Deuteronomy20

Deuteronomy 20 outlines the laws of warfare for Israel, emphasizing divine assurance in battle and specific exemptions for those who have recently built a house, planted a vineyard, betrothed a wife, or are fainthearted. It distinguishes between engaging distant cities, where peace may be offered, and the cities of the Canaanite nations, which are to be utterly destroyed. The chapter also includes a command to preserve fruit trees during a siege.
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Preparation and Divine Assurance in War

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;
4
For the LORD your God is he that goeth with you, to fight for you against your enemies, to save you. ​

Exemptions from Military Service

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.
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. ​
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.

Rules for Engaging Distant Cities

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.
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.

The Law of Utter Destruction (Herem)

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. ​

Rules Regarding Siege Warfare and Trees

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: ​
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.

Study Notes for Deuteronomy 20

Verse 1

The command 'be not afraid' is grounded not in Israel's military strength (horses and chariots) but in the historical and ongoing presence of Yahweh, their deliverer from Egypt.

Verse 2

The presence of the priest (likely the one anointed for war, Num 31:6) signifies that warfare for Israel is a holy activity, sanctioned and directed by the covenant God.

Verse 4

This verse provides the core theological assurance: the Lord Himself is the warrior (Exod 15:3), fighting on behalf of His people to secure their promised inheritance.

Verse 5

These exemptions prioritize the completion of essential life tasks (home, provision, family) and ensure the fulfillment of blessings promised under the covenant before risk is taken in battle.

Verse 8

This provision is a psychological safety measure, preventing the spread of cowardice and panic through the ranks, recognizing that fear is contagious and undermines the army's morale.

Verse 10

Even when approaching a hostile city, Israel must first offer terms of peace. This establishes a high ethical standard, demonstrating that conquest is secondary to peaceful submission.

Verse 13

For distant, non-Canaanite cities, the destruction of the male population eliminates the military threat, while the women and spoil are taken, distinguishing this type of warfare from the total destruction required for local Canaanites.

Verse 18

This clarifies the purpose of *herem* (utter destruction) for the Canaanite nations. The extreme measure is not arbitrary cruelty but a theological necessity to prevent religious contamination and idolatry from spreading into Israel.

Verse 19

This is one of the earliest recorded environmental preservation laws. The prohibition against cutting down fruit trees during a siege emphasizes the importance of future food security and resource stewardship, even amidst conflict.

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