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Saturday, May 31st, 2025
the Sixth Week after Easter
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Read the Bible

Good News Translation

Deuteronomy 20:9

When the officers have finished speaking to the army, leaders are to be chosen for each unit.

Bible Study Resources

Concordances:

- Nave's Topical Bible - Armies;   Captain;   Soldiers;   Thompson Chain Reference - Captains;   Torrey's Topical Textbook - Armies of Israel, the;  

Dictionaries:

- Charles Buck Theological Dictionary - Alms;   Fausset Bible Dictionary - Army;   War;   Hastings' Dictionary of the Bible - Crimes and Punishments;   Deuteronomy;   People's Dictionary of the Bible - Army;   Watson's Biblical & Theological Dictionary - Armies;   Writing;  

Encyclopedias:

- International Standard Bible Encyclopedia - Army;   Deuteronomy;   End;   The Jewish Encyclopedia - Anointing;   Judas Maccabeus;   Soṭah;   War;  

Parallel Translations

Christian Standard Bible®
When the officers have finished addressing the army, they will appoint military commanders to lead it.
Hebrew Names Version
It shall be, when the officers have made an end of speaking to the people, that they shall appoint captains of hosts at the head of the people.
King James Version
And it shall be, when the officers have made an end of speaking unto the people that they shall make captains of the armies to lead the people.
Lexham English Bible
And when the officials have finished speaking to the army troops, then they shall appoint commanders of divisions at the head of the troops.
English Standard Version
And when the officers have finished speaking to the people, then commanders shall be appointed at the head of the people.
New Century Version
When the officers finish speaking to the army, they should appoint commanders to lead it.
New English Translation
Then, when the officers have finished speaking, they must appoint unit commanders to lead the troops.
Amplified Bible
"And it shall be when the officers have finished speaking to the soldiers, they shall appoint commanders of armies over them.
New American Standard Bible
"And when the officers have finished speaking to the people, they shall appoint commanders of armies at the head of the people.
Geneva Bible (1587)
And after that the officers haue made an ende of speaking vnto the people, they shal make captaines of the armie to gouerne the people.
Legacy Standard Bible
Now it will be that when the officers have finished speaking to the people, they shall appoint commanders of armies at the head of the people.
Contemporary English Version
When the officials are finished giving these orders, they will appoint officers to be in command of the army.
Complete Jewish Bible
When the officials have finished speaking with the soldiers, commanders are to be appointed to lead the army.
Darby Translation
And it shall be, when the officers have ended speaking unto the people, that they shall place captains of the hosts at the head of the people.
Easy-to-Read Version
Then, after the officers have finished speaking to the army, they must choose captains to lead the soldiers.
George Lamsa Translation
And when the scribes have made an end of speaking to the people, the commanders of the army shall stand at the head of the people.
Literal Translation
And it shall be, when the officers have finished speaking to the people, commanders of the armies shall be appointed at the head of the people.
Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
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.
American Standard Version
And it shall be, when the officers have made an end of speaking unto the people, that they shall appoint captains of hosts at the head of the people.
Bible in Basic English
Then, after saying these words to the people, let the overseers put captains over the army.
Bishop's Bible (1568)
And when the officers haue made an ende of speakyng vnto the people, they shall make captaynes of the armie to gouerne the people.
JPS Old Testament (1917)
And it shall be, when the officers have made an end of speaking unto the people, that captains of hosts shall be appointed at the head of the people.
King James Version (1611)
And it shall be when the Officers haue made an end of speaking vnto the people, that they shall make Captaines of the armies to leade the people.
Brenton's Septuagint (LXX)
And it shall come to pass when the scribes shall have ceased speaking to the people, that they shall appoint generals of the army to be leaders of the people.
English Revised Version
And it shall be, when the officers have made an end of speaking unto the people, that they shall appoint captains of hosts at the head of the people.
Berean Standard Bible
When the officers have finished addressing the army, they are to appoint commanders to lead it.
Wycliffe Bible (1395)
And whanne the duykis of the oost ben stille, and han maad ende of speking, ech `of the princis and cheuenteyns of the oost schal make redie his cumpeneyes to batel.
Young's Literal Translation
and it hath come to pass as the authorities finish to speak unto the people, that they have appointed princes of the hosts at the head of the people.
Update Bible Version
And it shall be, when the officers have made an end of speaking to the people, that they shall appoint captains of hosts at the head of the people.
Webster's Bible Translation
And it shall be, when the officers have made an end of speaking to the people, that they shall make captains of the armies to lead the people.
World English Bible
It shall be, when the officers have made an end of speaking to the people, that they shall appoint captains of hosts at the head of the people.
New King James Version
And so it shall be, when the officers have finished speaking to the people, that they shall make captains of the armies to lead the people.
New Living Translation
When the officers have finished speaking to their troops, they will appoint the unit commanders.
New Life Bible
When the leaders have finished speaking to the people, they will choose heads of the army to lead the people.
New Revised Standard
When the officials have finished addressing the troops, then the commanders shall take charge of them.
J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
And it shall be, when the officers have made an end of speaking unto the people, then shall they appoint captains of hosts at the head of the people.
Douay-Rheims Bible
And when the captains of the army shall hold their peace, and have made an end of speaking, every man shall prepare their bands to fight.
Revised Standard Version
And when the officers have made an end of speaking to the people, then commanders shall be appointed at the head of the people.
THE MESSAGE
When the officers have finished speaking to the troops, let them appoint commanders of the troops who shall muster them by units.
New American Standard Bible (1995)
"When the officers have finished speaking to the people, they shall appoint commanders of armies at the head of the people.

Contextual Overview

1 "When you go out to fight against your enemies and you see chariots and horses and an army that outnumbers yours, do not be afraid of them. The Lord your God, who rescued you from Egypt, will be with you. 2 Before you start fighting, a priest is to come forward and say to the army, 3 ‘Men of Israel, listen! Today you are going into battle. Do not be afraid of your enemies or lose courage or panic. 4 The Lord your God is going with you, and he will give you victory.' 5 "Then the officers will address the men and say, ‘Is there any man here who has just built a house, but has not yet dedicated it? If so, he is to go home. Otherwise, if he is killed in battle, someone else will dedicate his house. 6 Is there any man here who has just planted a vineyard, but has not yet had the chance to harvest its grapes? If so, he is to go home. Otherwise, if he is killed in battle, someone else will enjoy the wine. 7 Is there anyone here who is engaged to be married? If so, he is to go home. Otherwise, if he is killed in battle, someone else will marry the woman he is engaged to.' 8 "The officers will also say to the men, ‘Is there any man here who has lost his nerve and is afraid? If so, he is to go home. Otherwise, he will destroy the morale of the others.' 9 When the officers have finished speaking to the army, leaders are to be chosen for each unit.

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

to lead the people: Heb. to be in the head of the people, Deuteronomy 20:9

Cross-References

Genesis 12:18
Then the king sent for Abram and asked him, "What have you done to me? Why didn't you tell me that she was your wife?
Genesis 20:10
Why did you do it?"
Genesis 20:11
Abraham answered, "I thought that there would be no one here who has reverence for God and that they would kill me to get my wife.
Genesis 26:10
"What have you done to us?" Abimelech said. "One of my men might easily have slept with your wife, and you would have been responsible for our guilt."
Genesis 34:7
just as Jacob's sons were coming in from the fields. When they heard about it, they were shocked and furious that Shechem had done such a thing and had insulted the people of Israel by raping Jacob's daughter.
Genesis 38:24
About three months later someone told Judah, "Your daughter-in-law Tamar has been acting like a whore, and now she is pregnant." Judah ordered, "Take her out and burn her to death."
Genesis 39:9
I have as much authority in this house as he has, and he has not kept back anything from me except you. How then could I do such an immoral thing and sin against God?"
Exodus 32:21
He said to Aaron, "What did these people do to you, that you have made them commit such a terrible sin?"
Exodus 32:35
So the Lord sent a disease on the people, because they had caused Aaron to make the gold bull-calf.
Leviticus 20:10
If a man commits adultery with the wife of an Israelite, both he and the woman shall be put to death.

Gill's Notes on the Bible

And it shall be, when the officers have made an end of speaking unto the people,.... By reciting what the anointed of war said unto them, and by speeches of their own framing, to encourage to the battle; and all were dismissed that had leave to depart, and chose to take it:

that they shall make captains of armies to lead on the people; on to battle; that is, either the officers should do this, which may seem to confirm what has been hinted, that they might be generals of the army, who constituted captains under them, to lead the people on to battle: unless this is to be understood of the princes of Israel, or of the king when they had one, and his ministers; for it does not appear in any instance that the people chose their own officers over them, to go out before them, and lead them on to battle; or "to be at the head of them" z; which the Jewish writers understand in a very different sense; not to head them, or be at the head of them, to direct and command them, but to keep them from deserting: their sense is, that the officers having dismissed persons in the circumstances before described, and set stout men before them, and others behind them (i.e. the army of the people), with iron hatchets in their hands, and every one that sought to return, they had power to cut off his legs; since flight is the beginning of falling before their enemies a.

z בראש העם "in capite populi", Pagninus, Montanus. a Misn. ut supra (Sotah, c. 8.), sect. 6.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

The meaning is that the “officers” should then subdivide the levies, and appoint leaders of the smaller divisions thus constituted.


 
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