16 But of the cities H5892 of these people, H5971 which the LORD H3068 thy God H430 doth give H5414 thee for an inheritance, H5159 thou shalt save alive H2421 nothing that breatheth: H5397
And Israel H3478 vowed H5087 a vow H5088 unto the LORD, H3068 and said, H559 If thou wilt indeed H5414 deliver H5414 this people H5971 into my hand, H3027 then I will utterly destroy H2763 their cities. H5892 And the LORD H3068 hearkened H8085 to the voice H6963 of Israel, H3478 and delivered up H5414 the Canaanites; H3669 and they utterly destroyed H2763 them and their cities: H5892 and he called H7121 the name H8034 of the place H4725 Hormah. H2767
When the LORD H3068 thy God H430 shall bring H935 thee into the land H776 whither thou goest H935 to possess H3423 it, and hath cast out H5394 many H7227 nations H1471 before H6440 thee, the Hittites, H2850 and the Girgashites, H1622 and the Amorites, H567 and the Canaanites, H3669 and the Perizzites, H6522 and the Hivites, H2340 and the Jebusites, H2983 seven H7651 nations H1471 greater H7227 and mightier H6099 than thou; And when the LORD H3068 thy God H430 shall deliver H5414 them before H6440 thee; thou shalt smite H5221 them, and utterly H2763 destroy H2763 them; thou shalt make H3772 no covenant H1285 with them, nor shew mercy H2603 unto them: Neither shalt thou make marriages H2859 with them; thy daughter H1323 thou shalt not give H5414 unto his son, H1121 nor his daughter H1323 shalt thou take H3947 unto thy son. H1121 For they will turn away H5493 thy son H1121 from following H310 me, that they may serve H5647 other H312 gods: H430 so will the anger H639 of the LORD H3068 be kindled H2734 against you, and destroy H8045 thee suddenly. H4118
And I will set H7896 thy bounds H1366 from the Red H5488 sea H3220 even unto the sea H3220 of the Philistines, H6430 and from the desert H4057 unto the river: H5104 for I will deliver H5414 the inhabitants H3427 of the land H776 into your hand; H3027 and thou shalt drive them out H1644 before H6440 thee. Thou shalt make H3772 no covenant H1285 with them, nor with their gods. H430 They shall not dwell H3427 in thy land, H776 lest they make thee sin H2398 against me: for if thou serve H5647 their gods, H430 it will surely be a snare H4170 unto thee.
And the city H5892 shall be accursed, H2764 even it, and all that are therein, to the LORD: H3068 only Rahab H7343 the harlot H2181 shall live, H2421 she and all that are with her in the house, H1004 because she hid H2244 the messengers H4397 that we sent. H7971 And ye, in any wise H7535 keep H8104 yourselves from the accursed thing, H2764 lest ye make yourselves accursed, H2763 when ye take H3947 of the accursed thing, H2764 and make H7760 the camp H4264 of Israel H3478 a curse, H2764 and trouble H5916 it. But all the silver, H3701 and gold, H2091 and vessels H3627 of brass H5178 and iron, H1270 are consecrated H6944 unto the LORD: H3068 they shall come H935 into the treasury H214 of the LORD. H3068 So the people H5971 shouted H7321 when the priests blew H8628 with the trumpets: H7782 and it came to pass, when the people H5971 heard H8085 the sound H6963 of the trumpet, H7782 and the people H5971 shouted H7321 with a great H1419 shout, H8643 that the wall H2346 fell down flat, H5307 so that the people H5971 went up H5927 into the city, H5892 every man H376 straight before him, and they took H3920 the city. H5892 And they utterly destroyed H2763 all that was in the city, H5892 both man H376 and woman, H802 young H5288 and old, H2205 and ox, H7794 and sheep, H7716 and ass, H2543 with the edge H6310 of the sword. H2719
And they smote H5221 all the souls H5315 that were therein with the edge H6310 of the sword, H2719 utterly destroying H2763 them: there was not any left H3498 to breathe: H5397 and he burnt H8313 Hazor H2674 with fire. H784 And all the cities H5892 of those kings, H4428 and all the kings H4428 of them, did Joshua H3091 take, H3920 and smote H5221 them with the edge H6310 of the sword, H2719 and he utterly destroyed H2763 them, as Moses H4872 the servant H5650 of the LORD H3068 commanded. H6680
Worthy.Bible » Commentaries » Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible » Commentary on Deuteronomy 20
Commentary on Deuteronomy 20 Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible
CHAPTER 20
De 20:1-20. The Priests' Exhortation to Encourage the People to Battle.
1. When thou goest out to battle against thine enemies—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.
2-4. when ye are come nigh unto the battle, that the priest shall approach and speak unto the people—Jewish writers say that there was a war priest appointed by a special ceremonial to attend the army. It was natural that the solemn objects and motives of religion should have been applied to animate patriotism, and so give additional impulse to valor; other people have done this. But in the case of Israel, the regular attendance of a priest on the battlefield was in accordance with their theocratic government, in which everything was done directly by God through His delegated ministers. It was the province of this priest to sound the trumpets (Nu 10:9; 31:6), and he had others under him who repeated at the head of each battalion the exhortations which he addressed to the warriors in general. The speech (De 20:3, 4) is marked by a brevity and expressiveness admirably suited to the occasion, namely, when the men were drawn up in line.
4. your God is he that goeth with you, to fight for you against your enemies, to save you—According to Jewish writers, the ark was always taken into the field of combat. But there is no evidence of this in the sacred history; and it must have been a sufficient ground of encouragement to be assured that God was on their side.
5-8. And the officers shall speak unto the people—literally, Shoterim, who are called "scribes" or "overseers" (Ex 5:6). They might be keepers of the muster-roll, or perhaps rather military heralds, whose duty it was to announce the orders of the generals (2Ch 26:11). This proclamation (De 20:5-8) must have been made previous to the priest's address, as great disorder and inconvenience must have been occasioned if the serried ranks were broken by the departure of those to whom the privilege was granted. Four grounds of exemption are expressly mentioned: (1) The dedication of a new house, which, as in all Oriental countries still, was an important event, and celebrated by festive and religious ceremonies (Ne 12:27); exemption for a year. (2) The planting of a vineyard. The fruit of the first three years being declared unfit for use, and the first-fruits producible on the fourth, the exemption in this case lasted at least four years. (3) The betrothal of a wife, which was always a considerable time before marriage. It was deemed a great hardship to leave a house unfinished, a new property half cultivated, and a recently contracted marriage; and the exemptions allowed in these cases were founded on the principle that a man's heart being deeply engrossed by something at a distance, he would not be very enthusiastic in the public service. (4) The ground of exemption was cowardice. From the composition of the Israelitish army, which was an irregular militia, all above twenty years being liable to serve, many totally unfit for war must have been called to the field; and it was therefore a prudential arrangement to rid the army of such unwarlike elements—persons who could render no efficient service, and the contagion of whose craven spirit might lead to panic and defeat.
9. they shall make captains of the armies to lead the people—When the exempted parties have withdrawn, the combatants shall be ranged in order of battle.
10-20. When thou comest nigh unto a city to fight against it, then proclaim peace unto it—An important principle is here introduced into the war law of Israel regarding the people they fought against and the cities they besieged. With "the cities of those people which God doth give thee" in Canaan, it was to be a war of utter extermination (De 20:17, 18). But when on a just occasion, they went against other nations, they were first to make a proclamation of peace, which if allowed by a surrender, the people would become dependent [De 20:11], and in the relation of tributaries the conquered nations would receive the highest blessings from alliance with the chosen people; they would be brought to the knowledge of Israel's God and of Israel's worship, as well as a participation of Israel's privileges. But if the besieged city refused to capitulate and be taken, a universal massacre was to be made of the males while the women and children were to be preserved and kindly treated (De 20:13, 14). By this means a provision was made for a friendly and useful connection being established between the captors and the captives; and Israel, even through her conquests, would prove a blessing to the nations.
19. thou shalt not destroy the trees thereof by forcing an axe against them—In a protracted siege, wood would be required for various purposes, both for military works and for fuel. But fruit-bearing trees were to be carefully spared; and, indeed, in warm countries like India, where the people live much more on fruit than we do, the destruction of a fruit tree is considered a sort of sacrilege.
20. thou shalt build bulwarks against the city that maketh war with thee—It is evident that some sort of military engines were intended; and accordingly we know, that in Egypt, where the Israelites learned their military tactics, the method of conducting a siege was by throwing up banks, and making advances with movable towers, or with the testudo [Wilkinson].