Deuteronomy 20:2

Myles Coverdale Bible

Now wha ye are come nye vnto the battayll, the prest shal steppe forth, & speake 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.

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

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,

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 Whan thou goest out to battayll agaynst thine enemies, and seyst horses and charettes of the people more then thou, be not afrayed of them: for the LORDE thy God which brought ye out of the londe of Egipte, is with the. ² Now wha ye are come nye vnto the battayll, the prest shal steppe forth, & speake to the people, ³ and saye vnto the: Heare Israel: Ye go this daye in to the battayll agaynst youre enemies, let not yor hert faynte. Feare not, be not afrayed, ner a drede of them. ⁴ For the LORDE youre God goeth with you, to fyghte for you agaynst youre enemies, yt he maye saue you. ⁵ And the captaynes shal speake to ye people, and saye: Who so hath buylded a new house, and hath not dedicate it, let him go, and byde in his house, that he dye not in ye battayll, and another dedicate it. ⁶ Who so hath planted a vynyarde, and hath not yet made it comen, lett him go, and byde at home, that he dye not in the battayll, and another make it comen. ⁷ Who so hath spoused a wyfe, and hath not yet brought her home, let him go, and byde at home, yt he die not in the battayll, & another brynge her home. ⁸ And the captaines shal speake further vnto the people, and saye: He that feareth and hath a faynte hert, lett him go, and byde at home, that he make not his brethrens hert fainte also, like as his hert is. ⁹ 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.

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
& Pharaos prynces sawe her also, & praysed her before him. Then was she brought in to Pharaos house,

Genesis 20:11
Abraham sayde: I thought: Peraduenture there is no feare of God in this place, & they shall sleye me for my wifes sake,

Genesis 20:12
And of a trueth she is my sister, for she is my fathers doughter, but not my mothers doughter, and is become my wife.

Genesis 20:13
So whan God charged me to wadre out of my fathers house, I sayde vnto her: Shew this kyndnes vpon me, that, where so euer we come, thou saye of me, that I am thy brother.

Genesis 26:1
There came a derth in the londe, passynge the other that was in Abrahams tyme. And Isaac wente to Gerar, vnto Abimelech the kynge of ye Philistynes.

Genesis 26:7
And whan the men of the same place axed him of his wife, he sayde: she is my sister. For he was afrayed to saye: she is my wife, (thinkinge thus:) they might slaye me for Rebeccas sake, for she was beutifull to loke vnto.

Genesis 26:16
In so moch that Abimelech also himself sayde vnto him: Departe from vs, for thou art farre mightier then we.

2 Chronicles 19:2
And Iehu ye sonne of Hanani the Seer wete forth to mete him, & sayde vnto kynge Iosaphat: Shuldest thou so helpe the vngodly, and loue them that hate the LORDE? And for this cause is ye wrath vpo the from the LORDE:

2 Chronicles 20:37
But Elieser the sonne of Dodana of Maresa prophecied agaynst Iosaphat, and sayde: Because thou hast agreed with Ahasia, therfore hath the LORDE broken thy workes. And so ye shippes were broken, & mighte not go vpon the See.

2 Chronicles 32:31
But whan the interpreters the chefe of Babilon were sent vnto him, to axe question at him (concernynge the wondertoke that had happened in the londe) God lefte him to be tempted, that it mighte be knowne what soeuer was in his hert.

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.