Deuteronomy 20:8

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

6And what man is there that hath planted a vineyard, and hath not used the fruit thereof? let him go and return unto his house, lest he die in the battle, and another man use the fruit thereof. 7And what man is there that hath betrothed a wife, and hath not taken her? let him go and return unto his house, lest he die in the battle, and another man take her. And the officers shall speak further unto the people, and they shall say, What man is there that is fearful and faint-hearted? let him go and return unto his house, lest his brethren’s heart melt as his heart. 9And it shall be, when the officers have made an end of speaking unto the people, that they shall appoint captains of hosts at the head of the people. 10When thou drawest nigh unto a city to fight against it, then proclaim peace unto it.

Deuteronomy 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

• officersשֹׁטֵרshôţêr · officialH7860
• speakדָבַרdâbar · to speak: speakH1696
• peopleעַם‛am · peopleH5971
• sayאָמַר'âmar · to sayH559
• manאִישׁ'îysh · manH376
• goשׁוּבshûb · to return: returnH7725
• returnשׁוּבshûb · to return: returnH7725
• houseבַּ֫יִתbayith · house: homeH1004
• heartלֵבָבlêbâb · heartH3824
• meltמָסַסmâsas · to meltH4549

Cross-references for Deuteronomy 20:8

• Deuteronomy 1:28Whither are we going up? our brethren have made our heart to melt, saying, The people are greater and taller than we; the cities are great and fortified up to heaven; and moreover we have seen the sons of the Anakim there.
• Deuteronomy 23:9When thou goest forth in camp against thine enemies, then thou shalt keep thee from every evil thing.
• Judges 7:3Now therefore proclaim in the ears of the people, saying, Whosoever is fearful and trembling, let him return and depart from mount Gilead. And there returned of the people twenty and two thousand; and there remained ten thousand.
• Luke 9:62But Jesus said unto him, No man, having put his hand to the plow, and looking back, is fit for the kingdom of God.
• Acts 15:37And Barnabas was minded to take with them John also, who was called Mark.
• Revelation 3:16So because thou art lukewarm, and neither hot nor cold, I will spew thee out of my mouth.
• Revelation 21:8But for the fearful, and unbelieving, and abominable, and murderers, and fornicators, and sorcerers, and idolaters, and all liars, their part shall be in the lake that burneth with fire and brimstone; which is the second death.
• Numbers 13:31But the men that went up with him said, We are not able to go up against the people; for they are stronger than we.
• Numbers 14:1And all the congregation lifted up their voice, and cried; and the people wept that night.
• Numbers 32:9For when they went up unto the valley of Eshcol, and saw the land, they discouraged the heart of the children of Israel, that they should not go into the land which Jehovah had given them.
• 1 Corinthians 15:33Be not deceived: Evil companionships corrupt good morals.
• Exodus 15:15Then were the chiefs of Edom dismayed; The mighty men of Moab, trembling taketh hold upon them: All the inhabitants of Canaan are melted away.

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

• Armies
• Cowardice
• Soldiers

In the dictionaries

• Faint
• Fearful
• Army
• Atonement, Day of
• Criticism
• Deuteronomy
• Exodus, the Book of
• Fear
• Genesis
• Give

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