Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of Deuteronomy 20:2
And it shall be, when ye are come nigh unto the battle, that the priest shall approach and speak unto the people,
2. when ye draw nigh ] LXX thou drawest nigh: see introd. note.
to the war ] Not battle. The captains had still to be appointed ( Deu 20:9) and this must have taken place at the start of the campaign, not on the eve of engagement with the foe.
the priest ] Or (it may equally be) a priest: see introd.
Hear, O Israel ] Deu 4:1; here as there with Pl. vbs following.
Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges
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 Jer 6:4, etc. prepare ye (literally consecrate) war. Thus, Phinehas went with the warriors to fight against Midian (Num 31:6; compare 1Sa 4:4, 1Sa 4:11; 2Ch 13:12).
Fuente: Albert Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
Verse 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.
Fuente: Adam Clarke’s Commentary and Critical Notes on the Bible
The priest; an eminent priest appointed for this work, and to blow with the holy trumpets, Num 10:9; 31:6.
Speak unto the people; either successively to one regiment of the army after another, or to some by himself, to others by his brethren or deputies, which accompanied him for that end.
Fuente: English Annotations on the Holy Bible by Matthew Poole
2-4. when ye are come nigh unto thebattle, that the priest shall approach and speak unto thepeopleJewish writers say that there was a war priest appointedby a special ceremonial to attend the army. It was natural that thesolemn objects and motives of religion should have been applied toanimate patriotism, and so give additional impulse to valor; otherpeople have done this. But in the case of Israel, the regularattendance of a priest on the battlefield was in accordance withtheir theocratic government, in which everything was done directly byGod through His delegated ministers. It was the province of thispriest to sound the trumpets (Num 10:9;Num 31:6), and he had others underhim who repeated at the head of each battalion the exhortations whichhe addressed to the warriors in general. The speech (Deu 20:3;Deu 20:4) is marked by a brevityand expressiveness admirably suited to the occasion, namely, when themen were drawn up in line.
Fuente: Jamieson, Fausset and Brown’s Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole 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.
Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible
2 And it shall be, when ye are come nigh. God commits the duty of exhortation to the priests, when the time of the conflict shall have arrived. But we gather from the expressions used that this passage is supplementary to the First Commandment, for it contains no more than that the priest should encourage the Israelites to confidence, the ground of which is declared to be the help of God in preserving and constantly protecting the Church, which He has once redeemed. Moreover, He forbids their fears not in one word only, but heaps many together, “let not your hearts faint, fear not, and do not tremble, neither be ye terrified.” By this we are reminded how difficult it is to cure that evil — fear, which in so many different ways assails and disturbs our minds, that they should not rest in God. And surely we all experience that we are troubled by such various besetments, that we have need of manifold remedies for the establishment of our faith. We must observe, too, the familiar representation of the presence of God, that He should go together with His people, to save them, viz., if they should be exposed to danger not by their own fault, but by the unjust aggression of their enemies.
Fuente: Calvin’s Complete Commentary
(2) The priest.There is no mention of the Levite here. The priest is named as a distinct personage. The words which the priest are to pronounce are, as it were, the blessing of Jehovah on the campaign. It follows that Israel could not lawfully go to war except when the blessing of Jehovah might be invoked.
Fuente: Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers (Old and New Testaments)
2. The priest shall approach and speak unto the people According to the rabbins, the priest who thus accompanied the army was called the “Anointed for the war.” He held a high rank. See Num 31:6.
Fuente: Whedon’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
Ver. 2. The priest shall approach, and speak unto the people The Jews say there was a priest anointed for this purpose: his office was, to blow with the trumpets (Num 31:6.) when they were preparing for battle, and to exhort them, in the most persuasive manner, to a courageous and undaunted performance of their duty; to look upon their cause as God’s own, and assure themselves of success under his divine aid and protection. See Selden de Success. in Pontif. lib. 2: cap. 1. The Romans, and the ancient Germans, had priests also with their armies for this purpose. See Valer. Max. lib. 1: cap. 2 sect. 2 and Tacit. de Mor. Germ. cap. 7: sect. 2. This was also the custom of many other pagan nations, as may be seen in Wagenseil’s Addenda to his Sota, p. 1222.
Fuente: Commentary on the Holy Bible by Thomas Coke
There appears a great propriety in the appointment of GOD’S priests to encourage GOD’S people. They who are supposed to be most frequent at a throne of grace may be supposed to know most of the mind of the LORD. And are not ministers peculiarly called upon amidst the spiritual army of the LORD JESUS, to be always forward in animating the faithful soldiers of JESUS, to be strong in the LORD and in the power of his might. Reader! do you not look beyond both ministers and people to contemplate JESUS in all this, as the great High Priest of our profession, going on before, conquering and to conquer, and calling upon his holy army to follow him to glory? Heb 12:1-2 .
Fuente: Hawker’s Poor Man’s Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
Deu 20:2 And it shall be, when ye are come nigh unto the battle, that the priest shall approach and speak unto the people,
Ver. 2. That the priest shall approach. ] For some priests ordinarily went along with the army; not to be Tuba rebellionis, as the Papists said of Zuinglius, nor evangelium flammeum praedicare, as they said of Beza, as a common firebrand or fomenter of discord; but to blow the holy trumpets, “that the people might be remembered before the Lord, and saved from their enemies”; Num 10:8-9 2Ch 13:12 and to say unto them, as in 2Ch 19:11 , “Deal courageously, and the Lord shall be with the good.” The valour of the Gauls was admired by the Romans. It proceeded from that instruction of the Druids, their priests, concerning the immortality of the soul, &c.
Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
Num 10:8, Num 10:9, Num 31:6, Jdg 20:27, Jdg 20:28, 1Sa 14:18, 1Sa 30:7, 1Sa 30:8, 2Ch 13:12
Reciprocal: Jos 6:6 – Take up the ark
Fuente: The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
Deu 20:2. The priest shall approach The Jews say there was a priest anointed for the purpose, whose office, as we may gather from Num 31:6, was to blow with the trumpet when they were preparing for battle. And shall speak to the people Probably exhorting them, in the most persuasive manner, to a courageous and undaunted performance of their duty, considering their cause as Gods, and relying on his protection and aid.