Deuteronomy 21:10

Fair Treatment of Captured Women

10 "When you go to war against your enemies and the Lord your God hands them over to you and you take some of them prisoner, and

Deuteronomy 21:10 Meaning and Commentary

Deuteronomy 21:10

When thou goest forth to war against thine enemies
This refers to an arbitrary war, as Jarchi remarks, which they entered into of themselves, of choice, or through being provoked to it by their enemies; and not a war commanded by the Lord, as that against the seven nations of Canaan, and against Amalek; since there were to be no captives in that war, but all were to be destroyed:

and the Lord thy God hath delivered them into thine hands;
given them the victory over their enemies, so that they were obliged to surrender themselves to them prisoners of war:

and thou hast taken them captive,
or "led his or their captivity ^F2 captive"; led them captive who used to lead others, denoting their conquest of victorious nations; see a like phrase in ( Psalms 68:18 ) .

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FOOTNOTES:

F2 (wybv tybvw) "et captivam duxerit captivitatem ejus", Pagninus, Montanus, Vatablus.

Deuteronomy 21:10 In-Context

8 Lord, forgive Your people Israel You redeemed, and do not hold the shedding of innocent blood against them.' Then they will be absolved of responsibility for bloodshed.

9 You must purge from yourselves the guilt of shedding innocent blood, for you will be doing what is right in the Lord's sight.

10 "When you go to war against your enemies and the Lord your God hands them over to you and you take some of them prisoner, and

11 if you see a beautiful woman among the captives, desire her, and want to take her as your wife,

12 you are to bring her into your house. She must shave her head, trim her nails,