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 to his house lest he die in the battle and another man dedicate it.Deuteronomy 20:5 Explainer ## Introduction - In Plain Language: When the army officers call for soldiers, they are to let anyone who has just built a new house and not yet celebrated or dedicated it go home — don’t force him to fight right away. - Big idea: The law protects people with fresh family or household responsibilities from immediate military service so their new home, livelihood, or relationships won’t be lost if they die in battle. - Key points: - The passage offers temporary exemptions from military service for people who have just started important domestic projects or relationships. - The law balances the needs of national defense with compassion for family and property. - It recognizes practical social consequences: if a man dies before finishing or dedicating what he’s begun, someone else could take it. ## Context - Where this verse fits in: Deuteronomy 20 is part of Israel’s military laws — practical instructions for going to war. Verses 1–4 reassure the troops that God fights for them; verses 5–11 list exemptions and rules about attacking cities; later verses outline conduct during sieges and spoils. - Story timeline: These laws are given as Moses repeats the covenant to Israel before they enter the Promised Land (traditionally placed in the late Bronze Age / early Iron Age context). The audience is the whole community of Israel preparing for national life and warfare. - Surrounding passage: - Verses just before (Deut. 20:1–4): Officers tell soldiers not to be afraid because God will fight for them; they remind people that the priest will encourage them before battle. - Verses just after (Deut. 20:6–9): The exemptions continue — those who planted a vineyard, or who are betrothed, are excused; officers are to send home those whose hearts fear and faint. The chapter goes on to give rules for offering terms of peace to a city and for conduct during sieges. ## Explanation - Quick take: This verse gives a humane exception to military conscription: people who have just committed resources or started families shouldn’t be forced into immediate battle so they don’t lose what they started if they die. - In Depth: - Practical concern: The law recognizes the social and economic fallout if a man is drafted the day after he builds a house, plants a vineyard, or marries. If he dies, his unfinished project and vulnerable family could be taken over by others or left destitute. - The word “dedicated” points to formalizing or inaugurating a new household — making it officially his in the eyes of the community. Until that dedication happens, the work and financial risk still hang over the family. - The exemption isn’t a permanent opt-out from national defense. It’s a temporary, compassionate pause so the man can secure his home duties before risking his life for the community. - Social order and communal responsibility are both honored: Israel must be defended, but the law deliberately avoids creating needless misery at home by forcing those with fresh domestic obligations to fight immediately. - The verse reflects an ancient concern for lineage, property, and social stability: a community functions better when families are not left helpless due to sudden loss. ## Key Words - Banah (בָּנָה) — “to build”; here: to build a house (bāyit, בית). - Ḥannēk / ḥānakh (חָנַךְ) — “to dedicate, inaugurate, consecrate”; used for formally bringing something (like a house) into use. - Milkhamah (מִלְחָמָה) — “battle, war.” - Sarim (שָׂרִים) — “officers, commanders”; those who call up the troops. ## Background - Ancient cultural/historical background: In agrarian and family-centered societies, property, houses, and marriage were the basis for security and inheritance. Laws like this prevented families from being left without protection or property management. Similar practical exemptions can be found in other ancient Near Eastern legal practices that recognized special statuses (newly married, recently settled) as reasons to delay military obligations. - Literary background: Deuteronomy collects and frames laws for a covenant community about how to live together, including how to wage war in ways that reflect both trust in God and practical wisdom. ## Theology - Theological insights in plain language: - God’s law attends to both communal needs and private welfare—faithfulness to the community includes care for families. - Divine justice includes practical compassion: the community should not press the vulnerable to take risks that would create greater injustice at home. - Obedience to God’s commands is balanced with humane consideration for people’s relationships and livelihoods. ## Application To Your Life - For workers/employers: Protect employees who are going through major life transitions (new home, new family responsibilities). Flexibility and short-term accommodations honor human dignity and strengthen community loyalty. - For parents/family members: Recognize the value of securing essential needs (home, income, relationships) before taking on high-risk commitments; plan so family stability is preserved. - For church leaders/communities: When calling people to service or hardship, consider exemptions or pastoral support for those in fragile domestic situations. - For seekers/individuals: The verse offers a model of balancing personal responsibilities and public duty; think about how to prioritize rightly when both call you. - Reflection question(s): - What responsibilities at home or work deserve temporary protection before I commit to larger risks or public obligations? - Are there ways my community can show practical compassion to people in fragile life stages? - Short prayer: Lord, give me wisdom to balance duty to others with care for those I love; help my community act justly and compassionately toward those in vulnerable seasons. ## Translation Comparison - King James Version (KJV): “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 to his house, lest he die in the battle, and another man dedicate it.” - New International Version (NIV): “The officers shall say to the people: ‘Is anyone who has built a new home still untested? Let him go back to his house, or he may die in battle and someone else may enter it.’” - English Standard Version (ESV): “And the officers shall speak to the people, saying, ‘Who is the man who has built a house and has not dedicated it? Let him go and return to his house, lest he die in the battle and another man dedicate it.’” - New Revised Standard Version (NRSV): “The officers shall speak to the people, saying, ‘Is any man conscious of having built a new house but not dedicated it? Let him go back to his house, otherwise he may die in battle and another man dedicate it.’” - Note on why differences matter: Translators vary in wording (“dedicated” vs “enter” vs “inaugurate”) because the Hebrew can carry both the idea of formally consecrating/inaugurating and of taking possession/using something. NIV’s “someone else may enter it” stresses the practical loss (someone else occupying the house), while KJV/ESV keep the formal language “dedicate,” highlighting the social/inaugural act. Both capture the core concern: avoid needless loss of what one has just established. ## FAQs - Q: Does this verse teach that it’s okay to avoid military service? - Short answer: No — the verse provides temporary exemptions for very specific life circumstances, not a general way to avoid military duty. The law aims to balance national defense with social responsibility. Israel still prepares for war and calls up the army, but it also protects families who would suffer significant harm if their household head went off to fight immediately. This is a pragmatic, compassionate rule rather than an escape clause from civic duty. - Q: What does “lest he die in the battle, and another man dedicate it” really mean? - Short answer: It expresses a real-world consequence: if the man dies in battle before he has finished and publicly established his home (or other new project), someone else could end up taking possession or formally claiming it, leaving his family vulnerable. “Dedicate” here can mean both inaugurate (make officially his) and, practically, have another person move in or take over. The law aims to prevent that unjust outcome by allowing a short delay in service. ## Cross References - Deuteronomy 20:6–9 — Additional exemptions (vineyard-planter, betrothed man) and guidance for officers sending home fearful men. - Deuteronomy 24:5 — “When a man takes a new wife, he shall not go out with the army for one year…” (another law protecting family and household stability). - Deuteronomy 20:10–15 — Rules for offering peace to a city before attacking (balancing warfare with restraint and mercy). - Deuteronomy 20:19 — Law against cutting down fruit trees during a siege (shows concern for sustaining life and property even in war). ## Deeper Study - Commentary synthesis (high-level): Most commentators read Deut. 20:5 as a pragmatic humanitarian law in a code about warfare. It’s consistent with Deuteronomy’s concern for family, property, and social order. Rabbinic and later interpreters see these exemptions as preserving social stability and preventing injustice to families. The verse also fits a broader biblical pattern where civic obligations are tempered by protections for the household and vulnerable. - Group study bullets: - Discuss modern equivalents: What kinds of life situations today should make us pause before calling someone to risky service? - Consider tensions between communal safety and personal care: How do we decide priorities when both are urgent? - Role-play: As community leaders, how would you implement fair exemptions and supports for families of those who serve? - Study cross-texts: Compare Deut. 20:5–9 with Deut. 24:5 and reflect on the values that undergird both laws. ## Related verses (to compare and contrast) - Deuteronomy 20:6–7 — Continues the list of exemptions (vineyard planted, betrothed woman) — why: shows the consistent concern for newly started personal obligations. - Deuteronomy 24:5 — Exempts newly married men from military service for a year — why: both laws protect nascent family units and show the priority given to household stability. - Deuteronomy 20:10–15 — Rules for attacking a city and offering terms of peace — why: contrasts the practical protections for individuals at home with the procedures for communal military action; together they show that war in Israelite law is regulated, not a free-for-all. ## Talk to the Bible Try the “Talk to the Bible” feature to explore this verse further. Suggested prompts: - “Explain Deuteronomy 20:5 in modern terms and give examples of how a church or employer might apply it today.” - “Compare Deuteronomy 20:5–9 with Deuteronomy 24:5 — what values do these laws reveal about family and community?” - “What do Jewish and Christian commentators say about the phrase ‘another man dedicate it’? Show at least two different interpretations.”
