Deuteronomy 20:8 - Coke's Commentary on the Holy Bible

Ver. 8. And the officers shall speak further— That is, "make this new proclamation throughout the camp." In consequence of this proclamation, when Gideon warred against the Midianites, there were only ten thousand of all the two-and-thirty thousand men that were with him, who stayed to fight, Judges 7:3. The proclamation ran, "What man is there that is fearful and faint-hearted?" &c. which the Jews understood not only of natural timidity, which is incident to some constitutions, but of the adventitious terrors of a guilty conscience: for the ancients did not, as is the modern custom, send the wickedest and most worthless into the wars; but if they knew any man to be a notorious villain, they thrust him out of the army, lest his example should discourage and corrupt the rest. We may remark from this passage, that though the Israelites had the promise of a peculiar interposition of Providence in their behalf, yet they are all along required to make use of the properest human means to compass their end. A learned author observes from Maimonides, that though cowards were dismissed before an engagement, they were not excused all service: they were still to assist the army, by supplying the camp with water, making or mending roads, &c. See Schickard as above. It is a generally received maxim among military men, that cowards do double mischief to an army; that is to say, by the bad example they set, and by the disorder they occasion. Hence we read in prophane history of some eminent generals who have used the same expedient before battle to get rid of them. Thus Polyaenus Stratagem. (lib. 3: cap. 19.) tells us, that Iphicrates had recourse successfully to this stratagem, before he entered upon action. Observing some of his men fail with fear, he ordered proclamation to be made, that as he was just about to engage, whoever had left any thing might go home, and return after he had gotten himself well equipped. We read the same of Alexander, Scipio, and several others; and Lucan has put into the mouth of Cato a beautiful speech to his soldiers to the same purpose, which the reader will find in the Pharsalia, lib. 9: ver. 379, &c.