Deuteronomy 22:3
“So you shall do with his donkey. So you shall do with his garment. So you shall do with every lost thing of your brother’s, which he has lost, and you have found. You may not hide yourself.”
What does Deuteronomy 22:3 mean?
This passage teaches a simple but profound principle: when you find something that belongs to someone else, you're responsible for returning it or helping restore it. The "donkey" and "garment" are just everyday examples, but the real point is that last phrase, "you may not hide yourself," which means you can't pretend you didn't see it or ignore what you've found. It's easy to rationalize keeping something lost that falls into our hands, especially if the owner seems unlikely to find us. But this verse says that's not an option if we're living in genuine community with others. Returning what isn't ours, helping someone recover their loss, and being honest about what we know is how we build trust and care for one another. This applies far beyond lost objects too, to our time, our truth, and our attention when someone needs us.