Exodus 23:5 · Bible study
Exodus 23:5 Commentary: Helping Your Enemy's Donkey
Hebrew · 7 what the commentators say
Meaning in one sentence
The command to help your enemy's fallen donkey: exegetical notes, Hebrew wordplay, and how this prefigures loving one's enemies.
Research Summary
- Meaning: God commands active help for an enemy's beast of burden, forbidding indifference as a form of hidden enmity.
- Key words: 'ṣn' (hate), 'rbn' (lie down), 'zb' (leave/forsake/release), repeated infinitive absolute emphasizing obligation.
- Main debate: Whether the verb 'zb means 'help to lift' or 'release from burden'; contextually both involve restoring the animal.
- Theological theme: Love of enemies is already implicit in the law, not a New Testament innovation.
- Best use: Teaching on the heart of God's law, the continuity of ethical demand from Old to New, and practical applications of enemy love.
Translation Comparison
BSB Berean Standard Bible 2020
If you see the donkey of one who hates you fallen under its load, do not leave it there; you must help him with it.
WEB World English Bible 2000
If you see the donkey of him who hates you fallen down under his burden, don’t leave him. You shall surely help him with it.
KJV King James Version 1769
If thou see the ass of him that hateth thee lying under his burden, and wouldest forbear to help him, thou shalt surely help with him.
ASV American Standard Version 1901
If thou see the ass of him that hateth thee lying under his burden, thou shalt forbear to leave him, thou shalt surely release it with him.
YLT Young's Literal Translation 1898
when thou seest the ass of him who is hating thee crouching under its burden, then thou hast ceased from leaving it to it--thou dost certainly leave it with him.
Darby Darby Bible 1890
If thou see the ass of him that hateth thee lying under its burden, beware of leaving [it] to him: thou shalt certainly loosen [it] with him.
Douay-Rheims Douay-Rheims Bible 1899
If thou see the ass of him that hateth thee lie underneath his burden, thou shalt not pass by, but shalt lift him up with him.
Translations in other languages (10 available)
Si vieres el asno del que te aborrece caído debajo de su carga, ¿ le dejarás entonces desamparado? Sin falta ayudarás con él á levantarlo.
Se vires o asno do que te aborrece caído debaixo de sua carga, lhe deixarás então desamparado? Sem falta ajudarás com ele a levantá-lo.
Si tu vois l’ âne de ton ennemi succombant sous sa charge, et que tu hésites à le décharger, tu l’ aideras à le décharger.
Wenn du den Esel des, der dich haßt, siehst unter seiner Last liegen, hüte dich, und laß ihn nicht, sondern versäume gerne das Deine um seinetwillen.
Wanneer gij uws haters ezel onder zijn last ziet liggen, zult gij dan nalatig zijn, om het uwe te verlaten voor hem? Gij zult het in alle manier met hem verlaten.
Se vedi l’asino di colui che t’odia steso a terra sotto il carico, guardati bene dall’abbandonarlo, ma aiuta il suo padrone a scaricarlo.
Jeźlibyś ujrzał, że osieł tego, który cię ma w nienawiści, leży pod brzemieniem swojem, azali zaniechasz, abyś mu pomóc nie miał? owszem poratujesz go pospołu z nim.
если увидишь осла врага твоего упавшим под ношею своею, то не оставляй его; развьючь вместе с ним.
若 看見 恨你人的 驢 壓臥 在重馱 之下，不可 走開，務要 和驢主一同 抬開重馱。
If you see the ass of one who has no love for you bent down to the earth under the weight which is put on it, you are to come to its help, even against your desire.
Verse in Context
Original Language (Biblical Hebrew)
Old Testament · Biblical Hebrew · Exodus 23:5
Source: STEPBible TAGNT/TEHB (CC-BY 4.0). Click or tap a morphology code to see the full parsing.
Scholars' Consensus
Commentators agree that this law forbids ignoring an enemy's need and commands active assistance. The precise action of the Hebrew phrase 'azov ta'azov is disputed. Barnes understands it as helping to loosen the donkey's girths; Cambridge prefers 'release' based on usage in Deuteronomy 32:36 and Job 10:1. Gill reads the phrase as an emphatic directive: 'you shall surely help with him.' Keil and Delitzsch argue for 'let it loose with him,' meaning to free the animal from its load. Despite this lexical variation, all recognize that the verse prohibits indifference and mandates compassionate intervention, setting the stage for the New Testament call to love enemies.
How settled is the interpretation?
Interpretive difficulty: Medium
Main views:
- Help to lift (Barnes, Gill): Barnes interprets 'help him with it' as loosening the girths to relieve pressure; Gill emphasizes the emphatic Hebrew construction 'surely help'.
- Release the burden (Cambridge, Keil-Delitzsch): Cambridge and Keil-Delitzsch argue from Deuteronomy 32:36 that 'zb can mean 'release' or 'let loose,' and the donkey's load should be set free.
- Forebear to help (older KJV rendering): The KJV translation 'wouldest forbear to help' reflects a reading where the apodosis begins with 'thou shalt forbear'—but this is considered grammatically impossible by modern commentators.
What is clear: Regardless of the precise action, the verse commands active intervention for an enemy in distress, prefiguring Jesus' call to love one's enemies.
What Scholars Agree and Debate
| Topic | Agreed | Debated |
|---|---|---|
| Nature of the commanded action | All agree the law requires positive intervention for the enemy's donkey, not indifference. | Some commentators (Barnes, Gill) interpret 'help' as assisting the owner to lift the donkey; others (Cambridge, Keil) stress 'release' from the load. Both involve restoring the animal, but the focus shifts from the owner's burden to the animal's relief. |
| Identity of 'him who hates you' | This refers to a personal enemy, not a national opponent or one in a legal dispute. | There is no significant debate on this point; all sources treat the phrase literally as an individual adversary. |
| Relationship to the New Testament love command | The verse is understood as a precursor to Jesus' command to love enemies (Matt 5:43, 48). | Some see it as a legal requirement that anticipates the gospel; others emphasize that the law itself already calls for a heart change, not just external compliance. |
| Applicability to modern Christians | The principle of helping enemies is timeless and echoed in the New Testament. | Some Christians view the civil details (like donkeys) as culturally bound; others argue the specific command remains a model for showing kindness to personal adversaries. |
Historical & Cultural Context
In ancient Israel, donkeys were the primary beasts of burden for transport and agriculture. A donkey fallen under its load, often overloaded or injured, was a serious crisis for a traveler. The owner could not easily right the animal alone. Israel’s law codes (Exodus 21, 23) covered property rights, justice, and neighborly obligations. Verses 4, 5 of chapter 23 target the instinct to ignore an enemy’s trouble. The surrounding regulations (vv. 1, 3, 6, 9) address false testimony, partiality in court, and oppression of the vulnerable. This command about an enemy’s donkey sits within a framework of communal ethics that call God’s people to reflect His character. Unlike surrounding cultures that allowed unrestricted revenge, Israel was required to extend help even to a personal enemy. The law anticipates the fuller revelation in Leviticus 19:18 ('love your neighbor') and Jesus’ teaching to love enemies. The Hebrew verb ra'ah ('see') implies noticing and then acting, not merely noticing but passing by. The phrase 'azov ta'azov uses the infinitive absolute for emphasis: the command is not optional but binding.
Textual Notes
The consulted sources note no significant textual variants for Exodus 23:5. The main interpretive difficulty lies in the meaning of the Hebrew verb 'azov (to leave, forsake, release) and its emphatic repetition, which has been translated as 'help' or 'release.' This is a lexical and syntactical issue, not a text-critical one. The manuscript tradition is stable across the Masoretic Text and the versions (LXX, Vulgate, Targums).
Reception History
In Jewish tradition, this verse was taken as a binding obligation: the Mishnah (Bava Metzia 2:10) specifies that if an animal falls under its load, the owner must be helped even multiple times. Early Christian writers like Tertullian and Augustine cited Exodus 23:4, 5 to argue that love of enemies is not a new commandment but rooted in the law itself. The Reformers (Calvin, Luther) used it to confront personal bitterness and to teach that God’s law governs not only outward actions but inner dispositions. In modern preaching, the verse remains a touchstone for sermons on practical love and reconciliation.
Preaching This Verse
Three-point outline
- Who is your enemy? The verse speaks of 'him who hates you', a personal adversary, not a national foe. God’s law confronts the natural desire to withhold help from those who oppose us.
- What is required? Active help: 'You shall surely help him with it.' The Hebrew infinitive absolute intensifies the command. It’s not a suggestion but a binding obligation.
- Why does it matter? This law anticipates Jesus’ command to love your enemies (Matthew 5:43, 48). It reveals that God’s people reflect His mercy by doing good to all, even those who wish us harm.
Five-point outline
- Notice the need. 'If you see', the first step is awareness. Indifference is not an option.
- Set aside enmity. The command targets the heart. It forces us to consider how we treat those we dislike.
- Provide tangible help. The action is physical: lifting a donkey or releasing its load. Love is not abstract.
- Cooperate with the owner. 'With him' implies partnership. Help is not paternalistic but collaborative.
- Trust God’s ways. Obeying this command challenges our pride and bitterness. It is a step toward reconciliation.
Illustration hooks
- A neighbor whose car breaks down on a busy road, you have had conflicts with them. Do you stop to help?
- At work, a colleague who often undermines you drops a heavy box. The natural reaction is to walk past.
- A social media post from someone who has attacked you shows they are in a crisis. Do you reach out privately to offer help?
Questions your congregation is asking
- Is this command meant literally for today, or is it part of the old covenant civil law that has passed away?
- What about situations where helping an enemy could enable their bad behavior or endanger me?
- How does this command relate to Jesus’ teaching about loving enemies and praying for persecutors?
Leading a Discussion
This passage pushes against our instinct to treat enemies with cold indifference. As you read Exodus 23:5, ask God to reveal any hidden enmity in your heart. The goal is not just to understand the command but to let it reshape how we see those who oppose us.
Discussion questions
- Observation: What specific situation does this verse describe? Who is involved, and what is the problem?
- Observation: The verse uses emphatic language ('you shall surely help'). Why do you think God repeats the verb?
- Interpretation: How does this command connect to the surrounding laws about false reports, justice, and not oppressing the poor?
- Interpretation: Some commentators argue the Hebrew verb means 'release' rather than 'help.' How does that nuance affect the meaning of the command?
- Application: Who is an 'enemy' in your life today, someone you find hard to help? What would it look like to obey this verse practically?
- Application: Jesus quotes this principle when he says 'love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you.' How does the Old Testament law prepare us for that command?
- Application: Are there limits to this command? When might helping an enemy actually cause more harm?
Word Study
The key original-language words in this verse. Select any word for its full lexicon entry — meaning, every occurrence in Scripture, and related words.
Cross-References
Source: Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (TSK, public domain)
| Deuteronomy 22:4 | You shall not see your brother’s donkey or his ox fallen down by the way, and hide yourself from them. You shall surely help him to lift them up again. |
Interlinear and lexical data from STEPBible (CC BY 4.0). Cross-reference data from OpenBible.info (CC BY 4.0). Commentaries are public domain.
For personal reflection
Read the devotional page — prayer, application, and "for families"
What the Commentators Say
7 public-domain commentaries, condensed into plain language.
Barnes' Notes on the Bible Protestant 1832
Barnes observes that the Mosaic law went beyond forbidding personal revenge; it positively required a person to stop and help an enemy whose donkey had collapsed under its load. The command was not merely to avoid harm but to actively assist by loosening the animal's girths, showing a remarkable standard of practical mercy.
Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges Anglican 1880
The commentary notes that these commands about helping an enemy's animal seem out of place here, breaking the flow of surrounding verses. It also points out a translation problem: the Hebrew word for "forbear" really means to leave or release, not to help, making the marginal reading preferable.
Geneva Bible Notes Reformed 1599
The
Gill's Exposition of the Bible Baptist 1748
Gill draws attention to the clause "with him," arguing that the law commands personal involvement alongside the enemy. The helper must join the owner in the actual work of lifting the beast, not merely supervise or delegate. This requirement, he notes, extends even to repeated assistance if the animal falls again along the journey.
Keil & Delitzsch OT Commentary Protestant 1876
Keil-Delitzsch sees these laws as governing mutual obligations among Israelites, with the sabbatical year and Sabbath commands focused not on worship of the Lord but on care for the poor and rest for beasts and slaves. The instruction about an enemy's fallen donkey means giving up the natural human tendency to leave an enemy to his own difficulties.
Lange's Commentary Reformed 1857
Lange argues that these civil laws are not primarily a criminal code but a system designed to train Israel for freedom. He highlights that the section begins with emancipation regulations, signaling that personal liberty is the central concern, and that slavery as an existing institution is transformed within the theocracy's educational purpose.
Matthew Henry's Commentary Reformed/Presbyterian 1710
Henry catalogs the many sins packed into a single act of bearing false witness: lying, perjury, malice, theft, murder, all hidden under a pretense of justice. He sees it as one of the worst possible crimes because it combines so many evils and drags others into the same guilt.