Deuteronomy 20:3

Deuteronomy 20:3 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)And shall say unto them, Hear, O Israel, ye approach this day unto battle against your enemies: let not your hearts faint, fear not, and do not tremble, neither be ye terrified because of them;
• English Standard Version (ESV)and shall say to them, 'Hear, O Israel, today you are drawing near for battle against your enemies: let not your heart faint. Do not fear or panic or be in dread of them,
• New King James Version (NKJV)And he shall say to them, ‘Hear, O Israel: Today you are on the verge of battle with your enemies. Do not let your heart faint, do not be afraid, and do not tremble or be terrified because of them;
• New Living Translation (NLT)He will say to them, ‘Listen to me, all you men of Israel! Do not be afraid as you go out to fight your enemies today! Do not lose heart or panic or tremble before them.

Context of Deuteronomy 20:3

1When you go to war against your enemies and see horses and chariots and an army greater than yours, do not be afraid of them, because the Lord your God, who brought you up out of Egypt, will be with you. 2When you are about to go into battle, the priest shall come forward and address the army. He shall say: “Hear, Israel: Today you are going into battle against your enemies. Do not be fainthearted or afraid; do not panic or be terrified by them. 4For the Lord your God is the one who goes with you to fight for you against your enemies to give you victory.” 5The officers shall say to the army: “Has anyone built a new house and not yet begun to live in it? Let him go home, or he may die in battle and someone else may begin to live in it.

Deuteronomy 20:3 word by word

וְאָמַ֤ר אֲלֵהֶם֙ שְׁמַ֣ע יִשְׂרָאֵ֔ל אַתֶּ֨ם קְרֵבִ֥ים הַיּ֛וֹם לַמִּלְחָמָ֖ה עַל־אֹיְבֵיכֶ֑ם אַל־יֵרַ֣ךְ לְבַבְכֶ֗ם אַל־תִּֽירְא֧וּ וְאַֽל־תַּחְפְּז֛וּ וְאַל־תַּֽעַרְצ֖וּ מִפְּנֵיהֶֽם׃Read the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• And shall sayאָמַר'âmar · to sayH559
• unto them, Hearשָׁמַעshâma‛ · to hear: hearH8085
• O Israelיִשְׂרָאֵלyiώrâ'êl · IsraelH3478
• ye approachקָרֵבqârêb · approachingH7131
• this dayיוֹםyôm · dayH3117
• unto battleמִלְחָמָהmilchâmâh · battleH4421
• against your enemiesאֹיֵב'ôyêb 'ôyêb · enemyH341
• let not your heartsלֵבָבlêbâb · heartH3824
• faintרָכַךְrâkak · be tenderH7401
• fearיָרֵאyârê' · to fearH3372
• not, and do not trembleחָפַזchâphaz · to hurryH2648
• neither be ye terrifiedעָרַץ‛ârats · to trembleH6206
• becauseפָּנֶהpânîym · face ofH6440

Cross-references for Deuteronomy 20:3

• Psalms 27:1The Lord is my light and my salvation— whom shall I fear? The Lord is the stronghold of my life— of whom shall I be afraid?
• Isaiah 35:3Strengthen the feeble hands, steady the knees that give way;
• Isaiah 41:10So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.
• Matthew 10:16“I am sending you out like sheep among wolves. Therefore be as shrewd as snakes and as innocent as doves.
• Ephesians 6:11Put on the full armor of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes.
• 1 Thessalonians 5:15Make sure that nobody pays back wrong for wrong, but always strive to do what is good for each other and for everyone else.
• Hebrews 12:12Therefore, strengthen your feeble arms and weak knees.
• Revelation 2:10Do not be afraid of what you are about to suffer. I tell you, the devil will put some of you in prison to test you, and you will suffer persecution for ten days. Be faithful, even to the point of death, and I will give you life as your victor’s crown.
• Isaiah 28:16So this is what the Sovereign Lord says: “See, I lay a stone in Zion, a tested stone, a precious cornerstone for a sure foundation; the one who relies on it will never be stricken with panic.
• Psalms 3:6I will not fear though tens of thousands assail me on every side.
• Isaiah 8:12“Do not call conspiracy everything this people calls a conspiracy; do not fear what they fear, and do not dread it.
• Isaiah 57:7You have made your bed on a high and lofty hill; there you went up to offer your sacrifices.
• Matthew 8:26He replied, “You of little faith, why are you so afraid?” Then he got up and rebuked the winds and the waves, and it was completely calm.
• Mark 16:6“Don’t be alarmed,” he said. “You are looking for Jesus the Nazarene, who was crucified. He has risen! He is not here. See the place where they laid him.
• Acts 18:9One night the Lord spoke to Paul in a vision: “Do not be afraid; keep on speaking, do not be silent.
• Acts 27:24and said, ‘Do not be afraid, Paul. You must stand trial before Caesar; and God has graciously given you the lives of all who sail with you.’

Commentaries on Deuteronomy 20:3

• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 2-42-4. when ye are come nigh unto the battle, that the priest shall approach and speak unto the people--Jewish writers say that there was a war priest appointed by a special ceremonial to attend the army. It was natural that the solemn objects and motives of religion should have been applied to animate patriotism, and so give additional impulse to valor; other people have done this. But in the case of Israel, the regular attendance of a priest on the…Read the comment

Topics related to Deuteronomy 20:3

• Armies
• Priest

In the dictionaries

• Israel
• Israel, Israelites
• Jacob, Israel
• Faint
• Fearful
• Army
• Atonement, Day of
• Criticism
• Deuteronomy
• Exodus, the Book of

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