John Gill Commentary Deuteronomy 20:6

John Gill Commentary

Deuteronomy 20:6

1697–1771
Reformed Baptist
John Gill
John Gill

John Gill Commentary

Deuteronomy 20:6

1697–1771
Reformed Baptist
SCRIPTURE

"And what man is there that hath planted a vineyard, and hath not used the fruit thereof? let him go and return unto his house, lest he die in the battle, and another man use the fruit thereof." — Deuteronomy 20:6 (ASV)

And what man is he that has planted a vineyard, and has 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 "has 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, "has not been made merry of it"; though that may signify not having drank of the wine of it, to be made merry with it.


FOOTNOTES:

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