EXPOSITORY (ENGLISH BIBLE)
XXII.Deuteronomy 22:1-4.LOST PROPERTY.
(1)Go astray.—Literally,being driven away,as by wild beasts (Jeremiah 1:17), or by robbers. It is not simply straying. “I will seek that which was lost and bring again that whichwas driven away” (Ezekiel 34:16), and so in many other passages.
Thou shalt not . . . hide thyself from them.—Comp.Proverbs 24:12. “If thou sayest, Behold we knew it not . . . doth not He know it?” AndIsaiah 58:7, “that thou hide not thyself from thine own flesh.”
(3)Inlike manner . . . with all lost thing of thy brother’s.—This is only a particular case of the second great commandment. “Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself.”
(4)Thou shalt not see thy brother’s ass or his ox fall down . . . and hide thyself.—InExodus 23:4-5, this is put even more strongly. “If thou meet thineenemy’sox or his ass going astray, thou shalt surely bring it back to him again. If thou see the ass of himthat hateth theelying under his burden . . . thou shalt surely help with him.”
Deuteronomy 22:1-2.
Thy brother’s —Any man’s, this being a duty of common justice and charity, which the law of nature taught even heathen.
Hide thyself from them —Dissemble, or pretend that thou dost not see them, or pass them by as if thou hadst not seen them.
If thy brother be not nigh unto thee —Which may make the duty more troublesome or chargeable.
Or if thou know him not— Which implies that, if they did know the owner, they should restore it.
Bring it unto thy own house —To be used like thy other cattle.
Thou shalt restore it again —The owner, as it may be presumed, paying the charges.
22:1-4 If we duly regard the golden rule of doing to others as we would they should do unto us, many particular precepts might be omitted. We can have no property in any thing that we find. Religion teaches us to be neighbourly, and to be ready to do all good offices to all men. We know not how soon we may have occasion for help.
On the general character of the contents of this chapter see
Deuteronomy 21:10 note.
CHAPTER 22
De 22:1-4. Of Humanity toward Brethren.
1. Thou shalt not see thy brother's ox or his sheep go astray, and hide thyself from them, &c.—"Brother" is a term of extensive application, comprehending persons of every description; not a relative, neighbor, or fellow countryman only, but any human being, known or unknown, a foreigner, and even an enemy (Ex 23:4). The duty inculcated is an act of common justice and charity, which, while it was taught by the law of nature, was more clearly and forcibly enjoined in the law delivered by God to His people. Indifference or dissimulation in the circumstances supposed would not only be cruelty to the dumb animals, but a violation of the common rights of humanity; and therefore the dictates of natural feeling, and still more the authority of the divine law, enjoined that the lost or missing property of another should be taken care of by the finder, till a proper opportunity occurred of restoring it to the owner.Laws about stray cattle,Deu 22:1-3. About thy neighbor’s ox fallen in the way,Deu 22:4. Woman’s wearing of apparel distinct from man’s,Deu 22:5. Of birds caught,Deu 22:6,7. Of battlements for houses,Deu 22:8. Of divers seeds sown,Deu 22:9. Of ploughing with an ox and ass,Deu 22:10. Of garments of divers colours,Deu 22:11. Of fringes upon the four quarters of a garment,Deu 22:12. The punishment of him that slandereth his wife.Deu 22:13-19. Her punishment if the scandal be true,Deu 22:20,21. The punishment of adultery,Deu 22:22-24; of rape,Deu 22:25-27; of fornication,Deu 22:28,29. Against incest,Deu 22:30.
Thy brother; so called by communion not of religion, but of nature, as having one Father, even God,Malachi 2:10; as appears,
1. Because the same law is given about their enemy’s ox, &c.,Exodus 23:4.
2. Because else the obligation of this law had been uncertain, seeing men could not ordinarily tell whether the straying ox or sheep belonged to a Jew or to a stranger.
3. Because this was a duty of common justice and charity, which the law of nature taught even heathens, and it is absurd to think that the law of God delivered to the Jews should have less charity in it than the law of nature given to the Gentiles.
Hide thyself from them, i.e. dissemble or pretend that thou dost not seen them; or neglect or pass them by as if thou hadst not seen them.
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) "expulsos", Montanus; "impulsos", Munster; "depulsos", Piscator.
Thou shalt not see thy brother's ox or his sheep go astray, and{a} hide thyself from them: thou shalt in any case bring them again unto thy brother.(a) As though your did not see it.
