The Meaning of Deuteronomy 20:7 Explained

Deuteronomy 20:7

KJV: And what man is there that hath betrothed a wife, and hath not taken her? let him go and return unto his house, lest he die in the battle, and another man take her.

YLT: And who is the man that hath betrothed a woman, and hath not taken her? -- let him go and turn back to his house, lest he die in battle, and another man take her.

Darby: And what man is there that hath betrothed a wife, and hath not taken her? let him go and return unto his house, lest he die in the battle, and another man take her.

ASV: And what man is there that hath betrothed a wife, and hath not taken her? let him go and return unto his house, lest he die in the battle, and another man take her.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

And what man  [is there] that hath betrothed  a wife,  and hath not taken  her? let him go  and return  unto his house,  lest he die  in the battle,  and another  man  take  her. 

What does Deuteronomy 20:7 Mean?

Chapter Summary: Deuteronomy 20

1  The priest's exhortation to encourage the people to battle
5  The officers' proclamation of who are to be dismissed from the war
10  How to use the cities that accept or refuse the proclamation of peace
16  What cities must be devoted
19  Trees must not be destroyed in the siege

What do the individual words in Deuteronomy 20:7 mean?

And who [is] the man who who is betrothed to a woman and not has married her let him go and return to his house lest he die in the battle and man another marry her
וּמִֽי־ הָאִ֞ישׁ אֲשֶׁר־ אֵרַ֤שׂ אִשָּׁה֙ וְלֹ֣א לְקָחָ֔הּ יֵלֵ֖ךְ וְיָשֹׁ֣ב לְבֵית֑וֹ פֶּן־ יָמוּת֙ בַּמִּלְחָמָ֔ה וְאִ֥ישׁ אַחֵ֖ר יִקָּחֶֽנָּה

וּמִֽי־  And  who  [is] 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Interrogative
Root: מִי  
Sense: who?, whose?, whom?, would that, whoever, whosoever.
הָאִ֞ישׁ  the  man 
Parse: Article, Noun, masculine singular
Root: אִישׁ 
Sense: man.
אֵרַ֤שׂ  who  is  betrothed  to 
Parse: Verb, Piel, Perfect, third person masculine singular
Root: אָרַשׂ  
Sense: to betroth, engage.
אִשָּׁה֙  a  woman 
Parse: Noun, feminine singular
Root: אִשָּׁה  
Sense: woman, wife, female.
וְלֹ֣א  and  not 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Adverb, Negative particle
Root: הֲלֹא 
Sense: not, no.
לְקָחָ֔הּ  has  married  her 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Perfect, third person masculine singular, third person feminine singular
Root: יָקַח 
Sense: to take, get, fetch, lay hold of, seize, receive, acquire, buy, bring, marry, take a wife, snatch, take away.
יֵלֵ֖ךְ  let  him  go 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: הָלַךְ  
Sense: to go, walk, come.
וְיָשֹׁ֣ב  and  return 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Conjunctive imperfect Jussive, third person masculine singular
Root: שׁוּב  
Sense: to return, turn back.
לְבֵית֑וֹ  to  his  house 
Parse: Preposition-l, Noun, masculine singular construct, third person masculine singular
Root: בַּיִת 
Sense: house.
פֶּן־  lest 
Parse: Conjunction
Root: פֶּן  
Sense: lest, not, beware lest adv.
יָמוּת֙  he  die 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: מוּת  
Sense: to die, kill, have one executed.
בַּמִּלְחָמָ֔ה  in  the  battle 
Parse: Preposition-b, Article, Noun, feminine singular
Root: מִלְחָמָה  
Sense: battle, war.
וְאִ֥ישׁ  and  man 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Noun, masculine singular
Root: אִישׁ 
Sense: man.
אַחֵ֖ר  another 
Parse: Adjective, masculine singular
Root: אַחֵר  
Sense: another, other, following.
יִקָּחֶֽנָּה  marry  her 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Imperfect, third person masculine singular, third person feminine singular
Root: יָקַח 
Sense: to take, get, fetch, lay hold of, seize, receive, acquire, buy, bring, marry, take a wife, snatch, take away.