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

6Has anyone here just planted a vineyard but not yet eaten any of its fruit? If so, you may go home! You might die in battle, and someone else would eat the first fruit. 7Has anyone here just become engaged to a woman but not yet married her? Well, you may go home and get married! You might die in the battle, and someone else would marry her.’ “Then the officers will also say, ‘Is anyone here afraid or worried? If you are, you may go home before you frighten anyone else.’ 9When the officers have finished speaking to their troops, they will appoint the unit commanders. 10“As you approach a town to attack it, you must first offer its people terms for peace.

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

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? Our brothers have demoralized us with their report. They tell us, “The people of the land are taller and more powerful than we are, and their towns are large, with walls rising high into the sky! We even saw giants there—the descendants of Anak!”’
• Deuteronomy 23:9“When you go to war against your enemies, be sure to stay away from anything that is impure.
• Judges 7:3Therefore, tell the people, ‘Whoever is timid or afraid may leave this mountain and go home.’” So 22,000 of them went home, leaving only 10,000 who were willing to fight.
• Luke 9:62But Jesus told him, “Anyone who puts a hand to the plow and then looks back is not fit for the Kingdom of God.”
• Acts 15:37Barnabas agreed and wanted to take along John Mark.
• Revelation 3:16But since you are like lukewarm water, neither hot nor cold, I will spit you out of my mouth!
• Revelation 21:8“But cowards, unbelievers, the corrupt, murderers, the immoral, those who practice witchcraft, idol worshipers, and all liars—their fate is in the fiery lake of burning sulfur. This is the second death.”
• Numbers 13:31But the other men who had explored the land with him disagreed. “We can’t go up against them! They are stronger than we are!”
• Numbers 14:1Then the whole community began weeping aloud, and they cried all night.
• Numbers 32:9After they went up to the valley of Eshcol and explored the land, they discouraged the people of Israel from entering the land the Lord was giving them.
• 1 Corinthians 15:33Don’t be fooled by those who say such things, for “bad company corrupts good character.”
• Exodus 15:15The leaders of Edom are terrified; the nobles of Moab tremble. All who live in Canaan melt 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