Deuteronomy 20:7

What man is there who has pledged to be married a wife, and has not taken her? Let him go and return to his house, lest he die in the battle, and another man take her.”

World English Bible

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Other translations

WEBBE

What man is there who has pledged to be married to a wife, and has not taken her? Let him go and return to his house, lest he die in the battle, and another man take her.”

BSB

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.”

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.

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.

BBE

Or if any man is newly married and has had no sex relations with his wife, let him go back to his house, so that in the event of his death in the fight, another man may not take her.

Original Hebrew

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וּמִי־ u·mi- and who H4310 הָאִישׁ ha·'ish [is] the man H376 אֲשֶׁר־ 'a·sher- who H834 אֵרַשׂ 'e·ras he has betrothed H781 אִשָּׁה 'i·shah a woman H802 וְלֹא ve·lo' and not H3808 לְקָחָהּ le·ka·chah he has taken her H3947 יֵלֵךְ ye·lekh let him go H1980 וְיָשֹׁב ve·ya·sho and let him return H7725 לְבֵיתוֹ le·vei·to to house his H1004 פֶּן־ pen- lest H6435 יָמוּת ya·mut he should die H4191 בַּמִּלְחָמָה ba·mil·cha·mah in the battle H4421 וְאִישׁ ve·'ish and a man H376 אַחֵר 'a·cher another H312 יִקָּחֶנָּה yi·ka·che·nah he will take her H3947

Commentary

Matthew Henry · Verses 1–9

In the wars wherein Israel engaged according to the will of God, they might expect the Divine assistance. The Lord was to be their only confidence. In these respects they were types of the Christian's warfare. Those unwilling to fight, must be sent away. The unwillingness might arise from a man's outward condition. God would not be served by men forced against their will. Thy people shall be willing, Psa 110:3. In running the Christian race, and fighting the good fight of faith, we must lay aside all that would make us unwilling. If a man's unwillingness rose from weakness and fear, he had leave to return from the war. The reason here given is, lest his brethren's heart fail as well as his heart. We must take heed that we fear not with the fear of them that are afraid, Is 8:12.

Read Matthew Henry on Deuteronomy 20 →

Cross-references

Topics

Betrothal

Cross-references: Treasury of Scripture Knowledge. Hebrew and Greek data from STEPBible.org (Tyndale House, Cambridge), CC BY 4.0. Library: sources.