20:1 When a 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.
(a) Meaning, upon just occasion: for God does not permit
his people to fight every time it seems good to them.
20:4 For the LORD your God [is] he that b goeth with you, to
fight for you against your enemies, to save you.
(b) Is present to defend you with his grace and power.
20:5 And the officers shall speak unto the people, saying, What
man [is there] that hath built a new house, and hath not
c dedicated it? let him go and return to his house, lest
he die in the battle, and another man dedicate it.
(c) For when they first entered to dwell in a house, they
gave thanks to God, acknowledging that they had that
benefit by his grace.
20:6 And what man [is he] that hath planted a vineyard, and hath
not [yet] d eaten of it? let him [also] go and return
unto his house, lest he die in the battle, and another man
eat of it.
(d) The Hebrew word signifies to make common or profane,
(Le 19:25)
20:11 And it shall be, if it make thee answer of e 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.
(e) If it accept peace.
20:15 Thus shalt thou do unto all the cities [which are] very
far off from thee, which [are] not of the cities of these
f nations.
(f) For God had appointed the Canaanites to be destroyed,
and made the Israelites the executers of his will,
(De 7:1).
20:19 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 g
tree of the field [is] man's [life]) to employ [them] in
the siege:
(g) Some read: For man shall be instead of the tree of the
field, to come out in the siege against you.
