Deuteronomy 22:1-12·~1 min

Various Laws

The opening laws forbid indifference to a neighbor’s loss or trouble. What is found must be kept for return, and an animal in distress must be helped back to its feet.

I¹f you see your brother’s ox or sheep straying, you must not ignore it; be sure to return it to your brother. ²If your brother does not live near you, or if you do not know who he is, you are to take the animal home to remain with you until your brother comes seeking it; then you can return it to him. ³And you shall do the same for his donkey, his cloak, or anything your brother has lost and you have found. You must not ignore it. ⁴If you see your brother’s donkey or ox fallen on the road, you must not ignore it; you must help him lift it up.

The next commands guard proper boundaries and the preservation of life. Clothing is not to blur male and female distinction, a mother bird is spared when the young are taken, and a roof must be made safe against a fall.

⁵A woman must not wear men’s clothing, and a man must not wear women’s clothing, for whoever does these things is detestable to the LORD your God. ⁶If you come across a bird’s nest with chicks or eggs, either in a tree or on the ground along the road, and the mother is sitting on the chicks or eggs, you must not take the mother along with the young. ⁷You may take the young, but be sure to let the mother go, so that it may be well with you and that you may prolong your days. ⁸If you build a new house, you are to construct a railing around your roof, so that you do not bring bloodguilt on your house if someone falls from it.

The section closes with rules against mixing unlike things in seed, labor, and cloth, and with the command to wear tassels. Israel’s life is marked by visible patterns of separation and remembrance.

⁹Do not plant your vineyard with two types of seed; if you do, the entire harvest will be defiled — both the crop you plant and the fruit of your vineyard. ¹⁰Do not plow with an ox and a donkey yoked together. ¹¹Do not wear clothes of wool and linen woven together. ¹²You are to make tassels on the four corners of the cloak you wear.

Section summaryThis section binds neighborly care to everyday obedience: lost property must be restored, burdens must be lifted, and foreseeable harm must be prevented. Alongside that, Israel is told to keep certain distinctions and signs intact in dress, breeding, labor, fabric, and clothing.

Role in the chapterIt widens covenant obedience into ordinary life. Before the chapter turns to sexual and marital cases, these laws train Israel to see responsibility, restraint, and visible order as part of holiness.