Deuteronomy20
New King James Version
1“When you go out to battle against your enemies, and see horses and chariots and people more numerous than you, do not be afraid of them; for the Lord your God is with you, who brought you up from the land of Egypt.
2So it shall be, when you are on the verge of battle, that the priest shall approach and speak to the people.
3And he shall say to them, ‘Hear, O Israel: Today you are on the verge of battle with your enemies. Do not let your heart faint, do not be afraid, and do not tremble or be terrified because of them;
4for the Lord your God is He who goes with you, to fight for you against your enemies, to save you.’
5“Then the officers shall speak to the people, saying: ‘What man is there who has built a new house and has not dedicated it? Let him go and return to his house, lest he die in the battle and another man dedicate it.
6Also what man is there who has planted a vineyard and has not eaten of it? Let him go and return to his house, lest he die in the battle and another man eat of it.
7And what man is there who is betrothed to a woman and has not married her? Let him go and return to his house, lest he die in the battle and another man marry her.’
8“The officers shall speak further to the people, and say, ‘What man is there who is fearful and fainthearted? Let him go and return to his house, lest the heart of his brethren faint like his heart.’
9And so it shall be, when the officers have finished speaking to the people, that they shall make captains of the armies to lead the people.
10“When you go near a city to fight against it, then proclaim an offer of peace to it.
11And it shall be that if they accept your offer of peace, and open to you, then all the people who are found in it shall be placed under tribute to you, and serve you.
12Now if the city will not make peace with you, but war against you, then you shall besiege it.
13And when the Lord your God delivers it into your hands, you shall strike every male in it with the edge of the sword.
14But the women, the little ones, the livestock, and all that is in the city, all its spoil, you shall plunder for yourself; and you shall eat the enemies’ plunder which the Lord your God gives you.
15Thus you shall do to all the cities which are very far from you, which are not of the cities of these nations.
16“But of the cities of these peoples which the Lord your God gives you as an inheritance, you shall let nothing that breathes remain alive,
17but you shall utterly destroy them: the Hittite and the Amorite and the Canaanite and the Perizzite and the Hivite and the Jebusite, just as the Lord your God has commanded you,
18lest they teach you to do according to all their abominations which they have done for their gods, and you sin against the Lord your God.
19“When you besiege a city for a long time, while making war against it to take it, you shall not destroy its trees by wielding an ax against them; if you can eat of them, do not cut them down to use in the siege, for the tree of the field is man’s food.
20Only the trees which you know are not trees for food you may destroy and cut down, to build siegeworks against the city that makes war with you, until it is subdued.
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