Bible Commentaries
Go deeper in Scripture
Browse trusted public-domain commentary alongside DiscipleDeck Bible study. References inside each commentary open Bible previews in place.
35,156 commentary entries
All active commentary sources
The Pulpit Commentary on Deuteronomy 20:19
To employ them in the siege; literally, to come, i.e. that they should come into the siege before thee, i.e. either as thine adversary or to be used by thee for the siege. For the tree of the field is man's life. This m…
The Pulpit Commentary on Deuteronomy 20:20
And thou shalt build bulwarks against the city … until it be subdued; literally, That thou mayest build a siege—he, an instrument for besieging, a rampart, or bulwark—against the city, till it come down (cf. Deuteronomy…
Matthew Henry on Deuteronomy 21:1-9
If a murderer could not be found out, great solemnity is provided for putting away the guilt from the land, as an expression of dread and detesting of that sin. The providence of God has often wonderfully brought to lig…
Undetected Murder. (b. c. 1451.)
UNDETECTED MURDER. (B. C. 1451.) Care had been taken by some preceding laws for the vigorous and effectual persecution of a wilful murderer (Deuteronomy 19:11-13, &c.), the putting of whom to death was the putting away…
The Pulpit Commentary on Deuteronomy 21:1-9
If a body was found lying dead from a wound, and it was not known by whom the wound had been inflicted, the whole land would be involved in the guilt of the murder, unless it was duly expiated as here directed. First, t…
The Pulpit Commentary on Deuteronomy 21:1-9
Atonement for unknown sin. We have here a ritual applicable to cases where murder has not been expiated by the apprehension and execution of the murderer. The mystery has remained unraveled. The elders and judges, in su…
The Pulpit Commentary on Deuteronomy 21:1-9
The creation of righteous, public sentiment. The influence of man upon man is omnific; it touches him at every point. The potency of influence depends on character, rank, age, station. The character of kings is soon ref…
The Pulpit Commentary on Deuteronomy 21:1-9
Purification from guilt of an uncertain murder. The explanation commonly given of this peculiar ceremony seems unsatisfactory. Keil's view, that "it was a symbolical infliction of the punishment that should have been bo…
The Pulpit Commentary on Deuteronomy 21:1-23
EXPOSITION EXPIATION OF UNCERTAIN MURDER. TREATMENT OF A CAPTIVE TAKEN TO WIFE. RIGHTS OF THE FIRSTBORN. A REBELLIOUS, REFRACTORY SON TO BE JUDGED AND PUNISHED. A MALEFACTOR WHO HAS BEEN HANGED TO BE BURIED ERE NIGHTFAL…
The Pulpit Commentary on Deuteronomy 21:1-9
The preciousness of one human life in the sight of God. The value of this paragraph can be duly appreciated only as the indifference with which pagan nations of old regarded human life is studied and understood. As a pi…
The Pulpit Commentary on Deuteronomy 21:3
An heifer, which hath not boon wrought with, and which hath not drawn in the yoke; a young cow which had not been rendered unfit for consecration, nor had its vital force impaired, by being subjected to forced labor (cf…
The Pulpit Commentary on Deuteronomy 21:4
A rough valley; literally, a stream of perpetuity, a perennial stream (cf. Psalms 74:15, Authorized Version, "mighty rivers;" Amos 5:24); but here rather the valley or wady through which a stream flowed, as is evident f…
The Pulpit Commentary on Deuteronomy 21:5
And the priests the sons of Levi shall come near. The presence of the priests at this ceremony was due to their position as the servants of Jehovah the King of Israel, on whom it devolved to see that all was done in any…
The Pulpit Commentary on Deuteronomy 21:6
The elders of that city. The elders, by the significant act of washing their hands, indicated that they threw off from them, utterly repudiated, the charge of blood-guiltiness on the part of the town which they represen…
The Pulpit Commentary on Deuteronomy 21:9
In this way they were to deliver themselves as a nation from blood-guiltiness. "Expiation was made by the killing of the transgressor when he could be found (Deuteronomy 19:13; Numbers 35:33); when he was not known, by…
Matthew Henry on Deuteronomy 21:10-14
By this law a soldier was allowed to marry his captive, if he pleased. This might take place upon some occasions; but the law does not show any approval of it. It also intimates how binding the laws of justice and honou…
The Case of Captive Women. (b. c. 1451.)
THE CASE OF CAPTIVE WOMEN. (B. C. 1451.) By this law a soldier is allowed to marry his captive if he pleased. For the hardness of their hearts Moses gave them this permission, lest, if they had not had liberty given the…
The Pulpit Commentary on Deuteronomy 21:10-14
If an Israelite saw among captives taken in war a woman, fair of aspect, and loved her, and took her to be his wife, he was to allow her a full month to mourn her lost kindred, and become accustomed to her new condition…
The Pulpit Commentary on Deuteronomy 21:10-14
Through love to liberty. We have here a regulation or law of war. Captives might be sold as slaves, but through love they might reach the position of a wife in a Jewish household, and if she did not please her conqueror…
The Pulpit Commentary on Deuteronomy 21:10-15
The captive wife. The kindness, thoughtfulness, and strict justice of the Mosaic laws is very striking. The Law here interposes to secure— I. CONSIDERATE TREATMENT OF ONE BEREAVED. (Deuteronomy 21:10-14.) The case suppo…
The Pulpit Commentary on Deuteronomy 21:10-14
The captor captured. God's laws are accommodations to human infirmities. To require from men summarily, and as the result of law, perfect conduct of life is impracticable. Hence legislation, to be successful, must be ad…
The Pulpit Commentary on Deuteronomy 21:10-14
The female captive; or, Divine regard for woman's safety and honor. Any one who is acquainted with the fearful license practiced among many nations towards female captives taken in war, can surely appreciate the humaniz…
The Pulpit Commentary on Deuteronomy 21:12
She shall shave her head, and pare her nails. The shaving of the head and the paring of the nails, as well as the putting off of the garments worn when taken captive, were signs of purification, of separation from forme…
The Pulpit Commentary on Deuteronomy 21:13
The raiment of her captivity; i.e. the raiment she had on whoa taken captive; this she was to lay aside, that she might put on garments of mourning. A full month; literally, a month of days; the period of mourning was f…