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 he that hath planted a vineyard, and hath not yet eaten of it? let him also go and return to his house, lest he should die in the battle, and another man should eat of it. 7And what man is there that hath betrothed a wife, and hath not taken her? let him go and return to his house, lest he should die in battle, and another man should take her. And the officers shall speak further to the people, and they shall say, What man is there that is fearful and fainthearted? let him go and return to his house, lest his brethren’s heart should faint as well as his heart. 9And it shall be, when the officers have finished speaking to the people, that they shall make captains of the armies to lead the people. 10When thou comest near to a city to fight against it, then proclaim peace to 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
• furtherיָסַףyâsaph · to add: againH3254
• peopleעַם‛am · peopleH5971
• sayאָמַר'âmar · to sayH559
• manאִישׁ'îysh · manH376
• fearfulיָרֵאyârê' · afraidH3373
• faintheartedרַךְrak · tenderH7390
• faintheartedלֵבָבlêbâb · heartH3824
• goיָלַךְyâlak · to walkH3212
• returnשׁוּבshûb · to return: returnH7725
• houseבַּ֫יִתbayith · house: homeH1004
• brethren’sאָח'âch · brother: compatriotH251
• faintמָסַסmâsas · to meltH4549

Cross-references for Deuteronomy 20:8

• Deuteronomy 1:28Where can we go up? our brethren have discouraged our heart, saying, The people are greater and taller than we; the cities are great and walled up to heaven; and moreover we have seen the sons of the Anakims there.
• Deuteronomy 23:9When the host goeth forth against thy enemies, then keep thee from every wicked thing.
• Judges 7:3Now therefore, proclaim in the ears of the people, saying, Whoever is fearful and afraid, let him return and depart early from mount Gilead. And there returned of the people twenty and two thousand; and there remained ten thousand.
• Luke 9:62And Jesus said to him, No man, having put his hand to the plow, and looking back, is fit for the kingdom of God.
• Acts 15:37And Barnabas determined to take with them John, whose surname was Mark.
• Revelation 3:16So then because thou art lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will spue thee out of my mouth.
• Revelation 21:8But the fearful, and unbelieving, and the abominable, and murderers, and immoral persons, and sorcerers, and idolaters, and all liars, shall have their part in the lake which 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 to 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 the LORD had given them.
• 1 Corinthians 15:33Be not deceived: evil company corrupteth good habits.
• Exodus 15:15Then the chiefs of Edom shall be amazed; the mighty men of Moab, trembling shall take hold upon them; all the inhabitants of Canaan shall 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