Deuteronomy 25:4
New International Version
Do not muzzle an ox while it is treading out the grain.

New Living Translation
“You must not muzzle an ox to keep it from eating as it treads out the grain.

English Standard Version
“You shall not muzzle an ox when it is treading out the grain.

Berean Standard Bible
Do not muzzle an ox while it is treading out the grain.

King James Bible
Thou shalt not muzzle the ox when he treadeth out the corn.

New King James Version
“You shall not muzzle an ox while it treads out the grain.

New American Standard Bible
“You shall not muzzle the ox while it is threshing.

NASB 1995
“You shall not muzzle the ox while he is threshing.

NASB 1977
“You shall not muzzle the ox while he is threshing.

Legacy Standard Bible
“You shall not muzzle the ox while it is threshing.

Amplified Bible
“You shall not muzzle the ox while he is threshing [to prevent him from eating any of the grain].

Christian Standard Bible
“Do not muzzle an ox while it treads out grain.

Holman Christian Standard Bible
Do not muzzle an ox while it treads out grain.”

American Standard Version
Thou shalt not muzzle the ox when he treadeth out the grain.

Contemporary English Version
Don't muzzle an ox while it is threshing grain.

English Revised Version
Thou shalt not muzzle the ox when he treadeth out the corn.

GOD'S WORD® Translation
Never muzzle an ox when it's threshing grain.

Good News Translation
"Do not muzzle an ox when you are using it to thresh grain.

International Standard Version
"Don't muzzle an ox while it is threshing grain."

Majority Standard Bible
Do not muzzle an ox while it is treading out the grain.

NET Bible
You must not muzzle your ox when it is treading grain.

New Heart English Bible
You shall not muzzle the ox when he treads out the grain.

Webster's Bible Translation
Thou shalt not muzzle the ox when he treadeth out the corn.

World English Bible
You shall not muzzle the ox when he treads out the grain.
Literal Translations
Literal Standard Version
You do not muzzle an ox in its threshing.

Young's Literal Translation
'Thou dost not muzzle an ox in its threshing.

Smith's Literal Translation
Thou shalt not muzzle the ox treading.
Catholic Translations
Douay-Rheims Bible
Thou shalt not muzzle the ox that treadeth out thy corn on the floor.

Catholic Public Domain Version
You shall not muzzle an ox as it is treading out your crops in the field.

New American Bible
You shall not muzzle an ox when it treads out grain.

New Revised Standard Version
You shall not muzzle an ox while it is treading out the grain.
Translations from Aramaic
Lamsa Bible
You shall not muzzle an ox when it treads out the grain.

Peshitta Holy Bible Translated
You shall not muzzle the ox in treading.
OT Translations
JPS Tanakh 1917
Thou shalt not muzzle the ox when he treadeth out the corn.

Brenton Septuagint Translation
Thou shalt not muzzle the ox that treads out the corn.

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
Fairness and Mercy
3He may receive no more than forty lashes, lest your brother be beaten any more than that and be degraded in your sight. 4Do not muzzle an ox while it is treading out the grain.

Cross References
1 Corinthians 9:9
For it is written in the Law of Moses: “Do not muzzle an ox while it is treading out the grain.” Is it about oxen that God is concerned?

1 Timothy 5:18
For the Scripture says, “Do not muzzle an ox while it is treading out the grain,” and, “The worker is worthy of his wages.”

Proverbs 12:10
A righteous man regards the life of his animal, but the tender mercies of the wicked are only cruelty.

Proverbs 27:23-27
Be sure to know the state of your flocks, and pay close attention to your herds; / for riches are not forever, nor does a crown endure to every generation. / When hay is removed and new growth appears and the grass from the hills is gathered, ...

1 Corinthians 9:7-14
Who serves as a soldier at his own expense? Who plants a vineyard and does not eat of its fruit? Who tends a flock and does not drink of its milk? / Do I say this from a human perspective? Doesn’t the Law say the same thing? / For it is written in the Law of Moses: “Do not muzzle an ox while it is treading out the grain.” Is it about oxen that God is concerned? ...

Luke 10:7
Stay at the same house, eating and drinking whatever you are offered. For the worker is worthy of his wages. Do not move around from house to house.

Matthew 10:10
Take no bag for the road, or second tunic, or sandals, or staff; for the worker is worthy of his provisions.

Leviticus 19:13
You must not defraud your neighbor or rob him. You must not withhold until morning the wages due a hired hand.

Exodus 23:12
For six days you are to do your work, but on the seventh day you must cease, so that your ox and your donkey may rest and the son of your maidservant may be refreshed, as well as the foreign resident.

Genesis 1:28
God blessed them and said to them, “Be fruitful and multiply, and fill the earth and subdue it; rule over the fish of the sea and the birds of the air and every creature that crawls upon the earth.”

Genesis 2:15
Then the LORD God took the man and placed him in the Garden of Eden to cultivate and keep it.

Psalm 104:14
He makes the grass grow for the livestock and provides crops for man to cultivate, bringing forth food from the earth:

Psalm 147:9
He provides food for the animals, and for the young ravens when they call.

Job 39:9-12
Will the wild ox consent to serve you? Will he stay by your manger at night? / Can you hold him to the furrow with a harness? Will he plow the valleys behind you? / Can you rely on his great strength? Will you leave your hard work to him? ...

Isaiah 28:24-26
Does the plowman plow for planting every day? Does he continuously loosen and harrow the soil? / When he has leveled its surface, does he not sow caraway and scatter cumin? He plants wheat in rows and barley in plots, and rye within its border. / For his God instructs and teaches him properly.


Treasury of Scripture

You shall not muzzle the ox when he treads out the corn.

muzzle

Proverbs 12:10
A righteous man regardeth the life of his beast: but the tender mercies of the wicked are cruel.

1 Corinthians 9:9,10
For it is written in the law of Moses, Thou shalt not muzzle the mouth of the ox that treadeth out the corn. Doth God take care for oxen? …

1 Timothy 5:17,18
Let the elders that rule well be counted worthy of double honour, especially they who labour in the word and doctrine…

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Deuteronomy 25
1. Punishment must not exceed forty lashes
4. The ox is not to be muzzled
5. Of raising seed unto a brother
11. Of the immodest woman
13. Of unjust weights and measures
17. The memory of Amalek is to be blotted out














Do not muzzle an ox
This command is part of the Mosaic Law given to the Israelites. It reflects God's concern for the humane treatment of animals, emphasizing compassion and fairness. The ox, a valuable asset in agrarian societies, was used for plowing and threshing. Muzzling an ox would prevent it from eating while working, which was considered unjust. This principle of kindness extends beyond animals, highlighting a broader ethic of care and respect for all of God's creation.

while it is treading out the grain.
Threshing was a common agricultural practice in ancient Israel, where oxen would walk over harvested grain to separate the kernels from the chaff. Allowing the ox to eat while working ensured it was well-fed and able to perform its duties effectively. This practice also symbolizes the principle of fair labor, where workers are entitled to benefit from their labor. The Apostle Paul references this verse in 1 Corinthians 9:9 and 1 Timothy 5:18, applying it to the rights of workers, particularly those in ministry, to receive material support. This connection underscores the timeless nature of God's laws, which advocate for justice and provision for all who labor.

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

2. Israelites
- The audience receiving the law, preparing to enter the Promised Land.

3. Ox
- A domesticated animal used in agricultural work, specifically in grain processing.

4. Promised Land
- The land of Canaan, which the Israelites are preparing to enter.

5. Agricultural Practices
- The context in which this law is given, reflecting the agrarian society of ancient Israel.
Teaching Points
Principle of Fairness
This law underscores the importance of fairness and justice in labor practices. Just as the ox is allowed to eat while working, so should workers be fairly compensated for their efforts.

Respect for Creation
The command reflects a broader biblical ethic of caring for God's creation, including animals. It teaches us to respect and care for all living beings.

Spiritual Application
Paul’s use of this verse in the New Testament shows its spiritual application: those who labor in spiritual fields, like ministry, should be supported by those who benefit from their work.

Work and Reward
The principle that work should be rewarded is foundational to a biblical work ethic. It encourages diligence and integrity in both employers and employees.

Community Responsibility
This law reminds us of our responsibility to ensure that our community's practices are just and compassionate, reflecting God's character.Verse 4. - The leaving the ox unmuzzled when treading out the corn was in order that the animal might be free to eat of the grains which its labor severed from the husks. This prohibition, therefore, was dictated by a regard to the rights and claims of animals employed in labor; but there is involved in it the general principle that all labor is to be duly requited, and hence it seems to have passed into a proverb, and was applied to men as well as the lower animals (cf. 1 Corinthians 9:9; 1 Timothy 5:18). The use of oxen to tread out the corn and the rule of leaving the animals so employed unmuzzled still prevail among the Arabs and other Eastern peoples (Robinson, 'Bib. Res.,' 2:206, 207; 3:6; Kitto, 'Bib. Cycl.,' 1:86).

Parallel Commentaries ...


Hebrew
Do not
לֹא־ (lō-)
Adverb - Negative particle
Strong's 3808: Not, no

muzzle
תַחְסֹ֥ם (ṯaḥ·sōm)
Verb - Qal - Imperfect - second person masculine singular
Strong's 2629: To muzzle, to stop the nose

an ox
שׁ֖וֹר (šō·wr)
Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 7794: A head of cattle (bullock, ox, etcetera)

while it is treading out the grain.
בְּדִישֽׁוֹ׃ (bə·ḏî·šōw)
Preposition-b | Verb - Qal - Infinitive construct | third person masculine singular
Strong's 1758: To trample, thresh


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OT Law: Deuteronomy 25:4 You shall not muzzle the ox when (Deut. De Du)
Deuteronomy 25:3
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