Deuteronomy 22:4

4. Of Assisting to Lift Fallen Beasts. D’s more comprehensive and more simply expressed edition of E’s law, Exo_23:5, which enjoins the duty of helping him that hateth thee to release (an archaic word) his animals when foundered beneath their burdens. On fallen, see Deu_21:1.

An animal fallen under its load needs two persons to put it right: ‘an operation which can be performed for a loaded animal only by lifting up the burden on both sides at once, unless it be unloaded and loaded again, implying much loss of time, and even this often cannot be done without assistance. Jew and Christian, Muslim and Koord mutually assist each other, though inimical to one another’s faith’ (Van Lennep, Bible Lands, etc., 231).

The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges (gen. ed. J. J. S. Perowne; Cambridge University Press, 1878–1918) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

Thou shall not see thy brother's ox or his ass fall down by the way,.... And lie under his burden, not being able to rise with it of himself, nor with all the assistance about it, without further help:

and hide thyself from them; cover thine eyes, or turn them another way, and make as if thou didst not see them in distress:

thou shalt surely help him to lift them up again; that is, help the brother and owner of it, the ox and ass; assist him in getting them up again, and lay on their burden, and fasten them aright, which either were rolled off by the fall, or were obliged to be taken off in order to raise them up; and if this was to be done for an enemy, then much more for a brother, as is required; see Gill on Exo 23:5, or "lifting up, thou shall lift them up with him" (d); that is, most certainly do it, and lift with all his strength, and as often as there is occasion; if they fell down again after raised up, help is still to be continued, even, as Maimonides (e) says, though it was an hundred times.

(d) "erigendo eriges", Pagninus, Montanus. (e) Hilchot Rotzeach, c. 13. sect. 5.

John Gill's Exposition of the Whole Bible (1746–1763) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API.

With him. Hebrew, "thou shalt not hide thyself, but help him to lift up," Exodus xxiii. 4.

George Leo Haydock (1774–1849), Haydock's Catholic Family Bible and Commentary, 1859 edition — public domain. Excludes Psalms (Douay-Rheims chapter numbering differs from Protestant) and Deuterocanonical books (Catholic canon only).

Help him, i.e. thy brother, the owner. Compare Exo 13:5.

Matthew Poole's English Annotations on the Holy Bible (1683–1685) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.

An animal that had fallen was also to be lifted up, and the owner was to be assisted to do this. In Exodus, it is specially declared that both these services are to be rendered, even though the parties are at enmity with each ether, and the one is the object of hatred to the other.

The Pulpit Commentary (1880–1919), ed. H.D.M. Spence-Jones & Joseph S. Exell — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

הקם תקים [THOU SHALT NOT SEE THY BROTHER’S ASS OR ANY OF HIS HERD FALL DOWN BY THE WAY, AND HIDE THYSELF FROM THEM] THOU SHALT SURELY RAISE UP — This refers to the duty of loading — to re-load the burden that fell from it.

עמו [THOU SHALT SURELY UPLOAD] WITH HIM — i.e. with the owner. But if he goes aside and sits down and says to him, “Since it is a duty for you to load it, if you want to load, go ahead and load!” — [“I” am not commanded to do it”], he is exempt from doing it (cf. Bava Metzia 32a).

Rashi on the Tanakh — English translations: “The Judaica Press complete Tanach with Rashi, translated by A. J. Rosenberg” (CC BY 4.0); “Pentateuch with Rashi's commentary by M. Rosenbaum and A.M. Silbermann, 1929-1934” (public domain); “The Metsudah Tanach series, Lakewood, N.J” (CC BY 4.0); and “The Book of Joshua, Metsudah Publications, 1997” (CC BY 4.0). Text via Sefaria.

In the commandment on assisting someone to lift up his burden, he added a warning thereon constituting a negative commandment [Thou shalt not see thy brother’s ass or his ox fallen down by the way etc.], for in the Torah He stated Thou shalt surely release it with him [i.e., by helping to unload the burden] which is a positive commandment [and thus we learn that in failing to render assistance one violates both a positive and a negative commandment]. He also adds [here the expression] fallen down by the way, for there He stated, lying under its burden, and He mentioned there only the ass because it commonly carries a great burden and, therefore, is liable to crouch under it. Also, here it says thy brother’s and there it states thy enemy’s, and of him that hateth thee, meaning [here] to say, “Do thus to him [in assisting him], and remember the brotherhood between you and forget the hatred.”

Ramban (Nachmanides) on the Tanakh — English translation: “Commentary on the Torah by Ramban (Nachmanides). Translated and annotated by Charles B. Chavel. New York, Shilo Pub. House, 1971-1976” (CC BY 4.0). Text via Sefaria.