John Gill's Bible Commentary Ver. 9. And when ye go to war in your land against the enemy that oppresseth you , etc.] That enters in to invade it, to besiege cities, and distress the inhabitants of it: then ye shall blow an alarm with the trumpets : a “tara-tan-tara” with both of them, to call the several tribes together to join against the enemy; or to call them to fasting and humiliation, to repentance and prayer, to seek the Lord in the exercise of these, and cry for help and assistance, for victory and salvation; for, as Ben Gersom observes, by this alarm their hearts would be broken and become contrite, and they would return to the Lord, and he would have mercy on them when they pray unto him; for such a sound makes a man’s heart shake and tremble, according to ( Amos 3:6); (see Jeremiah 4:19); this is a third use of the trumpets, and in a mystical sense it may be observed, that saints are in a militant state, and have many enemies that come in to them to oppress them, sin, Satan, and the world; and the Gospel calls and encourages them to fight, furnishes them with armour, and assures them of victory, and directs them where to fight and with whom, and bids them endure hardness as good soldiers of Christ: and ye shall be remembered before the Lord your God ; for a book of remembrance is written for them that fear God, humble themselves before him, and pray unto him: and ye shall be saved from your enemies ; as Israel from their temporal, so the people of God from their spiritual enemies, being made more than conquerors through him that loved them.
Matthew Henry Commentary
Verses 1-10 - Here are directions concerning the public notices to be given the people by sound of trumpet. Their laws in every case were to be Divine therefore, even in this matter Moses is directed. These trumpets typif the preached gospel. It sounds an alarm to sinners, calls them to repent, proclaims liberty to the captives and slaves of Satan, an collects the worshippers of God. It directs and encourages their heavenly journey; stirs them up to combat against the world and sin encouraging them with the assurance of victory. It leads their attention to the sacrifice of Christ, and shows the Lord's presence for their protection. It is also necessary that the gospel trumpet give distinct sound, according to the persons addressed, or the en proposed; whether to convince, humble, console, exhort, reprove, or teach. The sounding of the trumpet of the gospel is God's ordinance and demands the attention of all to whom it is sent. (Nu 10:11-28)
Original Hebrew וכי3588 תבאו935 מלחמה4421 בארצכם776 על5921 הצר6862 הצרר6887 אתכם853 והרעתם7321 בחצצרת2689 ונזכרתם2142 לפני6440 יהוה3068 אלהיכם430 ונושׁעתם3467 מאיביכם׃341
