Thematic Bible
Deuteronomy 20:1 (show verse)
“When you go out to battle against your enemies and see horses and chariots and people more numerous than you, do not be afraid of them; for the Lord your God, who brought you up from the land of Egypt, is with you.
Armies » March in ranks » Exhorted before battle
God » Presence of » Gives courage in life's battles
divine Presence » Comfort » Gives courage in life's battles
priests » Services of » Encouraging the people when they went to war
Protection » Is vouchsafed to saints in » Defending them against their enemies
God » Presence of » Gives courage in life's battles
divine Presence » Comfort » Gives courage in life's battles
priests » Services of » Encouraging the people when they went to war
Protection » Is vouchsafed to saints in » Defending them against their enemies
Deuteronomy 20:2 (show verse)
When you approach the battle, the priest shall come forward and speak to the people,
Deuteronomy 20:3 (show verse)
and shall say to them, ‘Hear, O Israel: you are advancing today to battle against your enemies. Do not lack courage. Do not be afraid, or panic, or tremble [in terror] before them,
Deuteronomy 20:4 (show verse)
for the Lord your God is He who goes with you, to fight for you against your enemies, to save you.’
Deuteronomy 20:5 (show verse)
The officers shall also speak to the soldiers, saying, ‘What man is there who has built a new house and has not yet dedicated it? Let him go and return to his house, otherwise he might die in the battle and another man would dedicate it.
Deuteronomy 20:6 (show verse)
What 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.
Agriculture » Planters of vineyards, exempted from military service
Armies » Who were exempt from service in
Armies » March in ranks » Exhorted before battle
the Armies of israel » Persons exempted from serving in » Who had planted a vineyard
Soldiers » Others exempt from service
Vineyards » Laws respecting » Planters of, not liable to military service till they had eaten of the fruit
Armies » Who were exempt from service in
Armies » March in ranks » Exhorted before battle
the Armies of israel » Persons exempted from serving in » Who had planted a vineyard
Soldiers » Others exempt from service
Vineyards » Laws respecting » Planters of, not liable to military service till they had eaten of the fruit
Deuteronomy 20:7 (show verse)
And 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.’
Armies » Who were exempt from service in
Armies » March in ranks » Exhorted before battle
the Armies of israel » Persons exempted from serving in » Who were lately betrothed
Betrothal » Exempts from military duty
Betrothals » Special privileges of the betrothed
Home » Betrothals » Special privileges of the betrothed
Marriage » The jews » Betrothed themselves some time before
Marriage » The jews » Exempted from going to war immediately after
Soldiers » Others exempt from service
Armies » March in ranks » Exhorted before battle
the Armies of israel » Persons exempted from serving in » Who were lately betrothed
Betrothal » Exempts from military duty
Betrothals » Special privileges of the betrothed
Home » Betrothals » Special privileges of the betrothed
Marriage » The jews » Betrothed themselves some time before
Marriage » The jews » Exempted from going to war immediately after
Soldiers » Others exempt from service
Deuteronomy 20:8 (show verse)
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.’
Deuteronomy 20:9 (show verse)
And it shall be when the officers have finished speaking to the soldiers, they shall appoint commanders of armies over them.
Deuteronomy 20:10 (show verse)
“When you advance to a city to fight against it, you shall [first] offer it terms of peace.
Deuteronomy 20:11 (show verse)
If that city accepts your terms of peace and opens its gates to you, then all the people who are found in it shall become your forced labor and shall serve you.
Deuteronomy 20:12 (show verse)
However, if it does not make peace with you, but makes war against you, then you shall lay siege to it.
Deuteronomy 20:13 (show verse)
When the Lord your God gives it into your hand, you shall strike down all the men in it with the edge of the sword.
Deuteronomy 20:14 (show verse)
Only the women and the children and the animals and everything that is in the city, all its spoil, you shall take as plunder for yourself; and you shall use the spoil of your enemies which the Lord your God has given you.
Deuteronomy 20:15 (show verse)
That is what you shall do to all the cities that are very far away from you, which are not among the cities of these nations nearby [which you are to dispossess].
Deuteronomy 20:16 (show verse)
Only in the cities of these peoples that the Lord your God is giving you as an inheritance, you shall not leave alive anything that breathes.
Deuteronomy 20:17 (show verse)
But you shall utterly destroy them, the Hittite, the Amorite, the Canaanite, the Perizzite, the Hivite and the Jebusite, just as the Lord your God has commanded you,
Amorites » Judgments denounced against
the Amorites » Doomed to utter destruction
Canaan, land of » Miscellaneous topics » Wars of extermination waged against early inhabitants of
Extermination » Wars of extermination waged against early inhabitants of
Hivites » Their land given to the israelites
Jebusites » Land of, given to abraham and his descendants
Perizzites » Doomed to destruction
War » Of extermination
the Amorites » Doomed to utter destruction
Canaan, land of » Miscellaneous topics » Wars of extermination waged against early inhabitants of
Extermination » Wars of extermination waged against early inhabitants of
Hivites » Their land given to the israelites
Jebusites » Land of, given to abraham and his descendants
Perizzites » Doomed to destruction
War » Of extermination
Deuteronomy 20:18 (show verse)
so that they will not teach you to act in accordance with all the detestable practices which they have done [in worship and service] for their gods, and in this way cause you to sin against the Lord your God.
Deuteronomy 20:19 (show verse)
“When you besiege a city for a long time, making war against it in order to capture it, you shall not destroy its [fruit-bearing] trees by swinging an axe against them; for you may eat from them, and you shall not cut them down. For is the tree of the field a man, that it should be besieged (destroyed) by you?
Fort » Field fortifications
Fruit trees » Care for
Siege » Conducted by erecting embankments parallel to the walls of the besieged city
Sieges » The jews forbidden to cut down fruit trees for the purpose of
Trees » Laws concerning
Trees » The jews » Prohibited from cutting down fruit-bearing, for sieges
Fruit trees » Care for
Siege » Conducted by erecting embankments parallel to the walls of the besieged city
Sieges » The jews forbidden to cut down fruit trees for the purpose of
Trees » Laws concerning
Trees » The jews » Prohibited from cutting down fruit-bearing, for sieges
Deuteronomy 20:20 (show verse)
Only the trees which you know are not fruit trees shall you destroy and cut down, so that you may build siegeworks against the city that is making war with you until it falls.