If thou meet thine enemy's ox or his ass going astray, thou shalt surely bring it back to him again.

EXODUS 23:4KJV
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Exodus 23:4 (KJV)

What does Exodus 23:4 mean?

Exodus 23:4 instructs that if you come across your enemy’s ox or donkey wandering off, you are required to return it to your enemy. This command calls for helping even someone you dislike by caring for their lost property.

In this verse, God is speaking to the Israelites through Moses, laying out laws for how they should treat others, including their enemies. The situation described is practical—finding a neighbor’s animal that has strayed—and the law insists on doing what is right, regardless of personal feelings toward the animal’s owner.

The Hebrew behind Exodus 23:4

  • "enemy's" (אֹיֵב, ’oyev): This word specifically means an adversary or someone you are in conflict with, highlighting that the command applies even when there is personal animosity.
  • "astray" (תָּעָה, ta‘ah): This word means to wander or go astray, emphasizing that the animal is lost and in need of help.
  • "surely...back...again" (שׁוּב, shuv): This word appears three times in the original text, stressing the certainty and completeness of the action—returning the animal fully and without hesitation.

Why Exodus 23:4 matters

  • Exodus 23:4 clarifies that moral responsibility extends even to those we may not like, challenging the idea that kindness is only for friends.
  • The verse emphasizes justice and compassion as foundational values in the law, not just ritual or worship.
  • This command fits into a larger section where God instructs Israel on fair and ethical treatment of others, showing that everyday actions reflect deeper principles of right and wrong.

Where else these words appear

“meet” Hebrew H6293 · used in 43 verses

  • Genesis 23:8 And he communed with them, saying, If it be your mind that I should bury my dead out of my sight; hear me, and intreat for me to Ephron the son of Zohar,
  • Joshua 19:34 And then the coast turneth westward to Aznothtabor, and goeth out from thence to Hukkok, and reacheth to Zebulun on the south side, and reacheth to Asher on the west side, and to Judah upon Jordan toward the sunrising.
  • 1 Kings 2:34 So Benaiah the son of Jehoiada went up, and fell upon him, and slew him: and he was buried in his own house in the wilderness.

“astray” Hebrew H8582 · used in 45 verses

  • Genesis 20:13 And it came to pass, when God caused me to wander from my father's house, that I said unto her, This is thy kindness which thou shalt shew unto me; at every place whither we shall come, say of me, He is my brother.
  • Psalms 119:176 I have gone astray like a lost sheep; seek thy servant; for I do not forget thy commandments.
  • Isaiah 35:8 And an highway shall be there, and a way, and it shall be called The way of holiness; the unclean shall not pass over it; but it shall be for those: the wayfaring men, though fools, shall not err therein.

“ox” Hebrew H7794 · used in 69 verses

  • Genesis 32:5 And I have oxen, and asses, flocks, and menservants, and womenservants: and I have sent to tell my lord, that I may find grace in thy sight.
  • Leviticus 22:23 Either a bullock or a lamb that hath any thing superfluous or lacking in his parts, that mayest thou offer for a freewill offering; but for a vow it shall not be accepted.
  • Judges 6:25 And it came to pass the same night, that the LORD said unto him, Take thy father's young bullock, even the second bullock of seven years old, and throw down the altar of Baal that thy father hath, and cut down the grove that is by it:

“ass” Hebrew H2543 · used in 93 verses

  • Genesis 12:16 And he entreated Abram well for her sake: and he had sheep, and oxen, and he asses, and menservants, and maidservants, and she asses, and camels.
  • Numbers 31:30 And of the children of Israel's half, thou shalt take one portion of fifty, of the persons, of the beeves, of the asses, and of the flocks, of all manner of beasts, and give them unto the Levites, which keep the charge of the tabernacle of the LORD.
  • 1 Samuel 25:42 And Abigail hasted, and arose, and rode upon an ass, with five damsels of hers that went after her; and she went after the messengers of David, and became his wife.