Deuteronomy 20

1 When you go out [to battle] to war against your enemies [adversaries, those who hate you] and see horses [chariot horses, cavalry], chariots [vehicles, teams of horses], and an army [a people, a nation] larger than yours, do not be afraid [fearful, terrified] of them; for the LORD [Yehovah, the Lord God] your God [Elohim, the supreme God], who brought you out [led you, delivered you] of the land [country, territory] of Egypt [a country in northeastern Africa], is with you [together with you, accompanying you]. word study 2 When you are about [on the point of, ready] to go into [engage in, draw near to] battle [war, conflict], the priest [spiritual leader, mediator] is to come forward [approach, draw near] and address [speak to, communicate with] the army [troops, people], word study 3 saying to them, “Hear [listen attentively], O Israel [God’s chosen people], today you are going into battle [war, conflict] with your enemies [adversaries, those who oppose you]. Do not be fainthearted [weak, timid] or afraid [fearful, intimidated]; do not be alarmed [terrified, shaken] or terrified [dreadful, fearful] because of them [your foes, opponents]. word study 4 For the LORD [Yehovah, The covenant Name of God] your God [Elohim, the one supreme God] goes [to walk or proceed] with [together, in accompaniment] you to fight [to engage in battle, to consume] for you against your enemies [those who hate or oppose you], to give [to grant, to bestow] you the victory [salvation, deliverance from danger].” word study 5 Furthermore, the officers [overseers, rulers] are to address [speak to, command] the army, saying, “Has any man [individual, person] built [constructed, established] a new [recently created, fresh] house [dwelling place, home] and not dedicated [set apart, consecrated] it? Let him return [turn back, go back] home, or he may die [perish, lose his life] in battle [war, conflict] and another [different, next] man dedicate [consecrate, set apart] it. word study 6 Has any man [a male person, individual] planted [established, fixed] a vineyard [a garden or plot of land for growing vines] and not begun [used, profaned] to enjoy [partake of, eat] its fruit? Let him return [turn back, go back] home, or he may die [perish, lose his life] in battle [war, conflict] and another man [a different person, someone else] enjoy [eat, use] its fruit [the produce, the result]. word study 7 Has any man [who is engaged, betrothed] become pledged [promised marriage, espoused] to a woman [wife, female companion] and not married [taken, received] her? Let him return [go back, turn away] home, or he may die [be killed, meet his end] in battle [war, combat] and another man [a different person, someone else] marry [take, receive] her.” word study 8 Then the officers [high-ranking officials, overseers] shall speak further to the army, saying, “Is any man [individual, person] afraid [fearful, timid] or fainthearted [tender, weak]? Let him return [turn back, go back] home, so that the hearts [innermost being, mind and emotions] of his brothers [fellow soldiers, companions] will not melt [become weak, lose courage] like his own [similar to his, in the same way].” word study 9 When the officers [high-ranking officials, overseers] have finished [come to an end, completed] addressing [speaking to, communicating with] the army [large group of people, military forces], they are to appoint [assign, designate] commanders [leaders, captains] to lead [guide, direct] it [the army, the people]. word study 10 When you approach [come near, draw close to] a city [town, settlement] to fight [engage in battle, wage war] against it, you are to make [offer, proclaim] an offer [call, declaration] of peace [shalom, completeness and wellness]. word study 11 If they accept [respond with] your offer of [covenant] peace [shalom, completeness and wellness] and open [surrender, engrave their hearts] their gates, all [every single one] the people [nation, community] there will become [be subject to] forced laborers [taskworkers, tributaries] to serve [work, worship] you. word study 12 But if they refuse [to surrender peacefully, will not make peace] to make peace [to complete, be at peace] with you and wage [engage in, make] war [battle, conflict] against you, lay siege [besiege, shut in on all sides, confine] to that city [town, place]. word study 13 When the LORD [Yehovah, The covenant Name of God] your God [Elohim, the one supreme God] has delivered [given, put, or set] it into your hand [an open hand; strength, a side or share], you must put [smite, strike, or hit] every male [a male person or animal] to the sword [a cutting instrument, including knives and tools for cutting]. word study 14 But the women [and the little ones], children [the infants], livestock [and all the animals], and whatever else [all the spoil] is in the city [the town, the settlement]—all its spoil [the booty, the plunder]—you may take as plunder [capture, seize], and you shall use [enjoy, utilize] the spoil [the riches, the treasure] of your enemies [those who oppose you] that the LORD [Yehovah, the supreme God] your God [Elohim, the divine ruler] gives you [provides for you, bestows upon you]. word study 15 This is how [thus, in this manner] you are to treat [do, make, or deal with] all [every, the whole] the cities [towns, settlements] that are [which are, being] far away [distant, very far off, at a great distance] from you [from your location, away from your presence] and do not [are not, will not] belong [be part of, pertain to] to the nations [Gentiles, non-Hebrew peoples] nearby [close, adjacent, these]. word study 16 However, in the cities [towns, settlements] of the nations [peoples, tribes] that the LORD [Yehovah, the Lord God] your God [Elohim, the supreme God] is giving [granting, bestowing] you as an inheritance [a legacy, a heritage], you must not leave alive [spare, preserve] anything that breathes [has the breath of life, is living]. word study 17 For [since, because of this reason] you must devote [utterly destroy, set apart for destruction] them to complete destruction [total annihilation, extermination] —the Hittites, Amorites, Canaanites, Perizzites, Hivites, and Jebusites—as [in accordance with, just as] the LORD [Yehovah, The covenant Name of God] your God [Elohim, the supreme Creator, the one supreme God] has commanded [given orders, appointed] you, word study 18 so that they cannot teach [instruct or guide] you to do [perform or practice] all the detestable [abominable or disgusting] things [abominations or sinful acts] they do [perform or commit] for their gods [idols or false deities], and so cause [lead or bring] you to sin [miss the mark or rebel] against the LORD [Yehovah, the supreme God] your God [Elohim, the one true God]. word study 19 When you lay siege [for an extended time, a long while] to a city [a fortified town, a place of refuge] for an extended time [many days, a long season] while fighting [waging war, engaging in battle] against it to capture [take possession of, seize control] it, you must not destroy [ruin, lay waste] its trees [the trees of the field, a source of nourishment] by putting an axe [a tool for chopping, a weapon of war] to them, because you can eat [consume, nourish yourself with] their fruit [the produce of the trees, a gift from God]. You must not cut them down [fell them, destroy their usefulness]. Are the trees of the field [the trees that provide for human life] human [in the sense that they provide sustenance], that you should besiege [attack, lay siege to] them? word study 20 But you may destroy the trees [not fruitful, without edible produce] that you know [are certain, have knowledge of] do not produce fruit [food, nourishment]. Use them to build [construct, establish] siege works [bulwarks, fortifications] against the city [town, fortified place] that is waging war [engaging in battle, making war] against you, until [as far as, till the time] it falls [is subdued, taken]. word study