BSB
Deuteronomy 20
1When you go out to war against your enemies and see horses, chariots, and an army larger than yours, do not be afraid of them; for the LORD your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, is with you.
2When you are about to go into battle, the priest is to come forward and address the army,
3saying to them, “Hear, O Israel, today you are going into battle with your enemies. Do not be fainthearted or afraid; do not be alarmed or terrified because of them.
4For the LORD your God goes with you to fight for you against your enemies, to give you the victory.”
5Furthermore, the officers are to address the army, saying, “Has any man built a new house and not dedicated it? Let him return home, or he may die in battle and another man dedicate it.
6Has any man planted a vineyard and not begun to enjoy its fruit? Let him return home, or he may die in battle and another man enjoy its fruit.
7Has any man become pledged to a woman and not married her? Let him return home, or he may die in battle and another man marry her.”
8Then the officers shall speak further to the army, saying, “Is any man afraid or fainthearted? Let him return home, so that the hearts of his brothers will not melt like his own.”
9When the officers have finished addressing the army, they are to appoint commanders to lead it.
10When you approach a city to fight against it, you are to make an offer of peace.
11If they accept your offer of peace and open their gates, all the people there will become forced laborers to serve you.
12But if they refuse to make peace with you and wage war against you, lay siege to that city.
13When the LORD your God has delivered it into your hand, you must put every male to the sword.
14But the women, children, livestock, and whatever else is in the city—all its spoil—you may take as plunder, and you shall use the spoil of your enemies that the LORD your God gives you.
15This is how you are to treat all the cities that are far away from you and do not belong to the nations nearby.
16However, in the cities of the nations that the LORD your God is giving you as an inheritance, you must not leave alive anything that breathes.
17For you must devote them to complete destruction—the Hittites, Amorites, Canaanites, Perizzites, Hivites, and Jebusites—as the LORD your God has commanded you,
18so that they cannot teach you to do all the detestable things they do for their gods, and so cause you to sin against the LORD your God.
19When you lay siege to a city for an extended time while fighting against it to capture it, you must not destroy its trees by putting an axe to them, because you can eat their fruit. You must not cut them down. Are the trees of the field human, that you should besiege them?
20But you may destroy the trees that you know do not produce fruit. Use them to build siege works against the city that is waging war against you, until it falls.
Study This Passage
Key Words and Topics
These study connections are drawn from the internal BSB concordance and topical index imported into Daily Bread Intake.
Key Words in This Passage
Select a word to open the full concordance search.
Related Topics
Agriculture: Planters of Vineyards, Exempted from Military Service Deuteronomy 20:6
Has any man planted a vineyard and not begun to enjoy its fruit? Let him return home, or he may die in battle and another man enjoy its fruit.
Amorites: Judgments Denounced Against Deuteronomy 20:17, 18
For you must devote them to complete destruction—the Hittites, Amorites, Canaanites, Perizzites, Hivites, and Jebusites—as the LORD your God has commanded you, / so that they cannot teach you to do all the detestable things they do for their gods, and so cause you to sin against the LORD your God.
Armies: Employed in Besieging Cities Deuteronomy 20:12
But if they refuse to make peace with you and wage war against you, lay siege to that city.
Armies: March in Ranks: Exhorted Before Battle Deuteronomy 20:1–9
When you go out to war against your enemies and see horses, chariots, and an army larger than yours, do not be afraid of them; for the LORD your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, is with you. / When you are about to go into battle, the priest is to come forward and address the army, / saying to them, “Hear, O Israel, today you are going into battle with your enemies. Do not be fainthearted or afraid; do not be alarmed or terrified because of them.
Armies: Who Were Exempt from Service In Deuteronomy 20:5–9
Furthermore, the officers are to address the army, saying, “Has any man built a new house and not dedicated it? Let him return home, or he may die in battle and another man dedicate it. / Has any man planted a vineyard and not begun to enjoy its fruit? Let him return home, or he may die in battle and another man enjoy its fruit. / Has any man become pledged to a woman and not married her? Let him return home, or he may die in battle and another man marry her.”
Betrothal: Exempts from Military Duty Deuteronomy 20:7
Has any man become pledged to a woman and not married her? Let him return home, or he may die in battle and another man marry her.”
Bulwark: General Scriptures Concerning Deuteronomy 20:20
But you may destroy the trees that you know do not produce fruit. Use them to build siege works against the city that is waging war against you, until it falls.
Captain: Commander-In-Chief of an Army Deuteronomy 20:9
When the officers have finished addressing the army, they are to appoint commanders to lead it.
Captive: Cruelty to Enslaved Deuteronomy 20:14
But the women, children, livestock, and whatever else is in the city—all its spoil—you may take as plunder, and you shall use the spoil of your enemies that the LORD your God gives you.
Captive: Cruelty to Putting to Death Deuteronomy 20:13
When the LORD your God has delivered it into your hand, you must put every male to the sword.
Cowardice: General Scriptures Concerning Deuteronomy 20:8
Then the officers shall speak further to the army, saying, “Is any man afraid or fainthearted? Let him return home, so that the hearts of his brothers will not melt like his own.”
Dedication of Houses Deuteronomy 20:5
Furthermore, the officers are to address the army, saying, “Has any man built a new house and not dedicated it? Let him return home, or he may die in battle and another man dedicate it.
Dedication: Subjects of Houses when Built Deuteronomy 20:5
Furthermore, the officers are to address the army, saying, “Has any man built a new house and not dedicated it? Let him return home, or he may die in battle and another man dedicate it.
Faith: Enjoined Deuteronomy 20:1
When you go out to war against your enemies and see horses, chariots, and an army larger than yours, do not be afraid of them; for the LORD your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, is with you.
Fort: Field Fortifications Deuteronomy 20:19, 20
When you lay siege to a city for an extended time while fighting against it to capture it, you must not destroy its trees by putting an axe to them, because you can eat their fruit. You must not cut them down. Are the trees of the field human, that you should besiege them? / But you may destroy the trees that you know do not produce fruit. Use them to build siege works against the city that is waging war against you, until it falls.
Fruit Trees: Care For Deuteronomy 20:19, 20
When you lay siege to a city for an extended time while fighting against it to capture it, you must not destroy its trees by putting an axe to them, because you can eat their fruit. You must not cut them down. Are the trees of the field human, that you should besiege them? / But you may destroy the trees that you know do not produce fruit. Use them to build siege works against the city that is waging war against you, until it falls.
Hivites: Their Land Given to the Israelites Deuteronomy 20:17
For you must devote them to complete destruction—the Hittites, Amorites, Canaanites, Perizzites, Hivites, and Jebusites—as the LORD your God has commanded you,
Horticulture: Encouraged Deuteronomy 20:19, 20
When you lay siege to a city for an extended time while fighting against it to capture it, you must not destroy its trees by putting an axe to them, because you can eat their fruit. You must not cut them down. Are the trees of the field human, that you should besiege them? / But you may destroy the trees that you know do not produce fruit. Use them to build siege works against the city that is waging war against you, until it falls.
House: Architecture of Dedicated Deuteronomy 20:5
Furthermore, the officers are to address the army, saying, “Has any man built a new house and not dedicated it? Let him return home, or he may die in battle and another man dedicate it.
Houses: when Finished Were Usually Dedicated Deuteronomy 20:5
Furthermore, the officers are to address the army, saying, “Has any man built a new house and not dedicated it? Let him return home, or he may die in battle and another man dedicate it.
Jebusites: Land of, Given to Abraham and his Descendants Deuteronomy 20:17
For you must devote them to complete destruction—the Hittites, Amorites, Canaanites, Perizzites, Hivites, and Jebusites—as the LORD your God has commanded you,
Marriage: The Jews: Betrothed Themselves some Time Before Deuteronomy 20:7
Has any man become pledged to a woman and not married her? Let him return home, or he may die in battle and another man marry her.”
Marriage: The Jews: Exempted from Going to War Immediately After Deuteronomy 20:7
Has any man become pledged to a woman and not married her? Let him return home, or he may die in battle and another man marry her.”
Massacre: Authorized by Moses Deuteronomy 20:13, 16
When the LORD your God has delivered it into your hand, you must put every male to the sword. / However, in the cities of the nations that the LORD your God is giving you as an inheritance, you must not leave alive anything that breathes.
Select a topic to open the full topical search.
Bible Dictionary
Related Dictionary Terms
Explore people, places, themes, and biblical terms connected to this passage.
Commentary Insights
Study and Reflection
Explore devotional and study commentary connected to this passage.
Matthew Henry Concise Commentary
Pastoral and devotional reflections focused on spiritual formation and application.
Deuteronomy 20:1-9 Verses 1-9
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.
Deuteronomy 20:10-12 Verses 10-12
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.