Deuteronomy
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Deuteronomy 20
Deuteronomy 20
Commentary · verses 1-20
1When thou goest forth to battle against thine enemies, and seest horses, and chariots, and a people more than thou, thou shalt not be afraid of them; for Jehovah thy God is with thee, who brought thee up out of the land of Egypt.
1When thou goest out to battle against thine enemies, and seest horses, and chariots, and a people more than thou, be not afraid of them: for the LORD thy God is with thee, which brought thee up out of the land of Egypt.
Commentary · verse 1
They were told to not be afraid of the other nations for God was with them. The first thing emphasized as it related to warfare was their trust: was it in God or themselves?
2And it shall be, when ye draw nigh unto the battle, that the priest shall approach and speak unto the people, 3and shall say unto them, Hear, O Israel, ye draw nigh this day unto battle against your enemies: let not your heart faint; fear not, nor tremble, neither be ye affrighted at them; 4for Jehovah your God is he that goeth with you, to fight for you against your enemies, to save you.
2And it shall be, when ye are come nigh unto the battle, that the priest shall approach and speak unto the people,
3And shall say unto them, Hear, O Israel, ye approach this day unto battle against your enemies: let not your hearts faint, fear not, and do not tremble, neither be ye terrified because of them;
4For the LORD your God is he that goeth with you, to fight for you against your enemies, to save you.
Commentary · verses 2-4
The priests were supposed to speak that not only was God with them; He fought for them against their enemies. This was meant to encourage the soldiers.
5And the officers shall speak unto the people, saying, What man is there that hath built a new house, and hath not dedicated it? let him go and return to his house, lest he die in the battle, and another man dedicate it.
6And what man is there that hath planted a vineyard, and hath not used the fruit thereof? let him go and return unto his house, lest he die in the battle, and another man use the fruit thereof.
7And what man is there that hath betrothed a wife, and hath not taken her? let him go and return unto his house, lest he die in the battle, and another man take her.
8And the officers shall speak further unto the people, and they shall say, What man is there that is fearful and faint-hearted? let him go and return unto his house, lest his brethren’s heart melt as his heart.
5And the officers shall speak unto the people, saying, What man is there that hath built a new house, and hath not dedicated it? let him go and return to his house, lest he die in the battle, and another man dedicate it.
6And what man is he that hath planted a vineyard, and hath not yet eaten of it? let him also go and return unto his house, lest he die in the battle, and another man eat of it.
7And what man is there that hath betrothed a wife, and hath not taken her? let him go and return unto his house, lest he die in the battle, and another man take her.
8And the officers shall speak further unto the people, and they shall say, What man is there that is fearful and fainthearted? let him go and return unto his house, lest his brethren’s heart faint as well as his heart.
Commentary · verses 5-8
The officers were told to speak to the people and tell any man who had a house that was not dedicated, a vineyard that he had not yet eaten of, a betrothed wife that he had not taken (not completed the Marriage covenant), or any man that was fearful or faint hearted, he should return to his house. Again, it was possible to be betrothed to a wife and not having consummated the covenant. Betrothed meant they exchanged tokens but had not had intercourse.
Doctrines on this passage
9And it shall be, when the officers have made an end of speaking unto the people, that they shall appoint captains of hosts at the head of the people.
9And it shall be, when the officers have made an end of speaking unto the people, that they shall make captains of the armies to lead the people.
Commentary · verse 9
After the officers spoke to the people, they made captains of the armies to lead the people.
Commentary · verses 10-20
Verses 10-20: instructions for battle.
10When thou drawest nigh unto a city to fight against it, then proclaim peace unto it.
11And it shall be, if it make thee answer of peace, and open unto thee, then it shall be, that all the people that are found therein shall become tributary unto thee, and shall serve thee.
10When thou comest nigh unto a city to fight against it, then proclaim peace unto it.
11And it shall be, if it make thee answer of peace, and open unto thee, then it shall be, that all the people that is found therein shall be tributaries unto thee, and they shall serve thee.
Commentary · verse 11
If the people of other cities accepted the peace agreement, they would be "tributaries" (this word literally meant "forced laborers") to the Israelites. However, the context of this verse showed these people entered into this agreement willingly. They were not slaves or servants against their will.
12And if it will make no peace with thee, but will make war against thee, then thou shalt besiege it: 13and when Jehovah thy God delivereth it into thy hand, thou shalt smite every male thereof with the edge of the sword: 14but the women, and the little ones, and the cattle, and all that is in the city, even all the spoil thereof, shalt thou take for a prey unto thyself; and thou shalt eat the spoil of thine enemies, which Jehovah thy God hath given thee.
15Thus shalt thou do unto all the cities which are very far off from thee, which are not of the cities of these nations.
12And if it will make no peace with thee, but will make war against thee, then thou shalt besiege it:
13And when the LORD thy God hath delivered it into thine hands, thou shalt smite every male thereof with the edge of the sword:
14But the women, and the little ones, and the cattle, and all that is in the city, even all the spoil thereof, shalt thou take unto thyself; and thou shalt eat the spoil of thine enemies, which the LORD thy God hath given thee.
15Thus shalt thou do unto all the cities which are very far off from thee, which are not of the cities of these nations.
Commentary · verse 15
This stated that everything in verses 10-14 applied only to the cities far off and not of the nations that lived in the Promised Land. This would be the cities they went through on their way to possessing their inheritance.
16But of the cities of these peoples, that Jehovah thy God giveth thee for an inheritance, thou shalt save alive nothing that breatheth;
16But of the cities of these people, which the LORD thy God doth give thee for an inheritance, thou shalt save alive nothing that breatheth:
Commentary · verse 16
The people in the cities that God gave them as an inheritance should all be killed, everything breathing.
17but thou shalt utterly destroy them: the Hittite, and the Amorite, the Canaanite, and the Perizzite, the Hivite, and the Jebusite; as Jehovah thy God hath commanded thee; 18that they teach you not to do after all their abominations, which they have done unto their gods; so would ye sin against Jehovah your God.
19When thou shalt besiege a city a long time, in making war against it to take it, thou shalt not destroy the trees thereof by wielding an axe against them; for thou mayest eat of them, and thou shalt not cut them down; for is the tree of the field man, that it should be besieged of thee?
20Only the trees of which thou knowest that they are not trees for food, thou shalt destroy and cut them down; and thou shalt build bulwarks against the city that maketh war with thee, until it fall.
17But thou shalt utterly destroy them; namely, the Hittites, and the Amorites, the Canaanites, and the Perizzites, the Hivites, and the Jebusites; as the LORD thy God hath commanded thee:
18That they teach you not to do after all their abominations, which they have done unto their gods; so should ye sin against the LORD your God.
19When thou shalt besiege a city a long time, in making war against it to take it, thou shalt not destroy the trees thereof by forcing an axe against them: for thou mayest eat of them, and thou shalt not cut them down (for the tree of the field is man’s life) to employ them in the siege:
20Only the trees which thou knowest that they be not trees for meat, thou shalt destroy and cut them down; and thou shalt build bulwarks against the city that maketh war with thee, until it be subdued.
Commentary · verse 20
The trees that did not bear fruit were to be used as enclosures. Verse 19 in the KJV ended with (emphasis added):
- "(for the tree of the field is man's life) to employ them in the siege."
In the Bible, trees represented thinking. The brain is made up of dendrites, which came from the Greek word for "tree," and the dendrites in the brain in fact look like trees.
This chapter covered instructions about warfare.