Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of Deuteronomy 20:8
And the officers shall speak further unto the people, and they shall say, What man [is there that is] fearful and fainthearted? let him go and return unto his house, lest his brethren’s heart faint as well as his heart.
8. shall speak further ] The change in the formula is no proof that this is a later addition to the law (as Steuern. avers).
fearful and fainthearted ] It is true that such were also supposed to be possessed by evil spirits (Schwally). For a Celtic analogy see Scott’s Fair Maid of Perth, in which Conacher’s timidity is attributed by his foster-father to possession. But there is no evidence of such a superstition here. The rule is rather in sympathy with this Book’s constant insistence upon whole-hearted devotion in the service of God. In no direction of life is He content with less. Cp. Jdg 7:3.
lest his brethren’s heart, etc.] ‘Fear is catching.’ (M. Henry.)
Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges
Verse 8. What man is there that is fearful and faint-hearted?] The original 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! Jdg 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.
Fuente: Adam Clarke’s Commentary and Critical 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 De 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.
Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible
8. Fearful and fainthearted These were to leave the army. Only the valorous were to constitute the force that was to go forth to battle.
Fuente: Whedon’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
Ver. 8. And the officers shall speak further That is, “make this new proclamation throughout the camp.” In consequence of this proclamation, when Gideon warred against the Midianites, there were only ten thousand of all the two-and-thirty thousand men that were with him, who stayed to fight, Jdg 7:3. The proclamation ran, “What man is there that is fearful and faint-hearted?” &c. which the Jews understood not only of natural timidity, which is incident to some constitutions, but of the adventitious terrors of a guilty conscience: for the ancients did not, as is the modern custom, send the wickedest and most worthless into the wars; but if they knew any man to be a notorious villain, they thrust him out of the army, lest his example should discourage and corrupt the rest. We may remark from this passage, that though the Israelites had the promise of a peculiar interposition of Providence in their behalf, yet they are all along required to make use of the properest human means to compass their end. A learned author observes from Maimonides, that though cowards were dismissed before an engagement, they were not excused all service: they were still to assist the army, by supplying the camp with water, making or mending roads, &c. See Schickard as above. It is a generally received maxim among military men, that cowards do double mischief to an army; that is to say, by the bad example they set, and by the disorder they occasion. Hence we read in prophane history of some eminent generals who have used the same expedient before battle to get rid of them. Thus Polyaenus Stratagem. (lib. 3: cap. 19.) tells us, that Iphicrates had recourse successfully to this stratagem, before he entered upon action. Observing some of his men fail with fear, he ordered proclamation to be made, that as he was just about to engage, whoever had left any thing might go home, and return after he had gotten himself well equipped. We read the same of Alexander, Scipio, and several others; and Lucan has put into the mouth of Cato a beautiful speech to his soldiers to the same purpose, which the reader will find in the Pharsalia, lib. 9: ver. 379, &c.
Fuente: Commentary on the Holy Bible by Thomas Coke
Deu 20:8 And the officers shall speak further unto the people, and they shall say, What man [is there that is] fearful and fainthearted? let him go and return unto his house, lest his brethren’s heart faint as well as his heart.
Ver. 9. Captains of the armies to lead the people. ] As Hannibal did, of whom Livy a reports, that Princeps proelium inibat, ultimus, conserto proelio, excedebat; he was first in the battle, and last out. And the same is storied of Albert, marquess of Brandenburg: In congressibus prior pugnam iniit, victor h praelio excessit ultimus. b
a Decad. iii. lib. i.
b Bucholc.
Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
faint = melt.
Fuente: Companion Bible Notes, Appendices and Graphics
fearful: Deu 1:28, Deu 23:9, Jdg 7:3, Luk 9:62, Act 15:37, Act 15:38, Rev 3:16, Rev 21:8
lest his brethren’s: Num 13:31-33, Num 14:1-3, Num 32:9, 1Co 15:33
faint: Heb. melt, Deu 1:28, *marg. Exo 15:15
Reciprocal: Exo 13:17 – the people repent Jos 1:14 – the mighty Jos 2:11 – our hearts 1Sa 13:7 – followed him trembling Jer 49:23 – fainthearted Eze 21:7 – and every 2Th 3:13 – be not weary