God’s Word Translation
Deuteronomy 20:14
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.
Deuteronomy 20:14 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)But the women, and the little ones, and the cattle, and all that is in the city, even all the spoil thereof, shalt thou take unto thyself; and thou shalt eat the spoil of thine enemies, which the Lord thy God hath given thee.
- New International Version (NIV)As for the women, the children, the livestock and everything else in the city, you may take these as plunder for yourselves. And you may use the plunder the Lord your God gives you from your enemies.
- English Standard Version (ESV)but the women and the little ones, the livestock, and everything else in the city, all its spoil, you shall take as plunder for yourselves. And you shall enjoy the spoil of your enemies, which the Lord your God has given you.
- New King James Version (NKJV)But the women, the little ones, the livestock, and all that is in the city, all its spoil, you shall plunder for yourself; and you shall eat the enemies’ plunder which the Lord your God gives you.
Context of Deuteronomy 20:14
12If they won’t accept your offer of peace but declare war on you, set up a blockade around the city. 13When the Lord your God hands the city over to you, kill every man in that city with your swords. But 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. 16However, you must not spare anyone’s life in the cities of these nations that the Lord your God is giving you as your property.
Read all of Deuteronomy 20Deuteronomy 20:14 word by word
רַ֣ק הַ֠נָּשִׁים וְהַטַּ֨ף וְהַבְּהֵמָ֜ה וְכֹל֩ אֲשֶׁ֨ר יִהְיֶ֥ה בָעִ֛יר כָּל־שְׁלָלָ֖הּ תָּבֹ֣ז לָ֑ךְ וְאָֽכַלְתָּ֙ אֶת־שְׁלַ֣ל אֹיְבֶ֔יךָ אֲשֶׁ֥ר נָתַ֛ן יְהוָ֥ה אֱלֹהֶ֖יךָ לָֽךְ׃Read the interlinear
Words taken from the KJV.
- But the womenאִשָּׁה'ishshâh nâshîym · womanH802
- and the little onesטַףţaph · childH2945
- and the cattleבְּהֵמָהbehêmâh · animalH929
- and all that is in the cityעִיר‛îyr ‛âr ‛âyar · cityH5892
- all the spoilשָׁלָלshâlâl · spoilH7998
- thereof, shalt thou takeבָּזַזbâzaz · to plunderH962
- unto thyself; and thou shalt eatאָכַל'âkal · to eatH398
- of thine enemiesאֹיֵב'ôyêb 'ôyêb · enemyH341
- which the Lordיְהֹוָהyehôvâh · LORDH3068
- thy Godאֱלֹהִים'ĕlôhîym · GodH430
- hath givenנָתַןnâthan · to give: giveH5414
Cross-references for Deuteronomy 20:14
- Numbers 31:9The Israelites took the Midianite women and children as prisoners of war. They also took all their animals, their livestock, and their valuables as loot.
- Joshua 8:2You will do the same thing to Ai and its king that you did to Jericho and its king. However, you may take its loot and livestock for yourselves. Set an ambush behind the city.”
- Joshua 11:14The people of Israel took all the loot and livestock from these cities. But they put everyone to death until they were all destroyed. Not one person survived.
- 2 Chronicles 14:13Asa and his troops pursued them as far as Gerar. Many of the Sudanese died in battle. As a result, the Sudanese army couldn’t fight again. It was crushed in front of the Lord and his army. The Lord’s army captured a lot of goods.
- 2 Chronicles 20:25When Jehoshaphat and his troops came to take the loot, they found among them a lot of goods, clothes, and valuables. They found more than they could carry. They spent three days collecting the loot.
- Psalms 68:12⌞They say,⌟ “The kings of the armies flee; they run away. The women who remained at home will divide the goods.
- Romans 8:37The one who loves us gives us an overwhelming victory in all these difficulties.
- Joshua 22:8He also said to them, “Return to your homes with your vast wealth, large herds of livestock, silver, gold, bronze, iron, and loads of clothing. Divide the loot from your enemies with your relatives.”
Commentaries on Deuteronomy 20:14
- 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 20:14
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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