Deuteronomy20
New International Version
1When you go to war against your enemies and see horses and chariots and an army greater than yours, do not be afraid of them, because the Lord your God, who brought you up out of Egypt, will be with you.
2When you are about to go into battle, the priest shall come forward and address the army.
3He shall say: “Hear, Israel: Today you are going into battle against your enemies. Do not be fainthearted or afraid; do not panic or be terrified by them.
4For the Lord your God is the one who goes with you to fight for you against your enemies to give you victory.”
5The officers shall say to the army: “Has anyone built a new house and not yet begun to live in it? Let him go home, or he may die in battle and someone else may begin to live in it.
6Has anyone planted a vineyard and not begun to enjoy it? Let him go home, or he may die in battle and someone else enjoy it.
7Has anyone become pledged to a woman and not married her? Let him go home, or he may die in battle and someone else marry her.”
8Then the officers shall add, “Is anyone afraid or fainthearted? Let him go home so that his fellow soldiers will not become disheartened too.”
9When the officers have finished speaking to the army, they shall appoint commanders over it.
10When you march up to attack a city, make its people an offer of peace.
11If they accept and open their gates, all the people in it shall be subject to forced labor and shall work for you.
12If they refuse to make peace and they engage you in battle, lay siege to that city.
13When the Lord your God delivers it into your hand, put to the sword all the men in it.
14As for the women, the children, the livestock and everything else in the city, you may take these as plunder for yourselves. And you may use the plunder the Lord your God gives you from your enemies.
15This is how you are to treat all the cities that are at a distance from you and do not belong to the nations nearby.
16However, in the cities of the nations the Lord your God is giving you as an inheritance, do not leave alive anything that breathes.
17Completely destroy them—the Hittites, Amorites, Canaanites, Perizzites, Hivites and Jebusites—as the Lord your God has commanded you.
18Otherwise, they will teach you to follow all the detestable things they do in worshiping their gods, and you will sin against the Lord your God.
19When you lay siege to a city for a long time, fighting against it to capture it, do not destroy its trees by putting an ax to them, because you can eat their fruit. Do not cut them down. Are the trees people, that you should besiege them?
20However, you may cut down trees that you know are not fruit trees and use them to build siege works until the city at war with you falls.
Study Guide
Public-domain commentary and original-language notes for Deuteronomy 20.
Chapter Summary
In this chapter: Exhortation and proclamation respecting those who went to war. (1–9). Peace to be offered, What cities were to be devoted. (10–20).
vv1-9
In the wars wherein Israel engaged according to the will of God, they might expect the Divine assistance. The Lord was to be their only confidence. In these respects they were types of the Christian's warfare. Those unwilling to fight, must be sent away. The unwillingness might arise from a man's outward condition. God would not be served by men forced against their will. Thy people shall be willing, Ps 110:3. In running the Christian race, and fighting the good fight of faith, we must lay aside all that would make us unwilling. If a man's unwillingness rose from weakness and fear, he had leave to return from the war. The reason here given is, lest his brethren's heart fail as well as his heart. We must take heed that we fear not with the fear of them that are afraid, Isa 8:12.
vv10-12
The Israelites are here directed about the nations on whom they made war. Let this show God's grace in dealing with sinners. He proclaims peace, and beseeches them to be reconciled. Let it also show us our duty in dealing with our brethren. Whoever are for war, we must be for peace. Of the cities given to Israel, none of their inhabitants must be left. Since it could not be expected that they should be cured of their idolatry, they would hurt Israel. These regulations are not the rules of our conduct, but Christ's law of love. The horrors of war must fill the feeling heart with anguish upon every recollection; and are proofs of the wickedness of man, the power of Satan, and the just vengeance of God, who thus scourges a guilty world. But how dreadful their case who are engaged in unequal conflict with their Maker, who will not submit to render him the easy tribute of worship and praise! Certain ruin awaits them. Let neither the number nor the power of the enemies of our souls dismay us; nor let even our own weakness cause us to tremble or to faint. The Lord will save us; but in this war let none engage whose hearts are fond of the world, or afraid of the cross and the conflict. Care is here taken that in besieging cities the fruit-trees should not be destroyed. God is a better friend to man than he is to himself; and God's law consults our interests and comforts; while our own appetites and passions, which we indulge, are enemies to our welfare. Many of the Divine precepts restrain us from destroying that which is for our life and food. The Jews understand this as forbidding all wilful waste upon any account whatsoever. Every creature of God is good; as nothing is to be refused, so nothing is to be abused. We may live to want what we carelessly waste.
Key Words
יָצָא: to go (causatively, bring) out, in a great variety of applications, literally and figuratively, direct and proxim.
מִלְחָמָה: a battle (i.e. the engagement); generally, war (i.e. warfare)
עַל: above, over, upon, or against (yet always in this last relation with a downward aspect) in a great variety of applications
אֹיֵב: hating; an adversary
רָאָה: to see, literally or figuratively (in numerous applications, direct and implied, transitive, intransitive and causative)
סוּס: a horse (as leaping); also a swallow (from its rapid flight)
רֶכֶב: a vehicle; by implication, a team; by extension, cavalry; by analogy a rider, i.e. the upper millstone
עַם: a people (as a congregated unit); specifically, a tribe (as those of Israel); hence (collectively) troops or attendants; figuratively, a flock
רַב: abundant (in quantity, size, age, number, rank, quality)
מִן: properly, a part of; hence (prepositionally), from or out of in many senses
Cross References
Deuteronomy 20Direct contrast between trusting in worldly horses and chariots versus trusting in the Lord's name.
Supported by John Calvin
Establishes the duty of the priests to blow trumpets and minister before battle.
Supported by Matthew Poole, JFB
Gideon implements this exact law, dismissing the fearful and fainthearted from the battle.
Supported by Matthew Henry, Matthew Poole, JFB
Identifies the specific Canaanite nations appointed for total destruction rather than peace.
Supported by Matthew Poole, JFB
Illustrates the practice of dedicating a new house with religious joy and thanksgiving.
Supported by Matthew Poole, JFB
Defines when a vineyard is 'common' or eaten, explaining the four-year delay.
Supported by Matthew Poole, JFB
Specifies the one-year marital exemption from military service for newly betrothed/married men.
Supported by Matthew Poole, JFB
Historical precedent of a priest going to war with holy instruments and trumpets.
Supported by Matthew Poole, JFB
Depicts God as leader with His priests sounding trumpets of alarm in battle.
Supported by JFB
Prophetic exhortation echoing the command to not fear or tremble before worldly threats.
Supported by Matthew Henry
Verbal echo of planting vineyards and eating them as common fruit.
Supported by Matthew Poole
Jesus references domestic exemptions (buying land, oxen, marrying) as excuses from His kingdom.
Supported by Matthew Henry
Illustrates how God hardened Canaanite hearts so they would not accept peace terms.
Supported by Matthew Poole
Reinforces the command to consume the nations given as an inheritance without pity.
Supported by Matthew Poole
Warns against being ensnared by inquiring after the abominations of the destroyed nations.
Supported by Matthew Poole