Deuteronomy 20:8
in Deuteronomy 20Then 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.”
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
And the officers shall speak further unto the people, and they shall say, What man is there that is fearful and faint-hearted? let him go and return unto his house, lest his brethren’s heart melt as his heart.
KJV
And the officers shall speak further unto the people, and they shall say, What man is there that is fearful and fainthearted? let him go and return unto his house, lest his brethren’s heart faint as well as his heart.
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This verse in Deuteronomy 20
Commentary
5 notes on this verseWhat man is there that is fearful and faint - hearted? - The original רך rach, signifies tender or soft-hearted. And a soft heart the man must have who, in such a contest, after such a permission, could turn his back upon his enemies and his brethren. However, such were the troops commanded by Gideon in his war against the Midianites; for after he gave this permission, out of 32,000 men only 10,000 remained to fight! Jdg 7:
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 further unto the people,....
This is the reason here given: Lest his brethren's heart fail as well as his heart. Fear is catching, and in an army is of most pernicious consequence.
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
20 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| וְיָסְפ֣וּ | veyasefu | and they will repeat | H3254 → | 212 times |
| הַשֹּׁטְרִים֮ | hashoterim | the officials | H7860 → | 25 times |
| לְדַבֵּ֣ר | ledaber | to speak | H1696 → | 1141 times |
| אֶל־ | ʾel- | to | H413 → | 5510 times |
| הָעָם֒ | haam | the people | H5971 → | 1873 times |
| וְאָמְר֗וּ | veameru | and they will say | H559 → | 5305 times |
| מִי־ | mi- | who? | H4310 → | 423 times |
| הָאִ֤ישׁ | haish | [is] the man | H376 → | 1663 times |
| הַיָּרֵא֙ | haiyare' | <the> fearful | H3373 → | |
| וְרַ֣ךְ | verakh | and [the] weak of | H7390 → | 16 times |
| הַלֵּבָ֔ב | halevav | <the> heart | H3824 → | 252 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 |
| וְלֹ֥א | velo' | and not | H3808 → | 5168 times |
| יִמַּ֛ס | yimas | it will be melted | H4549 → | |
| אֶת־ | ʾet- | <obj.> | H853 → | 10935 times |
| לְבַ֥ב | levav | [the] heart of | H3824 → | 252 times |
| אֶחָ֖יו | ʾechav | countrymen his | H251 → | 630 times |
| כִּלְבָבֽוֹ׃ | kilvavo | like heart his | H3824 → | 252 times |
וְיָסְפ֣וּand they will repeat
veyasefuH3254 →212 times
הַשֹּׁטְרִים֮the officials
hashoterimH7860 →25 times
לְדַבֵּ֣רto speak
ledaberH1696 →1141 times
אֶל־to
ʾel-H413 →5510 times
הָעָם֒the people
haamH5971 →1873 times
וְאָמְר֗וּand they will say
veameruH559 →5305 times
מִי־who?
mi-H4310 →423 times
הָאִ֤ישׁ[is] the man
haishH376 →1663 times
הַיָּרֵא֙<the> fearful
haiyare'H3373 →
וְרַ֣ךְand [the] weak of
verakhH7390 →16 times
הַלֵּבָ֔ב<the> heart
halevavH3824 →252 times
יֵלֵ֖ךְlet him go
yelekhH1980 →1546 times
וְיָשֹׁ֣בand let him return
veyashoH7725 →1056 times
לְבֵית֑וֹto house his
leveitoH1004 →2046 times
וְלֹ֥אand not
velo'H3808 →5168 times
יִמַּ֛סit will be melted
yimasH4549 →
אֶת־<obj.>
ʾet-H853 →10935 times
לְבַ֥ב[the] heart of
levavH3824 →252 times
אֶחָ֖יוcountrymen his
ʾechavH251 →630 times
כִּלְבָבֽוֹ׃like heart his
kilvavoH3824 →252 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
Revelation 21:8But to the cowardly and unbelieving and abominable and murderers and sexually immoral and sorcerers and idolaters and all liars, their place will be in the lake that burns with fire and sulfur. This…
it leads to
- 1 Corinthians 6:9–10
Do you not know that the wicked will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: Neither the sexually immoral, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor men who submit to or perform homosexual…
- Revelation 2:11
He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. The one who overcomes will not be harmed by the second death.
- Ephesians 5:5–6
For of this you can be sure: No immoral, impure, or greedy person (that is, an idolater), has any inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and of God.
- Revelation 22:15
But outside are the dogs, the sorcerers, the sexually immoral, the murderers, the idolaters, and everyone who loves and practices falsehood.
- Revelation 20:14–15
Then Death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire. This is the second death—the lake of fire.
- 1 Corinthians 6:9–10
Through
Judges 7:3Now, therefore, proclaim in the hearing of the people: ‘Whoever is fearful and trembling may turn back and leave Mount Gilead.’” So twenty-two thousand of them turned back, but ten thousand remained.
it leads to
- Revelation 17:14
They will make war against the Lamb, and the Lamb will triumph over them, because He is Lord of lords and King of kings; and He will be accompanied by His called and chosen…
- Revelation 17:14
Through
Deuteronomy 1:28Where can we go? Our brothers have made our hearts melt, saying: ‘The people are larger and taller than we are; the cities are large, with walls up to the heavens. We even saw…
it leads to
- Deuteronomy 9:1–2
Hear, O Israel: Today you are about to cross the Jordan to go in and dispossess nations greater and stronger than you, with large cities fortified to the heavens.
- Numbers 13:28–33
Nevertheless, the people living in the land are strong, and the cities are large and fortified. We even saw the descendants of Anak there.
- Deuteronomy 9:1–2
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.
