Deuteronomy - 20:4



4 for Yahweh your God is he who goes with you, to fight for you against your enemies, to save you."

Verse In-Depth

Explanation and meaning of Deuteronomy 20:4.

Differing Translations

Compare verses for better understanding.
Because the Lord your God is in the midst of you, and will fight for you against your enemies, to deliver you from danger.
for Jehovah your God is He who is going with you, to fight for you with your enemies, to save you.
For the Lord your God goes with you, fighting for you to give you salvation from those who are against you.
For the Lord your God is in your midst, and he will contend against your enemies on your behalf, so that he may rescue you from peril.'
Quoniam Jehova Deus vester incredit vobiscum ad praeliandum pro vobis contra hostes vestros, et ad servandum vos.

*Minor differences ignored. Grouped by changes, with first version listed as example.


Historical Commentaries

Scholarly Analysis and Interpretation.

For the LORD your God [is] he that (b) goeth with you, to fight for you against your enemies, to save you.
(b) Is present to defend you with his grace and power.

For the Lord your God is he that goeth with you,.... To battle, and therefore they had no reason to fear and be dismayed, to be fainthearted, terrified, and tremble:
fear not, I am with thee,.... Isaiah 41:10, this, according to the Misnah (f), respects the ark, and so Jarchi, which was a symbol of the divine Presence, and went with them to battle; see Joshua 6:4.
to fight for you against your enemies, to save you; to annoy and destroy the one, and to protect and save the other; thus far the anointed priest addressed the people in an oration to this purpose: the account Maimonides gives of it is, that"when they have set their ranks, and are near to a battle, the anointed of war stands on an high place, and all the ranks before him, and says to them in the holy tongue, "hear, O Israel", &c. unto to save you; and then another priest under him causes it to be heard by all the people with an high voice (g);''he repeated what the anointed of war had said, and expressed it with a loud voice, that all might hear.
(f) Ut supra. (Misn. Sotab, c. 8. sect. 1.) (g) Hilchot Melachim, c. 7. sect. 3.

your God is he that goeth with you, to fight for you against your enemies, to save you--According to Jewish writers, the ark was always taken into the field of combat. But there is no evidence of this in the sacred history; and it must have been a sufficient ground of encouragement to be assured that God was on their side.

*More commentary available at chapter level.


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