WAR. When the the Hebrews drew out their Armies, and went to War against Deut. xx. 2, 3, 4, &c.their Enemies, and that the time of Battel was now at hand, the High-Priest presented himself at the Head of the Army, and spoke to the People in this manner: Hear, O Israel, and be not in fear of your Enemies; for the Lord your God fights for you. After which the Officers proclaimed aloud at the head of every Troop; Is there any one here that hath built a new House, and has not yet inhabited it? let him depart, and return to his House, for fear that another should come and live in it first. Is there any one that hath planted a Vineyard, and has not yet had a Vintage from it? let him return, for fear another should do it before him. Is any one contracted to a Virgin, and has not yet espoused her? let him return Home, for fear he should die in the Battel, and another should take her.
To which they add; Is there any one that is timorous, and whose Heart fails him for fear? let him go back, that he may not communicate his Fear to the Hearts of his Brethren, and infuse the same Cowardise into them with which he is seized Deut. xx. 10.himself. The Lord commanded, that when the Israelites were to besiege a City, they should first offer it Conditions of Peace; which if they accepted of, and opened their Gates to them, then they were to save the Lives of the Inhabitants, and to satisfy themselves with having subdued them. But if they refused to open their Gates, then they might besiege it, and having taken it, should put all the Males to death, and preserve the rest. Lastly, he ordered, that in long Sieges, and where Machines were to be used, they should spare the Fruit-trees, and be contented with cuting down the wild and useless Trees, which they might use for carrying on their Works.
The Hebrews were formerly one of the most warlike Nations in the World. The Books that inform us of their Wars, are neither flattering Authors, nor ignorant, nor under any Prevention; but were Writers inspired by the Spirit of Truth and Wisdom. Their Warriors were none of those fabulous Heroes, nor professed Conquerors, whose Business it was to ravage Cities and Provinces, and to reduce foreign Nations under their Dominion, merely for the sake of governing or purchasing a Name. They were commonly wise and valiant Generals, raised up by God, to fight the Battels of the Lord, and to exterminate his Enemies: These were such as Joshua, Caleb, Gideon, Jephthah, Samson, David, Josiah, the Maccabees, whose Name alone is a sufficient Encomium.
Their Wars were not undertaken upon slight Occasions, nor performed with a handful of People. Under Joshua the Affair was of no less Importance, than to make himself Master of a vast Country, which God had given up to him, and to root out several powerful Nations, which God had devoted to an Anathema, and to vindicate an offended Deity, and human Nature, which had been debased by a wicked and corrupt People, who had filled up the Measure of their Iniquities. Under the Judges, the Matter was to assert their Liberty, by shaking off the Yoke of powerful Kings, who kept them in Subjection. Under Saul and David the same Motives prevailed to undertake War; and to these were added a further Motive, of making a Conquest of such Provinces, as God had promised to his People; so far was it from their Intention, merely to reduce the Power of the Philistines, the Ammonites, the Moabites, the Idumeans, the Arabians, the Syrians, and the several Princes that were in Possession of those Countries.
In the latter Times of the Kingdoms of Israel and Judah, we may observe their Kings bearing the Shock of the greatest Powers of Asia, of the Kings of Assyria and Chaldea, Shalmaneser, Sennecharib, Esar-haddon, and Nebuchadnezzar, who made the whole East tremble. Under the Maccabees, the Business was, with an handful of Men, to oppose the whole Power of the Kings of Syria, and against them to uphold the Religion of their Fathers, and to shake off the Yoke of their Authority, who had a Design both against their Religion and Liberty. In the latter Times of their Nation, with what Courage, with what Intrepidity and Constancy, did they sustain the War against the Romans, who were then Masters of the World?
But what Armies did they not bring into the Field? In the Beginning, under Moses and Joshua, they were all Soldiers, and Men bearing Arms. They came out of Egypt to the Number of six hundred thousand fighting Men. When Joshua enter’d into the Land of Canaan, he fought sometimes with Detachments of his Troops, and sometimes with his whole Army, according as Exigences required. To signalize his Omnipotence, and to humble the Pride of Man, God would often give the Victory to very small Armies. For example, under Gideon, where he ordered this General to send away the greatest Part of his Army, and only to keep with him three hundred Men, with which he defeated an innumerable Multitude of Midianites, and Amalekites.
If we would see Examples of numerous Armies, Abijah King of Judah, with an Army of four hundred thousand Men, made War with Jeroboam King of Israel, who had to the number of eight hundred thousand. And of these eight hundred thousand, there were five hundred thousand 2 Chron. xiii. 3, — 17. 2 Chron. xxviii. 6. 2 Chron. xiv. 9, — 23.slain in one Battel. Pekah, Son of Remaliah King of Israel, in one Day killed one hundred and twenty thousand Men, of the Troops of Judah. Asa, King of Judah, having an Army of six hundred thousand Men, was attacked by Zerah King of Cush, who had an Army of a Million of Men: Zerah was entirely routed by the Troops of Asa. The usual Forces of David and Solomon were more than three hundred thousand Men, prepared for Battel. Jehoshaphat1 Chron. xxvii. 2 Chron. xvii. 14, — 19., King of Judah had eleven hundred and sixty thousand Men of War, without reckoning the Garisons in his fortified Places.
We may distinguish two kinds of Wars among the Hebrews. Some were of obligation, as being expresly commanded by the Lord; but others were free and voluntary. The first were such as God appointed them to undertake: For example, against the Amalekites, and the Canaanites, which were Nations devoted to an Anathema. The others were undertook by the Captains of the People, to revenge some Injuries offered to the Nation, to punish some Insults or Offences. Such, for example, was that which the Hebrews made against the City of Gibeah, and against the Tribe of Benjamin, which would uphold them in their Fault: And such was that which David made against the Ammonites, whose King had affronted his Ambassadors. Or to maintain and defend their Allies; as that of Joshua against the Kings of the Canaanites, to protect the Gibeonites. Lastly, whatever Reasons may authorize a Nation or a Prince to make War against another, obtained likewise among the Hebrews. All the Laws of Moses every where suppose that the Israelites might make War, and might support themselves against their Enemies.
The first of the Laws of War is this, That it should be declared to ones Enemy, and that Reparation should be first demanded, for the wrong we think we have suffered, before we begin to attack him. Moses gives this Direction; When thou comest nigh unto a city to fight against it, then proclaim peace unto it. And it shall be, if it make thee answer of peace, and open unto thee, then it shall be, that all the people that is found therein, shall be tributaries unto thee, and they shall serve thee. And if it will make no peace with thee, but will make war against thee, then thou shalt besiege it. And when the Lord thy God hath delivered it into thy hands, thou shalt smite every male thereof with the edge of the sword. But the women, and the little ones, and the cattle, and all that is in the city, even all the spoil thereof, shalt thou take unto thy self. And thou shalt eat the spoil of thine Enemies, which the Lord thy God hath given thee. Thus shalt thou do unto all the cities which are very far off from thee, which are not of the cities of these nations: But of the cities of these people, (he means the Canaanites) which the Lord thy God doth give thee for an inheritance, thou shalt save alive nothing that breatheth.
Declaration of WAR. We have several Examples of Defiance, Challenge, or Declaration of War; or of Complaints of those that were attacked, without having War formally declared. When the Ammonites by surprize set upon the Israelites beyond Jordan, Jephthah being then chosen Captain of the Hebrews, sent to enquire of them, Judg. xi. 12.What hast thou to do with me, that thou art come against me, to fight in my land? The Ammonites were then trumping up an old Quarrel, and pretended, that the Hebrews had invaded their Country at their coming out of Egypt. Jephthah easily justified his People against this Accusation; and as the Children of Ammon would not submit to his Reasons, he sent to tell them, The Lord, the Judge, be Judge this day between the children of Israel and the Children of Ammon. After which he set upon them, and routed them. When the Philistines enter’d upon the Territory of Judah, to revenge themselves for that Fire that Samson had put to their Corn, and burnt it up, the Men of Judah came to enquire of them, Why are ye Judg. xv. 10, &c.come up against us? They told them they had no Quarrel against any but Samson, who had destroyed the Fields of the Philistines. The Men of Judah promised to deliver up the guilty Person, and then the Philistines retired.
1 Kings xx. 1.Amaziah King of Judah, being puffed up with some Advantages he had obtained again the Edomites, sent a Challenge to Joash King of Israel, saying, Come, let us 2 Kings xiv. 8, 9, 10.look one another in the face. The King of Israel, without giving himself 11, &c. 1 Sam. xi. 7. Judg. xii. 8.any Disquiet about it, sent him this Answer; The Thistle that was in Lebanon sent to the Cedar that was in Lebanon, saying, Give thy daughter to my Son to wife. And there passed by a wild beast that was in Lebanon, and trode down the Thistle. Thou hast indeed smitten Edom, and thine heart hath lifted thee up: Glory of this, and tarry at home. Amasiah would not hearkenen to this wholesome Advice; the two Kings with their Armies looked one another in the Face, at Beth-shemesh, but that of Judah was beaten. Benhadad King of Syria, came with his Army before Samaria, and sent to declare War against Ahab King of Israel, saying, Thy silver and thy gold is mine; thy wives also, and thy children, even the goodliest are mine. Ahab finding himself not powerful enough to oppose him, made Answer; My Lord, O King, according to thy saying, I am thine, and all that I have. Upon this Compliance, Ben-hadad grew more arrogant than before, and sent him word; Although I have sent unto thee, saying, Thou shalt deliver me thy silver and thy gold, and thy wives and thy children; yet I will send my servants unto thee to-morrow, about this time, and they shall search thine house, and the houses of thy servants; and it shall be, that whatsoever is pleasant in thine eyes, they shall put it into their hand, and take it away. These new Demands appeared to be very unjust and exorbitant to Ahab and his Council; they resolved therefore to stand upon their Defence, and to undergo a Siege, which Benhadad was afterwards obliged to break up, not without great Loss.
When a War was resolved upon, all the People that were capable of bearing Arms were got together, or only Part of them, according as the Exigence of the present Case, and the Necessity and Importance of the Enterprize required. For it does not appear, that before the Reign of King David there were any regular Troops in Israel. A general Rendezvous was appointed, a Review was made of the People by Tribes, and by Families, and then they marched against the Enemy. When Saul, at the Beginning of his Reign, was informed of the cruel Proposal that the Ammonites had made to the Men of the City of Jabesh-Gilead, he cut in pieces the Oxen belonging to his Plough, and sent them through the Country, saying, Whosoever cometh not forth after Saul and Samuel, to the Relief of Jabesh-Gilead, so shall it be done unto his oxen. After which he marched forth to meet the Enemy. When the Children of Israel had heard of the Crime that had been committed by the Inhabitants of Gibeah, against the Wife of the Levite of Bethlehem, they resolved to take Vengeance for it, and not to return to their Houses till they had fully revenged this Insult. At the same time they consulted the Lord, who told them, that the Tribe of Judah should furnish them with a Leader for this Enterprize. They chose ten Men out of every hundred, an hundred out of a thousand, and a thousand out of ten thousand, to bring Provisions to the Army; after which they marched to meet the Enemy.
In the former times, those that went to War generally carried their own Provisions along with them, or they took them from the Enemy. Hence it was, that these Wars were generally but of short Continuance, because it was hardly possible to subsist a large body of Troops for any long time, with such Provisions that every one carried along with him. When David, Jesse’s younger Son, stayed behind to look after his Father’s Flocks, while his elder Brothers went to the Wars along with Saul, Jesse sent David to carry Provisions to his Brothers. We suppose 1 Sam. xvii. 13.that this Way of making War prevailed also under Joshua, the Judges, Saul, David at the Beginning of his Reign, the Kings of Judah and Israel who were Successors to Rehoboam and Jeroboam; and under the Maccabees, till the time of Simon Maccabeus, Prince and High-Priest of the Jews, who had Soldiers kept in Pay. See 1 Macc. xiv. 32. Every one also provided his own Arms for the War. The Kings of the Hebrews did not begin to have Magazines till from the time of King David.
The Kings went to War in Person, and in the earlier Times they fought on Foot, as well as the meanest of their Soldiers. We do not any where read that there were any Horses, either for the Generals or the Officers in the Times of the Judges, of Saul, or of David. From this time they were not so scarce; and it appears that the Kings of Judah and Israel went heretofore to the War, mounted upon Chariots. See the Article CHARIOTS, before.
The Officers of War among the Hebrews, were, first the General of the Armies, or the Military Prince, such as was Abner under Saul, Joab under David, and Benaiah under Solomon. The Princes of the Tribes, or the Princes of the Fathers, or of the Families of Israel, who were at the Head of their Tribes. They had also Princes of a Thousand, or Tribunes, Captains of an Hundred, Heads of fifty Men, Thirdsmen, called in Hebrew Shalishim, but whose Functions are unknown. Lastly, Decurions, or Chief of ten Men. They had also Shopherim, Scribes or Writers, who were a kind of Commissaries that kept the Muster-roll of the Troops; and Shoterim, or Inspectors, who had Authority to command the Troops under their Inspection. The Reader may consult our Dissertation concerning the Military Discipline of the ancient Hebrews, and that which we have composed concerning the Officers of the Court, and of the Armies of the Kings of the Hebrews.