Amplified Bible
Deuteronomy 20:8
8Then the officers shall speak further to the soldiers and say, ‘Who is the man who is afraid and lacks courage? Let him go and return to his house, so that he does not cause his brothers’ courage to fail like his own.’
Deuteronomy 20:8 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)And the officers shall speak further unto the people, and they shall say, What man is there that is fearful and fainthearted? let him go and return unto his house, lest his brethren’s heart faint as well as his heart.
- New International Version (NIV)Then the officers shall add, “Is anyone afraid or fainthearted? Let him go home so that his fellow soldiers will not become disheartened too.”
- English Standard Version (ESV)And the officers shall speak further to the people, and say, 'Is there any man who is fearful and fainthearted? Let him go back to his house, lest he make the heart of his fellows melt like his own.'
- New King James Version (NKJV)“The officers shall speak further to the people, and say, ‘What man is there who is fearful and fainthearted? Let him go and return to his house, lest the heart of his brethren faint like his heart.’
Context of Deuteronomy 20:8
6What man has planted a vineyard and has not put it to use [harvesting its fruit]? Let him go and return to his house, otherwise he might die in the battle and another man would begin to use its fruit. 7And who is the man who is engaged (legally promised) to a woman and has not married her? Let him go and return to his house, otherwise he might die in the battle and another man would marry her.’ Then the officers shall speak further to the soldiers and say, ‘Who is the man who is afraid and lacks courage? Let him go and return to his house, so that he does not cause his brothers’ courage to fail like his own.’ 9And it shall be when the officers have finished speaking to the soldiers, they shall appoint commanders of armies over them. 10“When you advance to a city to fight against it, you shall [first] offer it terms of peace.
Read all of Deuteronomy 20Deuteronomy 20:8 word by word
וְיָסְפ֣וּ הַשֹּׁטְרִים֮ לְדַבֵּ֣ר אֶל־הָעָם֒ וְאָמְר֗וּ מִי־הָאִ֤ישׁ הַיָּרֵא֙ וְרַ֣ךְ הַלֵּבָ֔ב יֵלֵ֖ךְ וְיָשֹׁ֣ב לְבֵית֑וֹ וְלֹ֥א יִמַּ֛ס אֶת־לְבַ֥ב אֶחָ֖יו כִּלְבָבֽוֹ׃Read the interlinear
Words taken from the KJV.
- And the officersשֹׁטֵרshôţêr · officialH7860
- shall speakדָבַרdâbar · to speak: speakH1696
- furtherיָסַףyâsaph · to add: againH3254
- unto the peopleעַם‛am · peopleH5971
- and they shall sayאָמַר'âmar · to sayH559
- What manאִישׁ'îysh · manH376
- fearfulיָרֵאyârê' · afraidH3373
- and faintheartedלֵבָבlêbâb · heartH3824
- and faintheartedרַךְrak · tenderH7390
- let him goיָלַךְyâlak · to walkH3212
- and returnשׁוּבshûb · to return: returnH7725
- unto his houseבַּ֫יִתbayith · house: homeH1004
- lest his brethren’sאָח'âch · brother: compatriotH251
- faintמָסַסmâsas · to meltH4549
Cross-references for Deuteronomy 20:8
- Deuteronomy 1:28Where can we go up? Our brothers (spies) have made our hearts melt [in fear] and demoralized us by saying, “The people are bigger and taller than we; the cities are large, and fortified [all the way up] to heaven. And besides, we saw the [giant-like] sons of the Anakim there.” ’
- Deuteronomy 23:9“When you go out as an army [to fight] against your enemies, you shall keep yourselves from every evil [thing].
- Judges 7:3So now, proclaim in the hearing of the people, ‘Whoever is afraid and trembling, let him turn back and leave Mount Gilead.’ ” So twenty-two thousand men returned [home], but ten thousand remained.
- Luke 9:62But Jesus said to him, “No one who puts his hand to the plow and looks back [to the things left behind] is fit for the kingdom of God.”
- Acts 15:37Now Barnabas wanted to take [his cousin] John, who was called Mark, along with them.
- Revelation 3:16So because you are lukewarm (spiritually useless), and neither hot nor cold, I will vomit you out of My mouth [rejecting you with disgust].
- Revelation 21:8But as for the cowards and unbelieving and abominable [who are devoid of character and personal integrity and practice or tolerate immorality], and murderers, and sorcerers [with intoxicating drugs], and idolaters and occultists [who practice and teach false religions], and all the liars [who knowingly deceive and twist truth], their part will be in the lake that blazes with fire and brimstone, which is the second death.”
- Numbers 13:31But the men who had gone up with him said, “We are not able to go up against the people [of Canaan], for they are too strong for us.”
- Numbers 14:1Then all the congregation [of Israel] raised their voices and cried out, and the people wept that night.
- Numbers 32:9For when they went up to the Valley of Eshcol and saw the land, they discouraged the hearts of the Israelites so that they did not go into the land which the Lord had given them.
- 1 Corinthians 15:33Do not be deceived: “Bad company corrupts good morals.”
- Exodus 15:15Then the [tribal] chiefs of Edom were dismayed and horrified; The [mighty] leaders of Moab, trembling grips them; All the inhabitants of Canaan have melted away [in despair]—
Commentaries on Deuteronomy 20:8
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 8What 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…Read the comment
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 5-85-8. 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…Read the comment
Topics related to Deuteronomy 20:8
In the dictionaries
Commentaries on Deuteronomy 20
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
- Matthew Henry Concise Commentary
- Tyndale Open Study Notes
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary
- Rashi on Tanakh
- Calvin’s Commentaries
- Keil & Delitzsch Commentary
- John Wesley’s Notes
- Darby Translation Notes
- Geneva Bible Translation Notes
- Kingcomments
- Matthew Henry’s Complete Commentary
- Matthew Henry’s Modern English Commentary
- Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary
- EGW Writings
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