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Deuteronomy 20
Deuteronomy 20:1
General Information:
Moses continues speaking to the people of Israel.
When you march out to battle against your enemies
"When you go out to fight in a war against your enemies"
see horses, chariots
People considered an army with many horses and chariots to be very strong. The full meaning of this statement can be made explicit. (See: rc://en/ta/man/jit/figs-explicit)
he who brought you up out of the land of Egypt
Yahweh brought the people from Egypt to Canaan. It was common to use the word "up" to refer to traveling from Egypt to Canaan. Alternate translation: "Yahweh who led you out from the land of Egypt"
Deuteronomy 20:2
General Information:
Moses continues speaking to the people of Israel.
speak to the people
"speak to the soldiers of Israel"
Deuteronomy 20:3
Do not let your hearts faint. Do not fear or tremble. Do not be afraid of them
These four expressions all mean the same thing and strongly emphasize that they are not to be afraid. If your language does not have four ways to express this concept, you may use less than four. (See: rc://en/ta/man/jit/figs-parallelism)
Do not let your hearts faint
Here "hearts" represents people's courage. For a heart to faint is an idiom that means "Do not be afraid." (See: rc://en/ta/man/jit/figs-metonymy and rc://en/ta/man/jit/figs-idiom)
Deuteronomy 20:4
Yahweh your God is the one who is going with you to fight for you against your enemies
Yahweh defeating the enemies of the people of Israel is spoken of as if Yahweh were a warrior who would fight along with the people of Israel. (See: rc://en/ta/man/jit/figs-metaphor)
to save you
"to give you victory"
Deuteronomy 20:5
General Information:
Moses says what the army officers must say to the people of Israel before a battle.
The officers must speak
One of the officers' jobs was to decide who could leave the army. The full meaning of this statement can be made explicit. (See: rc://en/ta/man/jit/figs-explicit)
What man is there ... Let him go and return to his house
"If any soldier here has built a new house and has not dedicated it, he should go back to his house"
so that he does not die in battle and another man dedicates it
The officer is describing a situation that could possibly happen to a soldier. If a man who did not dedicate his house died in battle, another man could dedicate the house. Alternate translation: "so that he will not die in battle, because if he dies, another man could dedicate it"
Deuteronomy 20:6
General Information:
Moses continues describing situations that allow a man to leave the military.
Is there anyone who has planted ... Let him go home
"If any soldier here has a new vineyard, but has not yet harvested its grapes, he should go back to his house"
so he will not die in battle and another man enjoy its fruit
The officer is describing a situation that could possibly happen to a soldier. If a soldier died in battle, another man could take the fruit from his garden. Alternate translation: "so that he will not die in battle, because if he dies, another man could harvest its fruit instead of him"
Deuteronomy 20:7
What man is there who is engaged to marry a woman ... Let him go home
"If any soldier here has promised to marry a woman, but has not yet married her, he should go back to his house"
so that he does not die in battle and another man marries her
The officer is describing a situation that could possibly happen to a soldier. If a man was engaged and died, another man could marry the woman, and the first man would not have any children. Alternate translation: "so that he will not die in battle, because if he dies, another man could marry her instead of him"
Deuteronomy 20:8
General Information:
Moses continues describing situations that allow a man to leave the military.
What man is there who is fearful or fainthearted? Let him go and return to his house
"If any soldier here is afraid and not brave, he should go back to his house"
fearful or fainthearted
Both of these words mean basically the same thing. Alternate translation: "afraid to fight in battle" (See: rc://en/ta/man/jit/figs-doublet)
his brother's heart does not melt like his own heart
This is an idiom. Alternate translation: "another Israelite does not become afraid like he is afraid" (See: rc://en/ta/man/jit/figs-idiom)
brother's heart ... his own heart
Here "heart" represents a person's courage. (See: rc://en/ta/man/jit/figs-metonymy)
Deuteronomy 20:9
they must appoint commanders over them
"the officers must appoint people to be commanders and to lead the people of Israel"
Deuteronomy 20:10
General Information:
Moses continues speaking to the people of Israel.
When you march up to attack a city
Here "city" represents the people. Alternate translation: "When you go to attack the people of a city" (See: rc://en/ta/man/jit/figs-metonymy)
make those people an offer of peace
"give the people in the city a chance to surrender"
Deuteronomy 20:11
open their gates to you
Here "gates" refers to the city gates. The phrase "open their gates to you" represents the people surrendering and allowing the Israelites to enter their city. Alternate translation: "let you enter their city peacefully" (See: rc://en/ta/man/jit/figs-metonymy)
all the people who are found in it
This can be stated in active form. Alternate translation: "all the people in the city" (See: rc://en/ta/man/jit/figs-activepassive)
must become forced labor for you
"must become your slaves"
Deuteronomy 20:12
But if it makes no offer of peace
Here "it" refers to the city which represents the people. Alternate translation: "But if the people of the city do not surrender" or "But if the people of the city do not accept your offer of peace" (See: rc://en/ta/man/jit/figs-metonymy)
Deuteronomy 20:13
General Information:
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Deuteronomy 20:14
the little ones
"the children"
all its spoil
"all the valuable things"
booty
These are the valuable things which people who win a battle take from the people they attacked.
Deuteronomy 20:15
all the cities
Here "cities" represents the people. Alternate translation: "all the people who live in cities" (See: rc://en/ta/man/jit/figs-metonymy)
Deuteronomy 20:16
General Information:
Moses continues speaking to the people of Israel.
In the cities of these peoples that Yahweh your God is giving you as an inheritance
The cities in Canaan that Yahweh is giving to the people is spoken of as if the cities were the people's inheritance. (See: rc://en/ta/man/jit/figs-metaphor)
you must save alive nothing that breathes
"you must not let any living thing stay alive." This can be stated in positive form. Alternate translation: "you must kill every living thing" (See: rc://en/ta/man/jit/figs-litotes)
Deuteronomy 20:17
you must completely destroy them
"you must completely destroy these people groups"
Deuteronomy 20:18
Do this so that they
"Destroy these nations so that they"
to act in any of their abominable ways ... their gods
"to act in abominable ways like the people in these nations have done with their gods"
If you do, you will sin against Yahweh your God
"If you act like these people, you will sin against Yahweh your God"
Deuteronomy 20:19
General Information:
Moses continues speaking to the people of Israel.
wage war
"fight in a war"
by wielding an ax against them
"by cutting down the trees with an ax"
For is the tree of the field a man whom you should besiege?
This rhetorical question is to remind the people of what they should already know. This question can be translated as a statement. Alternate translation: "For fruit trees are not people, so they are not your enemy." (See: rc://en/ta/man/jit/figs-rquestion)
Deuteronomy 20:20
you know are not trees for food
"you know are not trees that grow fruit to eat"
siege works
These are tools and structures, such as ladders and towers, that are needed to lay siege to a city.
until it falls
This is an idiom. Alternate translation: "until the people of the city lose the war" (See: rc://en/ta/man/jit/figs-idiom)
it falls
Here "it" refers to the city which represents the people of the city. (See: rc://en/ta/man/jit/figs-metonymy)