Deuteronomy 20:8

Green's Literal Translation

And the officers shall speak further to the people, and say, Who is the man who is afraid, and faint of heart? Let him go and return to his house; then the heart of his brothers will not melt like his heart.

Parallel Translations

English Standard Version
And the officers shall speak further to the people, and say, ‘Is there any man who is fearful and fainthearted? Let him go back to his house, lest he make the heart of his fellows melt like his own.'

Update Bible Version
And the officers shall speak further to the people, and they shall say, What man is there that is fearful and faint-hearted? let him go and return to his house, lest his brothers' heart melt as his heart.

English Revised Version
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 melt as his heart.

New Century Version
Then the officers should also say, "Is anyone here afraid? Has anyone lost his courage? He may go home so that he will not cause others to lose their courage, too."

New English Translation
In addition, the officers are to say to the troops, "Who among you is afraid and fainthearted? He may go home so that he will not make his fellow soldier's heart as fearful as his own."

Webster's Bible Translation
And the officers shall speak further to the people, and they shall say, What man [is there that is] fearful and faint-hearted? let him go and return to his house, lest his brethren's heart should faint as well as his heart.

World English Bible
The officers shall speak further to the people, and they shall say, What man is there who is fearful and faint-hearted? let him go and return to his house, lest his brother's heart melt as his heart.

Amplified Bible
"Then the officers shall speak further to the soldiers and say, 'Who is the man who is afraid and lacks courage? Let him go and return to his house, so that he does not cause his brothers' courage to fail like his own.'

Wycliffe Bible (1395)
Whanne these thingis ben seid, thei schulen adde othere thingis, and schulen speke to the peple, Who is a ferdful man, and of gastful herte? go he, and turne ayen in to his hows, lest he make `the hertis of his britheren for to drede, as he is agast bi drede.

Young's Literal Translation
`And the authorities have added to speak unto the people, and said, Who [is] the man that is afraid and tender of heart? -- let him go and turn back to his house, and the heart of his brethren doth not melt like his heart;

Berean Standard Bible
Then the officers shall speak further to the army, saying, "Is any man afraid or fainthearted? Let him return home, so that the hearts of his brothers will not melt like his own."

Contemporary English Version
Finally, if any of you are afraid, you may go home. We don't want you to discourage the other soldiers.

American Standard Version
And the officers shall speak further unto the people, and they shall say, What man is there that is fearful and faint-hearted? let him go and return unto his house, lest his brethren's heart melt as his heart.

Bible in Basic English
And let the overseers go on to say to the people, If there is any man whose heart is feeble with fear, let him go back to his house before he makes the hearts of his countrymen feeble.

Bishop's Bible (1568)
And let the officers speake further vnto the people, and say: If any man feare and be faynt hearted, let hym go & returne vnto his house, lest he make his brothers heart faynt as well as his.

Complete Jewish Bible
"The officials will then add to what they have said to the soldiers: ‘Is there a man here who is afraid and fainthearted? He should go back home; otherwise his fear may demoralize his comrades as well.'

Darby Translation
And the officers shall speak further unto the people, and shall say, What man is there that is timid and faint-hearted? let him go and return unto his house, lest his brethren's heart melt as well as his heart.

Easy-to-Read Version
"These Levite officials must also say to the people, ‘Is there any man here who has lost his courage and is afraid? He should go back home. Then he will not cause the other soldiers to lose their courage too.'

JPS Old Testament (1917)
And the officers shall speak further unto the people, and they shall say: 'What man is there that is fearful and faint-hearted? let him go and return unto his house, lest his brethren's heart melt as his heart.'

King James Version (1611)
And the Officers shall speake further vnto the people: and they shall say, What man is there that is fearefull and faint hearted? let him goe and returne vnto his house, lest his brethrens heart faint as well as his heart.

New Life Bible
Then the leaders will say to the people, ‘Is there a man here who is afraid and is weak in heart? Let him go and return to his house so he will not make his brothers' hearts afraid like his heart.'

New Revised Standard
The officials shall continue to address the troops, saying, "Is anyone afraid or disheartened? He should go back to his house, or he might cause the heart of his comrades to melt like his own."

J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
Then shall the officers further speak unto the people, and say - Who is the man that is fearful and faint-hearted? let him go and return unto his house, - lest his brethren's heart melt as well as his heart.

Geneva Bible (1587)
And let the officers speake further vnto the people, and say, Whosoeuer is afrayde and faynt hearted, let him go & returne vnto his house, least his brethrens heart faynt like his heart.

George Lamsa Translation
And the scribes shall speak further to the people, and they shall say, What man is there who is fearful and fainthearted? Let him return and go to his house, lest his brethrens heart faint as well as his heart.

Good News Translation
"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.'

Douay-Rheims Bible
After these things are declared they shall add the rest, and shall speak to the people: What man is there that is fearful, and faint hearted? let him go, and return to his house, lest he make the hearts of his brethren to fear, as he himself is possessed with fear.

Revised Standard Version
And the officers shall speak further to the people, and say, 'What man is there that is fearful and fainthearted? Let him go back to his house, lest the heart of his fellows melt as his heart.'

Brenton's Septuagint (LXX)
And the scribes shall speak further to the people, and say, What man is he that fears and is cowardly in his heart? Let him go and return to his house, lest he make the heart of his brother fail, as his own.

Christian Standard Bible®
The officers will continue to address the army and say, ‘Is there any man who is afraid or cowardly? Let him leave and return home, so that his brothers won’t lose heart as he did.’

Hebrew Names Version
The officers shall speak further to the people, and they shall say, What man is there who is fearful and faint-hearted? let him go and return to his house, lest his brother's heart melt as his heart.

King James Version
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.

Lexham English Bible
And the officials shall continue to speak to the troops, and they shall say, ‘What man is afraid and disheartened? Let him go, and let him return to his house, and let him not cause the heart of his brothers to melt like his.'

Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
And the captaines shal speake further vnto the people, and saye: He that feareth and hath a faynte hert, lett him go, and byde at home, that he make not his brethrens hert fainte also, like as his hert is.

THE MESSAGE
The officers will then continue, "And is there a man here who is wavering in resolve and afraid? Let him go home right now so that he doesn't infect his fellows with his timidity and cowardly spirit."

New American Standard Bible
"Then the officers shall speak further to the people and say, 'Who is the man that is afraid and fainthearted? Let him go and return to his house, so that he does not make his brothers' hearts melt like his heart!'

New King James Version
The officers shall speak further to the people, and say, 'What man is there who is fearful and fainthearted? Let him go and return to his house, lest the heart of his brethren faint [fn] like his heart.'

New Living Translation
"Then the officers will also say, ‘Is anyone here afraid or worried? If you are, you may go home before you frighten anyone else.'

New American Standard Bible (1995)
"Then the officers shall speak further to the people and say, 'Who is the man that is afraid and fainthearted? Let him depart and return to his house, so that he might not make his brothers' hearts melt like his heart.'

Legacy Standard Bible
Then the officers shall speak further to the people and say, ‘Who is the man that is afraid and whose heart is faint? Let him go and return to his house, so that he might not make his brothers' hearts melt like his heart.'

Contextual Overview

¹ When you go out to battle against your enemies, and see horses and chariots, a people more than you, you shall not be afraid of them. For Jehovah your God is with you, who brought you up out of the land of Egypt. ² And it shall be, when you draw near to battle, the priest shall come and speak to the people, ³ and say to them. Hear, Israel, you are drawing near today to battle against your enemies. Do not let your heart be faint; do not fear nor tremble, nor be terrified before their faces. ⁴ For Jehovah your God is He who is going before you, to fight for you against your enemies, to save you. ⁵ And the officers shall speak to the people, saying, Who is the man that has built a new house, and has not dedicated it? Let him go and return to his house, that he not die in battle and another man dedicate it. ⁶ And who is the man that has planted a vineyard, and has not used its fruit? Let him go and return to his house, that he not die in battle, and another man use its fruit. ⁷ And who is the man who has betrothed a woman, and has not taken her? Let him go and return to his house, that he not die in the battle, and another man take her. ⁸ And the officers shall speak further to the people, and say, Who is the man who is afraid, and faint of heart? Let him go and return to his house; then the heart of his brothers will not melt like his heart. ⁹ 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.

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.