What is the meaning of Deuteronomy 20:6? Has any man planted a vineyard Planting a vineyard was a long-term investment of labor and hope. In ancient Israel it took several years before vines produced a full harvest (Leviticus 19:23-25). By mentioning vineyards, the Lord recognizes the ordinary responsibilities of family life and the legitimate joy that comes from honest work (Psalm 128:2; 1 Kings 4:25). Going to war before tasting that first crop would mean walking away from a God-given stewardship. and not begun to enjoy its fruit? The question presses the point: if the planter has not yet shared in the harvest, his labor remains unfinished. The Law often links work with the right to enjoy its reward (Deuteronomy 28:30; Jeremiah 31:5; Isaiah 65:21-22). Here the Lord protects that right, guarding against a scenario in which faithfulness in battle cancels personal fruitfulness at home. Let him return home, The command is merciful and practical. Soldiers who are preoccupied with unresolved obligations fight distractedly, endangering themselves and their comrades (compare Deuteronomy 24:5; Judges 7:3). By sending such a man back, Israel’s army maintains single-minded resolve while the individual finishes the task God already gave him. or he may die in battle The warning is realistic. Warfare carries mortal risk (Ecclesiastes 3:8). If the planter falls, his years of patient care would benefit someone else. The Lord values the sanctity of life and acknowledges that no earthly project is worth more than the person who undertook it (Psalm 91:7; Matthew 16:26). and another man enjoy its fruit. Left unfinished, the vineyard would still yield a crop—but to someone who did not plant it. This echoes both blessing and curse motifs: Israel would one day inherit vineyards they did not plant (Deuteronomy 6:10-11), yet disobedience would reverse that blessing (Deuteronomy 28:30). Jesus later cites the same principle spiritually: “One sows and another reaps” (John 4:37-38). God desires each believer to reap the fruit of his own faithful labor. summary Deuteronomy 20:6 balances the call to national defense with the Lord’s compassionate concern for individual households. By excusing the yet-to-harvest vine-dresser from battle, God preserves the dignity of personal stewardship, ensures wholehearted service among those who do fight, and reinforces the biblical pattern that labor and its reward belong together. |
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