This should be the most extensive examination of Deut. 20 available, where you will be able to examine in depth every word of the original text.

Outline of Chapter 20:

Introduction

         vv.     1–4           Encouragement Before Going to War

         vv.     5–8           Military Exemptions

         v.       9            A Strategy Meeting of Military Authorities

         vv.    10–11         Israel is to First Offer Terms of Peace

         vv.    12–14         The Spoils of War

         vv.    15–18         Procedures for Attacking the Heathen in the Land of Promise

         vv.    19–20         The Preservation of Natural Resources in Wartime

Addendum

Charts, Maps and Short Doctrines:

         Introduction         The Prequel of Deuteronomy 20

         Introduction         The Principals of Deuteronomy 20

         Introduction         A Synopsis of Deuteronomy 20

         Introduction         Matthew Henry Summarizes Deuteronomy 20

         v.       4              Deuteronomy 20:2–4 (graphic)

         v.       5              Deuteronomy 20:5 (graphic)

         v.       6              Deuteronomy 20:6 (graphic)

         v.      10              God Offers Us Peace, Just as Israel Was to Offer Terms of Peace

         v.      11              Does this appear harsh to you?

         v.      11              Slavery interlude

         v.      16              The Bible and Genocide

         v.      16              Statue of Moloch (graphic)

         v.      17              What is a Righteous War?

         v.      17              Thumbnail Sketches of the Groups Living in the Land of Promise

         v.      19              Deuteronomy 20:19 (graphic)

         v.      19              Why are there non-moral issues found in the Bible?

         v.      20              Good and Bad Fruit Trees in the New Testament

         Addendum          What We Learn from Deuteronomy 20

         Addendum          Josephus’ History of this Time Period

         Addendum          A Complete Translation of Deuteronomy 20

         Addendum          Word Cloud from a Reasonably Literal Paraphrase of Deuteronomy 20

         Addendum          Word Cloud from Exegesis of Deuteronomy 20

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An Introduction to Deuteronomy 20

I ntroduction: Deut. 20 is one of the more cohesive chapters of Deuteronomy. It deals with all of the many aspects of war: fear, conscription, when a person is exempt from military service, and specific instructions given to Israel concerning specific groups of people. It is possible that there is a portion of Deut. 21 which belongs in this chapter.

Most people who have studied the words of our founders believe that the framers of our constitution were very knowledgeable of the Scriptures. Since roughly 97% of the people who came to America would be classified today as Protestants, this would make sense. Therefore, they put together a document which has stood a great test of time, and a government which has functioned under the concept of checks and balances, with the intention that one branch of the government not become too powerful. However, since those days, the average politician today has no concept of God’s Word and no framework for a true absolute standard of what is right and wrong. Therefore, much of the legislation which is passed, although intended as well-meaning at times, ends up being self-serving and it creates many more problems than it ever solves.

Conscription (the draft) is a problem that we have dealt with for decades—who should serve in the armed forces and for how long. Deuteronomy is a very practical book and will give us insight into the correct way to run an army.

In my personal study of God’s Word, one of the highlights is reading what J. Vernon McGee has to say on a given chapter or verse. He had the ability to communicate like few others: We see little mottos which read, “Make love, not war.” That may sound good, but like so many little mottos, it is absolutely meaningless. Because we are living in a sinful world where the heart of man is desperately wicked, there are times to make war. There are times when we need to protect ourselves. There are wars in which God is on one side. Frankly, the important question any nation should consider—and certainly a so-called civilized and Christian nation—is whether this is a war that God is in. If He isn’t in it, then we shouldn’t be in it either.

Like all the Old Testament chapters of the Bible I have studied, there is a great deal from this chapter which can be applied to the life of the believer today.

Keil and Delitzsch call this chapter: Instructions for Future Wars – Deuteronomy 20. The instructions in this chapter have reference to the wars which Israel might wage in future against non–Canaanitish nations (Deut. 20:15.), and enjoin it as a duty upon the people of God to spare as much as possible the lives of their own soldiers and also of their enemies. All wars against their enemies, even though they were superior to them in resources, were to be entered upon by them without fear in reliance upon the might of their God; and they were therefore to exempt from military service not only those who had just entered into new social relations, and had not enjoyed the pleasures of them, but also the timid and fainthearted (Deut. 20:1–9). Moreover, whenever they besieged hostile towns, they were to offer peace to their enemies, excepting only the Canaanites; and even if it were not accepted, they were to let the defenceless (viz., women and children) live, and not to destroy the fruit–trees before the fortifications (Deut. 20:10–20).

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Encouragement Before Going to War

As before. Moses is speaking to the people of Israel, to the generation of promise. Many translations begin this as a quotation, because this is a quotation. However, apart from the first chapter, I have decided to leave the quotation marks indicating Moses speaking off. I will probably include them, however, in the final chapter of his speaking as well.

Here is how others have translated this verse:

Ancient texts:                       Note: I compare the Hebrew text to English translations of the Latin, Syriac and Greek texts, using the Douay-Rheims translation ; George Lamsa’s translation, and Sir Lancelot Charles Lee Brenton’s translation as revised and edited by Paul W. Esposito, respectively. I often update these texts with non-substantive changes (e.g., you for thou, etc.). I often use the text of the Complete Apostles’ Bible instead of Brenton’s translation, because it updates the English text.

The Septuagint was the earliest known translation of a book (circa 200 b.c.). Since this translation was made before the textual criticism had been developed into a science and because different books appear to be translated by different men, the Greek translation can sometimes be very uneven.

When there are serious disparities between my translation and Brenton’s (or the text of the Complete Apostles’ Bible), I look at the Greek text of the Septuagint (the LXX) to see if a substantive difference actually exists (and I reflect these changes in the English rendering of the Greek text). I use the Greek LXX with Strong’s numbers and morphology available for e-sword. The only problem with this resource (which is a problem for similar resources) is, there is no way to further explore Greek verbs which are not found in the New Testament. Although I usually quote the Complete Apostles’ Bible here, I have begun to make changes in the translation when their translation conflicts with the Greek and note what those changes are.

The Masoretic text is the Hebrew text with all of the vowels (vowel points) inserted (the original Hebrew text lacked vowels). We take the Masoretic text to be the text closest to the original. However, differences between the Masoretic text and the Greek, Latin and Syriac are worth noting and, once in a great while, represent a more accurate text possessed by those other ancient translators.

In general, the Latin text is an outstanding translation from the Hebrew text into Latin and very trustworthy (I say this as a non-Catholic). Unfortunately, I do not read Latin—apart from some very obvious words—so I am dependent upon the English translation of the Latin (principally, the Douay-Rheims translation).

Underlined words indicate differences in the text.

Bracketed portions of the Dead Sea Scrolls are words, letters and phrases lost in the scroll due to various types of damage. Underlined words or phrases are those in the Dead Sea Scrolls but not in the Masoretic text.

The Targum of Onkelos is actually the Pentateuchal Targumim, which are The Targums of Onkelos and Jonathan Ben Uzziel. On the Pentateuch With The Fragments of the Jerusalem Targum From the Chaldee by J. W. Etheridge, M.A. Taken from http://targum.info/targumic-texts/pentateuchal-targumim/ and first published in 1862.

Ancient texts:

Targum (trans. By Cook)        When you go forth to battle against your enemies, and see horses and chariots, and peoples proud, overbearing, and stronger than you, fear them not; for all of them are accounted as a single horse and a single chariot before the Lord your God, whose Word will be your Helper; for He brought you free out of the land of Mizraim.

Latin Vulgate                          If you go out to war against your enemies, and see horsemen and chariots, and the numbers of the enemy’s army greater than your, you will not fear them: because the Lord your God is with you, who brought you out of the land of Egypt.

Masoretic Text (Hebrew)        When you go forth to war against your enemies and you have seen a horse and a rider—a people great more than you—you will not fear from them for Y^ehowah your Elohim [is] with you—the One bringing you up out of a land of Egypt.

Peshitta (Syriac)                    WHEN you go out to battle against your enemies, and see horses and chariots and a people more than you, you shall not be afraid of them; for the LORD your God is with you, who brought you up out of the land of Egypt.

Septuagint (Greek)                And if you should go forth to war against your enemies, and should see a horse and rider, and a people more numerous than yourself; you shall not be afraid of them, for the Lord your God is with you, who brought you up out of the land of Egypt.

Significant differences:           In the Hebrew, horse and chariot are both in the singular; however, these can be used as collective nouns.

The targum has a few extra words, as usual.

Thought-for-thought translations; paraphrases:

Common English Bible           Rules for warfare

When you march out to battle your enemies and you see horses, chariots, and a fighting force larger than yours, don't be afraid of them, because the Lord your God, the one who brought you up from Egypt, is with you.

Contemporary English V.       If you have to go to war, you may find yourselves facing an enemy army that is bigger than yours and that has horses and chariots. But don't be afraid! The LORD your God rescued you from Egypt, and he will help you fight.

Easy English                          Special rules for war

Do not be afraid when you go out to fight against your enemies. You may meet larger armies with more horses than you have. Do not be afraid! The *Lord your God, who brought you out of Egypt, will be with you.

Good News Bible (TEV)         "When you go out to fight against your enemies and you see chariots and horses and an army that outnumbers yours, do not be afraid of them. The LORD your God, who rescued you from Egypt, will be with you.

The Message                         When you go to war against your enemy and see horses and chariots and soldiers far outnumbering you, do not recoil in fear of them; GOD, your God, who brought you up out of Egypt is with you.

New Century Version             Laws for War

When you go to war against your enemies and you see horses and chariots and an army that is bigger than yours, don't be afraid of them. The Lord your God, who brought you out of Egypt, will be with you.

New Life Version                    "When you go to battle against those who hate you and see more horses and war-wagons and soldiers than you have, do not be afraid of them. For the Lord your God, Who brought you from the land of Egypt, is with you.

New Living Translation           Regulations concerning War

"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!

The Voice                               Moses: This is how you should act during wartime: When you go to battle against your enemies, if you see their army is larger than yours and they have horses and chariots, don't be afraid of them! The Eternal your God is with you-the same God who defeated Pharaoh and brought you out of Egypt.

Partially literal and partially paraphrased translations:

American English Bible          'And when you go to war against your enemies and find that they have a larger army and more horsemen than you do; don't be afraid of them, for Jehovah your God who brought you out of the land of Egypt is with you!

Beck’s American Translation When There’s a War

“When you go out to fight against your enemies and see horses and chariots, a bigger army than yours, don’t be afraid of them, because the LORD your God who brought you out of Egypt is with you.

Christian Community Bible     War

When you go to war against your enemies and you see horses, chariots and an army more numerous than yours, then have no fear because Yahweh, your God, who brought you out of Egypt, is with you.

New Advent (Knox) Bible       When thou dost go out to war against thy enemies, never be daunted by the sight of horsemen and chariots, and a host greater than thy own arrayed against thee; the Lord thy God, who rescued thee from Egypt, fights on thy side.

New American Bible (R.E.)    Courage in War.

When you go out to war against your enemies and you see horses and chariots and an army greater than your own, you shall not be afraid of them, for the LORD, your God, who brought you up from the land of Egypt, will be with you.

NIRV                                      Going to War

When you go to war against your enemies, you might see that they have horses and chariots. They might even have an army that is stronger than yours. But don't be afraid of them. The Lord your God will be with you. After all, he brought you up out of Egypt.

Revised English Bible            When you take the field against your enemies and are faced by horses and chariots, a force greater than yours, you need have no fear of them, for the Lord your God, who brought you up from Egypt, will be with you.

Mostly literal renderings (with some occasional paraphrasing):

Ancient Roots Translinear      When you proceed to war toward your enemies and see horses and chariots with more legions of people than you, never fear them. For Yahweh your God is with you and ascended you from the land of Egypt.

Bible in Basic English             When you go out to war against other nations, and come face to face with horses and war-carriages and armies greater in number than yourselves, have no fear of them: for the Lord your God is with you, who took you up out of the land of Egypt.

The Expanded Bible              Laws for War

When you go to war against your enemies and you see horses and chariots and an army that is bigger than yours, don't be afraid of them. The Lord your God, who brought you out of Egypt, will be with you.

Ferar-Fenton Bible                 Laws of War.

When you go to war with your enemies, and see horses and chariots,—a people more numerous than yourselves, fear them not,—for your Ever-living God is with you, Who brought you from the land of Mitzeraim.

NET Bible®                             Laws Concerning War with Distant Enemies

When you go to war against your enemies and see chariotry [Heb "horse and chariot."] and troops [Heb "people."] who outnumber you, do not be afraid of them, for the Lord your God, who brought you up out of the land of Egypt, is with you. When it comes to making an actual material change to the text, the NET Bible® is pretty good about indicating this. Since most of these corrections will be clear in the more literal translations below and within the Hebrew exegesis itself, I will not continue to list every NET Bible® footnote.

NIV, ©2011                             Going to War

When 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.

Jewish/Hebrew Names Bibles:

exeGeses companion Bible   THE TORAH ON WARRING

When you go to war against your enemies

and see horses and chariots

and a people more than you,

awe them not:

for Yah Veh your Elohim is with you

- who ascended you from the land of Misrayim.

Kaplan Translation                 Preparing for War

When you go to battle against your enemies, and see horses, war chariots and an army larger than yours, do not be afraid of them, since God your Lord, who brought you out of Egypt, is with you. The Kaplan Translation, particularly in Exodus through Deuteronomy, takes note of historic rabbinic opinions.

Orthodox Jewish Bible           When thou goest out to milchamah against thine enemies, and seest sus (horses), and chariots, and a people more than thou, be not afraid of them; for Hashem Eloheicha is with thee, which brought thee up out of Eretz Mitzrayim.

Literal, almost word-for-word, renderings:

Concordant Literal Version    When you go forth for battle against your enemies, and you see horses and chariots and a people more numerous than you, you should not fear them, for Yahweh your Elohim is with you, the One bringing you up from the country of Egypt.

English Standard V. – UK       Laws Concerning Warfare

"When you go out to war against your enemies, and see horses and chariots and an army larger than your own, you shall not be afraid of them, for the Lord your God is with you, who brought you up out of the land of Egypt.

The updated Geneva Bible    When you go out to battle against your enemies, and see horses, and chariots, [and] a people more than you, be not afraid of them: for the LORD your God [is] with you, which brought you up out of the land of Egypt. Meaning, upon just occasion: for God does not permit his people to fight every time it seems good to them.

NASB                                     Laws of Warfare

"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, who brought you up from the land of Egypt, is with you.

New King James Version       Principles Governing Warfare

"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.

New RSV                               When you go out to war against your enemies, and see horses and chariots, an army larger than your own, you shall not be afraid of them; for the Lord your God is with you, who brought you up from the land of Egypt.

Syndein/Thieme                     {Subject - War}

When you go out to battle against your enemies, and see horses, and chariots, and a soldiers more than you have. . . be not afraid of them . . . for Jehovah/God your Elohiym/Godhead is with you . . . Who brought you up out of the land of Egypt. {Note: Jews did not traditionally have chariots and in most battles they were outnumbered. Yet they were commanded to Trust in the Lord and not be afraid.}.

Updated Bible Version 2.11   When you go forth to battle against your enemies, and see horses, and chariots, [and] a people more than you, you will not be afraid of them; for Yahweh your God is with you, who brought you up out of the land of Egypt.

World English Bible                When you go forth to battle against your enemies, and see horses, and chariots, and a people more than you, you shall not be afraid of them; for Yahweh your God is with you, who brought you up out of the land of Egypt.

Young’s Updated LT             “When you go out to battle against your enemy, and have seen horse and chariot—a people more numerous than you—you are not afraid of them, for Jehovah your God is with you, who is bringing you up out of the land of Egypt.

The gist of this verse:          The Jews are not to be afraid in battle, even if their enemy appears to have a great military advantage over them.

Translation: When you go forth to war against your enemies... Throughout much of Deuteronomy, Moses uses the 2^nd person masculine singular verbs and suffixes when speaking to the Jews. Many times when we would have expected Moses to address these people as a whole, as an army, as a nation, as a collective, he speaks to them individually or, at the very least, as a collective whole.

Therefore, Moses is not talking about the army of Israel going out to fight against their enemies—Moses is specifically speaking to Charley Brown and how Charley Brown will go out to war against Israel’s enemies (called his enemies). This is all extraordinarily personal.

Israel would never be without enemies. In this world, if you are aligned with God, then Satan will encourage others to be aligned against you. The only time there is an exception to this is when you, as a believer, are already doing Satan’s work for him. Perhaps you have little or no doctrine in your soul, so that all that you stand for is exactly opposed to the plan of God. Under those circumstances Satan might leave you alone. However, at the same time, if you have believed in Jesus Christ, that makes God your Father, and God, as your Father, might whup you a bit. My son, do not regard lightly the discipline of the Lord, nor faint when you are reproved by Him; for whom the Lord loves he disciplines, and he skins alive with a whip every son whom He receives (Heb. 12.5b–6; R. B. Thieme, Jr. translation).

My point is, you don’t get a break. You cannot play God. You cannot believe in His Son, and then turn around and do Satan’s bidding without consequences. And if you are successfully living the Christian life, then you will have enemies that way too. This is no nice middle ground where you produce just the least amount of divine good that keeps you off of God’s or Satan’s radar.

So Israel would be going to war on many occasions. When David was king, Israel appeared to be at war nearly every year. David (or Joab) would defeat one army, and another nation would send an army in their place. However, by the time that Solomon came along, God gave peace to Israel. When Israel got further from God, then discipline increased, and foreign armies became much more menacing.

Translation: ...and you see horses and chariots... This man, when going to war, is going to look about, and he will see horses and chariots (also found in the singular, but can be understood as an army of chariots). This means that they are going into a war where they have much less by way of equipment than their enemies.

The Canaanites and the Philistines had iron chariots, as we will see in Joshua 17:16 Judges 4:3 1Sam. 13:5. We know that the Egyptians used chariots in war from Ex. 14:7. The Syrians also were fond of using the chariot in war (2Sam. 8:4 1Chron. 18:4 19:18 Psalm 20:8). Obviously, for chariots to be of any use, they require horses, so the Canaanites would have horses as well. We will hear about the horsemen in 1Sam. 13:5.

Israel functioned primarily with an infantry for a very long time. The nations around Israel built up their armor—meaning they developed greater weapons and utilized horses and chariots in war—and yet, for that 1000 or so years, when Israel was an independent nation, Israel defeated many of her enemies. It was only when Israel fell into great spiritual depravity that she began to lose wars.

Therefore, Israel was not to be concerned when it could see that the army they faces was superior in numbers or weaponry.

Application: This does not mean that we, in the United States, because many of us believe in Jesus Christ, that we should operate with the fewest weapons possible. We do not go into war with a bag of sawed-off shotguns. This is a different era. Although we are a client nation to God, we do not have the same relationship with God as Israel did. God gave them that plot of land that they lived on, and God would defend this land against all comers, no matter how great the opposing army (there is one portion of a chapter in 2Samuel where David defeats an army which changes ancient history—and its worldwide import is almost completely lost to us, except that we know of their army and of their might). God did this as a sign to all of the other peoples around Israel. They could come to Israel to express faith in Israel’s God because Israel was so amazing in war. However, we, as a client nation, are to do the prudent thing, and to build up our military to the point where only the most foolish nation would think to oppose us.

Translation:...—a people greater than you... Not only does Israel see great technological advances for that day and time, but the armies which they faces were often much larger. God is telling them not to worry about this.

Translation: ...—you will not fear them... God orders them here not to fear these foreign armies, no matter what the situation—no matter how well-armed they are, no matter how advanced they are, and no matter how large the army is. Moses is telling this people not to fear them.

No other army in the history of the world had a protector like Y^ehowah, the God of Israel. Therefore, Moses reassures Israel concerning warfare on several occasions: “If you should say in your heart, ‘These nations are greater than I; how can I dispossess them?’ You will not be afraid of them; you will well remember what Y^ehowah your God did to Pharaoh and to all of Egypt.” (Deut. 7:17–18). “Be strong and courageous, do not be afraid or tremble at them, for Y^ehowah your God is the one who goes with you. He will not fail you or forsake you.” (Deut. 31:6).

We have had times in our history where God has preserved us in battle, but Israel is given full assurances of God’s participation in her battles. Obviously, with God as their Protector and Leader, Israel did not have to concerned about being outnumbered or about having inferior equipment. Some [boast] in chariots, and some in horses; but we will boast in the name of Y^ehowah our God (Psalm 20:7). God only expected for Israel to lean upon Him, rather than any human ally: Woe to those who go down to Egypt for help, [who] rely upon horses and trust in chariots because they are many, and in horsemen because they are very strong. But they do not look to the Holy One of Israel, nor seek Y^ehowah! (Isa. 31:1).

The Open Bible: It is better to have a few absolutely committed persons than a multitude of the half-hearted. God will get greater glory from the small army than from the large one (see Judges 7:3 Zech 4:6).

Translation: ...for Y^ehowah your Elohim [is always] with you—... This is because the Lord God is with Israel and He will always be with them. They may depend upon this throughout their history. And when the army places their faith in the power of their God, their army is great. But if they depend upon an alliance with a different country, like Egypt, they will lean on Egypt as if a walking stick, and that sharp walking stick will pierce through their hand.

Jamieson, Fausset and Brown: In the approaching invasion of Canaan, or in any just and defensive war, the Israelites had reason to expect the presence and favor of God.

The mental attitude of the Generation of Promise was crucial to their survival. Moses told their parents, generation X, the same thing: “Do not rebel against Y^ehowah; and do not fear the people of the land, for they will be our prey. Their protection has been removed from them and Y^ehowah is with us—do not fear them.” But all the congregation lifted up their voices and cried, and the people wept that night. And all the sons of Israel grumbled against Moses and Aaron; and the whole congregation said to them, “Would that we had died in the land of Egypt! Or would that we had died in this wilderness!” (Num. 14:9, 1–2). This left God with only one alternative: [God speaking to Moses]: “Say to them: ‘As I live,’ says Y^ehowah, ‘just as you have spoken in My hearing, so I will certainly do to you; your corpses will fall in this wilderness, even all your numbered men, according to your complete number from twenty years old and upward, who have grumbled against Me.’ “ (Num. 14:28–29). The Generation of Promise has two choices: they could choose God and believe in Him and live or distrust the Word of God and die, as their parents did.

When David faced Goliath, this was his mental attitude: Then David said to the Philistine: “You come to me with a sword, a spear, and a javelin, but I come to you in the name of Y^ehowah of the armies, who you have taunted.” (1Sam. 17:45).

The promise which I heard many times in church went as follows: “Do not fear, for I am with you, do not anxiously look about you, for I am your God. I will strengthen you, certainly I will help you, and certainly I will uphold you with My righteous right hand.” (Isa. 41:10). That is a promise for all believers in Jesus Christ throughout the ages.

Translation:...[He is] the One Who brought you up out of the land of Egypt. Moses personalizes this—Jesus Christ, the God of Israel, brought you—Charley Brown—personally out of Egypt. Egypt, at that time, had one of the greatest armies in the world, and God took 2 million people out of Egypt, and this great Egyptian army could not stop them.

People seem to have two opposing mindsets for the same set of current events. On the one hand, each generation thinks that human history is all about them, and all about their thoughts and dreams and aspirations. It may not strike them until they are in their 50's and 60's that they have done no better a job than their parents who came before them. But, until that time, they think they are the center of the universe, the coolest, hippest generation yet. Then, suddenly, they find that they are old—and, in many cases, without the appropriate wisdom to accompany their age.

However, on the other hand, there are dramatic, historical events which take place during their lives and they do not fully appreciate the impact of these events. Most people do not have any sort of an historical perspective, because, insofar as they are concerned, real human history did not begin until the day they were born. For this reason, they tend to make a big deal of events which are meaningless in the scale of world events; and, simultaneous, not recognize the historic importance of other events until much later.

Let’s look at those people in their 20's and 30's—they may look a Lady Gaga, who appears to have come to the end of her run, as really something in the music scene, almost revolutionary. She is another singer who had a good run. She might be around for another decade or so and she might not. However, what is far more important on an historic scale is, what about the overtures just made by Iran toward the United States (I write this in September of 2013)? These overtures could change world history and the environment of the United States forever. This nation is quite close to becoming a nuclear power—they are somewhat of a nutty regime quite devoted to Islam, and with a great hate toward the United States and Israel. If, during these talks (which may or may not take place) stifle Israel from taking out their nuclear sites, and they develop nuclear weapons in the midst of these talks, this will change everything. And since Islam is very much into asymmetric warfare, and our borders remain porous, it is only a matter of time before a nuclear weapon or perhaps several, make their way across the Mexican border into the United States—which weapons could be either used in large American cities or set up in various American cities and used to blackmail the United States. The things which may occur while our fairly naive president engages in talks with Iran could change everything here. Now, at this point, we don’t know if these talks will occur. We do not know if this will prevent Israel from striking. However, these are big events. What some singer does is, on the whole, not all that important by comparison (and maybe my example of Lady Gaga could have been more perceptive for that age range).

The point I am making is, these Israelites have been with Moses, in the desert, after seeing God take them out of Egypt—events which will change human history—and they may not be fully appreciative of what has taken place—partially because they were children when all of this place and partially because people have a hard time sorting out history as it unfolds before them. Furthermore, these children (now adults) have watched their own parents drop one by one in the desert, all dying the sin unto death. So they have relatively little guidance from their parental units.

When speaking with the Jews, God, speaking through Moses or through whomever, often begins with Egypt and His taking the Israelites out of Egypt. When it comes to events in ancient history, I suspect that this is in the top 5 of those known throughout the world (which events would include the worldwide flood, David’s killing of Goliath, and the events of the public ministry of Jesus Christ).

What happened in Egypt and in the desert is something that we study today, and so do Jews. In fact, there are very few people who do not have some idea about God leading the Jews out of Egypt (whether they choose to believe this historical fact or not). At the same time, Satan has taken these events and has been working overtime to give them some weird interpretation related to Blacks and slavery and socialism. That is what Satan does—he distorts the truth. Communists were having a very difficult time making headway in Latin and South America, because they could not successfully challenge the Bible and the Catholic church. So, what they finally figured out was to study the Bible and take portions out of the Bible and distort them, and present these things as Biblical truth (this is Liberation Theology and Black Liberation Theology). And because the people in Latin and South America did not know the Scriptures well, many countries fell into communism. Communists would explain, “We are just trying to get the same results as the Bible. We support the same things as the Bible does. We are helping the poor.” If the people do not know the Scriptures, then it is easy to fool them.

Application: This is the approach of many liberal websites. You can count on several things in a liberal website: distorted statistics, a blame-America-first attitude, and disparagement of the Bible. I have taken the time to make comments at such websites, particularly when the Bible is presented in a negative and inaccurate light, and in several instances, my remarks have been removed. The dishonest graphic about the Bible is never removed; but often (not always), my remarks to explain the dishonesty of the graphic are removed (I have had this happen twice, for instance, in Facebook, where my comments were no longer allowed, and thereby removed from all discussions—they aren’t really discussions; they are more like echo chambers). Liberalism is the thinking of Satan. It is not presented for discussion (unless the liberal is able to clearly win the debate). It is a collection of lies and half-truths, and when successfully challenged, the one who challenged is removed, but never the lies and half-truths. The last time that this occurred for me was, a particular dishonest graphic was not shared by most of the subscribers to that page, and I remarked something along the lines of, “Maybe some of you are beginning to recognize how dishonest some of these graphics are and you are choosing not to share them” (or words to that effect). Bam. I was no longer allowed to make remarks after that.

The Voice, a translation which I am warming up to, translates this verse as follows: Moses: This is how you should act during wartime: When you go to battle against your enemies, if you see their army is larger than yours and they have horses and chariots, don't be afraid of them! The Eternal your God is with you-the same God who defeated Pharaoh and brought you out of Egypt. The italics simply indicate additional text, added much like the targum text, to better explain the verse, to fill in possibly things which are missing in the verse to help with the understanding (this does not mean that this words in italics were originally in the earliest Hebrew text; but sometimes words and phrases are left out simply because that is the style of the writer—or speaker, as is the case here).

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When going to war, what is most important is the spiritual factor. In order to be ready to face the enemy, the soldier needs spiritual guidance and fortitude.

Here is how others have translated this verse:

Ancient texts:

Targum of Onkelos                And at the time that you draw nigh to do battle, the priest shall approach and speak with the people, and say to them, Hear, Israel, you draw near this day to fight against your adversaries; let not your heart be moved, be not afraid, tremble not, nor be broken down before them: for the Shekinah of the Lord your God goeth before you to fight for you against your enemies, and to save you.

Latin Vulgate                          And when the battle is now at hand, the priest shall stand before the army, and shall speak to the people in this manner: Hear, O Israel, you join battle this day against your enemies, let not your heart be dismayed, be not afraid, do not give back, fear ye them not: Because the Lord your God is in the midst of you, and will fight for you against your enemies, to deliver you from danger.

Masoretic Text (Hebrew)        And he was in their drawing near unto the battle and has been brought near the priest and he has spoken unto the people and he has said unto them, “Hear, O Israel, you [all are] drawing near the day to the battle against your enemies. Will not be timid your heart—you [all] will not fear and you [all] will not retreat and you [all] will not tremble from their faces, for Y^ehowah your Elohim the One going with you to battle for you [all] with your enemies to deliver you [all].”

Peshitta (Syriac)                    And when you come near to the battle, the priest shall approach and speak to the people, And shall say to them, Hear, O Israel, you approach this day to the battle with your enemies; let not your heart faint, fear not, and do not tremble, neither be terrified because of them; For the LORD your God is he that goes with you, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, and it is he who shall fight for you with your enemies, and he shall save you.

Septuagint (Greek)                And it shall come to pass whenever you shall draw near to battle, that the priest shall draw near and speak to the people, and shall say to them, Hear, O Israel; you are going this day to battle against your enemies: let not your heart faint; fear not, neither be confounded, neither turn aside from their face. For it is the Lord your God who advances with you, to fight with you against your enemies, and to save you.

Significant differences:           The targum often has additional phrases in it, as noted above.

Thought-for-thought translations; paraphrases:

Common English Bible           As you advance toward the war, the priest will come forward and will address the troops. He will say to them: "Listen, Israel: Right now you are advancing to wage war against your enemies. Don't be discouraged! Don't be afraid! Don't panic! Don't shake in fear on account of them, because the Lord your God is going with you to fight your enemies for you and to save you."

Contemporary English V.       Before you march into battle, a priest will go to the front of the army and say, "Soldiers of Israel, listen to me! Today when you go into battle, don't be afraid of the enemy, and when you see them, don't panic. The LORD your God will fight alongside you and help you win the battle."

Easy English                          Just before you begin to fight, the *priest must come to the front of the army. He must say, "*Israelites, listen to me! Today you are going to fight your enemies. Do not be troubled or afraid. Be brave! Do not run away from your enemies because you are frightened. The *Lord your God is going with you. He will fight for you and you will win."

Easy-to-Read Version            “When you go to the battle, the priest must go to the soldiers and speak to them. The priest will say, ‘Men of Israel, listen to me! Today you are going against your enemies in battle. Don’t lose your courage! Don’t be troubled or upset! Don’t be afraid of the enemy! Why? Because the Lord your God is going with you. He will help you fight against your enemies. The Lord your God will help you win!’

Good News Bible (TEV)         Before you start fighting, a priest is to come forward and say to the army, 'Men of Israel, listen! Today you are going into battle. Do not be afraid of your enemies or lose courage or panic. The LORD your God is going with you, and he will give you victory.'

The Message                         When the battle is about to begin, let the priest come forward and speak to the troops. He'll say, "Attention, Israel. In a few minutes you're going to do battle with your enemies. Don't waver in resolve. Don't fear. Don't hesitate. Don't panic. GOD, your God, is right there with you, fighting with you against your enemies, fighting to win."

New Life Bible                        When you are coming near the battle, the religious leader will come near and speak to the people. He will say to them, 'Hear, O Israel. Today you are going into battle against those who hate you. Do not let your hearts become weak. Do not be afraid and shake in fear before them. For the Lord your God is the One Who goes with you. He will fight for you against those who hate you. And He will save you.'

New Living Translation           When you prepare for battle, the priest must come forward to speak to the troops. He 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. For the Lord your God is going with you! He will fight for you against your enemies, and he will give you victory!'

The Voice                               As you are approaching the battlefield, your priest will come over to you and address you: "Listen, Israel! Today you're going to fight a battle against your enemies. Don't be intimidated by them! Don't be afraid! Don't run away! Don't let them terrify you! The Eternal, your True God, has come out here with you, and He'll fight for you against your enemies and save you."

Partially literal and partially paraphrased translations:

American English Bible          And before you go to fight; the Priests must come and speak to the people, and tell them: Listen, O IsraEl! Today you're going to fight against your enemies. So, be courageous! Don't be afraid, don't get confused, and don't retreat; because, Jehovah your God is with you and He will fight against your enemies and save you!

Beck’s American Translation When there’s a battle ahead of you, a priest should step forward and talk to the troops. ‘Listen, Israel,” he should tell them, ‘today you’re going to fight against your enemies. Don’t let them make you feel timid, afraid, alarmed or terrified, because the LORD your God is going with you to fight your enemies for you and give you the victory.’

Christian Community Bible     When the hour of battle draws near, the priest shall advance to the head of the army and shall speak to the people saying: “Listen, Israel, today you are to enter into battle against your enemies. Do not let your heart be discouraged, or afraid or troubled, and do not tremble before them, for Yahweh, your God, is with you, to fight in your favor against your enemies and save you.”

God’s Word™                         Before the battle starts, a priest must come and speak to the troops. He should tell them, "Listen, Israel, today you're going into battle against your enemies. Don't lose your courage! Don't be afraid or alarmed or tremble because of them. The LORD your God is going with you. He will fight for you against your enemies and give you victory."

New Advent (Knox) Bible       When the hour of battle draws near, the high priest will take his stand there in front of the ranks, and say to the people, Listen, Israel; as you join battle to-day with your enemies, there must be no faint hearts among you, no flinching, no yielding, no trembling here. The Lord your God is here in the midst of you, and will fight on your side against your adversaries, to deliver you in the hour of peril.

New American Bible              "When you are about to go into battle, the priest shall come forward and say to the soldiers: 'Hear, O Israel! Today you are going into battle against your enemies. Be not weakhearted or afraid; be neither alarmed nor frightened by them. For it is the LORD, your God, who goes with you to fight for you against your enemies and give you victory.'

New American Bible (R.E.)    When you are drawing near to battle, the priest shall come forward and speak to the army, and say to them, "Hear, O Israel! Today you are drawing near for battle against your enemies. Do not be weakhearted or afraid, alarmed or frightened by them. For it is the LORD, your God, who goes with you to fight for you against your enemies and give you victory." Dt 1:30; 3:22; Ex 14:14; 15:3; Jos 23:10; Jgs 4:14.

NIRV                                      Just before you go into battle, the priest will come forward. He'll speak to the army. He'll say, "Men of Israel, listen to me. Today you are going into battle against your enemies. Don't be scared. Don't be afraid. Don't panic. Don't be terrified by them. The Lord your God is going with you. He'll fight for you. He'll help you win the battle over your enemies."

New Jerusalem Bible             When you are about to join battle, the priest must come forward and address the people. He must say to them, "Listen, Israel: today you are about to join battle with your enemies. Do not be faint hearted. Let there be no fear or trembling or alarm as you face them. Yahweh your God is marching with you, to fight your enemies for you and make you victorious."

New Simplified Bible              »A priest must come and speak to the troops before the battle begins.

He should say: »Listen, Israel, today you are going into battle against your enemies. Do not lose your courage! Do not be afraid. Do not tremble because of them.

»Jehovah your God is going with you. He will fight for you against your enemies and give you victory.

Revised English Bible            Then when fighting impends, the priest must come forward and address the army in these words: “Hear, Israel! Now that you are about to join battle with your enemy do not lose heart or be afraid; do not let alarm affect you, and do not give way to panic in face of them. The Lord your God accompanies you to fight for you against your enemy and igves you the victory.”

Mostly literal renderings (with some occasional paraphrasing):

Ancient Roots Translinear      When war is nearing, the priest approaches and speaks to the people, saying to them, "Hear, Israel! You near a war today toward your enemies. Do not tenderize your hearts. Never fear, never hustle, and never cower in front of them. For Yahweh your God goes with you to fight for you with your enemies to save you.".

Bible in Basic English             And when you are on the point of attacking, let the priest come forward and say to the people, Give ear, O Israel: today you are going forward to the fight; let your heart be strong; do not let uncontrolled fear overcome you because of those who are against you; For the Lord your God goes with you, fighting for you to give you salvation from those who are against you.

The Expanded Bible              The priest must ·come [approach] and speak to the army before you ·go into [engage in] battle. He will say, "Listen, Israel! Today you are going into battle against your enemies. Don't lose ·your courage [^Lheart] or be afraid. Don't panic or be ·frightened [in dread], because the Lord your God goes with you, to fight for you against your enemies and to ·save you [give you the victory]."

Ferar-Fenton Bible                 And when you are preparing for the war, the Priest shall come forward and address the People and say to them, " Listen, Israel ! You are now preparing for war with your enemies. Let not your heart shrink. Fear not, nor be startled, nor terrified at them ! for your Ever-living God marches with you, to fight for you against your enemy, and save you.".

HCSB                                     When you are about to engage in battle, the priest is to come forward and address the army. He is to say to them: 'Listen, Israel: Today you are about to engage in battle with your enemies. Do not be fainthearted. Do not be afraid, alarmed, or terrified because of them. For the LORD your God is the One who goes with you to fight for you against your enemies to give you victory.'

NET Bible®                             As you move forward for battle, the priest [The reference to the priest suggests also the presence of the ark of the covenant, the visible sign of God's presence. The whole setting is clearly that of "holy war" or "Yahweh war," in which God himself takes initiative as the true commander of the forces of Israel (cf. Exod 14:14-18; 15:3-10; Deut 3:22; 7:18-24; 31:6, 8).] will approach and say to the soldiers [Heb "and he will say to the people." Cf. NIV, NCV, CEV "the army"; NRSV, NLT "the troops."], "Listen, Israel! Today you are moving forward to do battle with your enemies. Do not be fainthearted. Do not fear and tremble or be terrified because of them, for the Lord your God goes with you to fight on your behalf against your enemies to give you victory [Or "to save you" (so KJV, NASB, NCV); or "to deliver you."]."

Jewish/Hebrew Names Bibles:

Complete Jewish Bible           When you are about to go into battle, the cohen is to come forward and address the people. He should tell them, 'Listen, Isra'el! You are about to do battle against your enemies. Don't be fainthearted or afraid; don't be alarmed or frightened by them; because ADONAI your God is going with you to fight on your behalf against your enemies and give you victory.

exeGeses companion Bible   And so be it, when you approach the war,

the priest approaches and words to the people,

and says to them, Hear, O Yisra El,

you approach this day to battle against your enemies:

neither tenderize your hearts

nor awe nor hasten nor terrify at their face;

for Yah Veh your Elohim is he who goes with you,

to fight for you against your enemies, to save you.

Kaplan Translation                 When you approach [the place of] battle [(Yad, Melakhim 7:3).], the priest [A priest anointed especially for war (Sotah 42a).] shall step forward and speak to the people. He shall say to them, 'Listen, Israel, today you are about to wage war against your enemies. Do not be faint-hearted, do not be afraid, do not panic, and do not break ranks before them. God your Lord is the One who is going with you. He will fight for you against your enemies, and He will deliver you.'.

Orthodox Jewish Bible           And it shall be, when ye are come nigh unto the milchamah, that the kohen shall approach and speak unto the people, And shall say unto them, Shema, Yisroel, ye approach today unto milchamah against your enemies; let not your hearts faint; fear not, and do not tremble, neither be ye terrified because of them; For Hashem Eloheicha is He that goeth with you, to fight for you against your enemies, to save you.

The Scriptures 1998              “And it shall be, when you draw near to the battle, that the priest shall come and speak to the people, and shall say to them, ‘Hear, O Yisraʼĕl: You are drawing near today to battle with your enemies. Do not let your heart faint, do not fear, or tremble, or be afraid before them, for יהוה your Elohim is He who goes with you, to fight for you against your enemies, to save you.ʼ

Literal, almost word-for-word, renderings:

The Amplified Bible                And when you come near to the battle, the priest shall approach and speak to the men, And shall say to them, Hear, O Israel, you draw near this day to battle against your enemies. Let not your [minds and] hearts faint; fear not, and do not tremble or be terrified [and in dread] because of them. For the Lord your God is He Who goes with you to fight for you against your enemies to save you.

Context Group Version          And it shall be, when you { pl } draw near to the battle, that the priest shall approach and speak to the people, and shall say to them, Hear, O Israel, you { pl } draw near this day to battle against your { pl } enemies: don't let your { pl } heart grow soft; don't fear, nor tremble, neither be { pl } afraid of them; for YHWH your { pl } God is he who goes with you { pl }, to fight for you { pl } against your { pl } enemies, to rescue you { pl }. The Context Group Version indicates when we have a plural when that is not clear to the reader. They do not do this for the singular.

NASB                                     When you are approaching the battle, the priest shall come near and speak to the people. He shall say to them, `Hear, O Israel, you are approaching the battle against your enemies today. Do not be fainthearted. Do not be afraid, or panic, or tremble before them, for the Lord your God is the one who goes with you, to fight for you against your enemies, to save you.'

New King James Version       So it shall be, when you are on the verge of battle, that the priest shall approach and speak to the people. And 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; for the Lord your God is He who goes with you, to fight for you against your enemies, to save you.'

New RSV                               Before you engage in battle, the priest shall come forward and speak to the troops, and shall say to them: `Hear, O Israel! Today you are drawing near to do battle against your enemies. Do not lose heart, or be afraid, or panic, or be in dread of them; for it is the Lord your God who goes with you, to fight for you against your enemies, to give you victory.'

Syndein/Thieme                     {What does an army need first? Spiritual Strength - Creating Moral Courage}

And it shall be, when you are come near unto the battle, that the priest {communicates the written word of God} shall approach and speak unto the people. And shall say unto them, "Hear, O Israel, you approach this day unto battle against your enemies . . . 'do not be weak minded'/'do not let not your hearts faint' {we would say 'do not crack under the pressure' - your norms and standards should be straight - this is RIGHT when done unto the Lord} . . . or afraid or panic/tremble, {this is the body - stay strong physically also} neither be you intimidated/terrified because of them for Jehovah/God your 'Elohim/Godhead is He Who marches with you . . . to fight for you against your enemies . . . to deliver you. " {no enemy can kill you unless God permits it!}.

Young’s Updated LT             And it has been, in your drawing near unto the battle, that the priest has come nigh, and spoken unto the people, and said unto them, Hear, Israel, you are drawing near to-day to battle against your enemies, let not your hearts be tender, fear not, nor make haste, nor be terrified at their presence, for Jehovah your God is He who is going with you, to fight for you with your enemies—to save you.

The gist of this verse:          When it comes close to going to battle, the priest will step before the army and encourage them, reminding them not to be afraid, as Y^ehowah Elohim will be with them, to deliver them.

Translation: And it is when they draw near to the war that the priest will be brought near [to them]... War, in Scripture, is a very spiritual thing, and I recognize that is difficult for some to swallow. There are so many people in the United States in particular who have lived in this marvelous cocoon where they have not been tapped to go to war, war has not come to them, and they somehow feel that, if they really, really want it, peace will come to the world. This simply is not so. Jesus warned, “There will be wars and rumors of wars until I come.” There are nations which avoid war for a number of reasons—having God’s blessing and having a very strong military will help a country to avoid war, which is where our country has been for over a century. However, this does not mean that there is a way for us to avoid war.

So Israel is about to go to war—and they did many, many times—and Moses says that a priest should come forward first.

We are in the devil’s world. There will always be wars in this world. When it comes to Israel, there will be even greater danger, as Satan is always looking to destroy God’s people, and he will do whatever he can to inspire vicious nations to attack them.

We are in the midst of a spiritual war, where the legions of Satan stand against the forces of God, and this war will play out and it will be resolved.

Therefore, it is fitting that the one to come forward and to speak to the troops is a priest.

Translation: ...and he will make a proclamation to the people,... The priest will make a proclamation before the people; he is making a formal speech here.

The priest will step forward and speak to the people because Moses will no longer be with them.

Matthew Henry: It is very fitting that armies should have chaplains, not only to pray for them, but to preach to them, both to reprove that which would hinder their success and to raise their hopes of it...[furthermore] it is the work of Christ's ministers to encourage his good soldiers in their spiritual conflict with the world and the flesh, and to assure them of a conquest, yea, more than a conquest, through Christ that loved us.

War, for the Israelites, was a spiritually significant experience. God had specific plans for the Israelites in war; primarily it was to destroy those degenerate peoples in the Land of Promise. Prior to battle, the priest, one who represented Israel to God, would approach them. This was not necessarily the High Priest. This practice had already been instituted by Moses when Israel went into battle against Midian—he sent Phineas, the son of Eleazar, who was the High Priest, along with the soldiers (Num. 31:6). There were even times the priests went into battle with the Israelites. When Joshua went into battle against Jericho, the Israelites rounded their fortified city as instructed by God, and seven priests carrying the ark of the covenant accompanied their armed forces (Joshua 6).

Key to this is preparation. The priest did not just give a pep talk minutes before going into battle. In this context, war is imminent, possibly unavoidable, but not immediate. This dismissal of certain groups of people (vv. 5–8), the appointment of lower rank authorities (v. 9) and approaching a city and offering them peace are all indications that the Israelites are preparing to go to war, but it will not be in the next fifteen minutes. The spiritual preparation takes a lifetime. At this point in time, the priest is merely reminding the people of what they have learned throughout their lives—that God will fight on their behalf and that they are not to worry.

The only true holy wars were those fought by Israel against the enemies of God. As long as their faith was in Him and as long as they obeyed Him, they would win battles and wars against all odds. Those wars which took place in the Middle Ages had nothing to do with being holy. They were heathen fighting against heathen, clinging to a God with Whom they had no relationship. This does not mean that we as Christians eschew war. We belong to a nation and we owe service and allegiance to that nation—in many cases, that will include joining the armed forces and possibly going to war. People tend to over-think this situation, but we are under authority and we are to obey that authority. Whatever the situation, as long as we remain in fellowship and continue to grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord, God will guide us. And always carry with you the promise: “Fear not and be not dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you, yea I will uphold you with the right hand of My righteousness.” (Isa. 41:10). Being a soldier for your country is an honorable profession—a doctrine which we covered before in Num. 31:2. Happy is Y^ehowah, my Rock, Who trains my hands for war—my fingers for battle. [He is] my loving kindness and my fortress, my stronghold and my deliverer, my shield and He in Whom I take refuge; [the One] Who subdues my people under me (Psalm 144:1–2). Understanding and believing this was required of the Israeli soldiers.

Translation: ...saying, “Hear, O Israel,... Remember where these people are. They are east of the Jordan River, not many days away from crossing over to take the land given them by God. These people have only recently experienced war in simply walking to this point. Moses is speaking to the people, but telling them that a priest, before they go to war, will need to stand before them and speak. The priest would address the people as a nation, as Israel had universal conscription for all the males of Israel.

Moses is standing before them and he is a priest, inasmuch as he represents them to God, and he is speaking to them now as if he were encouraging them himself before they go into battle.

Translation: ...you [are all now] drawing near this [lit., the] day to war against your enemies. Whatever the circumstance, these Jews are drawing near to war against their enemies. These would be enemies who live on the outskirts and have been tempted by Satan to war against the Jews. This is to be expected. Satan will always be working to rid the world of Jews, and he will do everything possible to inspire nations to rise up against the Jews.

Translation: [Let] your hearts not become fearful... Like many translators, I have inserted the word let. The priest is encouraging the army of Israel, and he warns them not to become fearful. This is when their emotions take over their thinking.

Translation: ...—you will not fear and you will not retreat... War is all about momentum, and when members of one army begin to retreat, that decides the momentum and often the outcome of the battle. The Jews cannot become faint; they cannot in war become fearful and then turn and run away from their enemies. This will cause all of their fellow soldiers to become fearful as well.

Châphaz (חָפַז) [pronounced khaw-fahz] means to run away in fear, to retreat in alarm, to move away from out of trepidation. This is why the KJV renders this as hasten and as tremble. Qal: Deut. 20:3 2Sam. 4:4 2Kings 7:15 Job 40:23 Psalm 31:32 116:11* Niphal: 1Sam. 23:26 Psalm 48:5 104:7.* Strong’s #2648 BDB #342.

Translation: ...and you will not be terrified because of them,... The Jews must maintain a solid mental attitude, where they have not become afraid of their enemies (you may recall that this happened when Israel was first supposed to go into the land and take it from the south—they were afraid of their enemies, and God loathed that generation and He killed them all in the desert wilderness).

We have, in fact, a repetition of synonymous phrases, known as a synonymia [pronounced sin-o-NIM-i-a], combined with a polysyndeton, which uses several and’s. Together, these two concepts emphasize the importance, in this instance, of mental and emotional stability in war: Do not allow your heart to become weak; do not fear and do not retreat in alarm and do not be terrified from before their face. The key is a stable mental attitude by focusing upon God and His Word. We attempt to accomplish the same thing in our training of soldiers by repetition under normal circumstances, so that under the abnormal circumstances of war, the actions are performed almost as by rote.

Moses told the people in v. 1 not to be afraid. In the future, God will give the Israelites the same instructions, speaking through a priest, about their behavior in battle. There are certain behaviors to be found in battle and certain ones not to exhibit. They are not to fear their enemies. Because Y^ehowah their God would be with them, “One of your men puts to flight a thousand, for Y^ehowah your God is He Who fights for you, just as He promised you.” (Joshua 23:10). David, when speaking to his brothers and to other soldiers while they cowered in their tents: “Who is this uncircumcised Philistine, that he should taunt the armies of the living God?” (1Sam. 17:26b). David even comforted King Saul: ”Let no man’s heart become weak on account of him; your servant will go and fight with this Philistine.” (1Sam. 17:32b). David knew Bible doctrine and he knew that there was no reason to fear Goliath. Goliath was not challenging men; he was challenging God.

The Israelites are enjoined not to, in the midst of battle, retreat out of great fear. For if God be for us, who can be against us? (Rom. 8:31).

God will return to Israel in the Tribulation: Say to those with an anxious heart, “Take courage, fear not. Observe, your God will come [in] vengeance; the recompense of God will come, but He will deliver you.” (Isa. 35:4).

So far, vv. 2–3 read: When they are ready to go to battle, the priest will be brought forward and he will proclaim to the people, “Listen, O Israel, on this day that you are drawing near to go to war against your enemies. Do not allow your hearts to become fearful—do not become fearful or terrified because of them and do not retreat—... This was quite a sore spot for this generation, because their parents were cowards in war. Moses is speaking to the generation of promise, the sons of Gen X. God killed all the members of Gen X by means of the sin unto death. God had given the land of Canaan to the Exodus generation, Gen X, the adults who walked out of Egypt, seeing many signs and wonders. God gave them the land and told them to go in and take it. However, they became afraid because when scouting out the land, it became clear that some of these people were giants (they were much larger than the Israelites). And the people of Israel cried and shook with fear, because God wanted them to go to war and to take the land, and their enemies would be too fearsome. All of this is recorded in Num. 13–14. And How did God feel about that generation? For forty years I loathed that generation and said, "They are a people who go astray in their thinking, and they have not known My ways." (Psalm 95:10). For who were those who heard and yet rebelled? Was it not all those who left Egypt led by Moses [which is Gen X]? And with whom was God provoked for forty years? Was it not with those who sinned, whose bodies fell in the wilderness [the sin unto death]? And to whom did He swear that they would not enter His rest, but to those who were disobedient? (Heb. 3:16–18). And how did they sin? They were faithless, they did not trust God, and they did not go to war to take the land as God had told them to. [Most of this was taken from the Doctrine of War (HTML) (PDF) (WPD)]. When God is on your side, you cannot be terrified in war.

Translation: ...for Y^ehowah your Elohim is going with you to fight for you against your enemies to deliver you [from them].” God is not just on the side of the Israelites, but God goes to war against the enemies of Israel. Remember that these enemies are inspired by Satan to destroy God’s people, and therefore, God will protect Israel.

Here, there is a 2^nd person masculine plural suffix added to Elohim; but when this word shows up again, it will be with the 2^nd person masculine singular suffix.

Guzik: When Israel was obedient, and trusting in God, they could never lose. But when they were disobedient, or not trusting, they could never win - even if they had superior forces.

The first 4 verses read as follows: When you go forth to war against your enemies and you see horses and chariots—a people greater than you—you will not fear them for Y^ehowah your Elohim [is always] with you—[He is] the One Who brought you up out of the land of Egypt. And it is when they draw near to the war that the priest will be brought near [to them] and he will make a proclamation to the people, saying, “Hear, O Israel, you [are all now] drawing near this [lit., the] day to war against your enemies. [Let] your hearts not become fearful—you will not retreat and you will not be terrified because of them, for Y^ehowah your Elohim is going with you to fight for you against your enemies to deliver you [from them].” Moses reminds these young people that they are standing before him, not as slaves, but as free men, because God delivered them out of Egypt. God has never before taken an entire people out of a country where they were enslaved and delivered them.

Israel should have had no difficulty when it came to war—whenever Israel was to go to war, the Creator of the Universe, Y^ehowah their God, went into battle with them. There was no army which could oppose Him. Moses told these men in the past: “Do not fear! Remain stabilized and see the deliverance of Y^ehowah which He will accomplish for you today; for the Egyptians whom you have seen today, you will never see them again forever. Y^ehowah will fight for you while you keep silent.” (Ex. 14:13b–14). And Moses reminds them of this in this great series of messages: “Y^ehowah your God, Who goes before you, will Himself fight on your behalf, just as He did for you in Egypt before your eyes.” (Deut. 1:31). We will see another great example of this in 2Chron. 20:14–26. Therefore, I will not trust in my bow, nor will my sword deliver me; but You have delivered us from our adversaries, and You have put to shame those who hate us (Psalm 44:6–7).

Deuteronomy 20:2–4. This graphic is from African American History. These soldiers are from World War II.

These soldiers are described as "On parade, the 41st Engineers at Ft. Bragg, NC in color guard ceremony." and originally comes from the government archives. Accessed September 28, 2013.

Our founders understood the importance of the spiritual side of war, and, for the reason, there has always been chaplain’s in our military.

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Military Exemptions

Here is how others have translated this verse:

Ancient texts:

Targum of Onkelos                And the officers will speak with the people, saying: Who is the man who has built a new house, and has not set fast its door-posts to complete it? Let him go and return to his house, lest through sin he be slain in the battle, and another man complete it.

Latin Vulgate                          And the captains shall proclaim through every band in the hearing of the army: What man is there, that hath 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.

Masoretic Text (Hebrew)        And has spoke the officer unto the people, to say, “What the man who has built a house new and he has not dedicated him. He will go back and let him return to his house lest he die in the battle and a man, another, dedicates him.

Peshitta (Syriac)                    Then the scribes shall speak to the people, saying, What man is there who has built a new house, and has not dedicated it? Let him return and go to his house, lest he die in the battle, and another man dedicate it.

Septuagint (Greek)                And the scribes shall speak to the people, saying, What man is there that has built a new house, and has not dedicated it? Let him go and return to his house, lest he die in the war, and another man dedicate it.

Significant differences:           The targum defines what it means to dedicate a house; although that is not necessarily what is meant. The Latin has a weird phrase thrown in there as well.

Thought-for-thought translations; paraphrases:

Contemporary English V.       Then the tribal officials will say to the troops: If any of you have built a new house, but haven't yet moved in, you may go home. It isn't right for you to die in battle and for somebody else to live in your new house.

Easy English                          Then the officers will say to the soldiers, "Has anyone built a new house but has not yet made it ready for God? He must go home. If he does not, he may die in the fight. Then someone else may make his house ready.

Easy-to-Read Version            “Those {Levite} officers will say to the soldiers, ‘Is there any man here that has built a new house, but has not yet dedicated it? That man should go back home. He might be killed in the battle. And then another person will dedicate that man’s house.

Good News Bible (TEV)         "Then the officers will address the men and say, 'Is there any man here who has just built a house, but has not yet dedicated it? If so, he is to go home. Otherwise, if he is killed in battle, someone else will dedicate his house.

The Message                         Then let the officers step up and speak to the troops: "Is there a man here who has built a new house but hasn't yet dedicated it? Let him go home right now lest he die in battle and another man dedicate it.

New Life Bible                        The leaders will speak to the people also, saying, 'Is there anyone among you who has built a new house and has not given it to God? Let him go and return to his house or he might die in battle and another man will give it to God.

New Living Translation           "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.

The Voice                               Then the officials will say to the people who are eligible for a deferment, "Has anyone just built a new house but hasn't begun to use it yet? Go back to your house, because if you died in this battle, someone else would dedicate it.

Partially literal and partially paraphrased translations:

American English Bible          'Then the scribes must speak to the people and say, If any man has built a new house and hasn't consecrated it yet, let him return to his home; otherwise he might die in the war and someone else would then consecrate it. Consecration is the solemn dedication to a special purpose or service, usually religious. The word "consecration" literally means "to associate with the sacred". Persons, places, or things can be consecrated, and the term is used in various ways by different groups. A synonym for to consecrate is to sanctify; an antonym is to desecrate.

Christian Community Bible     So the secretaries shall say to the people: “Is there anyone of you who has just built a new house and has not dedicated it? Let him go home; lest he die in battle and another dedicate it.

New Advent (Knox) Bible       And then, in the hearing of the whole army, each chieftain will make this proclamation to the men of his own company: Is there anyone here who has built a new house, and not yet handselled it? Let him go back home; shall he be slain in battle, and leave another to handsel it? It is not clear whether this implies a religious dedication; we do not read elsewhere of houses being so treated. Cf. 1Mac. 3.56.

New American Bible              "Then the officials shall say to the soldiers, 'Is there anyone who has built a new house and not yet had the housewarming? Let him return home, lest he die in battle and another dedicate it.

New American Bible (R.E.)    Then the officials shall speak to the army: "Is there anyone who has built a new house and not yet dedicated it? Let him return home, lest he die in battle and another dedicate it.

NIRV                                      The officers will speak to the army. They will say, "Has anyone built a new house and not started to live in it? Let him go home. If he doesn't, he might die in battle. Then someone else will live in his house.

New Jerusalem Bible             'The scribes will then address the people, as follows: "Has anyone built a new house and not yet dedicated it? Let him go home, in case he dies in battle and someone else performs the dedication.

Mostly literal renderings (with some occasional paraphrasing):

Ancient Roots Translinear      The officers will speak to the people, saying, "Who is the man that built a new house, but never dedicated it? You go and return to the house, otherwise by dying in war another man will dedicate it."

Bible in Basic English             And let the overseers say to the people, If there is any man who has made for himself a new house and has not gone into it, let him go back to his house, so that in the event of his death in the fight, another may not take his house for himself.

The Expanded Bible              The ·officers [or scribes] should say to the army, "·Has anyone [^LWho has] built a new house but not ·given it to God [dedicated it]? He may go home, because he might die in battle and someone else would ·get to give his house to God [dedicate it].

Ferar-Fenton Bible                 The Magistrates, also, shall address the People, saying; "What man is there who has built a new house, and not dedicated it ? Let him go and return to his house, for fear he should be killed in the war, and another man should dedicate it.

HCSB                                     "The officers are to address the army, 'Has any man built a new house and not dedicated it? Let him leave and return home. Otherwise, he may die in battle and another man dedicate it.

NET Bible®                             Moreover, the officers are to say to the troops [Heb "people" (also in vv. 8, 9).], "Who among you [Heb "Who [is] the man" (also in vv. 6, 7, 8).] has built a new house and not dedicated [The Hebrew term חָנַךְ (khanakh) occurs elsewhere only with respect to the dedication of Solomon’s temple (1 Kgs 8:63 = 2 Chr 7:5). There it has a religious connotation which, indeed, may be the case here as well. The noun form (חָנֻכָּה, khanukah) is associated with the consecration of the great temple altar (2 Chr 7:9) and of the postexilic wall of Jerusalem (Neh 12:27). In Maccabean times the festival of Hanukkah was introduced to celebrate the rededication of the temple following its desecration by Antiochus IV Epiphanes (1 Macc 4:36-61).] it? He may go home, lest he die in battle and someone else [Heb "another man."] dedicate it.

NIV, ©2011                             The 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.

Jewish/Hebrew Names Bibles:

Complete Jewish Bible           "Then the officials will speak to the soldiers. They are to say, 'Is there a man here who has built a new house, but hasn't dedicated it yet? He should go back home now; otherwise he may die fighting, and another man will dedicate it.

exeGeses companion Bible   And the officers word to the people, saying,

What man has built a new house

and not hanukkahed it?

Have him go and return to his house,

lest he die in the war and another man hanukkah it.

Judaica Press Complete T.    And the officers shall speak to the people, saying, What man is there who has built a new house and has not yet inaugurated it? Let him go and return to his house, lest he die in the war, and another man inaugurate it.

Kaplan Translation                 The lower officers [Shotrim in Hebrew. See above 1:15.] shall then speak to the people, and say, 'Is there any man among you who has built a new house, and has not begun to live in it? Let him go home, so that he will not die in war and have another man live in it.

Orthodox Jewish Bible           And the shoterim shall speak unto the people, saying, What ish is there that hath built a bais chadash, and hath not dedicated it? Let him go and return to his bais, lest he die in the milchamah, and another ish dedicate it.

Literal, almost word-for-word, renderings:

Concordant Literal Version    And the superintendents will speak to the people, saying:Whoever the man be who has built a new house and has not dedicated it yet, may go and return to his house, lest he should die in the battle and another man should dedicate it.

English Standard Version      Then the officers shall speak to the people, saying, 'Is there any man who has built a new house and has not dedicated it? Let him go back to his house, lest he die in the battle and another man dedicate it.

The updated Geneva Bible    And the officers will speak unto the people, saying, What man [is there] that 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. For when they first entered to dwell in a house, they gave thanks to God, acknowledging that they had that benefit by his grace.

Syndein/Thieme                     {Verses 5-7. Evaluation of the Troops - Cases of Honorable Discharge from the Battle}

And the officers shall also speak unto the soldiers, saying, "What man is there that 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." {Note: Case of a 'bad attitude'. This is a young men with a new wife and children - no battle concentration - better to let him experience his house first, then fight in the next battle}

Young’s Updated LT             “And the authorities have spoken unto the people, saying, ‘Who is the man that has built a new house, and has not dedicated it? —let him go and turn back to his house, lest he die in battle, and another man dedicate it.

The gist of this verse:          Besides the priest, a military officer will speak to the people and he will weed out some of those who are exempt from going to war.

Translation: Also an officer will speak to the people,... A military officer will also speak to the army and he will pull out a number of people who do not need to be there.

A commissioned officer is the word shôţêr (שֹטֵר) [pronounced show-TARE] means official, officer who is not the highest in command, but holds a subordinate position. These officers organized the armies of Israel (Joshua 1:10 3:7). This same word is used for the overseers of Israel under Egyptian slavery (Ex. 5:14). Strong’s #7860 BDB #1009.

Now we will hear the ways that keep a person from going out to battle with the enemy. There will be 4 exceptions—4 sets of people who do not have to go to war. The first one is the exception of the man who has recently built his own house. We have a Psalm which apparently was read at the dedication of a house built by David (or for David) in Psalm 30. We can assume that the time allotted to such a man would be a year, as was given to the newly married (Deut. 24:5). Josephus, in Ant. iv. 8, 41, concurs (although he also places a year as the time on the next verse, which would be incorrect).

Translation: ...saying, “Who [is] the man who has built a new house... The first person who does not need to go to war is someone who has just built a new house. Often, the armies of Israel would go to war throughout the spring and summer, and partway into the fall, and then they would return home. Soldiers would occupy their time off, and some would build their own home during their time off. In fact, the first three things mentioned which exempt a soldier from a battle are things a soldier might do during his time off.

The vern is bânâh (בָּנָה) [pronounced baw-NAWH] means to build and this verb is in the perfect tense, meaning that we are speaking of a completed action. Therefore, the house has been completed. It may or may not be completely furnished and the fixtures may be in or not; but the house itself, the building of it, has been completed. Strong’s #1129 BDB #124.

Translation: ...but he has not [yet] begun to use it... The verb found here is chânak^e (חָנַ) [pronounced khaw-NAK^e]. Gesenius gives this some unusual meanings: to make narrow; to put something into the mouth; to give to be tasted; to imbue [someone with something]; to instruct, to train up. When applied to inanimate things (Gesenius), it means to initiate, to dedicate, to commence to use. Chânak^e (חָנַ) [pronounced khaw-NAK^e] is generally rendered dedicate and is found twice in this verse, and in 1Kings 8:63 2Chron. 7:5 and Prov. 22:6 (all in the Qal stem).* In 1Kings 8:63, Solomon offers 22,000 oxen and 120,000 sheep—so the king and all the sons of Israel dedicated the house of Y^ehowah. 2Chron. 7:5 is a parallel passage. Prov. 22:6 reads: Dedicate a child according to his way he should go; even when he is old, he will not depart from it.” Obviously, this has to be more than some one-shot ceremony performed while the kid is an infant. It is a day-in and day-out process. For the child, it involves guidance and proper direction. So what is involved is probably more than a ceremony, but it is a day-in and day-out choosing of the impact and direction of the house. Strong’s #2596 BDB #335.

Gower remarks: Houses...were looked upon as the gift of God, and when a house was first built, there was an act of dedication.

We may assume that he has built this house and has lived in it for less than a week; or, perhaps, he even has a few things to complete on it. Furthermore, there was probably a demonstrative ceremony which took place in that day, where God is formally thanked for the home. This is probably very similar to a housewarming party today, but with expressing clear gratitude toward God for this blessing. Some of us recognize that a new house or a new car, or food from our garden (or from the store) is a great blessing from God. Now, we may not hold a house blessing party, but, certainly within our own family, thanks ought to be expressed to God.

The NET Bible explains this word: The Hebrew term חָנַךְ (khanakh) occurs elsewhere only with respect to the dedication of Solomon’s temple (1Kgs 8:63 = 2Chr 7:5). There it has a religious connotation which, indeed, may be the case here as well. The noun form (חָנֻכָּה, khanukah) is associated with the consecration of the great temple altar (2Chr 7:9) and of the postexilic wall of Jerusalem (Neh 12:27). In Maccabean times the festival of Hanukkah was introduced to celebrate the rededication of the temple following its desecration by Antiochus IV Epiphanes (1Macc 4:36-61).

Freeman has nothing of note to add to this, saying that we are not informed as to the ceremonies accompanying the dedication of a dwelling. He mentions some customs held by the rabbins, which may or may not be pertinent, and adds that Egyptians and Hindus have some sort of a dedication ritual which they perform.

However, when we are lacking in solid historical confirmation or evidence of a particular Jewish custom or historical note, we should allow God’s Word to interpret itself, which allows me to give the interpretation which I have given. Our application to today becomes obvious: we all have dwelling places and they are either, by our daily actions and thoughts, dedicated to the things of this world or dedicated to God. There is no phoney, one-shot ceremony which determines this. It is our day--to-day life within this home which determines to Whom it is dedicated.

What we do have is, Psalm 30, written by King David, appears to be the dedication of his own house (it may be a reference to the Temple, as these are the same words).

Translation: ...—let him go back and return to his house... I have placed the let, which would be a part of the jussive, with the first verb. This person is given an valid excuse to not go to war.

Moses recognized that (just as the Bible does) that one of the most important aspects of a man’s life is the home that he lives in. In the ancient world, most men lived in one home after they left their parent’s home. Therefore, where he lived was a lifetime thing. Today, we might live in 4 or 5 different houses—and far more if we rent instead of own.

I am sure that some of you have thought, “Well, why not time the building of your house (or, whatever) to happen before wartime, to get out of going to war?” A person would do this because he is a coward. The Bible does allow for cowards to not go to war. That will be v. 8.

Gower makes an interesting observation about this and the following 2 verses: This was not simply humane treatment, but followed a religious conviction at the time which held that all undertakings had to be completed.

Translation: ...so that he does not die in battle... The worry is, this man may die in battle and never get to enjoy his own home that he just built. God gives us time to enjoy life on this earth.

Translation: ...and another man dedicate his house [lit., him, it]. If this man dies, then another man will eventually buy his newly-built home and enjoy it himself.

One of the things implied by this verse, which is important, is that some men who went into battle were killed and they would not return. Even with God leading them into battle, there will still be some casualties—it will be their time to go. We will all check out of this life; God has already determined the place and the time and the circumstances. We have no control over that. We need merely to be in His will, which includes being in fellowship and growing in grace and the knowledge of Bible doctrine. Here, Moses is allowing for such a one to enjoy a recent personal project (in this case, a newly-built home).

God gave the Land of Promise to His people. God wanted them to enjoy their stay in this land. He wanted them to have farms and homes and trees that produced almonds, olives and apricots.

Deut. 20:5. Graphic is from Dreamstime, and is a royalty free stock image. Accessed September 28, 2013. Houses in the time of Israel were quite a bit smaller than this. They were usually a one-room home, with an open area at the top of the house, a courtyard and perhaps a stable of sorts.

Application: God is not against you enjoying your life or enjoying your environment. Learning Bible doctrine gives you the capacity to enjoy all that God has given you. I spend a huge amount of time in Bible study (3–4 hours a day and more), but that is not God’s plan for every person. But God does expect us to be under a learned pastor-teacher and to spiritual grow under his ministry. God does expect us to learn daily His Word, because for the other 23 hours of that day, we will be pummeled with human viewpoint. The only way we can overcome human viewpoint thinking is to have a little divine viewpoint every day (about an hour is good). God gives us the rest of this time to enjoy our lives (and this includes your work, which is a blessing from God, just as your home is).

Application: I know unbelievers who, by every measure, ought to be happy. One couple I am thinking of are financially stable, their health has been, for the most part, good; they have a wonderful daughter and grandchildren (with a good son-in-law), and yet, they are not overwhelmingly happy. There are believers with much worse circumstances who are much happier. It is all related to capacity, and we develop capacity for life through the intake of Bible doctrine.

Application: God has designed this life for us to be contented and happy. Our lives may be short or they may continue over a long period of time, but God is not against happiness.

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Here is how others have translated this verse:

Ancient texts:

Targum of Onkelos                Or, what man has planted a vineyard, and has not redeemed it from the priest [JERUSALEM. And has not redeemed it] to make it common? Let him go and return to his house, lest sin be the occasion of his not redeeming it, but he be slain in the battle, and another make it common.

Latin Vulgate                          What man is there, that has planted a vineyard, and has not as yet made it to be common, whereof all men may eat? Let him go, and return to his house, lest he die in the battle, and another man execute his office.

Masoretic Text (Hebrew)        And what man has set up a vineyard and has not profaned him. He will go and let him return to his house lest he die in the battle and a man another profane him.

Peshitta (Syriac)                    And what man is there who has planted a vineyard, and has not yet trod the grapes of it? Let him return and go to his house, lest he die in the battle, and another man tread its grapes.

Septuagint (Greek)                And what man is there that has planted a vineyard, and not been made merry with it? Let him go and return to his house, lest he die in the battle, and another man be made merry with it.

Significant differences:           There are some disagreements as to exactly what to make common, to profane means; so there is some interpretation found in the Syriac and the Greek. This verb is repeated at the end of the verse. Interestingly enough, the Latin appears to give it a completely different translation at that point.

All of the translations moved jussive back one verb, as I did in my nearly literal translation.

Thought-for-thought translations; paraphrases:

Common English Bible           Or is there anyone here who has planted a vineyard but hasn't yet put it to good use? He can leave and go back to his house; otherwise, he might die in the battle and someone else would use the vineyard.

Contemporary English V.       If any of you have planted a vineyard but haven't had your first grape harvest, you may go home. It isn't right for you to die in battle and for somebody else to enjoy your grapes.

Easy English                          Has anyone planted a field with *grapes but has not yet enjoyed the fruit? He must go home. If he does not, he may die in the fight. Then someone else will enjoy the fruit.

Easy-to-Read Version            Is there any man here that has planted a field of grapes, but has not yet gathered any of the grapes? That man should go back home. If that man dies in the battle, then another person will enjoy the fruit from his field.

Good News Bible (TEV)         Is there any man here who has just planted a vineyard, but has not yet had the chance to harvest its grapes? If so, he is to go home. Otherwise, if he is killed in battle, someone else will enjoy the wine.

New Century Version             Has anyone planted a vineyard and not begun to enjoy it? He may go home, because he might die in battle and someone else would enjoy his vineyard.

New Life Bible                        Is there anyone who has planted grape vines and has not begun to eat their fruit? Let him go and return to his house or he might die in the battle and another man will begin to eat the fruit.

New Living Translation           Has 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.

The Voice                               Has anyone planted a vineyard but hasn't enjoyed its fruit yet? Go back to your house, because if you died in this battle, someone else would be the first to enjoy its fruit.

Partially literal and partially paraphrased translations:

American English Bible          And any man who has planted a vineyard and not yet [enjoyed its wine] may go home; otherwise, he might die in the battle and then someone else would get to enjoy it.

Beck’s American Translation Has anyone planted a vineyard and not started to enjoy its grapes? Go back home, or you may die in battle and someone else will start enjoying its grapes.

New Advent (Knox) Bible       Is there anyone here who has planted a vineyard, and not shared the first vintage of it with his neighbors [There is no reference in the Hebrew text to this exercise of public hospitality.]? Let him go back home; shall he be slain in battle, and another take his place?

New American Bible              Is there anyone who has planted a vineyard and never yet enjoyed its fruits? Let him return home, lest he die in battle and another enjoy its fruits in his stead.

New American Bible (R.E.)    Is there anyone who has planted a vineyard and not yet plucked its fruit? Let him return home, lest he die in battle and another pluck its fruit.

NIRV                                      Has anyone planted a vineyard and not started to enjoy it? Let him go home. If he doesn't, he might die in battle. Then someone else will enjoy his vineyard.

Mostly literal renderings (with some occasional paraphrasing):

Ancient Roots Translinear      "Who is the man that planted a vineyard, but it never began? Go and return to the house, otherwise by dying in war another man will begin it."

Bible in Basic English             Or if any man has made a vine-garden without taking the first-fruits of it, let him go back to his house, so that in the event of his death in the fight, another may not be the first to make use of the fruit.

The Expanded Bible              Has anyone [^LWho has] planted a vineyard and not begun to enjoy it? He may go home, because he might die in battle and someone else would enjoy his vineyard.

Ferar-Fenton Bible                 "And what man has planted a vineyard and has not reaped it ? Let him go and return to his home, for fear he should be killed in the war, and another man reap it.

NET Bible®                             Or who among you has planted a vineyard and not benefited from it? He may go home, lest he die in battle and someone else benefit from it.

Jewish/Hebrew Names Bibles:

Complete Jewish Bible           "'Is there a man here who has planted a vineyard, but hasn't yet made use of its fruit? He should go back home; otherwise he may die fighting, and another man will use it.

exeGeses companion Bible   And what man planted a vineyard

and not yet plucked thereof?

Have him go and return to his house,

lest he die in the war and another man pluck thereof.

JPS (Tanakh—1985)               Is there anyone who has planted a vineyard but has never harvested it? Let him go back to his home, lest he die in battle and another harvest it.

Judaica Press Complete T.    And what man is there who has planted a vineyard, and has not yet redeemed it? Let him go and return to his house, lest he die in the war, and another man redeem it.

Kaplan Translation                 'Is there any man among you who has planted a vineyard and has not redeemed its first crop [On the fourth year, as in Leviticus 19:24. (Rashi; Saadia). Or, 'enjoyed' (Chizzkuni).]? Let him go home so that he not die in war and have another man redeem its crop.

Orthodox Jewish Bible           And what ish is he that hath planted a kerem (vineyard), and hath not yet eaten of it? Let him also go and return unto his bais, lest he die in the milchamah, and another ish eat of it.

Literal, almost word-for-word, renderings:

Concordant Literal Version    And whoever the man be who has planted a vineyard and has not taken it yet for profane use may go and return to his house, lest he should die in the battle and another man should take it for profane use.

English Standard Version      And is there any man who has planted a vineyard and has not enjoyed its fruit? Let him go back to his house, lest he die in the battle and another man enjoy its fruit.

The Geneva Bible                  And what man [is he] that hath planted a vineyard, and hath not [yet] eaten of it [The Hebrew word signifies to make common or profane, ( Leviticus 19:25 ) ]? let him [also] go and return unto his house, lest he die in the battle, and another man eat of it.

NASB                                     Who is the man that has planted a vineyard and has not begun to use its fruit [Lit treat(ed) it as common]? Let him depart and return to his house, otherwise he might die in the battle and another man would begin to use its fruit [Lit treat(ed) it as common].

Syndein/Thieme                     "And what man is he that has planted a vineyard, and has not yet 'reaped its harvest'/'eaten of it'? Let him also go and return unto his house, lest he die in the battle, and another man eat of it." {Note: Second case of a 'bad attitude' - a griper. He is a new business person with his mind on business instead of war. So, again no battle concentration - better to let him taste a little business success, then fight later.}

Webster’s Bible Translation  And what man [is he] that hath planted a vineyard, and hath not [yet] eaten of it? let him [also] go and return to his house, lest he should die in the battle, and another man should eat of it.

World English Bible                What man is there who has planted a vineyard, and has not used the fruit of it? let him go and return to his house, lest he die in the battle, and another man use the fruit of it.

Young’s Updated LT             “And who is the man that has planted a vineyard, and has not made it common? —let him go and turn back to his house, lest he die in battle, and another man make it common.

The gist of this verse:          A person who has recently planted a garden should return for the harvest, if this is the first harvest.

Translation: And what man [here] has planted a vineyard but not [yet] eaten from it [lit., profaned it]? Someone may have just launched a new business venture. Remember, these are mostly citizen soldiers, who spend most of their lives as normal people, living on the land, farming, marrying, giving in marriage, etc. Now and again, a man enters into a new business venture, or, as suggested here, has just planed a new vineyard. He has not yet profaned it or made it common; indicating that he has not harvested this vineyard yet. The officer is saying that he needs to get his enterprise off the ground for its first year. The idea here is, he would be too distracted to think when in battle.

Châlal (חָלַל) [pronounced khaw-LAHL] is one of the more unusual words in the Hebrew. It has several disparate meanings, which are hard to reconcile to one another. Its root means to bore, by implication meaning wound, dissolve. BDB gives three separate definitions and listings for this verb, and I will try to correlate them. Men killed using swords and arrows, and those who died had been pierced. Because death is so closely associated with defilement and uncleanness, this word also came to mean defiled, polluted., as well as pierce, bore. It means pollute, defile, profane. Profane is something properly applied in relationship to God and to that which is holy, such as the Sabbath (see Lev. 20:3 Neh. 13:18 Ezek. 23:39). Finally, in this passage, the vineyard is, for all intents and purposes, virginal—it has not been used or harvested from. It is in a pristine state. The first harvest makes the vineyard common, used, no longer in a pristine state. Strong's #2490 BDB #319–320.

The fruit of a vineyard was not to be eaten for three years and in the fourth, it was considered holy to God, an offering to Him (Lev. 19:23–25). It was the fifth year when they could eat of the fruit. It was in this way that they profaned the vineyard. That is, it was no longer brought as a holy offering to God. Therefore, the time period of exemption from the military for this man could be up to four years.

Again, as before, there was unfinished business in the life of this person going to battle; God allows him to harvest his vineyard in the fifth year, so that it is not on his mind during battle. In modern life, we might apply this to a new business venture or a new career.

Just like the building of the house, this is a new thing which has not quite yet been taken to completion.

With regards to the draft, we did this, allowing student in the midst of college to remain in college and to receive a deferment until they had completed their college. This is very similar.

Translation: Let him go and return to his house... We had exactly this phrase before; the officer is saying that this man may return to his home and finish out the first year of this new business venture.