Exodus 23:4–5
Already in the law: return your enemy's stray animal and help the fallen one
Study it word by word4When you come upon your enemy's ox or his donkey going astray, you shall surely bring it back to him.
5When you see the donkey of one who hates you lying down under its load, you shall refrain from leaving it to him; you shall surely help with him.
In its context
2You shall not follow a majority to do evil, nor testify in a dispute so as to turn aside after a majority to pervert justice.
3Nor shall you favor a poor man in his dispute.
…
6You shall not pervert the justice due to your poor in his dispute.
7Keep far from a false matter, and do not kill the innocent and the righteous, for I will not declare righteous the wicked.
Its words in the original
- תִפְגַּעtifga· meet, intercede
Meet someone, come upon; also fall upon (attack). With "for me", intercede: speak to another on someone's behalf.
- שׁוֹרshor· ox, bull
Ox or bull: a head of cattle.
- אֹיִבְoyiv· enemy
Enemy, foe: one who hates and opposes another.
- חֲמֹרchamor· donkey
Donkey, male donkey.
- תֹּעֶהtoe· wander, go astray
Wander, go astray, be lost; in the causative form, make wander, lead astray.
- הָשֵׁבhashev· return, turn back
Turn back, return. Also turn away; in the causative form, bring back, give back, answer. Figuratively, turn back to God (change course). Often adverbial: "again".
- תִרְאֶהtire· see
See. Also look, observe, notice, consider; in some forms, "appear" or "show".
- שֹׂנַאֲsonaa· hate
Hate. In Hebrew it ranges from the hatred of an enemy to simply "loving less". "Those who hate you" are enemies.
- רֹבֵץrovets· lie down, crouch
Lie down, crouch, like an animal at rest or lying in wait.
- מַשָּׂאmasa· burden; oracle
Burden, load carried. In the prophets, a solemn message.
- חָדַלְתָּchadalta· cease, stop
Stop doing something, cease; leave off.
- עֲזֹבazov· leave, forsake
Leave, forsake, abandon; also let go, leave behind for someone.