John Gill Commentary


John Gill Commentary
"When thou goest forth to battle against thine enemies, and Jehovah thy God delivereth them into thy hands, and thou carriest them away captive," — Deuteronomy 21:10 (ASV)
When you go forth to war against your enemies
This refers to an arbitrary war, as Jarchi remarks, which they entered into of themselves, of choice, or through being provoked to it by their enemies; and not a war commanded by the Lord, as that against the seven nations of Canaan, and against Amalek; since there were to be no captives in that war, but all were to be destroyed:
and the Lord your God has delivered them into your hands ;
given them the victory over their enemies, so that they were obliged to surrender themselves to them prisoners of war:
and you have taken them captive ,
or "led his or their captivity F2 captive"; led them captive who used to lead others, denoting their conquest of victorious nations; see a like phrase in (Psalms 68:18) .