Deuteronomy 20:11

Deuteronomy 20:11 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)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.
• New International Version (NIV)If they accept and open their gates, all the people in it shall be subject to forced labor and shall work for you.
• English Standard Version (ESV)And if it responds to you peaceably and it opens to you, then all the people who are found in it shall do forced labor for you and shall serve you.
• New King James Version (NKJV)And it shall be that if they accept your offer of peace, and open to you, then all the people who are found in it shall be placed under tribute to you, and serve you.

Context of Deuteronomy 20:11

9When the officers have finished addressing the army, they are to appoint commanders to lead it. 10When you approach a city to fight against it, you are to make an offer of peace. If they accept your offer of peace and open their gates, all the people there will become forced laborers to serve you. 12But if they refuse to make peace with you and wage war against you, lay siege to that city. 13When the LORD your God has delivered it into your hand, you must put every male to the sword.

Deuteronomy 20:11 word by word

וְהָיָה֙ אִם־שָׁל֣וֹם תַּֽעַנְךָ֔ וּפָתְחָ֖ה לָ֑ךְ וְהָיָ֞ה כָּל־הָעָ֣ם הַנִּמְצָא־בָ֗הּ יִהְי֥וּ לְךָ֛ לָמַ֖ס וַעֲבָדֽוּךָ׃Read the interlinear

• ·הָיָהhâyâh · to beH1961
• Ifאִם'im · ifH518
• they acceptעָנָה‛ânâh · to answerH6030
• your offer of peaceשָׁלוֹםshâlôm shâlôm · peaceH7965
• and openפָּתַחpâthach · to openH6605
• allכֹּלkôl kôl · allH3605
• the peopleעַם‛am · peopleH5971
• ·מָצָאmâtsâ' · to findH4672
• forced laborersמַסmas mis · taskworkerH4522
• to serveעָבַד‛âbad · to serveH5647

Cross-references for Deuteronomy 20:11

• Leviticus 25:42Because the Israelites are My servants, whom I brought out of the land of Egypt, they are not to be sold as slaves.
• Joshua 9:22Then Joshua summoned the Gibeonites and said, “Why did you deceive us by telling us you live far away from us, when in fact you live among us?
• Joshua 11:19No city made peace with the Israelites except the Hivites living in Gibeon; all others were taken in battle.
• Joshua 16:10But they did not drive out the Canaanites who lived in Gezer. So the Canaanites dwell among the Ephraimites to this day, but they are forced laborers.
• Judges 1:28When Israel became stronger, they pressed the Canaanites into forced labor, but they never drove them out completely.
• 1 Kings 9:21their descendants who remained in the land, those whom the Israelites were unable to devote to destruction—Solomon conscripted these people to be forced laborers, as they are to this day.
• Psalms 120:7I am in favor of peace; but when I speak, they want war.

Commentaries on Deuteronomy 20:11

• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 10-20Verses 10-20 Directions intended to prevent wanton destruction of life and property in sieges. Deuteronomy 20:16 Forbearance, however, was not to be shown toward the Canaanite nations, which were to be utterly exterminated (compare Deuteronomy 7:1-4). The command did not apply to beasts as well as men (compare Joshua 11:11, Joshua 11:14). Deuteronomy 20:19 The parenthesis may he more literally rendered “for man is a tree of the field,” i. e., has his life…Read the comment
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 10-12Verses 10-12 The Israelites are here directed about the nations on whom they made war. Let this show God's grace in dealing with sinners. He proclaims peace, and beseeches them to be reconciled. Let it also show us our duty in dealing with our brethren. Whoever are for war, we must be for peace. Of the cities given to Israel, none of their inhabitants must be left. Since it could not be expected that they should be cured of their idolatry, they would hurt…Read the comment
• Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 11forced laborers: These were people who had to work against their will. This kind of labor was often required of prisoners of war. At times, even some Israelites were made to do this work (1 Kings 5:13–18; 9:15, 21; 12:18).Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 10-2010-20. When thou comest nigh unto a city to fight against it, then proclaim peace unto it--An important principle is here introduced into the war law of Israel regarding the people they fought against and the cities they besieged. With "the cities of those people which God doth give thee" in Canaan, it was to be a war of utter extermination (De 20:17, 18). But when on a just occasion, they went against other nations, they were first to make a proclamation…Read the comment

Topics related to Deuteronomy 20:11

• Siege

In the dictionaries

• Faint
• Fearful
• Adoniram
• Atonement, Day of
• Criticism
• Deuteronomy
• Exodus, the Book of
• Genesis
• Give
• Leviticus

Commentaries on Deuteronomy 20

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary
• Tyndale Open Study Notes
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary
• Rashi on Tanakh
• Calvin’s Commentaries
• Keil & Delitzsch Commentary
• John Wesley’s Notes
• Darby Translation Notes
• Geneva Bible Translation Notes
• Kingcomments
• Matthew Henry’s Complete Commentary
• Matthew Henry’s Modern English Commentary
• Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary
• EGW Writings