Deuteronomy 25:4 — Word Study
WLCלֹא־ תַחְסֹ֥ם שׁ֖וֹר בְּדִישֽׁוֹ׃ ס
BSADo notlôʼ [refuse to allow, prohibit] muzzlechâçam▸ [stop up, prevent from eating] an oxshôwr [cattle, a working animal] while it is treading out the graindûwsh [walking on, trampling, corn, crops]
| Greek | English | Parsing |
|---|---|---|
| לֹא־ | not | Particle |
| תַחְסֹ֥ם | you will muzzle | Verb, Qal, imperfect second person masculine singular |
| שׁ֖וֹר | an ox | Noun common, masculine singular absolute |
| בְּדִישֽׁוֹ׃ ס | when threshes it | Preposition, verb qal infinitive construct common, suffix |
Every word in the verse. Click a row to open it in the panel on the left.
| BSB | Do not muzzle an ox while it is treading out the grain. |
| KJV | ¶ Thou shalt not muzzle the ox when he treadeth out the corn. |
| ASV | Thou shalt not muzzle the ox when he treadeth out the grain. |
| YLT | 'Thou dost not muzzle an ox in its threshing. |
| WEB | You shall not muzzle the ox when he treads out the grain. |
| BBE | Do not keep the ox from taking the grain when he is crushing it. |
All translations agree on the prohibition against muzzling the ox.
The sentence consists of a main command followed by a subordinate clause explaining the condition.
8 commentators on this verse
Gill, Jamieson, Poole, Trapp & more — read them ›
clause
verbחָסַם
The sentence as the grammar sees it Open the tree ›
Every word here is used elsewhere in the Old Testament.
Bars are logarithmic — אֵת, the commonest word in the Hebrew Bible, stands about 11,000 times, so a linear scale would leave everything else invisible. Click a row to open that word.
Deep Study — Deuteronomy 25:4
Sections marked generated are written from the data on this page rather than by a named author. Everything else — the lexicon entries, the cross references, the manuscript readings, the counts — is quoted from its source unchanged.
Context — Laws on Fair Treatment of Animalsgenerated
Deuteronomy 25:4 is part of a series of laws given to the Israelites by Moses, focusing on justice and ethical treatment of both people and animals. This verse specifically addresses the treatment of oxen, highlighting the principle of not hindering a working animal from eating while it performs its labor, which reflects a broader concern for compassion and fairness in the community.
Cross References
| Reference | Text (BSB) | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Proverbs 12:10 | A righteous man regards the life of his animal, but the tender mercies of the wicked are only cruelty. |
| 2 | 1 Corinthians 9:9–10 | For it is written in the Law of Moses: “Do not muzzle an ox while it is treading out the grain.” Is it about oxen that God is concerned? |
| 3 | 1 Timothy 5:17–18 | Elders who lead effectively are worthy of double honor, especially those who work hard at preaching and teaching. |
| 4 | Isaiah 28:27 | Surely caraway is not threshed with a sledge, and the wheel of a cart is not rolled over the cumin. But caraway is beaten out with a stick, and cumin with a rod. |
| 5 | Hosea 10:11 | Ephraim is a well-trained heifer that loves to thresh; but I will place a yoke on her fair neck. I will harness Ephraim, Judah will plow, and Jacob will break the hard ground. |
The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge — 5 references, hung on the phrase they belong to
The Key Word — חָסַם, tach.Somgenerated
The verb חָסַם (tach.Som) is a Qal imperfect form meaning 'you will muzzle.' It implies stopping up or blocking, particularly in the context of preventing an animal from eating.
This word is used to express restraint, as seen in other contexts where something is hindered or obstructed. The choice of this verb emphasizes the ethical treatment of animals in labor.
How Translations Differ — measured against the Berean Standard Biblegenerated
The verse is rendered in the Berean Standard Bible as Do not muzzle an ox while it is treading out the grain.
Sentence Structuregenerated
The main verb in this verse is תַחְסֹ֥ם, you will muzzle, which governs the subject שׁוֹר (an ox) and the action of treading בְּדִישׁו (when threshes it). The sentence structure emphasizes the prohibition against muzzling the ox while it works.
The Hebrew syntax places the negation לֹא (not) at the beginning, highlighting the command's importance.
Septuagint Backgroundgenerated
The Septuagint translates חָסַם as φιμώσεις (you will muzzle), which carries a similar meaning but may suggest a broader interpretation of restraint.
This choice indicates a consistent understanding of the need for humane treatment of working animals, aligning with the original Hebrew intent.
In plain words — the whole versegenerated
Deuteronomy 25:4 instructs that one should not muzzle an ox while it is treading out the grain. This law emphasizes the importance of allowing working animals to eat while they work, reflecting a principle of compassion and fairness.
Frequently Asked Questionsgenerated
To muzzle an ox means to prevent it from eating while it is working, which this verse prohibits.
This law highlights the value of fair treatment for animals, ensuring they are not deprived of food while performing labor.
This verse is part of a broader set of laws that emphasize justice and ethical treatment of both people and animals, seen in other scriptures like Proverbs 12:10.
We learn the importance of compassion and fairness in our treatment of animals, which can extend to how we treat others.
Reflection Questionsgenerated
- How can I ensure that I treat animals ethically in my daily life?
- What principles of fairness can I apply to my interactions with others?
- In what ways can I advocate for the fair treatment of working animals in my community?
- How does understanding this law influence my perspective on justice and compassion?
The early church on this verse — how the Fathers read it
Early Church writings reference this verse to discuss the treatment of spiritual laborers, emphasizing the principle of fair compensation.
Let him use those tenths and first-fruits, which are given according to the command of God, as a man of God; as also let him dispense in a right manner the free-will offerings which are brought in on account of the poor, to the orphans,Early Church Fathers on Deuteronomy 25 →
Not muzzle: St. Paul understands this of the spiritual labourer in the church of God, who is not to be denied his maintenance. 1 Cor. 9. 8, 9, 10.Early Church Fathers on Deuteronomy 25 →
Commentators on this verse — 8 expositors, verse by verse
Each of these wrote on Deuteronomy 25:4 itself, not merely on the chapter around it.
John Gill1697–1771Gill's Exposition of the Entire BibleThou shall not muzzle the ox when he treadeth out [the corn].
Read John Gill on Deuteronomy 25 →Robert Jamieson1802–1880Jamieson, Fausset, and Brown's CommentaryThou shalt not muzzle the ox when he treadeth out the corn. Thou shalt not muzzle the ox when he treadeth out the corn.
Read Robert Jamieson on Deuteronomy 25 →Matthew Poole1624–1679Matthew Poole's Commentary on the Holy BibleAs the Gentiles used to do, having divers devices to keep them from eating when they trod out the corn, which they did in those parts and times by oxen, , either immediately by their hoofs, , or by drawing carts or other instruments over the corn, 28:27 41:15 . Hereby God taught them humanity and kindness, even to their beasts that served them, , and much more to their servants or other men who laboured for them, and especially to their ministers, .
Read Matthew Poole on Deuteronomy 25 →John Trapp1601–1669Trapp's Complete Commentary on the Old and New TestamentsDeuteronomy 25:4 Thou shalt not muzzle the ox when he treadeth out [the corn].Ver. 4. That treadeth out the corn.] Which was the manner of that country: whereunto also the prophet alludeth, "Ephraim is a heifer, that loveth to tread out the corn" (because while it treads, it feeds on the corn), but not to plough, because no refreshing till the work was done.
Read John Trapp on Deuteronomy 25 →Charles John Ellicott1819–1905Ellicott's Commentary for English ReadersXXV. Deuteronomy 25:1-3. IN .(1) They shall justify the righteous, and condemn the wicked.—“I will not justify the wicked” (Exodus 23:7). “He that justifieth the wicked, and he that condemneth the just, even they both are abomination to the Lord” (Proverbs 17:15). It should be noticed that justify is here used forensically, not meaning to make righteous, but to treat as righteous. Those who object to this sense in St. Paul’s Epistles, will find it hard to put any other sense upon the word in the rest of Holy Scripture. (2) If the wicked man be worthy to be beaten.—Literally, a son of beating, or of Haccôth, according to the Hebrew. The treatise called Maccôth, in the Talmud, describes the…
Read Charles John Ellicott on Deuteronomy 25 →AdamClarkeAdam Clarke's Commentary on the BibleVerse 4. Thou shalt not muzzle the ox, c.] In Judea, as well as in Egypt, Greece, and Italy, they make use of beeves to tread out the corn and Dr. Shaw tells us that the people of Barbary continue to tread out their corn after the custom of the East. Instead of beeves they frequently made use of mules and horses, by tying by the neck three or four in like manner together, and whipping them afterwards round about the nedders, as they call the treading floors, (the Libycae areae Hor), where the sheaves lie open and expanded, in the same manner as they are placed and prepared with us for threshing. This indeed is a much quicker way than ours, though less cleanly, for as it is performed in the…
Read AdamClarke on Deuteronomy 25 →CambridgeThe Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges4. Against Muzzling the Labouring Ox. Peculiar to D; a clear The present writer has never seen them muzzled. ‘In all W. Asia it is the universal custom to allow the oxen or other animals thus employed freely to eat of the crop’ (Van Lennep, op. cit. 81). ‘I have seen them muzzled, though this is rare’ (Conder, Tent Work, etc., 329). ‘Not muzzled as a rule’ (Baldensperger, PEFQ, 1907, 20). In 1 Corinthians 9:9 f. Paul in illustrating from this law the principle that the labourer is worthy of his hire asks, Is it for oxen that God careth? According to D, undoubtedly He does. Paul may be writing playfully; if not it is a remarkable illustration of the effect of the allegorising habit of the…
Read Cambridge on Deuteronomy 25 →Albert Barnes1798–1870Barnes' Notes on the BibleCompare the marginal references. In other kinds of labor the oxen were usually muzzled.
Read Albert Barnes on Deuteronomy 25 →The verse in English, compared — 17 translations, and where they part company
Every translation on this page is a decision someone had to make and commit to. Read down a column and you see one translator's judgement; read across a row and you see the range the Greek actually allows. The BSB is the wording the rest of this page is measured against, so it is listed first.
Modern formal
Do not muzzle an ox while it is treading out the grain.
You shall not muzzle the ox when he treads out the grain.
Do not muzzle an ox while it is treading out the grain.
You must not muzzle your ox when it is treading grain.
Tyndale line
¶ Thou shalt not muzzle the ox when he treadeth out the corn.
Thou shalt not muzzle the ox when he treadeth out the grain.
Thou shalt not muzzle the ox when he treadeth out the corn.
Thou shalt not muzzle the ox when he treadeth out the corn .
Thou shalt not mousell the oxe that treadeth out the corne.
Strictly literal
Thou shalt not muzzle the ox when he treadeth out [the corn].
'Thou dost not muzzle an ox in its threshing.
You do not muzzle an ox in its threshing.
Thou shalt not muzzle the ox when he thresheth out the corn.
You must not muzzle the ox when he treads out the grain.
From the Latin
Thou shalt not muzzle the ox that treadeth out thy corn on the floor.
Simplified
Don't muzzle an ox when it is treading out the grain.
Do not keep the ox from taking the grain when he is crushing it.
Counted from the translations carried on this site, not from a survey of every English Bible. A rendering shared by many versions is usually inherited rather than independently arrived at — the Tyndale line in particular runs through most of them.
The sentence as the grammar sees it — from the MACULA Hebrew treebank
This is not our own analysis: it is the scholarly syntax tree for the verse, showing how the clause actually holds together.
Boxes are the grammarian's groupings — clause, noun phrase, prepositional phrase.
The four witnesses to this verse — Masoretic, Septuagint, Samaritan, Qumran
The Masoretic Text is confirmed by the Samaritan Pentateuch, which agrees word for word. The Septuagint matches three of the four words, while the Dead Sea Scrolls show no variation, as they are largely supplied by an editor.
לֹא־ תַחְסֹ֥ם שׁ֖וֹר בְּדִישֽׁוֹ׃ ס
3 of the 4 words are matched. This is the word-by-word correspondence, not the Septuagint's own sentence — its word order and its articles are its own.
לא תחסם שׁור בדישׁו
Agrees with the Masoretic Text here, word for word.
[לא] [תחסם] [שור] [בדיש׳ו]
nothing on the leather here — 4 supplied entire by an editor.
[לא] [תחסם] [שור] [בדיש׳ו]
nothing on the leather here — 4 supplied entire by an editor.
Four traditions, not one. “On the leather” means the letters physically survive on the scroll, as against letters an editor has supplied to fill a hole in it — a restoration is a scholar’s reading, not a reading of the manuscript. Words in [square brackets] are supplied; the notes count them apart from what survives.
The map of this verse — what each word keeps company with
This is a map of two things, both counted rather than judged. Company kept: which words stand within three words of each of these, anywhere in the Hebrew Bible — the thicker the line, the more often the pair meet compared with chance. Built from: the words a word is made out of, taken from its own Strong’s entry. It is not a map of meaning: nothing here claims two words mean the same thing. Click any circle to see the numbers behind it.
Lexicons — every word in Deuteronomy 25:4
One dossier per word, with every reference work grouped by kind — Hebrew lexicons, morphology, Bible dictionaries, topical chains and the English of the translators themselves. The verse sits at the head of each block with the word under study lit, so you never lose your place. The panel above gives the short answer; this is the long one, and it is the part of the page worth indexing.
Every entry below is the lexicographer's own text. On the Hebrew: Brown-Driver-Briggs entire and its gloss set, Strong's Hebrew Dictionary, and Tyndale House's Translators Brief lexicon. Where a cell says a work has no entry, that work genuinely has none for this word.
לֹא (lo') is a Hebrew word meaning 'not' or 'no.' It serves as a simple negation and can imply absence or prohibition. The word can also be used in various contexts, often combined with other particles for emphasis or clarification. Its Aramaic equivalent is לָא (la), which also means 'not.'
לֹא or לוֹא adv. not
base
H3808 לֹא or לוֹא not
3808 lo' lo
or lowi {lo}; or loh (Deut. 3:11) {lo}; a primitive particle;
not (the simple or abs. negation); by implication, no; often
used with other particles (as follows):--X before, + or else,
ere, + except, ig(-norant), much, less, nay, neither, never,
no((-ne), -r, (-thing)), (X as though...,(can-), for) not (out
of), of nought, otherwise, out of, + surely, + as truly as, +
of a truth, + verily, for want, + whether, without.
לֹא (lo) — not.
1) not, no
1a) not (with verb-absolute prohibition)
1b) not (with modifier-negation)
1c) nothing (subst)
1d) without (with particle)
1e) before (of time)
Aramaic equivalent: la (לָא "not" H3809)
Part — ParticleHTn
חָסַם (chacam) is a primitive root meaning to stop up or muzzle. The entries consistently define it as related to stopping or blocking, particularly in the context of muzzling. There are no significant disagreements among the lexicons.
[חָסַם] vb. stop up, muzzle
base
H2629 [חָסַם] stop up, muzzle
2629 chacam khaw-sam'
a primitive root; to muzzle; by analogy, to stop the
nose:--muzzle, stop.
חָסַם (cha.sam) — to muzzle.
(Qal) to stop up, muzzle
V-Qal-Imperf-2ms — Verb · Qal · imperfect second person masculine singularHVqi2ms
muz'l (chacam; phimoo) According to the Deuteronomic injunction (De 25:4), the ox was not to be muzzled while treading the grain, i.e. threshing. The muzzle was a guard placed on the mouth of the oxen to prevent them from biting or eating. The threshing ox would have ample opportunity of feeding (compare Ho 10:11). The Deuteronomic injunction is quite in accordance with the humane spirit which inspires it all through. Paul quotes this law in two places (1Co 9:9; 1Ti 5:18) to illustrate his view that the "laborer is worthy of his hire."
T. Lewis
Muzzle
Grain in the East is usually thrashed by the sheaves being spread out on a floor, over which oxen and cattle are driven to and fro, till the grain is trodden out. Moses ordained that the ox was not to be muzzled while thrashing. It was to be allowed to eat both the grain and the straw (Deut. 25:4). (See AGRICULTURE.)
See THRESHING.
שׁוֹר (shor) refers to a head of cattle, specifically a bullock or ox, and is associated with agricultural and sacrificial contexts. It is derived from the root meaning to travel, indicating its role in farming and food. The term appears in various forms and usages, including in Aramaic.
שׁוֹר 78 n.m. a head of cattle, bullock, ox, etc.
base
H7794 שׁוֹר a head of cattle, bullock, ox, etc.
7794 showr shore
from 7788; a bullock (as a traveller):--bull(-ock), cow, ox,
wall (by mistake for 7791).
see HEBREW for 07788
see HEBREW for 07791
שׁוֹר (shor) — cattle.
1) ox, bull, a head of cattle
1a) for plowing, for food, as sacrifice
Aramaic equivalent: tor (תּוֹר "bullock" H8450)
N-ms — Noun common · masculine singular absoluteHNcmsa
Ox
Heb. bakar, “cattle;” “neat cattle”, (Gen. 12:16; 34:28; Job 1:3, 14; 42:12, etc.); not to be muzzled when treading the corn (Deut. 25:4). Referred to by our Lord in his reproof to the Pharisees (Luke 13:15; 14:5).
There was no animal in the rural economy of the Israelites, or indeed in that of the ancient Orientals generally, that was held in higher esteem than the ox and deservedly so, for the ox was the animal upon whose patient labors depended all the ordinary operations of farming. Oxen were used for ploughing, (22:10; 1 Samuel 14:14) etc.; for treading out corn, (25:4; Hosea 10:11) etc.; for draught purposes, when they were generally yoked in pairs, (Numbers 7:3; 1 Samuel 6:7) etc.; as beasts of burden, (1 Chronicles 12:40) their flesh was eaten, (14:4; 1 Kings 1:9) etc.…
The male of the beeve kind when grown, synonymous in the Bible with BULL; a clean animal, by the Levitical law; much used for food, 1Ki 19:21, and constituting no small part of the wealth of the Hebrews in their pastoral life, Ge 24:35 Job 1:14 42:12. Oxen were used in agriculture for ploughing, 1Ki 19:19; and for treading out the grain, during which they were not to be muzzled, 1Co 9:9, but well fed, Isa 30:24. The testing of a new yoke of oxen is still a business of great importance in the East, as of old, Lu…
→ See BULLOCK
→ See CATTLE
דּוּשׁ (duwsh) is a Hebrew verb meaning to tread or thresh. It encompasses actions like trampling and breaking, with forms indicating both active and passive states, such as being trampled or threshed. The word appears in contexts related to agricultural processes, notably in Jeremiah 50:11.
דּוּשׁ, דִּישׁ vb. tread, thresh
Qal tread on, trample on
Niph. be trampled down
Hoph. be threshed
base
H1758 דּוּשׁ, דִּישׁ tread, thresh
1758 duwsh doosh
or dowsh {dosh}; or diysh {deesh}; a primitive root; to
trample or thresh:--break, tear, thresh, tread out (down), at
grass (Jer. 50:11, by mistake for 1877).
see HEBREW for 01877
דּוּשׁ (dush) — to tread.
1) to tread out, thresh
1a) (Qal) to tread on, trample on, thresh
1b) (Niphal) to be trampled down
1c) (Hophal) to be threshed
Prep | V-Qal-Inf-a | Suff — Preposition · verb qal infinitive construct common · suffixHR/Vqcc/Sp3ms