Deuteronomy 20:2

20:2 As you move forward for battle, the priest ¹  will approach and say to the soldiers, ² 

Deuteronomy 26:4

26:4 The priest will then take the basket from you ³  and set it before the altar of the Lord your God.

Deuteronomy 17:12

17:12 The person who pays no attention ⁴  to the priest currently serving the Lord your God there, or to the verdict – that person must die, so that you may purge evil from Israel.

Deuteronomy 26:3

26:3 You must go to the priest in office at that time and say to him, “I declare today to the Lord your ⁵  God that I have come into the land that the Lord ⁶  promised ⁷  to our ancestors ⁸  to give us.”

[20:2]  ¹ sn The reference to the priest suggests also the presence of the ark of the covenant, the visible sign of God’s presence. The whole setting is clearly that of “holy war” or “Yahweh war,” in which God himself takes initiative as the true commander of the forces of Israel (cf. Exod 14:14-18; 15:3-10; Deut 3:22; 7:18-24; 31:6, 8).

[20:2]  ² tn Heb “and he will say to the people.” Cf. NIV, NCV, CEV “the army”; NRSV, NLT “the troops.”

[26:4]  ³ tn Heb “your hand.”

[17:12]  ⁵ tn Heb “who acts presumptuously not to listen” (cf. NASB).

[26:3]  ⁷ tc For the MT reading “your God,” certain LXX mss have “my God,” a contextually superior rendition followed by some English versions (e.g., NAB, NASB, TEV). Perhaps the text reflects dittography of the kaf (כ) at the end of the word with the following preposition כִּי (ki).

[26:3]  ⁸ tc The Syriac adds “your God” to complete the usual formula.

[26:3]  ⁹ tn Heb “swore on oath.”

[26:3]  ¹⁰ tn Heb “fathers” (also in vv. 7, 15).