Basic HTML Version
At the beginning Israel’s army consisted of every man over twenty and under fifty (Num.
1:2-3). Sometimes only certain segments of this potential citizens’ army were summoned
(Num. 31:3-6). There were several circumstances which could exempt one from “war”
(Num. 1:48-49; Deut. 20:5-8). Under David and Solomon there grew a professional army.
It was especially prominent under Solomon, whose army was renowned for its chariotry.
Cities outside Palestine were to be offered terms of surrender before being attacked.
Compliance meant subjugation to slavery (Deut. 20:10-11). Cities and peoples within the
Promised Land were to be utterly wiped out. They were under the ban (Deut. 2:34; 3:6;
20:16-18). This made these battles uniquely holy battles (a holy war) where everything
was especially devoted and sacrificed to God. Israel’s kings were admonished to trust in
God as their strength rather than in a great many horses and chariots (Deut. 17:16). Her
armies were forbidden to cut down fruit trees in order to build siege equipment (Deut.
20:19-20). Soldiers were paid by keeping booty won in “battle” (Num. 31:21-31). The
entire army divided the spoil—even those in the rear guard (Num. 31:26-47; Judg. 5:30).
God, too, was appointed a share (Num. 31:28-30).
B. Verb.
(
, 3898), “to engage in battle, fight, wage war.” This verb occurs 171
times in biblical Hebrew. The first appearance is in Exod. 1:10: “Come on, let us deal
wisely with them; lest they multiply, and it come to pass, that, when there falleth out any
war, they join also unto our enemies, and fight against us, and so get them up out of the
land.”
TO WASH
(
0
, 7364), “to wash, bathe.” This word is common to both ancient and
modern Hebrew and is found in ancient Ugaritic as well. It is used some 72 times in the
text of the Hebrew Old Testament. The first occurrence of the word in the text illustrates
one of its most common uses: “Let a little water … be fetched, and wash your feet …”
(Gen. 18:4).
When the word is used figuratively to express vengeance, the imagery is a bit more
gruesome: “… He shall wash his feet in the blood of the wicked” (Ps. 58:10). Pilate’s
action in Matt. 27:24 is reminiscent of the psalmist’s statement “I will wash mine hands
in innocency” (Ps. 26:6). The parts of a sacrificial animal usually “were washed” before
they were burned on the altar (Exod. 29:17).
is frequently used in the sense of
“bathing” or “washing” oneself (Exod. 2:5; 2 Sam. 11:2). Beautiful eyes are figuratively
described as “washed with milk” (Song of Sol. 5:12).
(
, 3526), “to wash.” A common term throughout the history of Hebrew for
the “washing” of clothes, this word is found also in ancient Ugaritic and Akkadian,
reflecting the treading aspect.
occurs in the Hebrew Old Testament 51 times. It is
found for the first time in the Old Testament in Gen. 49:11 as part of Jacob’s blessing on
Judah: “… He washed his garments in wine.…”
The word is used in the Old Testament primarily in the sense of “washing” clothes,
both for ordinary cleansing (2 Sam. 19:24) and for ritual cleansing (Exod. 19:10, 14; Lev.
11:25). It is often used in parallelism with the expression “to wash oneself,” as in Lev.
14:8-9.
is used in the sense of “washing” or “bathing” oneself only in the