5 Mose 20:8

Elberfelder Bibel

Und die Vorsteher sollen weiter zu dem Volke reden und sprechen: Wer ist der Mann, der sich fürchtet und verzagten Herzens ist? Er gehe und kehre nach seinem Hause zurück, damit nicht das Herz seiner Brüder verzagt werde wie sein Herz.

Parallel Translations

Schlachter Bibel (1951)
Und die Amtleute sollen weiter mit dem Volke reden und sagen: Wer sich fürchtet und ein verzagtes Herz hat, der gehe hin und kehre wieder in sein Haus zurück, damit er nicht auch das Herz seiner Brüder so verzagt mache, wie sein Herz ist!

Lutherbible (1912)
Und die Amtleute sollen weiter mit dem Volk reden und sprechen: Welcher sich fürchtet und ein verzagtes Herz hat, der gehe hin und bleibe daheim, auf daß er nicht auch seiner Brüder Herz feige mache, wie sein Herz ist.

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

fearful: Deuteronomy 1:28, Deuteronomy 23:9, Judges 7:3, Luke 9:62, Acts 15:37, Acts 15:38, Revelation 3:16, Revelation 21:8

lest his brethren's: Numbers 13:31-33, Numbers 14:1-3, Numbers 32:9, 1 Corinthians 15:33

faint: Heb. melt, Deuteronomy 1:28, *marg. Exodus 15:15

Reciprocal: Exodus 13:17 - the people repent Joshua 1:14 - the mighty Joshua 2:11 - our hearts 1 Samuel 13:7 - followed him trembling Jeremiah 49:23 - fainthearted Ezekiel 21:7 - and every 2 Thessalonians 3:13 - be not weary

Gill's Notes on the Bible

And the officers shall speak further unto the people,.... According to Maimonides n, the priest the anointed of war spoke to the end of Deuteronomy 20:7 and which the officers repeated after him to the people aloud, as before observed; and then after that an officer speaks of himself, or in his own words, and not in those of the priest, as follows;

what man that is fearful, c. and then another officer causes all the people to hear it:

and they shall say, what man is there that is fearful and fainthearted? that has not courage to face his enemies, to whom the terrors of war, and especially of death, are dreadful the Targum of Jonathan adds,

"because of his sin;''

whose sins stare him in the face, and lie heavy on his conscience; so that he is afraid he shall die in battle, and in his sins, and suffer divine vengeance; both these senses are observed in the Misnah y. According to R. Akiba, a fearful and fainthearted man is one

"that cannot stand in battle array, or behold a drawn sword; but R. Jose the Galilean says, he is one that is afraid of the transgressions he has committed; and therefore the law joins to this all those things for which a man may return;''

as having built a new house, planted a vineyard, and betrothed a wife; that so it might be thought it was on account of one or other of these that he returned, and not through faintheartedness, either because of the terrors of war, or of his own conscience for his sins:

let him go and return to his house, lest his brethren's heart faint as well as his heart; lest, by his pale looks and trembling joints, his fainting fits and swoons, he discourage the rest in the same company with him, and by his example make them unfit for war also.

n Ut supra. (Hilchot Melachim, c. 7. sect. 3.) y Misn. Sotah, c. 8. sect. 5.

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse Deuteronomy 20:8. What man is there that is fearful and faint-hearted? — The original רך rach, signifies tender or soft-hearted. And a soft heart the man must have who, in such a contest, after such a permission, could turn his back upon his enemies and his brethren. However, such were the troops commanded by Gideon in his war against the Midianites; for after he gave this permission, out of 32,000 men only 10,000 remained to fight! Judges 7:3. There could be no deception in a business of this kind; for the departure of the 22,000 was the fullest proof of their dastardliness which they could possibly give.