Deuteronomy 20

Divine rules and directions concerning war as with what confidence they were to go to war verse 1 how the priest was to direct his speech unto the people when they were to enter the battle 2. The officers had to charge some persons to return home ward towards 5 and then to appoint captain in the front of the people 9 an order concerning the besieging and taking of the cities both without and within Canaan 10 what they might cut at a siege and what not 19.

1. When shalt go forth to battle against thine enemies and shall see horses and chariots a people greater than thou then thou shalt be not afraid of them for the Lord thy God is with thee which brought the up out of the land of Egypt.

2. And it shall come to pass when ye come nigh unto the battle then shall the priest draw nigh and speak unto the people.

3. And say unto hear Israel ye are this day nigh unto this battle against your enemies let not your heart faint fear not neither tremble nor be freighted of their face.

4. For it is the Lord your God that goeth with you in fight for you against your enemies to deliver you.

5. Then shall the officers speak saying unto the people saying who is the man that hath built a new house and hath not [that is he hath built a new house &c. compare Psalms 34:13&c.] dedicated it? [That is hath not begun to inhabit it for which end dedication was made by prayers and thanksgiving compare Psalms 30:1 and Nehemiah 12:27 &c.] Let him go and return to his house lest peradventure he dies in the battle and another man dedicates it.

6. And who is the man that hath planted the vineyard and hath not enjoyed the fruit thereof? [Heb. And hath prophaned it that is he might not yet enjoy any fruit of it for himself because the vineyard was in its foreskin the fruits were to be offered unto the Lord see the law thereof Leviticus 19:23,24,25 so Jeremiah 31:5] let him go and return to his house lest peradventure he die in the battle and another man enjoyed it.

7. And who is the man that hath betrothed a wife and hath not taken her to him? Let him go and return to his house lest peradventure he dies in the battle and a man takes her.

8. Then the officer shall go on to speak unto the people and say who is the man that is fearful and fainthearted? Let him go and return to his house lest his brethrens heart melt [see above chapter 1 on verse 28.] as his heart doth.

9. And it shall come to pass when those officers shall have made an end of speaking unto the people then they shall appoint captains of hosts in the front of the people [Heb. In or at the head of the people.

10. when thou comest nigh unto a city to fight against it then thou shalt proclaim peace unto it [Heb. Thou shalt call it concerning or unto peace that is thou shalt by messenger invite it to peace to spare both lives and good of it.]

11. And it shall come to pass if it shall make thee answer of peace and open unto thee then all the people that is found therein shall be tributary unto thee and serve thee.

12. But if will make peace with thee but wage war against thee then thou shalt besiege it.

13. And the Lord thy God shall deliver it into thine hand and thou shalt smite that is male in it with the edge [Heb. At the mouth] of the sword.

14. Save the women and the little children and the beasts and whatsoever shall be in the city all the spoil thereof shalt thou take for a prey unto thyself and thou shalt eat the spoil of thine enemies which the Lord thy God hath given thee.

15. Thus thou shalt thou do unto all cities that are very far off from thee which are not of the cities of the nations [understand which dwelling the land of Canaan which the Lord hath commanded to be banned as is related in the sequel.]

16. But of the cities of that nation which the Lord thy god doth give thee for an inheritance thou shalt let nothing live that hath breath [Heb. Thou shalt let not breath live.]

17. But thou shalt utterly ban them [Heb. Banning ban them see above chapter 2 on verse 34] the hethites and the Ammorites and the Canaanites and the Pherezites and the Hevites and the Jebusites according as the Lord thy God hath commanded thee.

18. That they teach to do according to their abominations which they have done unto their gods and you sin against The Lord your God.

19. Then thou shalt besiege a city many day fighting against it to take to it then thou it shalt not destroy thee trees thereof forcing an ax against them for thou shalt cut them down for the tree of the field are the food of the man [Heb. Is man that is mans life and sustenance the meaning of the words is this Albeit the trees of the field be common yet notwithstanding thou shalt favor the fruit tree because there will be enough of other trees to cut down to make Bulwaks of as is further explained in the following verse the last words of this 19 verse are diversly translated] that thy[to wit the fruit treed] should come before thy face [Heb. From thy face] for a bulwark [the meaning is thou shalt not cut down fruit tree to make bulwark of.]

20. But the tree which thou shalt know to be no tree for meat then thou shalt destroy and cut down and thou shalt built a bulwark against this city that market war against thee until it perish.