Deuteronomy20
New Living Translation
1“When you go out to fight your enemies and you face horses and chariots and an army greater than your own, do not be afraid. The Lord your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, is with you!
2When you prepare for battle, the priest must come forward to speak to the troops.
3He will say to them, ‘Listen to me, all you men of Israel! Do not be afraid as you go out to fight your enemies today! Do not lose heart or panic or tremble before them.
4For the Lord your God is going with you! He will fight for you against your enemies, and he will give you victory!’
5“Then the officers of the army must address the troops and say, ‘Has anyone here just built a new house but not yet dedicated it? If so, you may go home! You might be killed in the battle, and someone else would dedicate your house.
6Has anyone here just planted a vineyard but not yet eaten any of its fruit? If so, you may go home! You might die in battle, and someone else would eat the first fruit.
7Has anyone here just become engaged to a woman but not yet married her? Well, you may go home and get married! You might die in the battle, and someone else would marry her.’
8“Then the officers will also say, ‘Is anyone here afraid or worried? If you are, you may go home before you frighten anyone else.’
9When the officers have finished speaking to their troops, they will appoint the unit commanders.
10“As you approach a town to attack it, you must first offer its people terms for peace.
11If they accept your terms and open the gates to you, then all the people inside will serve you in forced labor.
12But if they refuse to make peace and prepare to fight, you must attack the town.
13When the Lord your God hands the town over to you, use your swords to kill every man in the town.
14But you may keep for yourselves all the women, children, livestock, and other plunder. You may enjoy the plunder from your enemies that the Lord your God has given you.
15“But these instructions apply only to distant towns, not to the towns of the nations in the land you will enter.
16In those towns that the Lord your God is giving you as a special possession, destroy every living thing.
17You must completely destroy the Hittites, Amorites, Canaanites, Perizzites, Hivites, and Jebusites, just as the Lord your God has commanded you.
18This will prevent the people of the land from teaching you to imitate their detestable customs in the worship of their gods, which would cause you to sin deeply against the Lord your God.
19“When you are attacking a town and the war drags on, you must not cut down the trees with your axes. You may eat the fruit, but do not cut down the trees. Are the trees your enemies, that you should attack them?
20You may only cut down trees that you know are not valuable for food. Use them to make the equipment you need to attack the enemy town until it 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