◄ Deuteronomy 22:4 ►
If you see your brother's donkey or ox fallen on the road, you must not ignore it; you must help him lift it up.
Study Bible
If you see your brother’s donkey or ox fallen on the road
This phrase emphasizes the importance of community responsibility and compassion. In ancient Israel, livestock such as donkeys and oxen were vital for agriculture and transportation. Seeing an animal in distress would have been a common occurrence, and the law here underscores the duty to assist. The term "brother" extends beyond familial ties to include fellow Israelites, promoting a sense of unity and mutual care. This principle is echoed in the New Testament, where believers are encouraged to bear one another's burdens (Galatians 6:2).

you must not ignore it
The command to not ignore the situation highlights the moral obligation to act. In the cultural context of the time, ignoring a neighbor's need would be seen as a failure to uphold the covenant community's values. This directive aligns with the broader biblical theme of loving one's neighbor, as seen in Leviticus 19:18 and reiterated by Jesus in the Gospels (Matthew 22:39). The call to action reflects God's character, who is attentive to the needs of His people.

you must help him lift it up
This phrase calls for practical assistance, requiring physical effort and time. It reflects the biblical principle of active love, where faith is demonstrated through deeds (James 2:14-17). Helping to lift the animal symbolizes restoring what has fallen, a theme that resonates with the redemptive work of Christ, who lifts humanity from sin. The act of helping also serves as a type of Christ's ministry, where He came to serve and uplift those in need (Mark 10:45). This command encourages believers to embody Christ's love through tangible acts of service.

Persons / Places / Events
1. Moses
The author of Deuteronomy, delivering God's laws to the Israelites.

2. Israelites
The audience receiving the law, God's chosen people, preparing to enter the Promised Land.

3. Brother
Refers to a fellow Israelite, emphasizing community and kinship.

4. Donkey or Ox
Common animals used for labor and transportation, representing livelihood and economic stability.

5. The Road
Symbolizes the journey of life and the daily paths we walk, where we encounter others in need.
Teaching Points
Community Responsibility
The verse emphasizes the importance of looking out for one another within the community. We are called to be proactive in helping those around us, not just when it is convenient.

Compassion in Action
True compassion requires action. Seeing a need and responding to it is a demonstration of love and obedience to God's commands.

Overcoming Indifference
The command to not ignore a fallen animal challenges us to overcome indifference and engage with the needs of others, reflecting God's care and concern.

Practical Love
This law teaches that love is practical and involves tangible acts of service. It is a call to live out our faith through deeds.

Reflecting God's Character
By helping others, we reflect God's character of mercy and kindness, serving as His representatives on earth.
Bible Study Questions
1. How does the instruction in Deuteronomy 22:4 challenge our modern understanding of community responsibility?

2. In what ways can we apply the principle of helping a "fallen donkey or ox" in our daily lives today?

3. How does the command to help a brother's animal relate to Jesus' teaching in the Parable of the Good Samaritan?

4. What are some practical ways we can overcome indifference and be more attentive to the needs of those around us?

5. How does this verse encourage us to reflect God's character in our interactions with others, and what are some specific examples of this in the New Testament?
Connections to Other Scriptures
Exodus 23:5
This verse similarly instructs helping an enemy's animal in distress, broadening the principle of assistance beyond just friends or kin.

Galatians 6:2
Paul encourages believers to bear one another's burdens, reflecting the spirit of the law in Deuteronomy.

Luke 10:25-37
The Parable of the Good Samaritan illustrates the principle of helping those in need, regardless of their identity or relationship to us.
Sermons
A Kind HeartDeuteronomy 22:1-4
Brotherly Service in Daily LifeD. Davies Deuteronomy 22:1-4
Consideration for Man and BeastR.M. Edgar Deuteronomy 22:1-4
Fraternal ResponsibilitiesJ. Parker, D. D.Deuteronomy 22:1-4
Helping UpC. Garrett.Deuteronomy 22:1-4
Love UnfeignedJ. Orr Deuteronomy 22:1-4
Restoration of Stray Cattle and Lost GoodsJ. Wolfendale.Deuteronomy 22:1-4
People
Hen, Moses
Places
Beth-baal-peor
Topics
Ass, Attention, Brother, Brother's, Case, Certainly, Countryman's, Donkey, Fall, Fallen, Falling, Giving, Hast, Hid, Hide, Ignore, Lift, Lifting, Ox, Pay, Raise, Road, Surely, Thyself, Withhold
Dictionary of Bible Themes
Deuteronomy 22:4

     5053   responsibility, for world
     5505   roads
     8472   respect, for environment

Deuteronomy 22:1-4

     8452   neighbours, duty to

Deuteronomy 22:3-4

     4633   donkey

Library
Spiritual Farming. --No. 2 Ploughing.
There have been during the last few years great improvements in the construction of the plough, but no one dreams of any substitute for it. Ploughing is as necessary as sowing; that is to say, the land must be stirred and prepared for the seed. In heavenly husbandry there are some well-meaning folk who would dispense with the plough, and preach faith without repentance, but only to find that the birds of the air get most of the seed! If there is to be an abiding work there must be conviction of …
Thomas Champness—Broken Bread

If any Woman, under Pretence of Asceticism, Shall Change Her Apparel And...
If any woman, under pretence of asceticism, shall change her apparel and, instead of a woman's accustomed clothing, shall put on that of a man, let her be anathema. Notes. Ancient Epitome of Canon XIII. Whatever women wear men's clothes, anathema to them. Hefele. The synodal letter in its sixth article also speaks of this. Exchange of dress, or the adoption by one sex of the dress of the other, was forbidden in the Pentateuch (Deut. xxii. 5), and was therefore most strictly interdicted by the whole …
Philip Schaff—The Seven Ecumenical Councils

Excursus on the Word Theotokos .
There have been some who have tried to reduce all the great theological controversies on the Trinity and on the Incarnation to mere logomachies, and have jeered at those who could waste their time and energies over such trivialities. For example, it has been said that the real difference between Arius and Athanasius was nothing more nor less than an iota, and that even Athanasius himself, in his more placid, and therefore presumably more rational moods, was willing to hold communion with those who …
Philip Schaff—The Seven Ecumenical Councils

The Story of the Adulteress.
(Jerusalem.) ^D John VII. 53-VIII. 11. [This section is wanting in nearly all older manuscripts, but Jerome (a.d. 346-420) says that in his time it was contained in "many Greek and Latin manuscripts," and these must have been as good or better than the best manuscripts we now possess. But whether we regard it as part of John's narrative or not, scholars very generally accept it as a genuine piece of history.] ^d 53 And they went every man unto his own house [confused by the question of Nicodemus, …
J. W. McGarvey—The Four-Fold Gospel

List of Abbreviations Used in Reference to Rabbinic Writings Quoted in this Work.
THE Mishnah is always quoted according to Tractate, Chapter (Pereq) and Paragraph (Mishnah), the Chapter being marked in Roman, the paragraph in ordinary Numerals. Thus Ber. ii. 4 means the Mishnic Tractate Berakhoth, second Chapter, fourth Paragraph. The Jerusalem Talmud is distinguished by the abbreviation Jer. before the name of the Tractate. Thus, Jer. Ber. is the Jer. Gemara, or Talmud, of the Tractate Berakhoth. The edition, from which quotations are made, is that commonly used, Krotoschin, …
Alfred Edersheim—The Life and Times of Jesus the Messiah

Whether There is to be a Resurrection of the Body?
Objection 1: It would seem that there is not to be a resurrection of the body: for it is written (Job 14:12): "Man, when he is fallen asleep, shall not rise again till the heavens be broken." But the heavens shall never be broken, since the earth, to which seemingly this is still less applicable, "standeth for ever" (Eccles. 1:4). Therefore the man that is dead shall never rise again. Objection 2: Further, Our Lord proves the resurrection by quoting the words: "I am the God of Abraham, and the God …
Saint Thomas Aquinas—Summa Theologica

Annunciation to Joseph of the Birth of Jesus.
(at Nazareth, b.c. 5.) ^A Matt. I. 18-25. ^a 18 Now the birth [The birth of Jesus is to handled with reverential awe. We are not to probe into its mysteries with presumptuous curiosity. The birth of common persons is mysterious enough (Eccl. ix. 5; Ps. cxxxix. 13-16), and we do not well, therefore, if we seek to be wise above what is written as to the birth of the Son of God] of Jesus Christ was on this wise: When his mother Mary had been betrothed [The Jews were usually betrothed ten or twelve months …
J. W. McGarvey—The Four-Fold Gospel

Parable of the Good Samaritan.
(Probably Judæa.) ^C Luke X. 25-37. ^c 25 And behold, a certain lawyer stood up and made trial of him, saying, Teacher, what shall I do to inherit eternal life? [For the term lawyer see pp. 313, 314, The lawyer wished to make trial of the skill of Jesus in solving the intricate and difficult question as to how to obtain salvation. Jesus was probably teaching in some house or courtyard, and his habit of giving local color to his parables suggests that he was probably in or near Bethany, through …
J. W. McGarvey—The Four-Fold Gospel

The Healing of the Woman - Christ's Personal Appearance - the Raising of Jairus' Daughter
THERE seems remarkable correspondence between the two miracles which Jesus had wrought on leaving Capernaum and those which He did on His return. In one sense they are complementary to each other. The stilling of the storm and the healing of the demonised were manifestations of the absolute power inherent in Christ; the recovery of the woman and the raising of Jairus' daughter, evidence of the absolute efficacy of faith. The unlikeliness of dominion over the storm, and of command over a legion of …
Alfred Edersheim—The Life and Times of Jesus the Messiah

Among the People, and with the Pharisees
It would have been difficult to proceed far either in Galilee or in Judaea without coming into contact with an altogether peculiar and striking individuality, differing from all around, and which would at once arrest attention. This was the Pharisee. Courted or feared, shunned or flattered, reverently looked up to or laughed at, he was equally a power everywhere, both ecclesiastically and politically, as belonging to the most influential, the most zealous, and the most closely-connected religions …
Alfred Edersheim—Sketches of Jewish Social Life

Barren Fig-Tree. Temple Cleansed.
(Road from Bethany and Jerusalem. Monday, April 4, a.d. 30.) ^A Matt. XXI. 18, 19, 12, 13; ^B Mark XI. 12-18; ^C Luke XIX. 45-48. ^b 12 And ^a 18 Now ^b on the morrow [on the Monday following the triumphal entry], ^a in the morning ^b when they were come out from Bethany, ^a as he returned to the city [Jerusalem], he hungered. [Breakfast with the Jews came late in the forenoon, and these closing days of our Lord's ministry were full of activity that did not have time to tarry at Bethany for it. Our …
J. W. McGarvey—The Four-Fold Gospel

Mothers, Daughters, and Wives in Israel
In order accurately to understand the position of woman in Israel, it is only necessary carefully to peruse the New Testament. The picture of social life there presented gives a full view of the place which she held in private and in public life. Here we do not find that separation, so common among Orientals at all times, but a woman mingles freely with others both at home and abroad. So far from suffering under social inferiority, she takes influential and often leading part in all movements, specially …
Alfred Edersheim—Sketches of Jewish Social Life

How Does it Come?
How does the Filling of the Spirit come? "Does it come once for all? or is it always coming, as it were?" was a question addressed to me once by a young candidate for the Baptism of the Holy Ghost. There are many asking the same question. We have considered how the Fullness is obtained, but now we proceed to consider, How does the Fullness come? In speaking of the blessing of being filled with the Spirit, the New Testament writers use three tenses in the Greek--the Aorist, the Imperfect, and the …
John MacNeil—The Spirit-Filled Life

The Development of the Earlier Old Testament Laws
[Sidenote: First the principle, and then the detailed laws] If the canon of the New Testament had remained open as long as did that of the Old, there is little doubt that it also would have contained many laws, legal precedents, and ecclesiastical histories. From the writings of the Church Fathers and the records of the Catholic Church it is possible to conjecture what these in general would have been. The early history of Christianity illustrates the universal fact that the broad principles are …
Charles Foster Kent—The Origin & Permanent Value of the Old Testament

Deuteronomy
Owing to the comparatively loose nature of the connection between consecutive passages in the legislative section, it is difficult to present an adequate summary of the book of Deuteronomy. In the first section, i.-iv. 40, Moses, after reviewing the recent history of the people, and showing how it reveals Jehovah's love for Israel, earnestly urges upon them the duty of keeping His laws, reminding them of His spirituality and absoluteness. Then follows the appointment, iv. 41-43--here irrelevant (cf. …
John Edgar McFadyen—Introduction to the Old Testament

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