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 Living Translation (NLT)When the Lord your God hands the town over to you, use your swords to kill every man in the town.

Context of Deuteronomy 20:13

11And 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. And when the Lord your God delivers it into your hands, you shall strike every male in it with the edge of the sword. 14But 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. 15Thus you shall do to all the cities which are very far from you, which are not of 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 31:7And they warred against the Midianites, just as the Lord commanded Moses, and they killed all the males.
• 1 Kings 11:15For it happened, when David was in Edom, and Joab the commander of the army had gone up to bury the slain, after he had killed every male in Edom
• Psalms 2:6“Yet I have set My King On My holy hill of Zion.”
• Psalms 21:8Your hand will find all Your enemies; Your right hand will find those who hate You.
• Psalms 110:1The Lord said to my Lord, “Sit at My right hand, Till I make Your enemies Your footstool.”
• Luke 19:27But bring here those enemies of mine, who did not want me to reign over them, and slay them before me.’ ”
• 2 Thessalonians 1:7and to give you who are troubled rest with us when the Lord Jesus is revealed from heaven with His mighty 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
• Faint
• Fearful
• 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