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 which was 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?” And Isaiah 58:7, “that thou hide not thyself from thine own flesh.”

(3) In like 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.—In Exodus 23:4-5, this is put even more strongly. “If thou meet thine enemy’s ox or his ass going astray, thou shalt surely bring it back to him again. If thou see the ass of him that hateth thee lying under his burden . . . thou shalt surely help with him.”

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 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.

(a) As though your did not see it.