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 Living Translation (NLT)If they accept your terms and open the gates to you, then all the people inside will serve you in forced labor.

Context of Deuteronomy 20:11

9And so it shall be, when the officers have finished speaking to the people, that they shall make captains of the armies to lead the people. 10“When you go near a city to fight against it, then proclaim an offer of peace to it. 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. 12Now if the city will not make peace with you, but makes war against you, then you shall besiege it. 13And when the Lord your God delivers it into your hands, you shall strike every male in it with the edge of 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

Words taken from the KJV.

• And it shall be, if it make thee answerעָנָה‛ânâh · to answerH6030
• of peaceשָׁלוֹםshâlôm shâlôm · peaceH7965
• and openפָּתַחpâthach · to openH6605
• all the peopleעַם‛am · peopleH5971
• foundמָצָאmâtsâ' · to findH4672
• therein shall be tributariesמַסmas mis · taskworkerH4522
• unto thee, and they shall serveעָבַד‛âbad · to serveH5647

Cross-references for Deuteronomy 20:11

• Leviticus 25:42For they are My servants, whom I brought out of the land of Egypt; they shall not be sold as slaves.
• Joshua 9:22Then Joshua called for them, and he spoke to them, saying, “Why have you deceived us, saying, ‘We are very far from you,’ when you dwell near us?
• Joshua 11:19There was not a city that made peace with the children of Israel, except the Hivites, the inhabitants of Gibeon. All the others they took in battle.
• Joshua 16:10And they did not drive out the Canaanites who dwelt in Gezer; but the Canaanites dwell among the Ephraimites to this day and have become forced laborers.
• Judges 1:28And it came to pass, when Israel was strong, that they put the Canaanites under tribute, but did not completely drive them out.
• 1 Kings 9:21that is, their descendants who were left in the land after them, whom the children of Israel had not been able to destroy completely—from these Solomon raised forced labor, as it is to this day.
• Psalms 120:7I am for peace; But when I speak, they are for 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