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Deuteronomy 20:5

in Deuteronomy 20

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.

BSB

The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾

ASV

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.

KJV

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.

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This verse in Deuteronomy 20

Commentary

7 notes on this verse

A commentator

Clement of Alexandria

The Stromata Book 2 · Written before 215.

Again, the law in its humanity says that if a man has built a new house but has not yet moved in, or laid out a new vineyard but has not yet enjoyed the fruit, or become betrothed to a girl but has not yet married her, he is to be excused military service. This makes military sense, since we would be unenthusiastic in our military service if we were being pulled in the direction of the things we longed for. People expose themselves to danger without a second thought only if they are free in relation to natural impulses.

This site's exposition

And the officers shall speak unto the people

on Deuteronomy 20:5-9

Three men are sent home over things left unfinished: a new house not dedicated, a vineyard not eaten of, a wife betrothed and not taken. The reason given each time is the same, lest he die in the battle and another man have it, so the release guards the man's stake in the land rather than his life. 24:5 gives a newly married man a full year at home, and Albert Barnes reads the same one year limit into this list. The fourth case stands apart, since the fearful and fainthearted go home for the sake of the ranks, and Judges 7:3 has Gideon use those words and watch twenty and two thousand men leave.

The record, by era

The Puritans and the Awakening2 voices

And the officers shall speak unto the people,....

A commentator

Matthew Henry

1662–1714

Commentary on the Whole Bible (1710)

proposed

For this is the nature of all our worldly enjoyments, that they please us best at first; after a while we see the vanity of them. Some think that this dedication of their houses was a religious act, and that they took possession of them with prayers and praises, with a solemn devoting of themselves and all their enjoyments to the service and honour of God.

The Nineteenth Century3 voices

The officers dedicated it - See Exo 5:6 note. Compare the marginal references. The expression is appropriate, because various ceremonies of a religious kind were customary among the Jews on taking possession of a new house. The immunity conferred in this verse lasted, like that in Deu 20:7 (compare Deu 24:5), for one year.

A commentator

Jamieson, Fausset & Brown

1802–1910

Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)

And the officers shall speak unto the people--literally, Shoterim, who are called "scribes" or "overseers" (Ex 5:6). They might be keepers of the muster-roll, or perhaps rather military heralds, whose duty it was to announce the orders of the generals (2Ch 26:11).

A commentator

Adam Clarke

1762–1832

Commentary on the Bible · Written before 1832.

proposed

That hath built a new house, and hath not dedicated it? - From the title of Psa 30:1-12, - A Psalm or Song at the Dedication of the House of David - it is evident that it was a custom in Israel to dedicate a new house to God with prayer, praise, and thanksgiving; and this was done in order to secure the Divine presence and blessing, for no pious or sensible man could imagine he could dwell safely in a house that was not under the immediate protection of God. Hence it has been a custom in the most barbarous nations to consecrate a part of a new house to the deity they worshipped. The houses of the inhabitants of Bonny, in Africa, are generally divided into three apartments: one is a kind of state room or parlour; another serves for a common room, or kitchen; and the third is dedicated to the Juju, the serpent god, which they worship; for even those savages believe that in every house their god should have his temple! At the times of dedication among the Jews, besides prayer and praise, a feast was made, to which the relatives and neighbors were invited. Something of this custom is observed in some parts of our own country in what is called warming the house; but in these cases the feasting only is kept up - the prayer and praise forgotten! so that the dedication appears to be rather more to Bacchus than to Jehovah, the author of every good and perfect gift.

The words behind it

22 Hebrew words

Every Hebrew word of this verse in the order it stands, with what it means and the door to its own study. The last column counts the times a word stands in the whole Bible: the rarer the word, the more the places it appears belong together.

  • וְדִבְּר֣וּand they will say

    vediberuH1696 →1141 times

  • הַשֹּֽׁטְרִים֮the officials

    hashoterimH7860 →25 times

  • אֶל־to

    ʾel-H413 →5510 times

  • הָעָ֣םthe people

    haamH5971 →1873 times

  • לֵאמֹר֒<to> saying

    lemorH559 →5305 times

  • מִֽי־who?

    mi-H4310 →423 times

  • הָאִ֞ישׁ[is] the man

    haishH376 →1663 times

  • אֲשֶׁ֨רwho

    ʾasherH834 →5497 times

  • בָּנָ֤הhe has built

    banahH1129 →376 times

  • בַֽיִת־a house

    vayit-H1004 →2046 times

  • חָדָשׁ֙new

    chadashH2319 →53 times

  • וְלֹ֣אand not

    velo'H3808 →5168 times

  • חֲנָכ֔וֹhe has dedicated it

    chanakhoH2596 →

  • יֵלֵ֖ךְlet him go

    yelekhH1980 →1546 times

  • וְיָשֹׁ֣בand let him return

    veyashoH7725 →1056 times

  • לְבֵית֑וֹto house his

    leveitoH1004 →2046 times

  • פֶּן־lest

    pen-H6435 →133 times

  • יָמוּת֙he should die

    yamutH4191 →839 times

  • בַּמִּלְחָמָ֔הin the battle

    bamilchamahH4421 →320 times

  • וְאִ֥ישׁand a man

    veishH376 →1663 times

  • אַחֵ֖רanother

    ʾacherH312 →166 times

  • יַחְנְכֶֽנּוּ׃he will dedicate it

    yachnekhenuH2596 →

A shaded row is a word that stands 400 times or fewer in the Bible.

Related verses

9 in all, six open

The number beside each verse is how many compiled reference works tie it to this one. The strongest six stand open.

Nehemiah 12:27At the dedication of the wall of Jerusalem, the Levites were sought out from all their homes and brought to Jerusalem to celebrate the joyous dedication with thanksgiving and singing, accompanied by cymbals, harps, and lyres.5 worksPsalms 30:1I will exalt You, O LORD, for You have lifted me up and have not allowed my foes to rejoice over me.5 worksNumbers 7:10When the altar was anointed, the leaders approached with their offerings for its dedication and presented them before the altar.3 worksNehemiah 3:1At the Sheep Gate, Eliashib the high priest and his fellow priests began rebuilding. They dedicated it and installed its doors. After building as far as the Tower of the Hundred and the Tower of Hananel, they dedicated the wall.2 worksNumbers 31:14But Moses was angry with the officers of the army—the commanders of thousands and commanders of hundreds—who were returning from the battle.1 works1 Samuel 17:18Take also these ten portions of cheese to the commander of their unit. Check on the welfare of your brothers and bring back an assurance from them.1 works
The other 3 cross-references, with their words ▾
Numbers 31:48Then the officers who were over the units of the army—the commanders of thousands and of hundreds—approached Moses1 worksDeuteronomy 16:18You are to appoint judges and officials for your tribes in every town that the LORD your God is giving you. They are to judge the people with righteous judgment.1 worksDeuteronomy 1:15So I took the leaders of your tribes, wise and respected men, and appointed them as leaders over you—as commanders of thousands, of hundreds, of fifties, and of tens, and as officers for your tribes.1 works

The walk

8 stops

Each card is a verse this one points to, and under it the verses that one points to in turn. Where several paths arrive at the same place, that place is listed first: the text keeps returning to it.

  • Through

    Nehemiah 12:27

    At the dedication of the wall of Jerusalem, the Levites were sought out from all their homes and brought to Jerusalem to celebrate the joyous dedication with thanksgiving and singing, accompanied by cymbals, harps,…

    it leads to

    • 1 Chronicles 15:16

      David also told the leaders of the Levites to appoint their relatives as singers to lift up their voices with joy, accompanied by musical instruments—harps, lyres, and cymbals.

    • 1 Chronicles 15:28

      So all Israel brought up the ark of the covenant of the LORD with shouting, with the sounding of rams’ horns and trumpets, and with cymbals and the music of harps and lyres.

    • 2 Chronicles 5:13

      The trumpeters and singers joined together to praise and thank the LORD with one voice. They lifted up their voices, accompanied by trumpets, cymbals, and musical instruments, in praise to the LORD: “For He…

    • 2 Chronicles 29:30

      Then King Hezekiah and his officials ordered the Levites to sing praises to the LORD in the words of David and of Asaph the seer. So they sang praises with gladness and bowed their…

  • Through

    1 Samuel 17:18

    Take also these ten portions of cheese to the commander of their unit. Check on the welfare of your brothers and bring back an assurance from them.

    it leads to

    • Genesis 37:14

      Then Israel told him, “Go now and see how your brothers and the flocks are faring, and bring word back to me.” So he sent him off from the Valley of Hebron. And when…

    • 1 Samuel 16:20

      And Jesse took a donkey loaded with bread, a skin of wine, and one young goat, and sent them to Saul with his son David.

  • Through

    Deuteronomy 16:18

    You are to appoint judges and officials for your tribes in every town that the LORD your God is giving you. They are to judge the people with righteous judgment.

    it leads to

    • 1 Chronicles 23:4

      “Of these,” said David, “24,000 are to oversee the work of the house of the LORD, 6,000 are to be officers and judges,

    • Deuteronomy 21:2

      your elders and judges must come out and measure the distance from the victim to the neighboring cities.

Where this verse is studied

About Deuteronomy

Moses Comes Down from Mount Sinai, Gustave Doré, 1866. Public domain.
Moses Comes Down from Mount Sinai, Gustave Doré, 1866. Public domain.
Deuteronomy: the study guide →Read Deuteronomy 20 →

This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; Albert Barnes, Notes on the Old Testament; Albert Barnes, Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869); Clement of Alexandria, The Stromata Book 2; Jamieson, Fausset & Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763) and Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible.

Read on in Deuteronomy 20 →