1The priest's exhortation before the battle. 5The officers' proclamation signifying who are to be dismissed. 10How the cities that accept or refuse the proclamation of peace are to be treated. 16The cities of the seven nations are devoted to utter destruction. 19Trees good for food must not be cut down in the siege.
1WHEN thou goest out to battle against thine enemies, and seest horses, and chariots, and a people more than thou, be not afraid of them: for the LORD thy God is with thee, which brought thee up out of the land of Egypt.
2And it shall be, when ye are come nigh unto the battle, that the priest shall approach and speak unto the people,
3And shall say unto them, Hear, O Israel, ye approach this day unto battle against your enemies: let not your hearts faint, fear not, and do not tremble, neither be ye terrified because of them;
4For the LORD your God is he that goeth with you, to fight for you against your enemies, to save you.
5¶And the officers shall speak unto the people, saying, 1What man is there that hath built a new house, and hath not 2dedicated it? let him go and return to his house, lest he die in the battle, and another man dedicate it.
1 That is, he who has built a new house, etc. Compare 2 Sam. 20:11; 2 Chron. 36:23; Ezra 1:3; Psalm 34:12, etc.
2 That is, has not begun to live in it; for which end dedication was made by prayers and thanksgivings. Compare Neh. 12:27, etc.; see Psalm 30 in the title.
6And what man is he that hath planted a vineyard, anda hath not yet 3eaten of it? let him also go and return unto his house, lest he die in the battle, and another man eat of it.
a Lev. 19:23, 24, 25.
3 Hebr. hath profaned it?, that is, he has not yet enjoyed any fruit of it for himself, because the vineyard was yet in its fore-skin, and the fruits were to be offered unto the Lord. See the law hereof, Lev. 19:23, 24, 25. Also Jer. 31:5.
7And what man is there thatb hath betrothed a wife, and hath not taken her? let him go and return unto his house, lest he die in the battle, and another man take her.
b Deut. 24:5.
8And the officers shall speak further unto the people, and they shall say, Whatc man is there that is fearful and fainthearted? let him go and return unto his house, lest his brethren’s heart 4faint as well as his heart.
c Judges 7:3.
4 See Deut. 1 on verse 28.
9And it shall be, when the officers have made an end of speaking unto the people, that they shall make captains of the armies to 5lead the people.
5 Hebr. in, or, in the head of the people.
10¶When thou comest nigh unto a city to fight against it, then 6proclaim peace unto it.
6 Hebr. thou shalt call it concerning, or, unto peace; that is, thou shalt first invite it to peace by messengers, offering her to spare both life and goods of it.
11And it shall be, if it make thee answer of peace, and open unto thee, then it shall be, that all the people that is found therein shall be tributaries unto thee, and they shall serve thee.
12And if it will make no peace with thee, but will make war against thee, then thou shalt besiege it:
13And when the LORD thy God hath delivered it into thine hands, thou shalt smite every male thereof with 7the edge of the sword:
7 Hebr. at the mouth of the sword.
14But the women, and the little ones, and the cattle, and all that is in the city, even all the spoil thereof, shalt thou take unto thyself; and thou shalt eat the spoil of thine enemies, which the LORD thy God hath given thee.
15Thus shalt thou do unto all the cities which are very far off from thee, which are not of the cities of 8these nations.
8 Understand, who dwelled in the land of Canaan, which the Lord has commanded to be exiled, as is related in the sequel.
16But of the cities of these people, which the LORD thy God doth give thee for an inheritance, thoud shalt save alive nothing that 9breatheth:
d Num. 33:52; Deut. 7:1, 2.
9 Hebr. thou shalt let no breath live.
17But thou shalt 10utterly destroy them; namely, the Hittites, and the Amorites, the Canaanites, and the Perizzites, the Hivites, and the Jebusites; as the LORD thy God hath commanded thee:
10 Hebr. destroying destroy. See Deut. 2 on verse 34.
18That they teach you not to do after all their abominations, which they have done unto their gods; so should ye sin against the LORD your God.
19¶When thou shalt besiege a city a long time, in making war against it to take it, thou shalt not destroy the trees thereof by forcing an axe against them: for thou mayest eat of them, and thou shalt not cut them down 11(for the tree of the field is 12man’s life) 13to employ 14them in the siege:
11 That is, albeit the trees of the field are common, yet notwithstanding you shall spare the fruit trees; since there will be enough other trees to cut down to make from it bulwarks, as is further explained in the following verse. The last words of this 19th verse are diversely translated.
12 Hebr. is for man, that is, man’s life and sustenance.
13 Hebr. to go from before thee.
14 Namely, the fruit trees; you shall not cut them down to make thereof bulwarks.
20Only the trees which thou knowest that they be not trees for meat, thou shalt destroy and cut them down; and thou shalt build bulwarkse against the city that maketh war with thee, until it be subdued.
e defensive walls, earthworks