Deuteronomy 23:9

9 "When you are in camp, at war with your enemies, you are to guard yourself against anything bad.

Deuteronomy 23:9 Meaning and Commentary

Deuteronomy 23:9

When the host goeth forth against thine enemies
An army of soldiers march in order to meet the enemy and fight him:

then keep thee from every wicked thing;
the Targum of Jonathan adds, by way of explanation,

``from strange worship, uncovering of nakedness, and from shedding innocent blood;''

that is, from idolatry, uncleanness of every sort, and murder; and all other wickednesses ought to be abstained from at all times by all persons, but especially by soldiers in such a circumstance, just going to battle; since sin committed weakens natural courage, as it loads the conscience with guilt; and since victory and success, which depend upon the blessing of God on arms, cannot be reasonably expected, where vices of all sorts are indulged and abound; and especially seeing such are about to expose their lives to the utmost danger, and know not but that in a few hours they must exchange this life for another, and appear before God, the Judge of all, against whom they sin; and yet how little are these things thought of by such in common! it was the wisdom of the Jewish legislature, which was of God, to inculcate such things into the minds of their soldiers.

Deuteronomy 23:9 In-Context

7 "But you are not to detest an Edomi, because he is your brother; and you are not to detest an Egyptian, because you lived as a foreigner in his land.

8 The third generation of children born to them may enter the assembly of ADONAI.

9 "When you are in camp, at war with your enemies, you are to guard yourself against anything bad.

10 If there is a man among you who is unclean because of a nocturnal emission, he is to go outside the camp; he is not to enter the camp.

11 When evening arrives he is to bathe himself in water, and after sunset he may enter the camp.