donkey together.

Douay-Rheims Bible
Thou shalt not plough with an ox and an ass together.

George Lamsa Translation
You shall not plow with an ox and an ass together.

Good News Translation
"Do not hitch an ox and a donkey together for plowing.

New American Standard Bible
"You shall not plow with an ox and a donkey together.

King James Version
Thou shalt not plow with an ox and an ass together.

Darby Translation
Thou shalt not plough with an ox and an ass together.

Wycliffe Bible (1395)
Thou schalt not ere with an oxe and asse togidere.

Young's Literal Translation
`Thou dost not plow with an ox and with an ass together.

World English Bible
You shall not plow with an ox and a donkey together.

Revised Standard Version
You shall not plow with an ox and an ass together.

Update Bible Version
You shall not plow with an ox and a donkey together.

Webster's Bible Translation
Thou shalt not plow with an ox and an ass together.

Bishop's Bible (1568)
Thou shalt not plowe with an oxe and an asse together.

Christian Standard Bible®
Do not plow with an ox and a donkey together.

Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
Thou shalt not plowe with an oxe and an Asse together at one tyme.

THE MESSAGE
Don't plow with an ox and a donkey yoked together.

New Revised Standard
You shall not plow with an ox and a donkey yoked together.

New American Standard Bible (1995)
"You shall not plow with an ox and a donkey together.

Legacy Standard Bible
"You shall not plow with an ox and a donkey together.

Contextual Overview

⁵ A woman shall not have on the wearing apparel of a man, nor shall a man put on the mantle of a woman; for an abomination to Yahweh thy God, is any one who doeth these things. ⁶ When a bird's-nest chanceth to be before thee, - in the way, in any tree or upon the ground, whether with nestlings or eggs, and, the mother, be sitting upon the nestlings or upon the eggs, thou shalt not take the mother upon the young; ⁷ thou shalt let toll the mother, and then, her young, mayest thou take for thyself, - that it may go well with thee, and that thou mayest prolong thy days. ⁸ When thou buildest a new house, then shalt thou make a parapet to thy roof, so shalt thou not treasure up blood-guiltiness against thy house, for he that is in danger of falling might fall therefrom. ⁹ Thou shalt not sow thy vineyard with two sorts of seed, - lest the fulness of the seed which thou sowest, and the increase of thy vineyard be profaned. ¹⁰ Thou shalt not plough with an ox and an ass together, ¹¹ Thou shalt not put on linsey-woolsey, of wool and flax together. ¹² Tassels, shalt thou make thee, - on the four corners of thy vesture, wherewith thou dost cover thyself.

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

Two different species cannot associate comfortably together, nor pull pleasantly either in cart or plough; and the ass being lower than the ox, when yoked, he must bear the principal part of the weight. 2 Corinthians 6:14-16

Cross-References

Genesis 22:6
So Abraham took the pieces of wood for the ascending-sacrifice, and laid them on Isaac his son, and took in his own hand the fire and the knife, and they went on their way, both of them together.

Genesis 22:12
Then he said, Do not put forth thy hand unto the young man, neither do to him - anything at all, - for, now, know I that one who reverest God, thou art, when thou hast not withheld thy son, thine only one, from me.

Genesis 22:17
That I will, richly bless, thee, and, abundantly multiply, thy seed, as the stars of the heavens, and as the sand which is on the lip of the sea, - that thy seed may take possession of the gate of his foes:

Genesis 22:19
So Abraham returned unto his young men, and they mounted, and went on their way together unto Beer-sheba, - and Abraham dwelt in Beer-sheba.

Genesis 22:21
Uz his firstborn and Buz his brother, - and Kemuel, father of Aram -

Genesis 22:23
And, Bethuel, hath begotten Rebekah, - These eight, hath Milcah borne to Nahor brother of Abraham.

Gill's Notes on the Bible

Thou shalt not plough with an ox and an ass together,.... They might be used separately, but not together; nor was it uncommon in some countries for asses to be employed in ploughing as well as oxen. Pliny h makes mention of some fruitful land in Africa, which when it was dry weather could not be ploughed by oxen, but after showers of rain might be ploughed by a mean little ass; so Leo Africanus i says, the Africans only use horses and asses in ploughing. The reason why they were not to be put together was either (as some think) lest the law should be broken which forbids the gendering of cattle with a divers kind, Leviticus 19:19 but Aben Ezra thinks the reason is, because the strength of an ass is not equal to the strength of an ox; and therefore he supposes this law is made from the mercy and commiseration of God extended to all his creatures; though perhaps the better reason is, because the one was a clean creature, and the other an unclean, and this instance is put for all others; and with which agree the Jewish canons, which run thus,

"cattle with cattle, wild beasts with wild beasts, unclean with unclean, clean with clean (i.e. these may be put together); but unclean with clean, and clean with unclean, are forbidden to plough with, to draw with, or to be led together k.''

The mystery of this is, that godly and ungodly persons are not to be yoked together in religious fellowship: see 2 Corinthians 6:14.

h Nat. Hist. l. 17. c. 5. i Descriptio Africae, l. 2. p. 104. k Misn. Celaim, c. 8. sect. 2.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

Compare the marginal reference. The prohibition of Deuteronomy 22:10 was also dictated by humanity. The ox and the donkey being of such different size and strength, it would be cruel to the latter to yoke them together. These two animals are named as being those ordinarily employed in agriculture; compare Isaiah 32:20.

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse Deuteronomy 22:10. Thou shalt not plough with an ox and an ass — It is generally supposed that mixtures of different sorts in seed, breed, c., were employed for superstitious purposes, and therefore prohibited in this law. It is more likely, however, that there was a physical reason for this two beasts of a different species cannot associate comfortably together, and on this ground never pull pleasantly either in cart or plough; and every farmer knows that it is of considerable consequence to the comfort of the cattle to put those together that have an affection for each other. This may be very frequently remarked in certain cattle, which, on this account, are termed true yoke-fellows. After all, it is very probable that the general design was to prevent improper alliances in civil and religious life. And to this St. Paul seems evidently to refer, 2 Corinthians 6:14: Be ye not unequally yoked with unbelievers; which is simply to be understood as prohibiting all intercourse between Christians and idolaters in social, matrimonial, and religious life. And to teach the Jews the propriety of this, a variety of precepts relative to improper and heterogeneous mixtures were interspersed through their law, so that in civil and domestic life they might have them ever before their eyes.