Treasury of Scripture Knowledge

Deuteronomy 20

48 catchwords328 parallels

← Deuteronomy | ← Ch 19 | Ch 21 →

Deuteronomy 20 . 1 , The priest’s exhortation to encourage the people to battle; Deuteronomy 20 . 5 , The officers’ proclamation of who are to be dismissed from the war; Deuteronomy 20 . 10 , How to use the cities that accept or refuse the proclamation of peace; Deuteronomy 20 . 16 , What cities must be devoted; Deuteronomy 20 . 19 , Trees of man’s meat must not be destroyed in the siege.

Deuteronomy 20:1

When you go out to war against your enemies and see horses, chariots, and an army larger than yours, do not be afraid of them; for the LORD your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, is with you.

Deuteronomy 20:1 · BSB

goest out3 parallels

horses12 parallels

the Lord18 parallels

Reciprocal17 parallels

Deuteronomy 20:2

When you are about to go into battle, the priest is to come forward and address the army,

Deuteronomy 20:2 · BSB

the whole verse9 parallels

Reciprocal1 parallel

Deuteronomy 20:3

saying to them, “Hear, O Israel, today you are going into battle with your enemies. Do not be fainthearted or afraid; do not be alarmed or terrified because of them.

Deuteronomy 20:3 · BSB

let not12 parallels

tremble1 parallel

Heb. make haste

be ye terrified13 parallels

Reciprocal13 parallels

faint Heb. be tender

Deuteronomy 20:4

For the LORD your God goes with you to fight for you against your enemies, to give you the victory.”

Deuteronomy 20:4 · BSB

to fight13 parallels

Reciprocal16 parallels

Deuteronomy 20:5

Furthermore, the officers are to address the army, saying, “Has any man built a new house and not dedicated it? Let him return home, or he may die in battle and another man dedicate it.

Deuteronomy 20:5 · BSB

the officers5 parallels

dedicated2 parallels

Reciprocal3 parallels

Deuteronomy 20:6

Has any man planted a vineyard and not begun to enjoy its fruit? Let him return home, or he may die in battle and another man enjoy its fruit.

Deuteronomy 20:6 · BSB

eaten of it4 parallels

Heb. made it common

lest he die2 parallels

Reciprocal3 parallels

Deuteronomy 20:7

Has any man become pledged to a woman and not married her? Let him return home, or he may die in battle and another man marry her.”

Deuteronomy 20:7 · BSB

betrothed a wife3 parallels

It was customary among the Jews to contract matrimony , espouse , or betroth , and for a considerable time to leave the parties in the houses of the respective parents; and when the bridegroom had made proper preparations , then the bride was brought home to his house , and the marriage consummated. The provisions in this #### Verse refer to a case of this kind; though the Jews extend it to him who had newly consummated his marriage , and even to him who had married his brother's wife. It was deemed a peculiar hardship for a person to be obliged to go to battle , who had left a house unfinished , newly purchased land half tilled , or a wife with whom he had just contracted marriage

lest he die3 parallels

Reciprocal1 parallel

Deuteronomy 20:8

Then the officers shall speak further to the army, saying, “Is any man afraid or fainthearted? Let him return home, so that the hearts of his brothers will not melt like his own.”

Deuteronomy 20:8 · BSB

fearful8 parallels

lest his brethren's4 parallels

faint2 parallels

Heb. melt

Reciprocal7 parallels

Deuteronomy 20:9

When the officers have finished addressing the army, they are to appoint commanders to lead it.

Deuteronomy 20:9 · BSB

to lead the people1 parallel

Heb. to be in the head of the people

Deuteronomy 20:10

When you approach a city to fight against it, you are to make an offer of peace.

Deuteronomy 20:10 · BSB

then proclaim9 parallels

Reciprocal7 parallels

Deuteronomy 20:11

If they accept your offer of peace and open their gates, all the people there will become forced laborers to serve you.

Deuteronomy 20:11 · BSB

the whole verse13 parallels

tributaries

Reciprocal9 parallels

Deuteronomy 20:13

When the LORD your God has delivered it into your hand, you must put every male to the sword.

Deuteronomy 20:13 · BSB

thou shalt smite11 parallels

Reciprocal1 parallel

Deuteronomy 20:14

But the women, children, livestock, and whatever else is in the city—all its spoil—you may take as plunder, and you shall use the spoil of your enemies that the LORD your God gives you.

Deuteronomy 20:14 · BSB

the women10 parallels

thou shalt eat1 parallel

Reciprocal4 parallels

take unto thyself Heb. spoil

Deuteronomy 20:15

This is how you are to treat all the cities that are far away from you and do not belong to the nations nearby.

Deuteronomy 20:15 · BSB

Reciprocal3 parallels

Deuteronomy 20:16

However, in the cities of the nations that the LORD your God is giving you as an inheritance, you must not leave alive anything that breathes.

Deuteronomy 20:16 · BSB

the whole verse14 parallels

Reciprocal14 parallels

Deuteronomy 20:17

For you must devote them to complete destruction—the Hittites, Amorites, Canaanites, Perizzites, Hivites, and Jebusites—as the LORD your God has commanded you,

Deuteronomy 20:17 · BSB

thou shalt6 parallels

the Hittites1 parallel

Reciprocal11 parallels

Deuteronomy 20:18

so that they cannot teach you to do all the detestable things they do for their gods, and so cause you to sin against the LORD your God.

Deuteronomy 20:18 · BSB

the whole verse17 parallels

Reciprocal3 parallels

Deuteronomy 20:19

When you lay siege to a city for an extended time while fighting against it to capture it, you must not destroy its trees by putting an axe to them, because you can eat their fruit. You must not cut them down. Are the trees of the field human, that you should besiege them?

Deuteronomy 20:19 · BSB

thou shalt not5 parallels

for the tree1 parallel

etc. or , for , O man , the tree of the field is to be employed in the siege , The original is exceedingly difficult. The LXX has it , "Is the tree in the field a man , to enter the trench before thee?" The Latin Vulgate . "For it is a tree , and not a man , neither can it increase the number of those who war against thee;" Onkelos , "For the tree of the field is not as a man , that it should come against thee in the siege;" and to the same purpose the Arabic , Philo , and Josephus who say , "If trees could speak , they would cry out , that it is unjust that they , who were no cause of the war , should suffer the miseries of it." However rendered , the sense is sufficiently clear , and it is a merciful provision to spare all the fruit trees for the support of both the besieged and besiegers

Reciprocal3 parallels

to employ etc. Heb. to go from before thee

Deuteronomy 20:20

But you may destroy the trees that you know do not produce fruit. Use them to build siege works against the city that is waging war against you, until it falls.

Deuteronomy 20:20 · BSB

thou shalt build7 parallels

Reciprocal2 parallels

be subdued Heb. come down

The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge is the classical cross-reference layer — centuries of catchword parallels beneath the site’s quotations, allusions, and echoes. Every reference above also flows into the wider web of connections.

In the wider web6 threads
Intertextuality Pairs
Allusions Joshua 9:14 → Deuteronomy 20:15, Joshua 9:6 → Deuteronomy 20:15
Trajectories
Divine Warrior (God Who Fights)
Longitudinal Themes
Divine Warrior
Chiasms
Shaped Deuteronomy 20:1–9, Deuteronomy 20:19–20
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