Deuteronomy 20:8

_AND WHAT MAN IS HE THAT HATH PLANTED A VINEYARD, AND HATH NOT YET EATEN OF IT? LET HIM ALSO GO AND RETURN UNTO HIS HOUSE, LEST HE DIE IN THE BATTLE, AND ANOTHER MAN EAT OF IT._ No JFB commentary on these verses....

1-9 In the wars wherein Israel engaged according to the will of God, they might expect the Divine assistance. The Lord was to be their only confidence. In these respects they were types of the Christian's warfare. Those unwilling to fight, must be sent away. The unwillingness might arise from a man's outward condition. God would not be served by men forced against their will. Thy people shall be willing, Psalms 110:3. In running the Christian race, and fighting the good fight of faith, we must lay aside all that would make us unwilling. If a man's unwillingness rose from weakness and fear, he had leave to return from the war. The reason here given is, lest his brethren's heart fail as well as his heart. We must take heed that we fear not with the fear of them that are afraid, Isaiah 8:12....

Verse Deuteronomy 20:8. _WHAT_ MAN IS THERE THAT IS _FEARFUL AND_ _FAINT-HEARTED?_] The original רך _rach_, signifies _tender_ or _soft-hearted_. And a _soft heart_ the man must have who, in such a contest, after such a permission, could turn his back upon his enemies and his brethren. However, such were the troops commanded by Gideon in his war against the Midianites; for after he gave this permission, out of 32,000 men only 10,000 remained to fight! Judges 7:3. There could be no deception in a business of this kind; for the departure of the 22,000 was the fullest proof of their dastardliness which they could possibly give....

EXPOSITION DIRECTIONS CONCERNING WARFARE IN GENERAL, AND FOR THE BESIEGING OF CITIES IN PARTICULAR. DEUTERONOMY 20:1 The instructions in this chapter are peculiar to Deuteronomy. As the people of God, Israel was not a warlike nation; they were rather to abstain from warfare, and as a general rule to cultivate the arts of peace. But they had before them at this time the prospect of a serious and protracted conflict before they could occupy the land which God had assigned to them; and they might in future years have to go to war to maintain their independence and repel aggression. In view of this, instructions are here given

AND THE OFFICERS SHALL SPEAK FURTHER UNTO THE PEOPLE,.... According to Maimonides n, the priest the anointed of war spoke to the end of Deuteronomy 20:7 and which the officers repeated after him to the people aloud, as before observed; and then after that an officer speaks of himself, or in his own words, and not in those of the priest, as follows; WHAT MAN THAT IS FEARFUL, c. and then another officer causes all the people to hear it: AND THEY SHALL SAY, WHAT MAN IS THERE THAT IS FEARFUL AND FAINTHEARTED? that has not courage to face his enemies, to whom the terrors of war, and especially of death, are dreadful the Targum of Jonathan adds, "because of his sin;'' whose sins stare him in the face, and lie heavy on his conscience; so that he is afraid he shall die in battle, and in his sins, and suffer divine vengeance; bot

DEUTERONOMY 20. LAWS TO BE OBSERVED DURING WAR. Peculiar to cf. Deuteronomy 21:10 (which some attach immediately to ch. 20) and Deuteronomy 23:9; Deuteronomy 24:5 (see remarks prefixed to Deuteronomy 19:14 ff.). The general effect of these laws is to soften the barbarities of war, though in some respects (Deuteronomy 20:13) they perpetuate its grossest cruelties. What were the wars which suggested these regulations?...

FAINT. melt....

Of War and Exemptions from Service in it When Israel goes to war with a foe more numerous and having horses and chariots they shall not fear; Jehovah is with them (Deuteronomy 20:1). On the eve of the campaign a priest shall exhort the people (Deuteronomy 20:2-4). Officers shall discharge every man who has built a house and not dedicated it (Deuteronomy 20:5), or planted a vineyard but not completed the rites opening its fruits to common use (Deuteronomy 20:6), or betrothed a wife but not taken her (Deuteronomy 20:7);

_VER._ 8. _AND THE OFFICERS SHALL SPEAK FURTHER_— That is, "make this new proclamation throughout the camp." In consequence of this proclamation, when Gideon warred against the Midianites, there were only ten thousand of all the two-and-thirty thousand men that were with him, who stayed to fight, Judges 7:3. The proclamation ran, _"What man is there that is fearful and faint-hearted?"_ &c. which the Jews understood not only of natural timidity, which is incident to some constitutions, but of the adventitious terrors of a guilty conscience: for the ancients did not, as is the modern custom, send the wickedest and most worthless into the wars; but if they knew any man to be a notorious villain, they thrust him out of the army, lest his example should discourage and corrupt the rest. We may remark from this passage, that though the Israelites had the promise of a peculiar interposit

(2) EXEMPTIONS FROM MILITARY SERVICE (Deuteronomy 20:5-9) 5 And the officers shall speak unto the people, saying, What man is there that hath built a new house, and hath not dedicated it? let him go and return to his house, lest he die in the battle, and another man dedicate it. 6 And what man is there that hath planted a vineyard, and hath not used the fruit thereof? let him go and return unto his house, lest he die in the battle, and another man use the fruit thereof. 7 And what man is there that hath betrothed a wife, and hath not taken her? let him go and return to his house, lest he die in the battle, and another man take her. 8 And the officers shall speak further unto the people, and they shall say, What man is there that is fearful and faint-hearted? let him go and return to his house, lest his brethren's heart melt as his heart. 9 And it shall be, when the officers have m