Soldiers

Passages on this topic

From Nave’s Topical Bible (1896), a historical reference index. The groupings are Nave’s; the verses are shown in the text used across this site.

Military enrollment of Israel in the wilderness of Sinai

• Numbers 1 On the first day of the second month of the second year after the Israelites had come out of the land of Egypt, the LORD spoke to Moses in the Tent of Meeting in the Wilderness of Sinai. He said: “Take a census of the whole congregation of Israel by their clans and families, listing every man by na… (whole chapter)
• Numbers 2 Then the LORD said to Moses and Aaron: “The Israelites are to camp around the Tent of Meeting at a distance from it, each man under his standard, with the banners of his family. On the east side, toward the sunrise, the divisions of Judah are to camp under their standard: The leader of the Judahite… (whole chapter)

On the plains of Moab

• Numbers 26 After the plague had ended, the LORD said to Moses and Eleazar son of Aaron the priest, “Take a census of the whole congregation of Israel by the houses of their fathers — all those twenty years of age or older who can serve in the army of Israel.” So on the plains of Moab by the Jordan, across fro… (whole chapter)

Levies of, in the ratio of one man to ten subject to duty

• Judges 20:10 We will take ten men out of every hundred from all the tribes of Israel, and a hundred out of every thousand, and a thousand out of every ten thousand, to supply provisions for the army when they go to Gibeah in Benjamin to punish them for the atrocity they have committed in Israel.”

Dressed in scarlet

• Nahum 2:3 The shields of his mighty men are red; the valiant warriors are dressed in scarlet. The fittings of the chariots flash like fire on the day they are prepared, and the spears of cypress have been brandished.

Cowards excused from duty as

• Deuteronomy 20:8 Then the officers shall speak further to the army, saying, “Is any man afraid or fainthearted? Let him return home, so that the hearts of his brothers will not melt like his own.”
• Judges 7:3 Now, therefore, proclaim in the hearing of the men: ‘Whoever is fearful and trembling may turn back and leave Mount Gilead.’” So twenty-two thousand of them turned back, but ten thousand remained.

Others exempt from service

• Deuteronomy 20:5–9 Furthermore, the officers are to address the army, saying, “Has any man built a new house and not dedicated it? Let him return home, or he may die in battle and another man dedicate it. Has any man planted a vineyard and not begun to enjoy its fruit? Let him return home, or he may die in battle and…
• Deuteronomy 24:5 If a man is newly married, he must not be sent to war or be pressed into any duty. For one year he is free to stay at home and bring joy to the wife he has married.

Come to John

• Luke 3:14 Then some soldiers asked him, “And what should we do?” “Do not take money by force or false accusation,” he said. “Be content with your wages.”

Mock Jesus

• Matthew 27:27–31 Then the governor’s soldiers took Jesus into the Praetorium and gathered the whole company around Him. They stripped Him and put a scarlet robe on Him. And they twisted together a crown of thorns and set it on His head. They put a staff in His right hand, knelt down before Him, and mocked Him, sayi…
• Mark 15:16–20 Then the soldiers led Jesus away into the palace (that is, the Praetorium) and called the whole company together. They dressed Him in a purple robe, twisted together a crown of thorns, and set it on His head. And they began to salute Him: “Hail, King of the Jews!” They kept striking His head with a…
• Luke 23:11 And even Herod and his soldiers ridiculed and mocked Him. Dressing Him in a fine robe, they sent Him back to Pilate.
• Luke 23:36–37 The soldiers also mocked Him and came up to offer Him sour wine. “If You are the King of the Jews,” they said, “save Yourself!”

Officers concerned in the betrayal of Jesus

• Luke 22:4 And Judas went to discuss with the chief priests and temple officers how he might betray Jesus to them.

Crucified Jesus

• Matthew 27:27 Then the governor’s soldiers took Jesus into the Praetorium and gathered the whole company around Him.
• Matthew 27:31–37 After they had mocked Him, they removed the robe and put His own clothes back on Him. Then they led Him away to crucify Him. Along the way they found a man from Cyrene, named Simon, and they forced him to carry the cross of Jesus. And when they came to a place called Golgotha, which means The Place…
• Mark 15:16–24 Then the soldiers led Jesus away into the palace (that is, the Praetorium) and called the whole company together. They dressed Him in a purple robe, twisted together a crown of thorns, and set it on His head. And they began to salute Him: “Hail, King of the Jews!” They kept striking His head with a…
• John 19:23–24 When the soldiers had crucified Jesus, they divided His garments into four parts, one for each soldier, with the tunic remaining. It was seamless, woven in one piece from top to bottom. So they said to one another, “Let us not tear it. Instead, let us cast lots to see who will get it.” This was to…

Guard the gravesite of Jesus

• Matthew 27:65 “You have a guard,” Pilate said. “Go, make the tomb as secure as you know how.”
• Matthew 28:11–15 While the women were on their way, some of the guards went into the city and reported to the chief priests all that had happened. And after the chief priests had met with the elders and formed a plan, they gave the soldiers a large sum of money and instructed them: “You are to say, ‘His disciples c…

Guard prisoners

• Acts 12:4–6 He arrested him and put him in prison, handing him over to be guarded by four squads of four soldiers each. Herod intended to bring him out to the people after the Passover. So Peter was kept in prison, but the church was fervently praying to God for him. On the night before Herod was to bring him…
• Acts 28:16 When we arrived in Rome, Paul was permitted to stay by himself, with a soldier to guard him.

Maintain the peace

• Acts 21:31–35 While they were trying to kill him, the commander of the Roman regiment received a report that all Jerusalem was in turmoil. Immediately he took some soldiers and centurions and ran down to the crowd. When the people saw the commander and the soldiers, they stopped beating Paul. The commander came…

Their duty as sentinels

• Acts 12:19 After Herod had searched for him unsuccessfully, he examined the guards and ordered that they be executed. Then he went down from Judea to Caesarea and spent some time there.

Perform escort duty

• Acts 21:31–33 While they were trying to kill him, the commander of the Roman regiment received a report that all Jerusalem was in turmoil. Immediately he took some soldiers and centurions and ran down to the crowd. When the people saw the commander and the soldiers, they stopped beating Paul. The commander came…
• Acts 21:35 When Paul reached the steps, he had to be carried by the soldiers because of the violence of the mob.
• Acts 22:24–28 the commander ordered that Paul be brought into the barracks. He directed that Paul be flogged and interrogated to determine the reason for this outcry against him. But as they stretched him out to strap him down, Paul said to the centurion standing there, “Is it lawful for you to flog a Roman citi…
• Acts 23:23 Then he called two of his centurions and said, “Prepare two hundred soldiers, seventy horsemen, and two hundred spearmen to go to Caesarea in the third hour of the night.
• Acts 23:31–33 So the soldiers followed their orders and brought Paul by night to Antipatris. The next day they returned to the barracks and let the horsemen go on with him. When the horsemen arrived in Caesarea, they delivered the letter to the governor and presented Paul to him.
• Acts 27:1 When it was decided that we would sail for Italy, Paul and some other prisoners were handed over to a centurion named Julius, who belonged to the Imperial Regiment.
• Acts 27:31 But Paul said to the centurion and the soldiers, “Unless these men remain with the ship, you cannot be saved.”
• Acts 27:42–43 The soldiers planned to kill the prisoners so none of them could swim to freedom. But the centurion, wanting to spare Paul’s life , thwarted their plan. He commanded those who could swim to jump overboard first and get to land.
• Acts 28:16 When we arrived in Rome, Paul was permitted to stay by himself, with a soldier to guard him.

Figurative

Of the divine protection

• Isaiah 59:16–17 He saw that there was no man; He was amazed that there was no one to intercede. So His own arm brought salvation, and His own righteousness sustained Him. He put on righteousness like a breastplate, and the helmet of salvation on His head; He put on garments of vengeance and wrapped Himself in a cl…

Of the Christian

• Ephesians 6:11–17 Put on the full armor of God, so that you can make your stand against the devil’s schemes. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this world’s darkness, and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.
• 2 Timothy 2:3 Join me in suffering, like a good soldier of Christ Jesus.

Jesus called CAPTAIN OF OUR SALVATION

• Hebrews 2:10 In bringing many sons to glory, it was fitting for God, for whom and through whom all things exist, to make the author of their salvation perfect through suffering.

See Armies