Lectionary Calendar
Wednesday, July 16th, 2025
the Week of Proper 10 / Ordinary 15
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Read the Bible

New Living Translation

Deuteronomy 20:2

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

Bible Study Resources

Concordances:

- Nave's Topical Bible - Armies;   Priest;   Thompson Chain Reference - War;   War-Peace;   Torrey's Topical Textbook - Priests;   Protection;  

Dictionaries:

- American Tract Society Bible Dictionary - Priest;   War;   Baker Evangelical Dictionary of Biblical Theology - War, Holy War;   Worship;   Charles Buck Theological Dictionary - Alms;   Hastings' Dictionary of the Bible - Crimes and Punishments;   Deuteronomy;   People's Dictionary of the Bible - War;   Watson's Biblical & Theological Dictionary - Armies;  

Encyclopedias:

- International Standard Bible Encyclopedia - Army;   Deuteronomy;   War;   The Jewish Encyclopedia - Anointing;   Commandments, the 613;   Judas Maccabeus;   Phinehas;   Soṭah;   War;  

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,
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 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 fight your enemies and you face horses and chariots and an army greater than your own, do not be afraid. The Lord your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, is with you! 2 When you prepare for battle, the priest must come forward to speak to the troops. 3 He will say to them, ‘Listen to me, all you men of Israel! Do not be afraid as you go out to fight your enemies today! Do not lose heart or panic or tremble before them. 4 For the Lord your God is going with you! He will fight for you against your enemies, and he will give you victory!' 5 "Then the officers of the army must address the troops and say, ‘Has anyone here just built a new house but not yet dedicated it? If so, you may go home! You might be killed in the battle, and someone else would dedicate your house. 6 Has anyone here just planted a vineyard but not yet eaten any of its fruit? If so, you may go home! You might die in battle, and someone else would eat the first fruit. 7 Has anyone here just become engaged to a woman but not yet married her? Well, you may go home and get married! You might die in the battle, and someone else would marry her.' 8 "Then the officers will also say, ‘Is anyone here afraid or worried? If you are, you may go home before you frighten anyone else.' 9 When the officers have finished speaking to their troops, they will appoint the unit commanders.

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
When the palace officials saw her, they sang her praises to Pharaoh, their king, and Sarai was taken into his palace.
Genesis 20:11
Abraham replied, "I thought, ‘This is a godless place. They will want my wife and will kill me to get her.'
Genesis 20:12
And she really is my sister, for we both have the same father, but different mothers. And I married her.
Genesis 20:13
When God called me to leave my father's home and to travel from place to place, I told her, ‘Do me a favor. Wherever we go, tell the people that I am your brother.'"
Genesis 26:1
A severe famine now struck the land, as had happened before in Abraham's time. So Isaac moved to Gerar, where Abimelech, king of the Philistines, lived.
Genesis 26:7
When the men who lived there asked Isaac about his wife, Rebekah, he said, "She is my sister." He was afraid to say, "She is my wife." He thought, "They will kill me to get her, because she is so beautiful."
Genesis 26:16
Finally, Abimelech ordered Isaac to leave the country. "Go somewhere else," he said, "for you have become too powerful for us."
2 Chronicles 19:2
Jehu son of Hanani the seer went out to meet him. "Why should you help the wicked and love those who hate the Lord ?" he asked the king. "Because of what you have done, the Lord is very angry with you.
2 Chronicles 20:37
Then Eliezer son of Dodavahu from Mareshah prophesied against Jehoshaphat. He said, "Because you have allied yourself with King Ahaziah, the Lord will destroy your work." So the ships met with disaster and never put out to sea.
2 Chronicles 32:31
However, when ambassadors arrived from Babylon to ask about the remarkable events that had taken place in the land, God withdrew from Hezekiah in order to test him and to see what was really 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.


 
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