John Gill's Bible Commentary Ver. 3. And shall say unto them, hear, O Israel , etc.] Exciting their attention to what he was about to say, and which, as Jarchi observes, was spoken in the holy tongue, or in the Hebrew language: you approach this day unto battle against your enemies ; were marching or ready to march, preparing to engage with them, and a battle seemed near at hand: let not your hearts faint, fear not, and do not tremble, neither be ye terrified because of them ; many words are made use of to animate them against those fears which the strength, number, and appearance of their enemies, would be apt to cause in them. Jarchi observes, that here are four exhortations, answerable to four things which the kings of the nations do (in order to inject terror into their enemies); they shake their shields, to clash them one against another, that hearing their noise they may be afraid of them and flee; they prance their horses, and make them neigh, to cause the noise of the hoofs of their horses to be heard; they shout with their voices, and blow with their trumpets: and accordingly these several clauses are so interpreted in the Misnah f238 ““and let not your hearts faint”; at the neighing of the horses, and the brightness of swords: “fear not”; at the clashing of shields: “and do not tremble”; at the sound of trumpets: “neither be ye terrified” at the voice of shouting;” and no doubt but it takes in everything that has a tendency to cause fear, faintness, and dismay, which they are cautioned against.
Matthew Henry Commentary
Verses 1-9 - In the wars wherein Israel engaged according to the will of God, the might expect the Divine assistance. The Lord was to be their onl confidence. In these respects they were types of the Christian' warfare. Those unwilling to fight, must be sent away. The unwillingnes might arise from a man's outward condition. God would not be served by men forced against their will. Thy people shall be willing, Ps 110:3 In running the Christian race, and fighting the good fight of faith, we must lay aside all that would make us unwilling. If a man' unwillingness rose from weakness and fear, he had leave to return from the war. The reason here given is, lest his brethren's heart fail a well as his heart. We must take heed that we fear not with the fear of them that are afraid, Isa 8:12.
Original Hebrew ואמר559 אלהם413 שׁמע8085 ישׂראל3478 אתם859 קרבים7131 היום3117 למלחמה4421 על5921 איביכם341 אל408 ירך7401 לבבכם3824 אל408 תיראו3372 ואל408 תחפזו2648 ואל408 תערצו6206 מפניהם׃6440
