Bible Strands
Deuteronomy 20:9
When the officers have finished addressing the army, they are to appoint commanders to lead it.
Berean Standard Bible
Follow its threads on the canvas →
Study note
Setting — The officers finish their address to the assembled people regarding exemptions and fear, and the narrative shifts to the next administrative step before approaching a city.
The words — וּ/פָֽקְד֛וּ (u./Fa.ke.Du) = and/ they will appoint; שָׂרֵ֥י (sa.Rei) = commanders of.
The thread — The appointment of structured leadership echoes Exodus 18:21 and Joshua 1:10, where military and civil order follows initial proclamation.
Why it lands — It requires recognizing that public instruction must be followed by concrete organizational structure, and that obedience depends on clear chains of command.
Drafted by a language model from the text, its original words and its cross-references, then checked against them. It can still be wrong: open the verse in the app to report it.
The Hebrew words
King James Version
And it shall be, when the officers have made an end of speaking unto the people, that they shall make captains of the armies to lead the people.