Deuteronomy 20:1
_Egypt. Hence it appears that the doctrine of the Quakers, who condemn all wars, is contrary to that of God. If they were always essentially unlawful, He would never have authorized them. (Haydock)_... [ Continue Reading ]
_Egypt. Hence it appears that the doctrine of the Quakers, who condemn all wars, is contrary to that of God. If they were always essentially unlawful, He would never have authorized them. (Haydock)_... [ Continue Reading ]
Priest. Eleazar, the high priest, acted in this capacity in the war against Madian, and sounded the trumpet, as it was not beneath his dignity. Many priests always attended the army, (Calmet) the captain of whom (Haydock) first made the declarations (ver. 5, 6, 7,) to the whole army; and these were... [ Continue Reading ]
_Back. Hebrew, "do not quake," (Haydock) or fall into disorder, hurry, &c._... [ Continue Reading ]
_God. All must be done in his name, by the direction of his ministers. The Jews pretend that the ark was carried in the midst of the army. But this does not seem to have been generally the case. (Calmet) --- Of you. "We must co-operate, being assisted" by God, as St. Augustine (q. 30,) observes, in... [ Continue Reading ]
_Captains. Hebrew, " shoterim, (Septuagint grammateis,) shall proclaim to the people." Whether these were the chief officers, or only heralds, does not appear. (Calmet) --- They were probably the priests attached to the army, ver. 2. See chap. i. 15. (Haydock) --- Dedicate it. Hebrew, "begin to use... [ Continue Reading ]
_Common. Hebrew, "hath not profaned it." (Menochius) --- During the three first years, the fruit was not eaten. In the fourth it was sacred to the Lord, and given to the priests, so that the owner could not partake of the fruit till the fifth year, when it ceased to be in a manner sacred. Jonathan t... [ Continue Reading ]
_Taken her. It was customary to leave the espoused virgin in her father's house for the space of a year, (during which time, if she proved unfaithful, she was punished like an adulteress, chap. xxii. 23, &c.) and she could not be given till she was 12 years old. If she were 13 complete, when she was... [ Continue Reading ]
_Fear. Such often occasion the loss of battles. Alexander sent away all who had not courage to follow him in his expeditions. (Curtius x.) The Rabbins condemn these faint-hearted soldiers to carry water, &c., for the army, to prepare the roads and places for encampments. (Calmet) --- But this seems... [ Continue Reading ]
_Man. Hebrew and Septuagint, "when the officers have made an end of speaking to the people, they shall appoint captains of the armies to lead forth the people." (Haydock) --- It seems rather late to have this to do, when the battle was ready to commence, unless perhaps the whole was arranged in a ge... [ Continue Reading ]
Peace. Interpreters are not agreed whether this law was general, and included the nations whom God had ordered the Hebrews to exterminate, or not. They were nothing but the executioners of his decree. They were commanded not to marry any of their daughters, but to put all to fire and sword, Exodus x... [ Continue Reading ]
_Tribute. This was usually imposed by the victor, to defray the expenses of the war, and to prevent its breaking out again. The kings of Moab had to pay 100,000 rams, and as many sheep, to the kings of Juda, 4 Kings iii. 4. Hiram gave 120 talents of gold to Solomon, by way of tribute, 3 Kings ix. 15... [ Continue Reading ]
_Besiege it. The Rabbins assert, that when the city of Madian was attacked in the days of Moses, one side was left unmolested, that the inhabitants might escape, and that this practice was afterwards observed as a law. But we see nothing of the kind in Scripture._... [ Continue Reading ]
_Excepting women, &c. These were supposed incapable of making any resistance, or of carrying arms. Slaves also were excused, on account of their want of liberty to choose for themselves, and old men, unless the war was undertaken by their advice. "I am not accustomed to wage war with captives, nor w... [ Continue Reading ]
_Live. Hebrew, "thou shalt save alive nothing that breatheth." Josephus ([Antiquities?] iv. 8.) acknowledges that all were to be slain; though some of the Rabbins have supposed that they might be spared, if they would abandon idols, &c._... [ Continue Reading ]
_Jebusite. Samaritan and Septuagint add, "the Gergesite." (Calmet)_... [ Continue Reading ]
_Not a man. Hebrew, "the tree of the field, man." Which the Protestants supply, " is man's life to employ them in the siege." Septuagint, "is the tree....a man?" (Haydock) --- We might render the Hebrew, "as for the tree of the field, it shall come to thy assistance in the siege," ver. 20. (Haydock)... [ Continue Reading ]
_Engines. Hebrew matsor. Besieged cities were surrounded with palisades, for which a great deal of wood was requisite, Luke xix. 45. Josephus (Jewish Wars v. 31,) informs us, that Titus surrounded Jerusalem with a wall in the space of three days, having cut down the wood all around. See 4 Kings vi.,... [ Continue Reading ]
CHAPTER XX.... [ Continue Reading ]