And if thy brother be not nigh unto thee, or if thou know him not, then thou shalt bring it unto thine own house, and it shall be with thee until thy brother seek after it, and thou shalt restore it to him again.
And if your neighbor doesn't live close to you, or if you don't know who the owner is, then you should take it to your own home and keep it with you until the owner comes looking for it, and then you should give it back to them.
This verse is teaching that when you find something that belongs to someone else, you should take care of it and return it to them, even if it's inconvenient or you don't know them personally.
📚 Historical Context
This instruction was part of Moses' final teachings to the Israelites before they entered the Promised Land, establishing laws for how they should treat each other in their new society. In ancient times, livestock and possessions were essential for survival, so losing an animal could mean economic disaster for a family. These laws created a culture of mutual care and responsibility among the community.
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