Where no oxen are, the crib is clean: but much increase is by the strength of the ox.
Where no oxen are, the crib is clean - i:e, Where there is no tillage of the ground (which in the East is effected by oxen), there is no food. Where there is no toil there can be no food wherewith to supply the labourer. There must be the labour of the oxen, if their crib is to be full of food.
But much increase is by the strength of the ox. As no produce is to be expected if the land be untilled, so where the strength of the ox, is put into requisition, there is "much increase."