Deuteronomy 22:1-8

Laws Concerning Preservation of Life

22:1 When you see ¹  your neighbor’s ²  ox or sheep going astray, do not ignore it; ³  you must return it without fail ⁴  to your neighbor. 22:2 If the owner ⁵  does not live ⁶  near you or you do not know who the owner is, ⁷  then you must corral the animal ⁸  at your house and let it stay with you until the owner looks for it; then you must return it to him. 22:3 You shall do the same to his donkey, his clothes, or anything else your neighbor ⁹  has lost and you have found; you must not refuse to get involved. ¹⁰  22:4 When you see ¹¹  your neighbor’s donkey or ox fallen along the road, do not ignore it; ¹²  instead, you must be sure ¹³  to help him get the animal on its feet again. ¹⁴ 

22:5 A woman must not wear men’s clothing, ¹⁵  nor should a man dress up in women’s clothing, for anyone who does this is offensive ¹⁶  to the Lord your God.

22:6 If you happen to notice a bird’s nest along the road, whether in a tree or on the ground, and there are chicks or eggs with the mother bird sitting on them, ¹⁷  you must not take the mother from the young. ¹⁸  22:7 You must be sure ¹⁹  to let the mother go, but you may take the young for yourself. Do this so that it may go well with you and you may have a long life.

22:8 If you build a new house, you must construct a guard rail ²⁰  around your roof to avoid being culpable ²¹  in the event someone should fall from it.

[22:1]  ¹ tn Heb “you must not see,” but, if translated literally into English, the statement is misleading.

[22:1]  ² tn Heb “brother’s” (also later in this verse). In this context it is not limited to one’s siblings, however; cf. NAB “your kinsman’s.”

[22:1]  ³ tn Heb “hide yourself.”

[22:1]  ⁴ tn The Hebrew text uses the infinitive absolute for emphasis, which the translation indicates with the words “without fail.”

[22:2]  ⁵ tn Heb “your brother” (also later in this verse).

[22:2]  ⁶ tn Heb “is not.” The idea of “residing” is implied.

[22:2]  ⁷ tn Heb “and you do not know him.”

[22:2]  ⁸ tn Heb “it”; the referent (the ox or sheep mentioned in v. 1) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[22:3]  ⁹ tn Heb “your brother” (also in v. 4).

[22:3]  ¹⁰ tn Heb “you must not hide yourself.”

[22:4]  ¹¹ tn Heb “you must not see.” See note at 22:1.

[22:4]  ¹² tn Heb “and (must not) hide yourself from them.”

[22:4]  ¹³ tn The Hebrew text uses the infinitive absolute for emphasis, which the translation indicates with “be sure.”

[22:4]  ¹⁴ tn Heb “help him to lift them up.” In keeping with English style the singular is used in the translation, and the referent (“the animal”) has been specified for clarity.

[22:5]  ¹⁵ tn Heb “a man’s clothing.”

[22:5]  ¹⁶ tn The Hebrew term תּוֹעֵבָה (to’evah, “offense”) speaks of anything that runs counter to ritual or moral order, especially (in the OT) to divine standards. Cross-dressing in this covenant context may suggest homosexuality, fertility cult ritual, or some other forbidden practice.

[22:6]  ¹⁷ tn Heb “and the mother sitting upon the chicks or the eggs.”

[22:6]  ¹⁸ tn Heb “sons,” used here in a generic sense for offspring.

[22:7]  ¹⁹ tn The Hebrew text uses the infinitive absolute for emphasis, which the translation seeks to reflect with “be sure.”

[22:8]  ²⁰ tn Or “a parapet” (so NAB, NIV, NRSV); KJV “a battlement”; NLT “a barrier.”

[22:8]  ²¹ tn Heb “that you not place bloodshed in your house.”