The Tactical Rationale for the "Coward's Deferment" of Deuteronomy 20:8
Given the ubiquity of coerced military service and draconian punishments for dereliction of soldierly duty in the ancient world, one would not expect to find evidence of exemptions from this duty in ancient records. Yet this is exactly what one encounters in the warfare laws of Deuteronomy 20, where...
| Main Author: | |
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| Format: | Electronic Article |
| Language: | English |
| Check availability: | HBZ Gateway |
| Journals Online & Print: | Drawer...
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| Interlibrary Loan: | Interlibrary Loan for the Fachinformationsdienste (Specialized Information Services in Germany) |
| Published: |
2022
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| In: |
The catholic biblical quarterly
Year: 2022, Volume: 84, Issue: 2, Pages: 202-220 |
| Standardized Subjects / Keyword chains: | B
Military service
/ Cavalry
/ Chariot
/ Military duty
/ Cowardice
/ Militia
/ Bible. Deuteronomium 20
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| IxTheo Classification: | HB Old Testament HD Early Judaism |
| Online Access: |
Volltext (lizenzpflichtig) Volltext (lizenzpflichtig) |
| Summary: | Given the ubiquity of coerced military service and draconian punishments for dereliction of soldierly duty in the ancient world, one would not expect to find evidence of exemptions from this duty in ancient records. Yet this is exactly what one encounters in the warfare laws of Deuteronomy 20, where four deferments from the army are offered to Israelite men. Still, many scholars have doubted whether these exemptions reflect actual military regulations at any time in Israel's history. In this article, I examine the exemption for the man described as "afraid" and "disheartened" in Deut 20:8 and argue that sound military rationale exists to support its use in the context of a militia fighting force like that envisioned by Deuteronomy. I discuss cavalry and chariot tactics—as the enemy army described in Deuteronomy 20 possesses "horses and chariots" (v. 1)—and demonstrate how dismissing the inordinately fearful from an infantry militia facing mounted units would increase the chances of that militia withstanding the enemy. I also describe the techniques that make the "coward's deferment" of Deut 20:8 more appealing and enticing for the frightened soldier to accept; studies of military psychology have shown that, without such encouragement, very few men who should depart from the lines would actually do so. |
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| ISSN: | 2163-2529 |
| Contains: | Enthalten in: The catholic biblical quarterly
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| Persistent identifiers: | DOI: 10.1353/cbq.2022.0043 |