Thou shalt not plow with an ox and an ass together.
Parallel translations
- WEB You shall not plow with an ox and a donkey together.
- BSB Do not plow with an ox and a donkey yoked together.
- NKJV “You shall not plow with an ox and a donkey together.
- NASB “You shall not plow with an ox and a donkey together.
- NLT “You must not plow with an ox and a donkey harnessed together.
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Scripture quotations taken from the (NASB®) New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. lockman.org
Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
Quick answer
You must not plow with an ox and a donkey yoked together. The unequal pairing pictures the impropriety of mismatched unions.
Overview
Yoking a strong ox with a weaker donkey was both impractical and cruel, mismatching unlike animals. Like the other mixture laws, it taught Israel to respect God-given distinctions. Paul draws on this imagery in 2 Corinthians 6:14, warning believers not to be unequally yoked with unbelievers, applying the principle of holy separation to spiritual partnerships.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 1
- 2 Cor 6:14–16Be ye not unequally yoked together with unbelievers: for what fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness? and what communion hath light with darkness?
Themes, concepts, people & topics
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Christ at the center
Moses promised a Prophet like himself to whom Israel must listen (18:15); Jesus is that Prophet, the one who keeps the covenant we broke and becomes the curse for us by hanging on a tree (Gal 3:13).
How Deuteronomy 22:10 points to him is part of the one story that runs through all Scripture — meet Jesus at the heart of the web, or follow a trail that traces him from Genesis to Revelation.
Original language
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