Deuteronomy 20:8 NIV

Matthew Henry's Complete Commentary - Deuteronomy 20:1-9

Israel was at this time to be considered rather as a camp than as a kingdom, entering upon an enemy's country, and not yet settled in a country of their own; and, besides the war they were now entering upon in order to their settlement, even after their settlement they could neither protect nor enlarge their coast without hearing the alarms of war. It was therefore needful that they should have directions given them in their military affairs; and in these verses they are directed in managing,... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Deuteronomy 20:8

And the officers shall speak further unto the people ,.... According to Maimonides F14 Ut supra. (Hilchot Melachim, c. 7. sect. 3.) , the priest the anointed of war spoke to the end of Deuteronomy 20:7 and which the officers repeated after him to the people aloud, as before observed; and then after that an officer speaks of himself, or in his own words, and not in those of the priest, as follows: what man that is fearful , &c.; and then another officer causes all the people... read more

Adam Clarke

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible - Deuteronomy 20:8

What man is there that is fearful and faint - hearted? - The original רך rach , signifies tender or soft-hearted. And a soft heart the man must have who, in such a contest, after such a permission, could turn his back upon his enemies and his brethren. However, such were the troops commanded by Gideon in his war against the Midianites; for after he gave this permission, out of 32,000 men only 10,000 remained to fight! Judges 7:3 . There could be no deception in a business of this kind;... read more

Spence, H. D. M., etc.

The Pulpit Commentary - Deuteronomy 20:1-9

Military service to be voluntary. In war, forced service is worse than useless; it is a source of weakness—a cause of defeat. For successful warfare, all the skill and energy of every soldier is demanded; and unless the hearts of the warriors are in the conflict, no triumph can be anticipated. I. TO BE LOYAL FRIENDS OF GOD , WE MUST SOMETIMES TREAT MEN AS FOES . If we are truly God's children, we must count God's friends to be our friends, God's foes to be our... read more

Spence, H. D. M., etc.

The Pulpit Commentary - Deuteronomy 20:1-20

EXPOSITION DIRECTIONS CONCERNING WARFARE IN GENERAL , AND FOR THE BESIEGING OF CITIES IN PARTICULAR . The instructions in this chapter are peculiar to Deuteronomy. As the people of God, Israel was not a warlike nation; they were rather to abstain from warfare, and as a general rule to cultivate the arts of peace. But they had before them at this time the prospect of a serious and protracted conflict before they could occupy the land which God had assigned to... read more

Spence, H. D. M., etc.

The Pulpit Commentary - Deuteronomy 20:1-20

Wars to be regulated by Divine precepts. The directions given by Moses in this chapter may serve to show the spirit in which wars should, if undertaken at all, be entered on and prosecuted. We are not called upon here to moot the question whether war is under any circumstances justifiable; since the principle on which the Hebrew lawgiver proceeds is that of tolerating for a while certain socially accepted customs, mitigating whatever in them is evil, and gradually educating people out of... read more

Spence, H. D. M., etc.

The Pulpit Commentary - Deuteronomy 20:1-20

Religious wars. We have in this chapter an instructive direction about the prosecution of a religious war. For, after all, war may be the only way of advancing the interests of nations. Disputes become so entangled, and great principles become so staked in the disputes, that war is welcomed as the one way to peace and progress. It is an awful expedient, but there are worse things than war. "Cowardice," said Rev. F. W. Robertson, of Brighton, "is worse. And the decay of enthusiasm and... read more

Spence, H. D. M., etc.

The Pulpit Commentary - Deuteronomy 20:5-10

Exemptions. Three classes were exempted from service in war, and one class was forbidden to take part in it. The exempted classes were: 1. He who had built a house, but had not dedicated it. 2. He who had planted a vineyard, but had not eaten of its fruit. 3. He who had betrothed a wife, but had not married her. The class forbidden to engage in the war was the class of cowards ( Deuteronomy 20:8 ). These regulations— I. HAD AN IMPORTANT BEARING ON THE ... read more

Spence, H. D. M., etc.

The Pulpit Commentary - Deuteronomy 20:8

The shoterim were also to allow any that were naturally timid and fainthearted to return to their homes, lest, if they remained with the host, others, infected by them, should lose courage and become unfit for service. His brethren's heart faint ; literally, flow down or melt (cf. Joshua 7:5 ). In Deuteronomy 1:28 , this verb is rendered by "discouraged." read more

Joseph Benson

Joseph Benson's Commentary of the Old and New Testaments - Deuteronomy 20:7-8

Deuteronomy 20:7-8. Hath betrothed a wife The time allowed in this case was a year, Deuteronomy 24:5. This was a law of great humanity, that conjugal love might not be disturbed, but have time to knit into a firm and lasting affection. What man is fearful and faint-hearted This fearfulness is to be understood, say the Jews, not only of a natural timorousness, which is incident to some constitutions, and makes a man tremble at every danger, but of the adventitious terrors of a guilty... read more

Matthew Henry's Complete Commentary - Deuteronomy 20:1-9

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Deuteronomy 20:8

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible - Deuteronomy 20:8

The Pulpit Commentary - Deuteronomy 20:1-9

The Pulpit Commentary - Deuteronomy 20:1-20

The Pulpit Commentary - Deuteronomy 20:1-20

The Pulpit Commentary - Deuteronomy 20:1-20

The Pulpit Commentary - Deuteronomy 20:5-10

The Pulpit Commentary - Deuteronomy 20:8

Joseph Benson's Commentary of the Old and New Testaments - Deuteronomy 20:7-8

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