Deuteronomy 21:10

10 If thou goest out to battle against thine enemies, that thy Lord God betaketh them in thine hand, and thou leadest (back) prisoners, (When thou goest out to battle against thy enemies, and the Lord thy God delivereth them into thy hands, and thou takest some 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 Lord, be merciful to thy people Israel, whom thou hast again-bought, and areckon thou not innocent blood in the midst of thy people Israel. And the guilt of blood shall be done away from them. (Lord, be merciful to thy people Israel, whom thou hast bought back, or hast redeemed, and put thou not the guilt of innocent blood on thy people Israel. And so the guilt for the innocent blood shall be done away from them.)

9 Forsooth thou shalt be alien, or unguilty, from the blood of the innocent which is shed, when thou hast done that that the Lord commanded. (And so thou shalt be free from any guilt for the innocent blood which is shed, when thou hast done what the Lord commanded.)

10 If thou goest out to battle against thine enemies, that thy Lord God betaketh them in thine hand, and thou leadest (back) prisoners, (When thou goest out to battle against thy enemies, and the Lord thy God delivereth them into thy hands, and thou takest some prisoners,)

11 and thou seest in the number of those prisoners a fair woman, and thou lovest her, and will have her to wife (and will have her for your wife),

12 thou shalt bring her into thine house; which woman shall shave her hair, and she shall cut her nails about, (thou shalt bring her into thy house; and this woman shall shave off her hair, and she shall pare her nails,)