Deuteronomy 20:1

KJV1611 – Modern English

When you go out to battle against your enemies, and see horses and chariots and a people more than you, do not be afraid of them: for the LORD your God is with you, who brought you up out of the land of Egypt.

📖 Grammatical Analysis

Original Text

כִּֽי־תֵצֵ֨א לַמִּלְחָמָ֜ה עַל־אֹיְבֶ֗יךָ וְֽרָאִ֜יתָ ס֤וּס וָרֶ֙כֶב֙ עַ֚ם רַ֣ב מִמְּךָ֔ לֹ֥א תִירָ֖א מֵהֶ֑ם כִּֽי־יְהוָ֤ה אֱלֹהֶ֙יךָ֙ עִמָּ֔ךְ הַמַּֽעַלְךָ֖ מֵאֶ֥רֶץ מִצְרָֽיִם׃

Transliteration

When tēṣē to-the-milḥāmāh against-ʾōyḇêḵā wə-rāʾîtā sûs and-reḵeḇ ʿam raḇ than-you, not tîrā from-them, for YHWH ʾĕlōhêḵā with-you, the-one-who-maʿalḵā from-ʾereṣ miṣrayim.

Grammar Details

• *kî*: conjunction - because/for
• *tēṣē*: qal imperfect 2nd person masculine singular - you go out
• *lamilḥāmāh*: preposition + definite article + feminine noun - to the battle/war
• *ʿal*: preposition - against
• *ʾōyḇêḵā*: masculine plural noun + 2nd person masculine singular suffix - your enemies
• *wə-rāʾîtā*: conjunction + qal perfect 2nd person masculine singular - and you see/saw
• *sûs*: masculine singular noun - horse
• *wā-reḵeḇ*: conjunction + masculine singular noun - and chariot
• *ʿam*: masculine singular noun - people
• *raḇ*: adjective - many/greater
• *mimməḵā*: preposition + 2nd person masculine singular suffix - than you
• *lōʾ*: negative particle - not
• *tîrā*: qal imperfect 2nd person masculine singular - you will fear
• *mēhem*: preposition + 3rd person masculine plural suffix - from them
• *YHWH*: divine name - LORD
• *ʾĕlōhêḵā*: masculine plural noun + 2nd person masculine singular suffix - your God
• *ʿimmāḵ*: preposition + 2nd person masculine singular suffix - with you
• *hammaʿalḵā*: definite article + hiphil participle + 2nd person masculine singular suffix - the one bringing you up
• *mēʾereṣ*: preposition + feminine singular construct - from land of
• *miṣrayim*: proper noun - Egypt

Word Meanings

• *tēṣē*: go out/depart/proceed
• *milḥāmāh*: battle/war/fighting
• *ʾōyḇêḵā*: enemies/adversaries/foes
• *sûs*: horse/cavalry
• *reḵeḇ*: chariot/chariotry/vehicles
• *ʿam*: people/nation/troops
• *raḇ*: many/numerous/greater
• *tîrā*: fear/be afraid/dread
• *ʾĕlōhêḵā*: your God/gods/deity
• *maʿalḵā*: bringing you up/causing you to ascend

Other Translations

• Linguistic Bible Translation from Source Texts

  When you go out to battle against your enemies and see horses, chariots, and a people more numerous than you, do not be afraid of them, for the LORD your God, who brought you up out of the land of Egypt, is with you.

• King James Version 1769 (Standard Version)

  When thou goest out to battle against thine enemies, and seest horses, and chariots, and a people more than thou, be not afraid of them: for the LORD thy God is with thee, which brought thee up out of the land of Egypt.

• American Standard Version with Strong's Numbers

  When thou goest forth to battle against thine enemies, and seest horses, and chariots, [and] a people more than thou, thou shalt not be afraid of them; for Jehovah thy God is with thee, who brought thee up out of the land of Egypt.

• King James Version with Strong's Numbers

  When thou goest out to battle against thine enemies, and seest horses, and chariots, and a people more than thou, be not afraid of them: for the LORD thy God is with thee, which brought thee up out of the land of Egypt.

• Tyndale Bible (1526/1534)

  When thou goest out to batayle agenste thine enemyes, and seest horses and charettes and people moo then thou, be not aferde of them, for the Lorde thy God is with the whiche broughte the out of the londe off Egipte.

• Coverdale Bible (1535)

  Whan thou goest out to battayll agaynst thine enemies, and seyst horses and charettes of the people more then thou, be not afrayed of them: for the LORDE thy God which brought ye out of the londe of Egipte, is with the.

• Geneva Bible (1560)

  When thou shalt go forth to warre against thine enemies, and shalt see horses & charets, & people moe then thou, be not afrayde of them: for the Lorde thy God is with thee, which brought thee out of the land of Egypt.

• Bishops' Bible (1568)

  When thou goest out to battayle agaynst thine enemies, & seest horses, and charettes, and people, mo then thou, be not afrayde of them: for the Lorde thy God is with thee, which brought thee out of the lande of Egypt.

• Authorized King James Version (1611)

  ¶ When thou goest out to battle against thine enemies, and seest horses, and chariots, [and] a people more than thou, be not afraid of them: for the LORD thy God [is] with thee, which brought thee up out of the land of Egypt.

• Webster's Bible (1833)

  When you go forth to battle against your enemies, and see horses, and chariots, [and] a people more than you, you shall not be afraid of them; for Yahweh your God is with you, who brought you up out of the land of Egypt.

• Young's Literal Translation (1862/1898)

  `When thou goest out to battle against thine enemy, and hast seen horse and chariot -- a people more numerous than thou -- thou art not afraid of them, for Jehovah thy God `is' with thee, who is bringing thee up out of the land of Egypt;

• American Standard Version (1901)

  When thou goest forth to battle against thine enemies, and seest horses, and chariots, `and' a people more than thou, thou shalt not be afraid of them; for Jehovah thy God is with thee, who brought thee up out of the land of Egypt.

• American Standard Version (1901)

  When thou goest forth to battle against thine enemies, and seest horses, and chariots, [and] a people more than thou, thou shalt not be afraid of them; for Jehovah thy God is with thee, who brought thee up out of the land of Egypt.

• Bible in Basic English (1941)

  When you go out to war against other nations, and come face to face with horses and war-carriages and armies greater in number than yourselves, have no fear of them: for the Lord your God is with you, who took you up out of the land of Egypt.

• World English Bible (2000)

  When you go forth to battle against your enemies, and see horses, and chariots, [and] a people more than you, you shall not be afraid of them; for Yahweh your God is with you, who brought you up out of the land of Egypt.

• NET Bible® (New English Translation)

  Laws Concerning War with Distant Enemies When you go to war against your enemies and see chariotry and troops who outnumber you, do not be afraid of them, for the LORD your God, who brought you up out of the land of Egypt, is with you.

Referenced Verses

• 2 Chr 32:7-8 : 7 Be strong and courageous, do not be afraid or dismayed because of the king of Assyria, nor for all the multitude with him, for there are more with us than with him: 8 With him is an arm of flesh, but with us is the LORD our God to help us and to fight our battles. And the people relied on the words of Hezekiah king of Judah.
• Ps 20:7 : 7 Some trust in chariots, and some in horses: but we will remember the name of the LORD our God.
• Deut 31:6 : 6 Be strong and of good courage, fear not, nor be afraid of them: for the LORD your God, he it is that does go with you; he will not fail you, nor forsake you.
• Deut 31:8 : 8 And the LORD, he it is that goes before you; he will be with you, he will not fail you, neither forsake you: fear not, neither be dismayed.
• Isa 31:1 : 1 Woe to those who go down to Egypt for help; and rely on horses, and trust in chariots, because they are many; and in horsemen, because they are very strong; but they do not look to the Holy One of Israel, nor seek the LORD!
• Rom 8:31 : 31 What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us?
• Isa 7:14 : 14 Therefore the Lord himself shall give you a sign; Behold, a virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel.
• Isa 8:9-9 : 9 Associate yourselves, O you people, and you shall be broken in pieces; and listen, all you of far countries: gird yourselves, and you shall be broken in pieces; gird yourselves, and you shall be broken in pieces. 10 Take counsel together, and it shall come to nothing; speak the word, and it shall not stand: for God is with us.
• Judg 6:12 : 12 And the angel of the LORD appeared unto him, and said unto him, The LORD is with you, you mighty man of valor.
• 2 Chr 14:11 : 11 And Asa cried unto the LORD his God, and said, 'LORD, it is nothing for You to help, whether with many, or with those who have no power; help us, O LORD our God, for we rest on You, and in Your name we go against this multitude. O LORD, You are our God; let not man prevail against You.'
• 2 Chr 20:12 : 12 O our God, will You not judge them? For we have no power against this great company that comes against us; nor do we know what to do, but our eyes are upon You.
• Isa 43:2 : 2 When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and through the rivers, they shall not overflow you: when you walk through the fire, you shall not be burned; nor shall the flame ignite upon you.
• Josh 1:5 : 5 No man shall be able to stand before you all the days of your life: as I was with Moses, so I will be with you; I will not fail you, nor forsake you.
• Josh 1:9 : 9 Have I not commanded you? Be strong and of good courage; do not be afraid, nor be dismayed, for the LORD your God is with you wherever you go.
• Ps 33:16-17 : 16 No king is saved by the multitude of an army; a mighty man is not delivered by much strength. 17 A horse is a vain hope for safety; neither shall it deliver any by its great strength.
• Ps 46:7 : 7 The LORD of hosts is with us; the God of Jacob is our refuge. Selah.
• Ps 46:11 : 11 The LORD of hosts is with us; the God of Jacob is our refuge. Selah.
• Ps 118:6 : 6 The LORD is on my side; I will not fear. What can man do to me?
• Deut 3:21-22 : 21 And I commanded Joshua at that time, saying, Your eyes have seen all that the LORD your God has done to these two kings; so shall the LORD do to all the kingdoms through which you pass. 22 You shall not fear them, for the LORD your God shall fight for you.
• Deut 7:1 : 1 When the LORD your God shall bring you into the land where you are going to possess it, and has cast out many nations before you, the Hittites, the Girgashites, the Amorites, the Canaanites, the Perizzites, the Hivites, and the Jebusites, seven nations greater and mightier than you;
• Gen 26:3 : 3 Stay in this land, and I will be with you, and will bless you; for to you, and to your descendants, I will give all these countries, and I will fulfill the oath which I swore to Abraham your father;
• Num 23:21 : 21 He has not observed iniquity in Jacob, nor has he seen perverseness in Israel; the LORD his God is with him, and the shout of a king is among them.
• Deut 2:7 : 7 For the LORD your God has blessed you in all the works of your hands; He knows your walking through this great wilderness. These forty years the LORD your God has been with you; you have lacked nothing.
• Josh 10:5-8 : 5 Therefore the five kings of the Amorites—the king of Jerusalem, the king of Hebron, the king of Jarmuth, the king of Lachish, and the king of Eglon—gathered themselves together and went up, they and all their armies, and encamped before Gibeon and made war against it. 6 And the men of Gibeon sent to Joshua to the camp at Gilgal, saying, Do not let your hand be slack from your servants; come up to us quickly, and save us and help us, for all the kings of the Amorites who dwell in the mountains have gathered together against us. 7 So Joshua ascended from Gilgal, he and all the people of war with him, and all the mighty men of valor. 8 And the LORD said to Joshua, Do not fear them, for I have delivered them into your hand; not a man of them shall stand before you.
• Josh 11:4-6 : 4 And they went out, they and all their armies with them, numerous people, as the sand that is on the seashore in multitude, with very many horses and chariots. 5 And when all these kings met together, they came and encamped together at the waters of Merom, to fight against Israel. 6 And the LORD said to Joshua, Do not be afraid because of them: for tomorrow about this time I will deliver them all slain before Israel: you shall hamstring their horses, and burn their chariots with fire.
• Josh 11:9 : 9 And Joshua did to them as the LORD commanded him: he hamstrung their horses, and burned their chariots with fire.
• Judg 4:3-9 : 3 And the children of Israel cried to the LORD, for Sisera had nine hundred chariots of iron, and for twenty years he mightily oppressed the children of Israel. 4 Now Deborah, a prophetess, the wife of Lapidoth, was judging Israel at that time. 5 And she sat under the palm tree of Deborah between Ramah and Bethel in the hill country of Ephraim; and the children of Israel came up to her for judgment. 6 And she sent and called Barak the son of Abinoam from Kedesh in Naphtali, and said to him, Has not the LORD God of Israel commanded, saying, Go, and lead the way to Mount Tabor, and take with you ten thousand men of the children of Naphtali and of the children of Zebulun? 7 And I will draw Sisera, the commander of Jabin's army, with his chariots and his multitude, to you at the river Kishon, and I will deliver him into your hand. 8 And Barak said to her, If you will go with me, then I will go; but if you will not go with me, then I will not go. 9 And she said, I will surely go with you; nevertheless the journey that you take shall not be for your glory, for the LORD will sell Sisera into the hand of a woman. So Deborah arose, and went with Barak to Kedesh.
• Isa 37:24-25 : 24 By your servants you have reproached the Lord, and have said, By the multitude of my chariots I have come up to the height of the mountains, to the sides of Lebanon; and I will cut down its tall cedars and its choice fir trees: and I will enter the height of its border, the forest of its Carmel. 25 I have dug, and drunk water; and with the sole of my feet I have dried up all the rivers of besieged places.