Deuteronomy 20:2

English Standard Version

And when you draw near to the battle, the priest shall come forward and speak to the people

Parallel Translations

Christian Standard Bible®
When you are about to engage in battle, the priest is to come forward and address the army.

Hebrew Names Version
It shall be, when you draw near to the battle, that the Kohen shall approach and speak to the people,

King James Version
And it shall be, when ye are come nigh unto the battle, that the priest shall approach and speak unto the people,

Lexham English Bible
And then when you approach the battle, then the priest shall come near and speak to the troops.

New Century Version
The priest must come and speak to the army before you go into battle.

New English Translation
As you move forward for battle, the priest will approach and say to the soldiers,

Amplified Bible
"When you approach the battle, the priest shall come forward and speak to the people,

New American Standard Bible
"When you are approaching the battle, the priest shall come forward and speak to the people.

Geneva Bible (1587)
And when ye are come nere vnto the battel, then the Priest shal come forth to speake vnto the people,

Legacy Standard Bible
Now it will be, when you are drawing near to the battle, the priest shall approach and speak to the people.

Contemporary English Version
Before you march into battle, a priest will go to the front of the army

Complete Jewish Bible
When you are about to go into battle, the cohen is to come forward and address the people.

Darby Translation
And it shall be, when ye approach unto the battle, that the priest shall draw near and speak unto the people,

Easy-to-Read Version
"When you go to the battle, the priest must go to the soldiers and speak to them.

George Lamsa Translation
And when you come near to the battle, the priest shall approach and speak to the people,

Good News Translation
Before you start fighting, a priest is to come forward and say to the army,

Literal Translation
And it shall be, when you draw near to battle, the priest shall come and speak to the people,

Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
Now wha ye are come nye vnto the battayll, the prest shal steppe forth, & speake to the people,

American Standard Version
And it shall be, when ye draw nigh unto the battle, that the priest shall approach and speak unto the people,

Bible in Basic English
And when you are on the point of attacking, let the priest come forward and say to the people,

Bishop's Bible (1568)
And when ye are come nye vnto battayle, ye priest shall come foorth to speake vnto the people,

JPS Old Testament (1917)
And it shall be, when ye draw nigh unto the battle, that the priest shall approach and speak unto the people,

King James Version (1611)
And it shall bee when ye are come nigh vnto the battell, that the Priest shall approach and speake vnto the people,

Brenton's Septuagint (LXX)
And it shall come to pass whenever thou shalt draw nigh to battle, that the priest shall draw nigh and speak to the people, and shall say to them,

English Revised Version
And it shall be, when ye draw nigh unto the battle, that the priest shall approach and speak unto the people,

Berean Standard Bible
When you are about to go into battle, the priest is to come forward and address the army,

Wycliffe Bible (1395)
Sotheli whanne the batel neiyeth now, the preest schal stonde bifor the scheltrun, and thus he schal speke to the puple,

Young's Literal Translation
and it hath been, in your drawing near unto the battle, that the priest hath come nigh, and spoken unto the people,

Update Bible Version
And it shall be, when you draw near to the battle, that the priest shall approach and speak to the people,

Webster's Bible Translation
And it shall be when ye are come nigh to the battle, that the priest shall approach and speak to the people,

World English Bible
It shall be, when you draw near to the battle, that the priest shall approach and speak to the people,

New King James Version
So it shall be, when you are on the verge of battle, that the priest shall approach and speak to the people.

New Living Translation
When you prepare for battle, the priest must come forward to speak to the troops.

New Life Bible
When you are coming near the battle, the religious leader will come near and speak to the people.

New Revised Standard
Before you engage in battle, the priest shall come forward and speak to the troops,

J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
And it shall be, when ye are coming nigh unto the battle, that the priest shall approach and speak unto the people;

Douay-Rheims Bible
And when the battle is now at hand, the priest shall stand before the army, and shall speak to the people in this manner:

Revised Standard Version
And when you draw near to the battle, the priest shall come forward and speak to the people,

New American Standard Bible (1995)
"When you are approaching the battle, the priest shall come near and speak to the people.

Contextual Overview

¹ "When you go out to war against your enemies, and see horses and chariots and an army larger than your own, you shall not be afraid of them, for the Lord your God is with you, who brought you up out of the land of Egypt. ² And when you draw near to the battle, the priest shall come forward and speak to the people ³ and shall say to them, ‘Hear, O Israel, today you are drawing near for battle against your enemies: let not your heart faint. Do not fear or panic or be in dread of them, ⁴ for the Lord your God is he who goes with you to fight for you against your enemies, to give you the victory.' ⁵ Then the officers shall speak to the people, saying, ‘Is there any man who has built a new house and has not dedicated it? Let him go back to his house, lest he die in the battle and another man dedicate it. ⁶ And is there any man who has planted a vineyard and has not enjoyed its fruit? Let him go back to his house, lest he die in the battle and another man enjoy its fruit. ⁷ And is there any man who has betrothed a wife and has not taken her? Let him go back to his house, lest he die in the battle and another man take her.' ⁸ And the officers shall speak further to the people, and say, ‘Is there any man who is fearful and fainthearted? Let him go back to his house, lest he make the heart of his fellows melt like his own.' ⁹ And when the officers have finished speaking to the people, then commanders shall be appointed at the head of the people.

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

Numbers 10:8, Numbers 10:9, Numbers 31:6, Judges 20:27, Judges 20:28, 1 Samuel 14:18, 1 Samuel 30:7, 1 Samuel 30:8, 2 Chronicles 13:12

Reciprocal: Joshua 6:6 - Take up the ark

Cross-References

Genesis 12:15
And when the princes of Pharaoh saw her, they praised her to Pharaoh. And the woman was taken into Pharaoh's house.

Genesis 20:11
Abraham said, "I did it because I thought, ‘There is no fear of God at all in this place, and they will kill me because of my wife.'

Genesis 20:12
Besides, she is indeed my sister, the daughter of my father though not the daughter of my mother, and she became my wife.

Genesis 20:13
And when God caused me to wander from my father's house, I said to her, ‘This is the kindness you must do me: at every place to which we come, say of me, "He is my brother."'"

Genesis 26:1
Now there was a famine in the land, besides the former famine that was in the days of Abraham. And Isaac went to Gerar to Abimelech king of the Philistines.

Genesis 26:7
When the men of the place asked him about his wife, he said, "She is my sister," for he feared to say, "My wife," thinking, "lest the men of the place should kill me because of Rebekah," because she was attractive in appearance.

Genesis 26:16
And Abimelech said to Isaac, "Go away from us, for you are much mightier than we."

2 Chronicles 19:2
But Jehu the son of Hanani the seer went out to meet him and said to King Jehoshaphat, "Should you help the wicked and love those who hate the Lord ? Because of this, wrath has gone out against you from the Lord .

2 Chronicles 20:37
Then Eliezer the son of Dodavahu of Mareshah prophesied against Jehoshaphat, saying, "Because you have joined with Ahaziah, the Lord will destroy what you have made." And the ships were wrecked and were not able to go to Tarshish.

2 Chronicles 32:31
And so in the matter of the envoys of the princes of Babylon, who had been sent to him to inquire about the sign that had been done in the land, God left him to himself, in order to test him and to know all that was in his heart.

Gill's Notes on the Bible

Ver. 2 And it shall be, when ye are come nigh unto the battle,.... When all things are preparing for it, and it seems unavoidable:

that the priest shall approach and speak unto the people; not any priest, but one appointed for this service; who is called

the anointed of war, as Jarchi and Aben Ezra observe, and concerning whom Maimonides d is more particular; he says,

"they appoint a priest to speak to the people at the time of war, and they anoint him with the anointing oil, and he is called the anointed of war; twice the anointed of war speaks unto the people, once in a book at the time they go forth, before they set in battle array, he says to the people, "what man is there", c. and when he has caused his words to be heard, he returns at another time, when they are set in array, he says, "fear not", c.''

this man seems to be an emblem of Gospel ministers, who are anointed with the gifts and graces of the Spirit of God, and whose business it is to encourage the people of God to fight the Lord's battles against sin, Satan, and the world, and not to be afraid of their spiritual enemies directing them to take to them the whole armour of God, and to endure hardness as good soldiers of Christ, to follow him the captain of their salvation, assuring them of victory through him who makes them more than conquerors, and that their warfare is or shortly will be accomplished.

d Hilchot Melachim, c. 7. sect. 1, 2.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

The priest - Not the high priest, but one appointed for the purpose, and called, according to the rabbis, “the anointed of the war”: hence, perhaps the expression of Jeremiah 6:4, etc. “prepare ye” (literally consecrate) “war.” Thus, Phinehas went with the warriors to fight against Midian (Numbers 31:6; compare 1Sa 4:4, 1 Samuel 4:11; 2 Chronicles 13:12).

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse Deuteronomy 20:2. The priest shall approach, and speak unto the people — The priest on these occasions was the representative of that God whose servant he was, and whose worship he conducted. It is remarkable that almost all ancient nations took their priests with them to battle, as they did not expect success without having the object of their adoration with them, and they supposed they secured his presence by having that of his representative.