Passage

Deuteronomy 20

Book: Deuteronomy · NASB95

Immediate context (±2 verses)

ASV (ASV)

"1. When thou goest forth to battle against thine enemies, and seest horses, and chariots, and a people more than thou, thou shalt not be afraid of them; for Jehovah thy God is with thee, who brought thee up out of the land of Egypt. 2. And it shall be, when ye draw nigh unto the battle, that the priest shall approach and speak unto the people, 3. and shall say unto them, Hear, O Israel, ye draw nigh this day unto battle against your enemies: let not your heart faint; fear not, nor tremble, neither be ye affrighted at them; 4. for Jehovah your God is he that goeth with you, to fight for you against your enemies, to save you. 5. And the officers shall speak unto the people, saying, What man is there that hath built a new house, and hath not dedicated it? let him go and return to his house, lest he die in the battle, and another man dedicate it. 6. And 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. 7. And 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. 8. 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. 9. And 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. 10. When thou drawest nigh unto a city to fight against it, then proclaim peace unto it. 11. And it shall be, if it make thee answer of peace, and open unto thee, then it shall be, that all the people that are found therein shall become tributary unto thee, and shall serve thee. 12. And if it will make no peace with thee, but will make war against thee, then thou shalt besiege it: 13. and when Jehovah thy God delivereth it into thy hand, thou shalt smite every male thereof with the edge of the sword: 14. but the women, and the little ones, and the cattle, and all that is in the city, even all the spoil thereof, shalt thou take for a prey unto thyself; and thou shalt eat the spoil of thine enemies, which Jehovah thy God hath given thee. 15. Thus shalt thou do unto all the cities which are very far off from thee, which are not of the cities of these nations. 16. But of the cities of these peoples, that Jehovah thy God giveth thee for an inheritance, thou shalt save alive nothing that breatheth; 17. but thou shalt utterly destroy them: the Hittite, and the Amorite, the Canaanite, and the Perizzite, the Hivite, and the Jebusite; as Jehovah thy God hath commanded thee; 18. that they teach you not to do after all their abominations, which they have done unto their gods; so would ye sin against Jehovah your God. 19. When thou shalt besiege a city a long time, in making war against it to take it, thou shalt not destroy the trees thereof by wielding an axe against them; for thou mayest eat of them, and thou shalt not cut them down; for is the tree of the field man, that it should be besieged of thee? 20. Only the trees of which thou knowest that they are not trees for food, thou shalt destroy and cut them down; and thou shalt build bulwarks against the city that maketh war with thee, until it fall." (Deuteronomy 20:1-20, ASV)

WEB (WEB)

"1. When you go out to battle against your enemies, and see horses, chariots, and a people more than you, you shall not be afraid of them; for Yahweh your God is with you, who brought you up out of the land of Egypt. 2. It shall be, when you draw near to the battle, that the priest shall approach and speak to the people, 3. and shall tell them, “Hear, Israel, you draw near today to battle against your enemies. Don’t let your heart faint! Don’t be afraid, nor tremble, neither be scared of them; 4. for Yahweh your God is he who goes with you, to fight for you against your enemies, to save you.” 5. The officers shall speak to the people, saying, “What man is there who has built a new house, and has not dedicated it? Let him go and return to his house, lest he die in the battle, and another man dedicate it. 6. What man is there who has planted a vineyard, and has not used its fruit? Let him go and return to his house, lest he die in the battle, and another man use its fruit. 7. What man is there who has pledged to be married a wife, and has not taken her? Let him go and return to his house, lest he die in the battle, and another man take her.” 8. The officers shall speak further to the people, and they shall say, “What man is there who is fearful and faint-hearted? Let him go and return to his house, lest his brother’s heart melt as his heart.” 9. It shall be, when the officers have finished speaking to the people, that they shall appoint captains of armies at the head of the people. 10. When you draw near to a city to fight against it, then proclaim peace to it. 11. It shall be, if it makes you answer of peace, and opens to you, then it shall be, that all the people who are found therein shall become forced laborers to you, and shall serve you. 12. If it will make no peace with you, but will make war against you, then you shall besiege it. 13. When Yahweh your God delivers it into your hand, you shall strike every male of it with the edge of the sword; 14. but the women, the little ones, the livestock, and all that is in the city, even all its plunder, you shall take for plunder for yourself. You may use the plunder of your enemies, which Yahweh your God has given you. 15. Thus you shall do to all the cities which are very far off from you, which are not of the cities of these nations. 16. But of the cities of these peoples, that Yahweh your God gives you for an inheritance, you shall save alive nothing that breathes; 17. but you shall utterly destroy them: the Hittite, the Amorite, the Canaanite, the Perizzite, the Hivite, and the Jebusite; as Yahweh your God has commanded you; 18. that they not teach you to follow all their abominations, which they have done to their gods; so would you sin against Yahweh your God. 19. When you shall besiege a city a long time, in making war against it to take it, you shall not destroy its trees by wielding an ax against them; for you may eat of them. You shall not cut them down; for is the tree of the field man, that it should be besieged by you? 20. Only the trees that you know are not trees for food, you shall destroy and cut them down. You shall build bulwarks against the city that makes war with you, until it falls." (Deuteronomy 20:1-20, WEB)

KJV (KJV)

"1. When thou goest out to battle against thine enemies, and seest horses, and chariots, and a people more than thou, be not afraid of them: for the LORD thy God is with thee, which brought thee up out of the land of Egypt. 2. And it shall be, when ye are come nigh unto the battle, that the priest shall approach and speak unto the people, 3. 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; ^{faint: Heb. be tender} ^{tremble: Heb. make haste} 4. For the LORD your God is he that goeth with you, to fight for you against your enemies, to save you. 5. And the officers shall speak unto the people, saying, What man is there that hath built a new house, and hath not dedicated it? let him go and return to his house, lest he die in the battle, and another man dedicate it. 6. And what man is he that hath planted a vineyard, and hath not yet eaten of it? let him also go and return unto his house, lest he die in the battle, and another man eat of it. ^{eaten: Heb. made it common} 7. And 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. 8. 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. ^{faint: Heb. melt} 9. And it shall be, when the officers have made an end of speaking unto the people, that they shall make captains of the armies to lead the people. ^{to lead: Heb. to be in the head of the people} 10. When thou comest nigh unto a city to fight against it, then proclaim peace unto it. 11. And it shall be, if it make thee answer of peace, and open unto thee, then it shall be, that all the people that is found therein shall be tributaries unto thee, and they shall serve thee. 12. And if it will make no peace with thee, but will make war against thee, then thou shalt besiege it: 13. And when the LORD thy God hath delivered it into thine hands, thou shalt smite every male thereof with the edge of the sword: 14. But the women, and the little ones, and the cattle, and all that is in the city, even all the spoil thereof, shalt thou take unto thyself; and thou shalt eat the spoil of thine enemies, which the LORD thy God hath given thee. ^{take: Heb. spoil} 15. Thus shalt thou do unto all the cities which are very far off from thee, which are not of the cities of these nations. 16. But of the cities of these people, which the LORD thy God doth give thee for an inheritance, thou shalt save alive nothing that breatheth: 17. But thou shalt utterly destroy them; namely, the Hittites, and the Amorites, the Canaanites, and the Perizzites, the Hivites, and the Jebusites; as the LORD thy God hath commanded thee: 18. That they teach you not to do after all their abominations, which they have done unto their gods; so should ye sin against the LORD your God. 19. When thou shalt besiege a city a long time, in making war against it to take it, thou shalt not destroy the trees thereof by forcing an axe against them: for thou mayest eat of them, and thou shalt not cut them down (for the tree of the field is man's life ) to employ them in the siege: ^{for the: or, for, O man, the tree of the field is to be employed in the siege} ^{to employ: Heb. to go from before thee} 20. Only the trees which thou knowest that they be not trees for meat, thou shalt destroy and cut them down; and thou shalt build bulwarks against the city that maketh war with thee, until it be subdued. ^{it: Heb. it come down}" (Deuteronomy 20:1-20, KJV)

YLT (YLT)

"1. 'When thou goest out to battle against thine enemy, and hast seen horse and chariot, a people more numerous than thou, thou art not afraid of them, for Jehovah thy God [is] with thee, who is bringing thee up out of the land of Egypt; 2. and it hath been, in your drawing near unto the battle, that the priest hath come nigh, and spoken unto the people, 3. and said unto them, Hear, Israel, ye are drawing near to-day to battle against your enemies, let not your hearts be tender, fear not, nor make haste, nor be terrified at their presence, 4. for Jehovah your God [is] He who is going with you, to fight for you with your enemies, to save you. 5. 'And the authorities have spoken unto the people, saying, Who [is] the man that hath built a new house, and hath not dedicated it?, let him go and turn back to his house, lest he die in battle, and another man dedicate it. 6. 'And who [is] the man that hath planted a vineyard, and hath not made it common?, let him go and turn back to his house, lest he die in battle, and another man make it common. 7. 'And who [is] the man that hath betrothed a woman, and hath not taken her?, let him go and turn back to his house, lest he die in battle, and another man take her. 8. 'And the authorities have added to speak unto the people, and said, Who [is] the man that is afraid and tender of heart?, let him go and turn back to his house, and the heart of his brethren doth not melt like his heart; 9. and it hath come to pass as the authorities finish to speak unto the people, that they have appointed princes of the hosts at the head of the people. 10. 'When thou drawest near unto a city to fight against it, then thou hast called unto it for Peace, 11. and it hath been, if Peace it answer thee, and hath opened to thee, then it hath come to pass, all the people who are found in it are to thee for tributaries, and have served thee. 12. 'And if it doth not make peace with thee, and hath made with thee war, then thou hast laid siege against it, 13. and Jehovah thy God hath given it into thy hand, and thou hast smitten every male of it by the mouth of the sword. 14. Only, the women, and the infants, and the cattle, and all that is in the city, all its spoil, thou dost seize for thyself, and thou hast eaten the spoil of thine enemies which Jehovah thy God hath given to thee. 15. So thou dost do to all the cities which are very far off from thee, which are not of the cities of these nations. 16. 'Only, of the cities of these peoples which Jehovah thy God is giving to thee [for] an inheritance, thou dost not keep alive any breathing; 17. for thou dost certainly devote the Hittite, and the Amorite, the Canaanite, and the Perizzite, the Hivite, and the Jebusite, as Jehovah thy God hath commanded thee, 18. so that they teach you not to do according to all their abominations which they have done to their gods, and ye have sinned against Jehovah your God. 19. 'When thou layest siege unto a city many days, to fight against it, to capture it, thou dost not destroy its trees to force an axe against them, for of them thou dost eat, and them thou dost not cut down, for man's [is] the tree of the field, to go in at thy presence in the siege. 20. Only, the tree, which thou knowest that it [is] not a fruit-tree, it thou dost destroy, and hast cut down, and hast built a bulwark against the city which is making with thee war till thou hast subdued it." (Deuteronomy 20:1-20, YLT)

Setting

Speaker: TBD
Audience: TBD
Location: TBD
Time period: TBD

Theological reading

Patristic / early-church-father exegesis, to be added.

Key words

Theologically-loaded Greek or Hebrew words in this verse may have entries in the lexicon. Curated to roughly 100 contested terms across the corpus, not every word; see Lexicon Roadmap.

TBD
TBD
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Quoted in

Why these four translations

ris3n chose ASV, WEB, KJV, and YLT for two reasons together. They are the most literal English translations available (formal-equivalence: word-for-word renderings that preserve the Hebrew and Greek grammar rather than smoothing it into modern dynamic-equivalence idiom). And they are in the public domain in the United States, which means fair-use quotation at any length requires no publisher license. Modern licensed translations (NASB95, ESV, NIV) restrict volume of quotation under their copyright terms, so they are not used at stub-level coverage here. NASB95 appears only on hand-curated rich passage hubs under Lockman Foundation's fair-use allowance.

The four:

ASV (American Standard Version, 1901). The basis of the modern critical-text English tradition.
WEB (World English Bible, contemporary). Public-domain revision in the ASV line, in current English.
KJV (King James Version, 1611). Reformation-era, Textus Receptus base.
YLT (Young's Literal Translation, Robert Young, 1862). Hyper-literal preservation of Hebrew and Greek grammar; useful for word-study work even where English reads stiff.

See Bibles for the full per-translation history, translators, textual basis, strengths, and weaknesses.