Lectionary Calendar
Thursday, July 10th, 2025
the Week of Proper 9 / Ordinary 14
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Read the Bible

Amplified Bible

Deuteronomy 20:9

"And it shall be when the officers have finished speaking to the soldiers, they shall appoint commanders of armies over them.

Bible Study Resources

Concordances:

- Nave's Topical Bible - Armies;   Captain;   Soldiers;   Thompson Chain Reference - Captains;   Torrey's Topical Textbook - Armies of Israel, the;  

Dictionaries:

- Charles Buck Theological Dictionary - Alms;   Fausset Bible Dictionary - Army;   War;   Hastings' Dictionary of the Bible - Crimes and Punishments;   Deuteronomy;   People's Dictionary of the Bible - Army;   Watson's Biblical & Theological Dictionary - Armies;   Writing;  

Encyclopedias:

- International Standard Bible Encyclopedia - Army;   Deuteronomy;   End;   The Jewish Encyclopedia - Anointing;   Judas Maccabeus;   Soṭah;   War;  

Parallel Translations

Christian Standard Bible®
When the officers have finished addressing the army, they will appoint military commanders to lead it.
Hebrew Names Version
It shall be, when the officers have made an end of speaking to the people, that they shall appoint captains of hosts at the head of the people.
King James Version
And it shall be, when the officers have made an end of speaking unto the people that they shall make captains of the armies to lead the people.
Lexham English Bible
And when the officials have finished speaking to the army troops, then they shall appoint commanders of divisions at the head of the troops.
English Standard Version
And when the officers have finished speaking to the people, then commanders shall be appointed at the head of the people.
New Century Version
When the officers finish speaking to the army, they should appoint commanders to lead it.
New English Translation
Then, when the officers have finished speaking, they must appoint unit commanders to lead the troops.
New American Standard Bible
"And when the officers have finished speaking to the people, they shall appoint commanders of armies at the head of the people.
Geneva Bible (1587)
And after that the officers haue made an ende of speaking vnto the people, they shal make captaines of the armie to gouerne the people.
Legacy Standard Bible
Now it will be that when the officers have finished speaking to the people, they shall appoint commanders of armies at the head of the people.
Contemporary English Version
When the officials are finished giving these orders, they will appoint officers to be in command of the army.
Complete Jewish Bible
When the officials have finished speaking with the soldiers, commanders are to be appointed to lead the army.
Darby Translation
And it shall be, when the officers have ended speaking unto the people, that they shall place captains of the hosts at the head of the people.
Easy-to-Read Version
Then, after the officers have finished speaking to the army, they must choose captains to lead the soldiers.
George Lamsa Translation
And when the scribes have made an end of speaking to the people, the commanders of the army shall stand at the head of the people.
Good News Translation
When the officers have finished speaking to the army, leaders are to be chosen for each unit.
Literal Translation
And it shall be, when the officers have finished speaking to the people, commanders of the armies shall be appointed at the head of the people.
Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
And whan the captaynes haue made an ende of speakinge vnto the people, they shall set the rulers of the hoost before the people in the fore fronte.
American Standard Version
And it shall be, when the officers have made an end of speaking unto the people, that they shall appoint captains of hosts at the head of the people.
Bible in Basic English
Then, after saying these words to the people, let the overseers put captains over the army.
Bishop's Bible (1568)
And when the officers haue made an ende of speakyng vnto the people, they shall make captaynes of the armie to gouerne the people.
JPS Old Testament (1917)
And it shall be, when the officers have made an end of speaking unto the people, that captains of hosts shall be appointed at the head of the people.
King James Version (1611)
And it shall be when the Officers haue made an end of speaking vnto the people, that they shall make Captaines of the armies to leade the people.
Brenton's Septuagint (LXX)
And it shall come to pass when the scribes shall have ceased speaking to the people, that they shall appoint generals of the army to be leaders of the people.
English Revised Version
And it shall be, when the officers have made an end of speaking unto the people, that they shall appoint captains of hosts at the head of the people.
Berean Standard Bible
When the officers have finished addressing the army, they are to appoint commanders to lead it.
Wycliffe Bible (1395)
And whanne the duykis of the oost ben stille, and han maad ende of speking, ech `of the princis and cheuenteyns of the oost schal make redie his cumpeneyes to batel.
Young's Literal Translation
and it hath come to pass as the authorities finish to speak unto the people, that they have appointed princes of the hosts at the head of the people.
Update Bible Version
And it shall be, when the officers have made an end of speaking to the people, that they shall appoint captains of hosts at the head of the people.
Webster's Bible Translation
And it shall be, when the officers have made an end of speaking to the people, that they shall make captains of the armies to lead the people.
World English Bible
It shall be, when the officers have made an end of speaking to the people, that they shall appoint captains of hosts at the head of the people.
New King James Version
And so it shall be, when the officers have finished speaking to the people, that they shall make captains of the armies to lead the people.
New Living Translation
When the officers have finished speaking to their troops, they will appoint the unit commanders.
New Life Bible
When the leaders have finished speaking to the people, they will choose heads of the army to lead the people.
New Revised Standard
When the officials have finished addressing the troops, then the commanders shall take charge of them.
J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
And it shall be, when the officers have made an end of speaking unto the people, then shall they appoint captains of hosts at the head of the people.
Douay-Rheims Bible
And when the captains of the army shall hold their peace, and have made an end of speaking, every man shall prepare their bands to fight.
Revised Standard Version
And when the officers have made an end of speaking to the people, then commanders shall be appointed at the head of the people.
THE MESSAGE
When the officers have finished speaking to the troops, let them appoint commanders of the troops who shall muster them by units.
New American Standard Bible (1995)
"When the officers have finished speaking to the people, they shall appoint commanders of armies at the head of the people.

Contextual Overview

1"When you go out to battle against your enemies and see horses and chariots and people more numerous than you, do not be afraid of them; for the LORD your God, who brought you up from the land of Egypt, is with you. 2"When you approach the battle, the priest shall come forward and speak to the people, 3and shall say to them, 'Hear, O Israel: you are advancing today to battle against your enemies. Do not lack courage. Do not be afraid, or panic, or tremble [in terror] before them, 4for the LORD your God is He who goes with you, to fight for you against your enemies, to save you.' 5"The officers shall also speak to the soldiers, saying, 'What man is there who has built a new house and has not yet dedicated it? Let him go and return to his house, otherwise he might die in the battle and another man would dedicate it. 6'What man has planted a vineyard and has not put it to use [harvesting its fruit]? Let him go and return to his house, otherwise he might die in the battle and another man would begin to use its fruit. 7'And who is the man who is engaged (legally promised) to a woman and has not married her? Let him go and return to his house, otherwise he might die in the battle and another man would marry her.' 8"Then the officers shall speak further to the soldiers and say, 'Who is the man who is afraid and lacks courage? Let him go and return to his house, so that he does not cause his brothers' courage to fail like his own.' 9"And it shall be when the officers have finished speaking to the soldiers, they shall appoint commanders of armies over them.

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

to lead the people: Heb. to be in the head of the people, Deuteronomy 20:9

Cross-References

Genesis 12:18
Then Pharaoh called Abram and said, "What is this that you have done to me? Why did you not tell me that she was your wife?
Genesis 20:10
And Abimelech said to Abraham, "What have you encountered or seen [in us or our customs], that you have done this [unjust] thing?"
Genesis 20:11
Abraham said, "Because I thought, 'Surely there is no fear or reverence of God in this place, and they will kill me because of my wife.'
Genesis 20:18
for the LORD had securely closed the wombs of all [the women] in Abimelech's household because of Sarah, Abraham's wife.
Genesis 26:10
Abimelech said, "What is this that you have done to us? One of the men [among our people] might easily have been intimate with your wife, and you would have brought guilt on us [before God]."
Genesis 34:7
Now when Jacob's sons heard of it they came in from the field; they were deeply grieved, and they were very angry, for Shechem had done a disgraceful thing to Israel by lying with Jacob's daughter, for such a thing is not to be done.
Genesis 38:24
About three months later Judah was told, "Tamar your daughter-in-law has played the [role of a] prostitute, and she is with child because of her immorality." So Judah said, "Bring her out and let her be burned [to death as punishment]!"
Genesis 39:9
"He is not greater in this house than I am, nor has he kept anything from me except you, because you are his wife. How then could I do this great evil and sin against God [and your husband]?"
Exodus 32:21
Then Moses said to Aaron, "What did this people do to you, that you have brought so great a sin on them?"
Exodus 32:35
So the LORD struck the people with a plague, because of what they had done with the calf which Aaron had made [for them].

Gill's Notes on the Bible

And it shall be, when the officers have made an end of speaking unto the people,.... By reciting what the anointed of war said unto them, and by speeches of their own framing, to encourage to the battle; and all were dismissed that had leave to depart, and chose to take it:

that they shall make captains of armies to lead on the people; on to battle; that is, either the officers should do this, which may seem to confirm what has been hinted, that they might be generals of the army, who constituted captains under them, to lead the people on to battle: unless this is to be understood of the princes of Israel, or of the king when they had one, and his ministers; for it does not appear in any instance that the people chose their own officers over them, to go out before them, and lead them on to battle; or "to be at the head of them" z; which the Jewish writers understand in a very different sense; not to head them, or be at the head of them, to direct and command them, but to keep them from deserting: their sense is, that the officers having dismissed persons in the circumstances before described, and set stout men before them, and others behind them (i.e. the army of the people), with iron hatchets in their hands, and every one that sought to return, they had power to cut off his legs; since flight is the beginning of falling before their enemies a.

z בראש העם "in capite populi", Pagninus, Montanus. a Misn. ut supra (Sotah, c. 8.), sect. 6.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

The meaning is that the “officers” should then subdivide the levies, and appoint leaders of the smaller divisions thus constituted.


 
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