And it shall be, when ye are come nigh unto the battle, that the priest shall approach and speak unto the people,
Parallel translations
- WEB It shall be, when you draw near to the battle, that the priest shall approach and speak to the people,
- BSB When you are about to go into battle, the priest is to come forward and address the army,
- NKJV So it shall be, when you are on the verge of battle, that the priest shall approach and speak to the people.
- NASB When you are approaching the battle, the priest shall come forward and speak to the people.
- NLT When you prepare for battle, the priest must come forward to speak to the troops.
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Scripture quotations taken from the (NASB®) New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. lockman.org
Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
Quick answer
Before battle, a priest is to come forward and address the troops. Israel's warfare was framed by worship and dependence on God.
Overview
The priest, not merely a general, prepares the army by speaking to them, marking the battle as a matter of faith. This involvement of the priesthood showed that victory depended on the LORD, not military prowess alone. It reminds us that God's people face their struggles in conscious reliance on Him.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 6
- Num 31:6And Moses sent them to the war, a thousand of every tribe, them and Phinehas the son of Eleazar the priest, to the war, with the holy instruments, and the trumpets to blow in his hand.
- Num 10:8–9And the sons of Aaron, the priests, shall blow with the trumpets; and they shall be to you for an ordinance for ever throughout your generations.
- 2 Chr 13:12And, behold, God himself is with us for our captain, and his priests with sounding trumpets to cry alarm against you. O children of Israel, fight ye not against the LORD God of your fathers; for ye shall not prosper.
- 1 Sam 30:7–8And David said to Abiathar the priest, Ahimelech’s son, I pray thee, bring me hither the ephod. And Abiathar brought thither the ephod to David.
- Judg 20:27–28And the children of Israel enquired of the LORD, (for the ark of the covenant of God was there in those days,
- 1 Sam 14:18And Saul said unto Ahiah, Bring hither the ark of God. For the ark of God was at that time with the children of Israel.
Resources, by level
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Hebrew/Greek interlinear, word definitions, and cross-references for this verse.
Christ at the center
Moses promised a Prophet like himself to whom Israel must listen (18:15); Jesus is that Prophet, the one who keeps the covenant we broke and becomes the curse for us by hanging on a tree (Gal 3:13).
How Deuteronomy 20:2 points to him is part of the one story that runs through all Scripture — meet Jesus at the heart of the web, or follow a trail that traces him from Genesis to Revelation.
Original language
Each word below is tagged with its Strong’s number — tap one to see the underlying Hebrew word, its meaning, and every verse that uses it.