Deuteronomy 20:6

6 And who [is] the man that has planted a vineyard and has not enjoyed it? Let him go and let him return to his house, so that he does not die in battle and {another man} enjoys it.

Deuteronomy 20:6 Meaning and Commentary

Deuteronomy 20:6

And what man is he that hath planted a vineyard, and hath not
yet eaten of it?
&c.] Which he has a right to do, and it is hard for him to be deprived of it, ( 1 Corinthians 9:7 ) or "hath not made it common" ^F11; according to the law in ( Leviticus 19:23-25 ) . Three years the fruit of trees, and so of vines, might not be eaten; in the fourth, they were devoted to the Lord, and might be redeemed from the priest, and so made common; and on the fifth year were eaten in course; so the Targums of Jerusalem, Jonathan, and Jarchi, interpret it: "let him also go and return unto his house, lest he die in the battle, and another man eat of it"; or make it common, according to the above law: Aben Ezra seems to have another sense of this passage, deriving the word from another, which signifies piping and dancing, and observes, that it was a custom to sing, pipe, and dance in vineyards; and the Septuagint version is, "hath not been made merry of it"; though that may signify not having drank of the wine of it, to be made merry with it.

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FOOTNOTES:

F11 (wllx al) "necdum fecit eam esse communem", V. L. "et non fecit eam communem", Vatablus, Fagius.

Deuteronomy 20:6 In-Context

4 for Yahweh your God [is] going with you to fight for you against your enemies to help you.'

5 And the officials shall speak to the troops, {saying}, 'Who [is] the man who has built a new house and has not dedicated it? Let him go and return to this house, so that he does not die in battle and {another man} dedicates it.

6 And who [is] the man that has planted a vineyard and has not enjoyed it? Let him go and let him return to his house, so that he does not die in battle and {another man} enjoys it.

7 And who [is] the man who got engaged to a woman and [has] not married her? Let him go and let him return to his house, so that he does not die in battle and {another man} marries her.'

8 And the officials shall continue to speak to the troops, and they shall say, '{What man} is afraid {and disheartened}? Let him go, and let him return to his house, and let him not cause the heart of his brothers to melt like his.'

Footnotes

• [a] Literally "a man other"