God’s Word Translation
Deuteronomy 20:13
13When the Lord your God hands the city over to you, kill every man in that city with your swords.
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 they accept it and open ⌞their gates⌟ to you, then all the people there will be made to do forced labor and serve you. 12If they won’t accept your offer of peace but declare war on you, set up a blockade around the city. When the Lord your God hands the city over to you, kill every man in that city with your swords. 14But take the women and children, the cattle and everything else in the city, including all its goods, as your loot. You may enjoy your enemies’ goods that the Lord your God has given you. 15This is what you must do to all the cities that are far away which don’t belong to the nations nearby.
Read all of Deuteronomy 20Deuteronomy 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 went to war against Midian, as the Lord commanded Moses, and killed every man.
- 1 Kings 11:15When David had conquered Edom, Joab, the commander of the army, went to bury those killed in battle and killed every male in Edom.
- Psalms 2:6“I have installed my own king on Zion, my holy mountain.”
- Psalms 21:8Your hand will discover all your enemies. Your powerful hand will find all who hate you.
- Psalms 110:1The Lord said to my Lord, “Take the honored position—the one next to me [God the Father] on the heavenly throne until I put your enemies under your control.”
- Luke 19:27Bring my enemies, who didn’t want me to be their king. Kill them in front of me.’ ”
- 2 Thessalonians 1:7It is also right for God to give all of us relief from our suffering. He will do this when the Lord Jesus is revealed, ⌞coming⌟ from heaven with his mighty angels in a blazing fire.
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
In the dictionaries
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
God’s Word Translation — © 1995 God’s Word to the Nations Bible Society
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