Deuteronomy 20:7

Deu 20:7 And what man [is there] that hath betrothed a wife, and hath not taken her? let him go and return unto his house, lest he die in the battle, and another man take her.

Ver. 8. That is fearful and faint hearted.] This cowardly passion dispirits a man, expectorates his manliness, and exposeth him to the cruel mercy of an enemy. Better be temerarious than timorous! "Ye fugitives of Ephraim," is no small brand of dishonour; {Jdg 12:4} besides that melting and trying judgments follow such at heels as account one pair of heels worth two pair of hands. {Jer 9:3-7} The French fled so fast before the English at the battle of Terwin, that it was called the battle of Spurs. {a}

Lest his brethren’s hearts.] Cowardice is catching, and shows that men, like stags, have great horns, but want hearts.

{a} Paul Jovius.

John Trapp, A Commentary or Exposition upon All the Books of the Old and New Testament (1647–1656) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

Deu 20:7-8. Hath betrothed a wife — The time allowed in this case was a year, Deu 24:5. This was a law of great humanity, that conjugal love might not be disturbed, but have time to knit into a firm and lasting affection. What man is fearful and faint-hearted — This fearfulness is to be understood, say the Jews, not only of a natural timorousness, which is incident to some constitutions, and makes a man tremble at every danger, but of the adventitious terrors of a guilty conscience. For they did not, as in the modern fashion, 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 corrupt and discourage the rest of the soldiery.

Joseph Benson's Commentary on the Old and New Testaments (1811–1818) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

20:7 someone else would marry her: In this situation, a man who died would be deprived of offspring to carry on his name, which was a great tragedy in ancient Israel.

Tyndale Open Study Notes — © Tyndale Open Resources, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0. Text via the HelloAO Bible API.

Verse 7. Betrothed a wife, and hath not taken her?] It was customary among the Jews to contract matrimony, espouse or betroth, and for some considerable time to leave the parties in the houses of their respective parents: when the bridegroom had made proper preparations, then the bride was brought home to his house, and thus the marriage was consummated. The provisions in this verse refer to a case of this kind; for it was deemed an excessive hardship for a person to be obliged to go to battle, where there was a probability of his being slain, who had left a new house unfinished; a newly purchased heritage half tilled; or a wife with whom he had just contracted marriage. Homer represents the case of Protesilaus as very afflicting, who was obliged to go to the Trojan war, leaving his wife in the deepest distress, and his house unfinished.

Του δε και αμφιδρυφης αλοχος Φυλακῃ ελελειπτο,

Και δομος ἡμιτελης· τον δ' εκτανε Δαρδανος ανηρ,

Νηος αποθρωσκοντα πολυ πρωτιστον Αχαιων.

ILIAD, 1. ii., ver. 100.

"A wife he left,

To rend in Phylace her bleeding cheeks,

And an unfinish'd mansion: first he died

Of all the Greeks; for as he leap'd to land,

Long ere the rest, a Dardan struck him dead."

COWPER.

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible (1810–1826) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.

7. that hath betrothed, etc.] Cp. Deu_24:5, exempting the newly-married from service for a year. The reason can hardly be that he was unclean for, as in the case of other married men, this obstacle could be removed (2Sa_11:6 f.). Evidently the motive is humane, in the wife’s interests, or in order to secure descendants to the man himself.

The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges (gen. ed. J. J. S. Perowne; Cambridge University Press, 1878–1918) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

And what man is there that hath betrothed a wife, and hath not taken her?.... Home to his house and bedded with her; has only betrothed her, but is not properly married to her, the nuptials are not completed; this the Jews understand of anyone betrothed to him, whether a virgin or a widow, or the wife of a deceased brother (yea, they say, if his brother is dead in war, he returns and comes home), but not of a former wife divorced and received again (m):

let him go and return unto his house, lest he die in battle, and another man take her; or marry her.

(m) Misn. Sotah, ib. sect. 2.

John Gill's Exposition of the Whole Bible (1746–1763) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API.

Taken her. It was customary to leave the espoused virgin in her father’s house for the space of a year, (during which time, if she proved unfaithful, she was punished like an adulteress, chap. xxii. 23, &c.) and she could not be given till she was 12 years old. If she were 13 complete, when she was asked in marriage, she was only obliged to wait 30 days. (Selden, Uxor. ii. 1.) (Chap. xxv. 5.) Philo allows this immunity from war, only to those who had espoused a virgin. They were also freed from paying taxes, mending roads, &c., chap. xxix. 5. (Calmet) --- Those who are entangled with worldly cares, are apt to discourage the valiant, and to dissuade fighting, for fear of losing these advantages: much more are those in danger who have to fight for a heavenly kingdom, if they be too much attached to the things of the earth. (Worthington; Haydock) --- "That man who is enslaved to his wife, cannot serve in the warfare of the Lord." (St. Jerome, contra Jov. i.)

George Leo Haydock (1774–1849), Haydock's Catholic Family Bible and Commentary, 1859 edition — public domain. Excludes Psalms (Douay-Rheims chapter numbering differs from Protestant) and Deuterocanonical books (Catholic canon only).

Betrothing was done by a solemn and mutual promise, but not by an actual contract. See Gen 19:14; Deu 22:23.

Matthew Poole's English Annotations on the Holy Bible (1683–1685) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.

7. What man… hath betrothed a wife — The exemption from military service to the betrothed is, in Deu_24:5, also applied to the newly married man, who was free from obligation to serve in the army for a year.

Daniel D. Whedon (gen. ed.), Commentary on the Old and New Testaments (1874–1909) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

פן ימות במלחמה [LET HIM GO AND RETURN] LEST HE DIE IN THE WAR — The meaning is: let him return so that he not die, for if he will not hearken to the words of the priests he deserves death (Sifrei Devarim 194:5).

Rashi on the Tanakh — English translations: “The Judaica Press complete Tanach with Rashi, translated by A. J. Rosenberg” (CC BY 4.0); “Pentateuch with Rashi's commentary by M. Rosenbaum and A.M. Silbermann, 1929-1934” (public domain); “The Metsudah Tanach series, Lakewood, N.J” (CC BY 4.0); and “The Book of Joshua, Metsudah Publications, 1997” (CC BY 4.0). Text via Sefaria.