Deuteronomy 20

These instructions 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 regarding the conducting of military service. W. L. A.

The following laws, which relate to wars, rest on two main principles. The first is that Israel is the people of the Lord, and carries on war only in his name; therefore ought not to rely on fleshly might, but to allow freedom from warlike service to all who have either entered on some new relation of life, or who through fearfulness of heart are wanting in that courage of faith which should be the strength of the Lord’s host. The second is that God’s people ought to love peace rather than war, and may never give way to a savage desire of extermination; and therefore are bound, except in the execution of the judicial punishment commanded by God, always to offer peace. Geri.

Preparation for Battle.

To possess and occupy Canaan meant a long and bitter conflict. It is natural, therefore, to find no inconsiderable part of our code devoted to military operations and rules of war. How captives are to be treated, cleanliness in camp, what cities are to be spared and what destroyed, the demolition of heathen shrines—these are some of the timely topics treated by our Law-giver on the eve of the conquest. Of a like nature is the one regarding preparation for battle. It is most unique in character, and bears in every part the evidence of strict historic truthfulness. First, there is an appeal for courage in view of superior numbers and strength. He who had brought them out of Egypt would be with them. Should they see horses and chariots, they were not to be afraid of them. Afraid of horses and chariots! Childish admonition if it be not childlike and genuine! In Hezekiah’s and in Josiah’s time the land already swarmed with them. Ahab alone was master of a good two thousand chariots of war.

Next, the very process of entering on a campaign is simply detailed. It is assumed, in harmony with Numbers (1 : 3), that the whole male population over twenty years of age and capable of bearing arms is at the place of muster. It is assumed, further, in accord with instructions of the same book (26 : 2), that full lists of those subject to military duty are in the hands of the Shoterim (“officers”). It is also assumed that a priest specially designated for the purpose “the priest,” again in dependence on the Book of Numbers (31 : 6), where Phinehas acted in this capacity, will be present to hearten and inspire the host with his trumpet and his brave words. It is assumed that the Shoterim, who have the muster-rolls, are empowered, not only to address the assembled levies, retain or dismiss at will such as are found eligible or ineligible for active service (with verse 6, cf. Lev. 19 : 3 f.), but also to divide and subdivide them into battalions and companies, set them in battle array, and place suitable leaders at their head. The entire arrangement, in short, is peculiarly primitive and appropriate only to the earliest periods of the commonwealth. After the rise of king, court, and mighty men of war, after Saul’s second year, when three thousand chosen men were made the nucleus of a standing army, especially after David’s day, when royal body-guards were customary and foreign mercenaries began to be employed, such an arrangement would have been antiquated and impossible. E. C. B.

4. The righteousness of the cause, and not the numbers in the field, is to be the foundation of trust. The Jews were going into Palestine as the Lord’s host, and even though a minority sometimes, they were sure to win. “If God be for us, who can be against us?” was to be their ground of confidence. Edgar.—God’s presence in battle outmatches all human forces. The source of conquest is not in the visible material of war. Victory is not on the side of the largest battalions. Mere number of combatants have as often hindered triumph as helped it. If God be ranged on the one side, the issue is a foregone event. D. D.

Peace to be Offered to Foreign Cities only upon Condition of Tribute and Service. Canaanites to be Utterly Destroyed (De. 20 : 10-18).

The Jewish writers frequently mention two kinds of war : that which was particularly commanded by God, as that against the nations which the Israelites were commanded to drive out ; and that which was chosen by the Jews on just provocation, or in their own defence against other people. These words, as well as the foregoing, refer to the latter of the two, as appears from verse 15 compared with verses 5, 6, 7, 8, and Nu. 32 : 7. Bp. Kaldor.

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 (verses 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, 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 (verses 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. Jamieson

The nations of Canaan are excepted from the merciful provisions made by this law. Remnants might be left of the cities that were very far off (verse 15), because by them they were not in so much danger of being infected with idolatry, nor was their country so directly and immediately intended in the promise. But of the cities which were given to Israel for an inheritance, no remnants must be left of their inhabitants. They will teach you to do after their abominations, to introduce their customs into the worship of the God of Israel, and by degrees to forsake him and to worship false gods; for those that dare violate the second commandment, will not long keep to the first. Strange worships open the door to strange deities. H.

There is nothing left but the manner to be objected to: their wickedness accounts for the thing itself. To which objection it may be replied, that if the thing itself be just, the manner is of little signification; of little signification even to the sufferers themselves; for where is the difference, even to them, whether they were destroyed by an earthquake, a pestilence, a famine or by the hands of an enemy? Where is the difference, even to our imperfect apprehensions of Divine justice, provided it be, and is known to be, for their wickedness that they are destroyed? But this destruction, it may be said, spared neither women nor children. Is it not the same with all national visitations? Would not an earthquake, or a fire, or a plague, or a famine among them have done the same? Even in an ordinary and natural death the same thing happens. God takes away the life he lends, without regard, that we can perceive, to age, or sex, or character. But promiscuous massacres, the burning of cities, the laying waste of countries, are things dreadful to reflect upon. Who doubts it? So are all the judgments of Almighty God. The effect, in whatever way it shows itself, must necessarily be tremendous, when the Lord, as the Psalmist expresses it, “moveth out of his place to punish the wicked.” But this is the point upon which we ought to rest and fix our attention; that it was for excessive, wilful, and forewarned wickedness that all this befell them, and that it is all along so declared in the history which recites it. Further, the neighboring nations were to be convinced of the supreme power of the God of Israel above the pretended gods of other nations only by His enabling the Israelites, whose God he was known and acknowledged to be, to conquer under his banner, and drive out before them those who resisted the execution of that commission with which the Israelites declared themselves to be invested—namely, the expulsion and extermination of the Canaanitish nations. This convinced surrounding countries, and all who were observers or spectators of what passed, first, that the God of Israel was a real God; secondly, that the gods which other nations worshipped were either no gods, or had no power against the God of Israel; and, thirdly, that it was he, and he alone, who possessed both the power and the will to punish, to destroy, and to exterminate from before his face both nations and individuals who gave themselves up to the crimes and wickedness for which the Canaanites were notorious. Nothing of this sort would have appeared, or with the same evidence, from an earthquake, a plague, or any natural calamity. These might not have been attributed to Divine agency at all, or not to the interposition of the God of Israel. Paley.

Destruction of Fruit-Trees in War Prohibited (verses 19, 20).

In a siege, where you want wood for raising batteries, spare the fruit-trees as much as possibly you can, and make use of others that are as fit for those purposes and bear no fruit. It is not fit to destroy things that can do you no injury, especially such as are useful to the support of human life. Pyle.—When in war, no wanton destruction was to be allowed. They were to build bulwarks against invaders, but were not to destroy the subsistence of a people by cutting down fruit-trees. How wonderfully humane and even tender are these regulations compared with the customs of other nations at that time! C. C.—It is wantonness that is forbidden. Trees that did not bear fruit were of course available for war, but trees that could be used for purposes of sustaining human life were to be regarded as in a sense sacred and inviolable. J. P.

Leaving out of view the work of special judgment upon the Canaanitish nations, the military code of Israel has never been improved upon. Every provision was made for smoothing the rugged front of bloody strife. No assault was allowed upon a foreign city until after overtures for surrender had been made. On the acceptance of such overtures, every life was to be spared, and the nation made merely tributary. When taken even by assault, after overtures had been rejected, non-combatants were still to be spared, just as under the war code of the most enlightened nations of modern times. Who will say that such a law of war does not evince a spirit worthy of a Divine war code? Had Israel fully obeyed the Divine injunction and cast out wholly the Canaanitish nations, they would probably have had no war. All their military arrangements were for defence, not for defiance; and but for their unfaithfulness, which kept them continually embroiled till the time of David with the remnants of the people whom they had been commanded to destroy, they might have seldom, if ever, known war. S. R.

FELLOWSHIP, FORBIDDEN WITH AMMONITE AND MOABITE, ALLOWED WITH EDOMITE AND EGYPTIAN. AMALEK TO BE DESTROYED. THANKSGIVING AND PRAYER AT THE PRESENTATION OF FIRST-FRUITS AND OF SECOND TITHE. SUMMARY OF ENGAGEMENTS BETWEEN JEHOVAH AND ISRAEL.