Deuteronomy 20:4

4 for Jehovah your God is he that goeth with you, to fight for you against your enemies, to save you.

Deuteronomy 20:4 Meaning and Commentary

Deuteronomy 20:4

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 F6, respects the ark, and so Jarchi, which was a symbol of the divine Presence, and went with them to battle; see ( Joshua 6:4 ) ( 1 Samuel 4:3-5 )

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" unto to save you; and then another priest under him causes it to be heard by all the people with an high voice F7;''

he repeated what the anointed of war had said, and expressed it with a loud voice, that all might hear.


FOOTNOTES:

F6 Ut supra. (Misn. Sotab, c. 8. sect. 1.)
F7 Hilchot Melachim, c. 7. sect. 3.

Deuteronomy 20:4 In-Context

2 And it shall be, when ye approach unto the battle, that the priest shall draw near and speak unto the people,
3 and shall say unto them, Hear, Israel, ye are approaching this day unto battle against your enemies: let not your hearts faint, fear not, and do not tremble, neither be afraid of them;
4 for Jehovah your God is he that goeth with you, to fight for you against your enemies, to save you.
5 And the officers shall speak unto the people, saying, What man is there that hath built a new house, and hath not dedicated it? let him go and return unto his house, lest he die in the battle, and another man dedicate it.
6 And what man is there that hath planted a vineyard, and hath not eaten of it? let him go and return unto his house, lest he die in the battle, and another man eat of it.
The Darby Translation is in the public domain.