John Calvin Commentary Exodus 23:4

"If thou meet thine enemy`s ox or his ass going astray, thou shalt surely bring it back to him again." — Exodus 23:4 (ASV)

If you meet your enemy’s ox. From these two passages, it is very clear that he who abstains from doing evil is not therefore guiltless before God, unless he also strives to do good.

For our brothers’ advantage should be so much our concern that we should be inclined to aid one another as much as our means and opportunities allow. This instruction is greatly needed because, while everybody is more attentive to his own advantage than he should be, he is willing to withhold assistance from others.

But God holds him guilty of theft who has injured his neighbors by his negligence; and justly, because it depended only on him that the thing, which he knowingly and willfully allowed to perish, should be safe. This duty, too, is extended even to enemies; therefore, our inhumanity is all the more inexcusable if we have not helped our friends.

The sum, therefore, is that believers should be kind,¹²⁷ so that they may imitate their heavenly Father. They should not only devote their labor to the good who are worthy of it, but should also treat the unworthy with kindness. And since many might devise excuses, God anticipates them, and commands that an animal belonging to an unknown person should be kept until its owner reclaims it; and lays down the same rule for all things that may be lost.

¹²⁷ “Soyent pitoyables, et humains pour faire plaisir a chacun;” should be pitiful and humane, to show kindness to all. — Fr..