Deuteronomy 20:13

Deuteronomy 20:13 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)And when the Lord thy God hath delivered it into thine hands, thou shalt smite every male thereof with the edge of the sword:
• New International Version (NIV)When the Lord your God delivers it into your hand, put to the sword all the men in it.
• English Standard Version (ESV)And when the Lord your God gives it into your hand, you shall put all its males to the sword,
• New King James Version (NKJV)And when the Lord your God delivers it into your hands, you shall strike every male in it with the edge of the sword.

Context of Deuteronomy 20:13

11If it accepts your offer of peace and opens its gates to you, all the people found in it will become forced laborers for you and serve you. 12However, if it does not make peace with you but wages war against you, lay siege to it. When the Lord your God hands it over to you, strike down all its males with the sword. 14But you may take the women, dependents, animals, and whatever else is in the city — all its spoil — as plunder. You may enjoy the spoil of your enemies that the Lord your God has given you. 15This is how you are to treat all the cities that are far away from you and are not among the cities of these nations.

Deuteronomy 20:13 word by word

וּנְתָנָ֛הּ יְהוָ֥ה אֱלֹהֶ֖יךָ בְּיָדֶ֑ךָ וְהִכִּיתָ֥ אֶת־כָּל־זְכוּרָ֖הּ לְפִי־חָֽרֶב׃Read the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• And when the Lordיְהֹוָהyehôvâh · LORDH3068
• thy Godאֱלֹהִים'ĕlôhîym · GodH430
• hath deliveredנָתַןnâthan · to give: giveH5414
• it into thine handsיָדyâd · hand: powerH3027
• thou shalt smiteנָכָהnâkâh · to smiteH5221
• every maleזָכוּרzâkûr · maleH2138
• thereof with the edgeפֶּהpeh · lip: edgeH6310
• of the swordחֶ֫רֶבchereb · swordH2719

Cross-references for Deuteronomy 20:13

• Numbers 31:7They waged war against Midian, as the Lord had commanded Moses, and killed every male.
• 1 Kings 11:15Earlier, when David was in Edom, Joab, the commander of the army, had gone to bury the dead and had struck down every male in Edom.
• Psalms 2:6“I have installed my king on Zion, my holy mountain.”
• Psalms 21:8Your hand will capture all your enemies; your right hand will seize those who hate you.
• Psalms 110:1This is the declaration of the Lord to my Lord: “Sit at my right hand until I make your enemies your footstool.”
• Luke 19:27But bring here these enemies of mine, who did not want me to rule over them, and slaughter them in my presence.’”
• 2 Thessalonians 1:7and to give relief to you who are afflicted, along with us. This will take place at the revelation of the Lord Jesus from heaven with his powerful angels,

Commentaries on Deuteronomy 20:13

• 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
• Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 10-15The people living in the land of Canaan had already been placed under the ban (7:1–6). This means they were set apart for complete destruction as part of God’s judgment. So this command refers to other nations. It applies to people whom Israel would fight outside the land (20:15).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 20:13

• Captive
• Massacre
• War

In the dictionaries

• God
• god, false god, goddess, idol, idolater, idolatrous, idolatry
• Faint
• Fearful
• Atonement, Day of
• Criticism
• Deuteronomy
• Exodus, the Book of
• Genesis
• Give

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