Deuteronomy 20:7
in Deuteronomy 20Has 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.”
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
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.
KJV
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.
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This verse in Deuteronomy 20
Commentary
5 notes on this verseBetrothed a wife, and hath not taken her? - It was customary among the Jews to contract matrimony, espouse or betroth, and for some considerable time to leave the parties in the houses of their respective parents: when the bridegroom had made proper preparations, then the bride was brought home to his house, and thus the marriage was consummated.
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 what man is there that hath betrothed a wife, and hath not taken her?....
And God would not be served in his wars by pressed men, that were forced into the army against their will, but they must all be perfectly volunteers. 3 , Thy people shall be willing. In running the Christian race, and fighting the good fight of faith, we must lay aside every weight, and all that which would clog and divert our minds and make us unwilling.
The Nineteenth Century1 voice
A commentator
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown1802–1910
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).
The words behind it
16 Hebrew wordsEvery 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.
| Hebrew | Sound | Meaning | Word study | In the Bible |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| וּמִֽי־ | umi- | and who? | H4310 → | 423 times |
| הָאִ֞ישׁ | haish | [is] the man | H376 → | 1663 times |
| אֲשֶׁר־ | ʾasher- | who | H834 → | 5497 times |
| אֵרַ֤שׂ | ʾeras | he has betrothed | H781 → | 11 times |
| אִשָּׁה֙ | ʾishah | a woman | H802 → | 781 times |
| וְלֹ֣א | velo' | and not | H3808 → | 5168 times |
| לְקָחָ֔הּ | lekachah | he has taken her | H3947 → | 966 times |
| יֵלֵ֖ךְ | yelekh | let him go | H1980 → | 1546 times |
| וְיָשֹׁ֣ב | veyasho | and let him return | H7725 → | 1056 times |
| לְבֵית֑וֹ | leveito | to house his | H1004 → | 2046 times |
| פֶּן־ | pen- | lest | H6435 → | 133 times |
| יָמוּת֙ | yamut | he should die | H4191 → | 839 times |
| בַּמִּלְחָמָ֔ה | bamilchamah | in the battle | H4421 → | 320 times |
| וְאִ֥ישׁ | veish | and a man | H376 → | 1663 times |
| אַחֵ֖ר | ʾacher | another | H312 → | 166 times |
| יִקָּחֶֽנָּה׃ | yikachenah | he will take her | H3947 → | 966 times |
וּמִֽי־and who?
umi-H4310 →423 times
הָאִ֞ישׁ[is] the man
haishH376 →1663 times
אֲשֶׁר־who
ʾasher-H834 →5497 times
אֵרַ֤שׂhe has betrothed
ʾerasH781 →11 times
אִשָּׁה֙a woman
ʾishahH802 →781 times
וְלֹ֣אand not
velo'H3808 →5168 times
לְקָחָ֔הּhe has taken her
lekachahH3947 →966 times
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
יִקָּחֶֽנָּה׃he will take her
yikachenahH3947 →966 times
A shaded row is a word that stands 400 times or fewer in the Bible.
The walk
8 stopsEach 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
2 Timothy 2:4A soldier refrains from entangling himself in civilian affairs, in order to please the one who enlisted him.
it leads to
- 1 Thessalonians 2:4
Instead, we speak as those approved by God to be entrusted with the gospel, not in order to please men but God, who examines our hearts.
- Luke 8:14
The seeds that fell among the thorns are those who hear, but as they go on their way, they are choked by the worries, riches, and pleasures of this life, and their fruit does…
- 2 Peter 2:20
If indeed they have escaped the corruption of the world through the knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, only to be entangled and overcome by it again, their final condition is worse…
- 1 Corinthians 9:25–26
Everyone who competes in the games trains with strict discipline. They do it for a crown that is perishable, but we do it for a crown that is imperishable.
- 1 Corinthians 7:22–23
For he who was a slave when he was called by the Lord is the Lord’s freedman. Conversely, he who was a free man when he was called is Christ’s slave.
- 1 Thessalonians 2:4
Through
Matthew 1:18This is how the birth of Jesus Christ came about: His mother Mary was pledged in marriage to Joseph, but before they came together, she was found to be with child through the Holy…
it leads to
- Galatians 4:4–5
But when the time had fully come, God sent His Son, born of a woman, born under the law,
- Luke 1:27–38
to a virgin pledged in marriage to a man named Joseph, who was of the house of David. And the virgin’s name was Mary.
- Job 14:4
Who can bring out clean from unclean? No one!
- Galatians 4:4–5
Where this verse is studied
On this page
Studies1
About Deuteronomy

This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; Albert Barnes, Notes on the Old Testament; 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.
