Deuteronomy 21:10

Getting Married to a Woman Who Is Your Prisoner

10 Suppose you go to war against your enemies. And the LORD your God hands them over to you and you take them as prisoners.

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 ) .

---

FOOTNOTES:

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

Deuteronomy 21:10 In-Context

8 Accept this payment for the sin of your people Israel. Lord, you have set your people free. Don't hold them guilty for spilling the blood of someone who hasn't done anything wrong." That will pay for the death of that person.

9 So you will get rid of the guilt of killing someone who didn't do anything wrong. That's because you have done what is right in the LORD's eyes.

10 Suppose you go to war against your enemies. And the LORD your God hands them over to you and you take them as prisoners.

11 Then you notice a beautiful woman among them. If you like her, you can get married to her.

12 Bring her home. Have her shave her head. Have her cut her nails.