John Gill Commentary


John Gill Commentary
"Thou shalt not see thy brother`s ox or his sheep go astray, and hide thyself from them: thou shalt surely bring them again unto thy brother." — Deuteronomy 22:1 (ASV)
You shall not see your brother's ox or his sheep go astray ,
&c.] Or "driven away" F18 ; frightened and starved away from the herd or from the flock by a wolf or dog; and the ox and sheep are put for every other creature a man has, as camels, asses which last sort is after mentioned;
and a brother means not one in the natural relation of kindred only, for it is supposed, in the next verse, that he might not only be at a distance, but unknown; nor by religion only, or one of the commonwealth or church of the Jews, for what is enjoined is a piece of humanity the law of nature requires and directs to, and is even to be done to enemies, (Exodus 23:4).
and hide yourself from them; make as if he did not see them, and so be entirely negligent of them, and takes no care and shows no concern about them, but let them go on wandering from the herd and flock from where they were driven, and to which they cannot find the way of themselves:
you shall in any case bring them again to your brother :
to his herd or flock, or to his house, and deliver them into his own hands, or to the care of his servants.