Deuteronomy 20:14

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

12But if they refuse to make peace and prepare to fight, you must attack the town. 13When the Lord your God hands the town over to you, use your swords to kill every man in the town. But you may keep for yourselves all the women, children, livestock, and other plunder. You may enjoy the plunder from your enemies that the Lord your God has given you. 15“But these instructions apply only to distant towns, not to the towns of the nations in the land you will enter. 16In those towns that the Lord your God is giving you as a special possession, destroy every living thing.

Deuteronomy 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 31:9Then the Israelite army captured the Midianite women and children and seized their cattle and flocks and all their wealth as plunder.
• Joshua 8:2You will destroy them as you destroyed Jericho and its king. But this time you may keep the plunder and the livestock for yourselves. Set an ambush behind the town.”
• Joshua 11:14And the Israelites took all the plunder and livestock of the ravaged towns for themselves. But they killed all the people, leaving no survivors.
• 2 Chronicles 14:13Asa and his army pursued them as far as Gerar, and so many Ethiopians fell that they were unable to rally. They were destroyed by the Lord and his army, and the army of Judah carried off a vast amount of plunder.
• 2 Chronicles 20:25King Jehoshaphat and his men went out to gather the plunder. They found vast amounts of equipment, clothing, and other valuables—more than they could carry. There was so much plunder that it took them three days just to collect it all!
• Psalms 68:12Enemy kings and their armies flee, while the women of Israel divide the plunder.
• Romans 8:37No, despite all these things, overwhelming victory is ours through Christ, who loved us.
• Joshua 22:8he said to them, “Go back to your homes with the great wealth you have taken from your enemies—the vast herds of livestock, the silver, gold, bronze, and iron, and the large supply of clothing. Share the plunder 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

• Captive
• Servant
• 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