Bird's-eye view
In this brief section of the book of the covenant, the Lord gives Israel two case laws that are intensely practical. At first glance, they seem to be simple regulations about stray livestock. But the law of God is never superficial. These commands are aimed directly at the heart. The specific mention of an "enemy" and "one who hates you" reveals the true point of the exercise. This is not fundamentally about animal husbandry; it is about the heart-husbandry of learning to love your enemies. God is legislating a form of practical righteousness that cuts against the grain of our fallen nature. He is commanding His people to do good to those who wish them ill, thereby reflecting His own character. This is the gospel in miniature, requiring a grace that the law itself cannot produce, pointing forward to the one who would perfectly fulfill this ethic by dying for His enemies.
These verses show us that covenant life is not lived in the abstract. It is lived out on dusty roads with stray donkeys and resentful neighbors. The righteousness God requires is not a feeling but an action. It involves inconvenience, effort, and a deliberate choice to bless instead of curse. Paul would later distill this principle in Romans 12, telling us to overcome evil with good, but the seed of that command is found right here in the Torah. God is teaching His people from the beginning that their relationship with Him must transform their relationships with others, especially the difficult ones.
Outline
- 1. The Law of the Wandering Animal (Exod 23:4)
- a. The Encounter with the Enemy's Property (v. 4a)
- b. The Commanded Action of Restoration (v. 4b)
- 2. The Law of the Overburdened Animal (Exod 23:5)
- a. The Encounter with the Enemy's Distress (v. 5a)
- b. The Commanded Action of Assistance (v. 5b)
Context In Exodus
These verses are situated within the "book of the covenant" (Exodus 20:22-23:33), which contains the specific legal statutes that follow the giving of the Ten Commandments at Sinai. This section is a collection of case laws that apply the broader principles of the Decalogue to the daily life of Israel. The immediate context deals with justice and righteousness in legal and social matters. Just before our text, God commands impartiality in judgment (Exod 23:1-3). Immediately after, He continues with laws concerning justice for the poor and the stranger (Exod 23:6-9). Our passage, therefore, is part of a larger block of instruction on how to live as a just and righteous community under God. It is a mistake to see these laws as a disconnected jumble; they are all flowing from the central reality that Israel is God's redeemed people, and they are therefore to live in a way that reflects His character.
Verse by Verse Commentary
Exodus 23:4
“If you meet your enemy’s ox or his donkey wandering away, you shall surely return it to him."
If you meet your enemy’s ox or his donkey wandering away... The scenario is simple and realistic. In an agrarian society, livestock was wealth. An ox or a donkey was a significant capital asset, essential for plowing, transport, and labor. To lose one was a major economic blow. The key word here, however, is enemy. The Hebrew word points to a personal adversary, someone with whom you have a quarrel. The law anticipates that you will stumble across this man's livelihood wandering off, vulnerable and lost. The natural, fallen human reaction would be to smile inwardly. "Serves him right," we think. "This is providence evening the score." One might be tempted to just walk on by, letting nature take its course. Or worse, one might be tempted to help the animal get even more lost. But God's law intervenes right at this point of temptation.
you shall surely return it to him. The command is emphatic. The doubling of the verb in Hebrew, often translated as "surely return," leaves no room for waffling. This is not a suggestion. It is an absolute obligation. You are to take the animal, your enemy's animal, and lead it back to its owner. This requires you to go out of your way. It requires you to seek out the man who dislikes you. It forces an interaction that you would rather avoid. And in that interaction, you are not coming to argue or to gloat. You are coming as a benefactor, restoring to him what he had lost. This act of righteousness is a direct assault on the enmity between you. It is a practical, tangible expression of love for your enemy. It is God's way of telling you that your personal grievances do not suspend the law of love.
Exodus 23:5
“If you see the donkey of one who hates you lying helpless under its load, you shall refrain from leaving it to him, you shall surely release it with him."
If you see the donkey of one who hates you lying helpless under its load... The second scenario heightens the demand. Here it is not just a stray animal, but an animal in distress. A donkey has collapsed under its burden. Again, the owner is not a friend, but one who hates you. This is active animosity. You see his enterprise has come to a halt. His goods are on the ground, his animal is suffering, and he is in trouble. The temptation is the same as before, only stronger. Not only might you feel a sense of vindictive satisfaction, but getting involved now means hard work. You are going to get your hands dirty. You are going to have to lift and strain alongside a man who despises you.
you shall refrain from leaving it to him, you shall surely release it with him. Once again, the command is unequivocal. First, a negative command: you are to stop yourself from your natural inclination to walk away. "Refrain from leaving it." Then, the positive command, again with the Hebrew emphasis: "surely release it with him." You are not just to help the animal; you are to help the man. You are to work with him. This is a command for temporary partnership with your enemy in an act of mercy. The law forces you into a position where you must cooperate for a common good. This act dismantles the categories of friend and foe, and replaces them with the categories of neighbor and need. By helping him lift the burden from his donkey, you are offering to help lift the burden of hatred that lies between you. This is the Old Testament foundation for what Jesus would later teach: "love your enemies, do good to those who hate you" (Luke 6:27). The gospel does not invent this ethic; it fulfills it and empowers it through the Spirit.
The Righteousness of the Kingdom
It is crucial that we see how these laws function. They are not simply about being a decent chap. They are about reflecting the character of God. How does God treat His enemies? He sends rain on the just and the unjust (Matt. 5:45). While we were yet sinners, Christ died for us (Rom. 5:8). We were the stray donkey, wandering from the fold. We were the beast of burden, collapsed under the impossible load of our sin. And God did not walk on by. He did not say, "Serves them right." He saw us in our miserable state, and He came to help. He sent His Son to come and work with us, to get under the load with us, and ultimately, to take the entire load upon Himself.
This is why Jesus could say that unless our righteousness exceeds that of the scribes and Pharisees, we will never enter the kingdom of heaven (Matt. 5:20). The Pharisees were meticulous about the letter of the law, but they missed the heart. They would have returned the ox, perhaps, but they would have done it with a self-righteous sniff, making sure the enemy knew how virtuous they were. But the righteousness of the kingdom, the righteousness that comes by faith, is different. It helps the enemy not to score points, but because it is what our Father does. It is the family resemblance of the children of God. These commands in Exodus are impossible to keep in the flesh, because the flesh wants to see the enemy's donkey fall and break its leg. But in the Spirit, we are given a new heart that desires to bless, not curse. We are empowered to return the ox and lift the donkey, not as a grim duty, but as a joyful participation in the grace we ourselves have received.
Application
The application for us is direct and unavoidable. We may not have literal oxen and donkeys, but we have enemies. We have neighbors who rub us the wrong way, colleagues who undermine us, and family members with whom we are at odds. This law commands us to look for opportunities to do them tangible, practical, inconvenient good.
When your enemy's car breaks down on the side of the road, you are the one who is commanded to stop and help. When the person who slandered you is moving and needs an extra set of hands, this law applies. This is not about feeling warm and fuzzy toward them. It is about a rugged, obedient love that acts regardless of feelings. It is about killing your enemy with kindness, as Paul says, heaping burning coals on his head (Rom. 12:20). Not coals of vengeance, but the hot coals of conviction and shame, which God may use to melt a hard heart.
This is how the gospel advances. It advances when the world, which runs on bitterness and retaliation, sees a people who operate by a completely different code. A people who, because they have been shown infinite mercy, are enabled to show mercy in the small, dusty, and difficult circumstances of everyday life. We are to be that people. So look for your enemy's wandering donkey. It is your opportunity for righteousness.