Deuteronomy

Deuteronomy 20:11–16

11If they accept your offer of peace and open their gates, all the people there will become forced laborers to serve you.

12But if they refuse to make peace with you and wage war against you, lay siege to that city. 13When the LORD your God has delivered it into your hand, you must put every male to the sword. 14But the women, children, livestock, and whatever else is in the city— all its spoil— you may take as plunder, and you shall use the spoil of your enemies that the LORD your God gives you. 15This is how you are to treat all the cities that are far away from you and do not belong to the nations nearby.

16However, in the cities of the nations that the LORD your God is giving you as an inheritance, you must not leave alive anything that breathes.

Read all of Deuteronomy 20

Word by word

Each English word or phrase beside the Hebrew it translates, in the order of the English. Choose a number to open that word’s study.

Deuteronomy 20:11

EnglishHebrewSounds likeGrammarWord study
Ifאִם־’im-ConjunctionH518 if
they acceptתַּֽעַנְךָ֔ta·‘an·ḵāVerb - Qal - Imperfect - third person feminine singular; second person masculine singularH6030 answer, respond
your offer of peaceשָׁל֣וֹםšā·lō·wmNoun - masculine singularH7965 completeness, soundness, welfare, peace
and openוּפָתְחָ֖הū·p̄ā·ṯə·ḥāhConjunctive waw; Verb - Qal - Conjunctive perfect - third person feminine singularH6605 open
allכָּל־kāl-Noun - masculine singular constructH3605 the whole, all
the peopleהָעָ֣םhā·‘āmArticle; Noun - masculine singularH5971 people
will becomeיִהְי֥וּyih·yūVerb - Qal - Imperfect - third person masculine pluralH1961 fall out, come to pass, become, be
forced laborersלָמַ֖סlā·masPreposition-l; Noun - masculine singularH4522 body of forced labourers, task-workers, labour-band or gang
to serveוַעֲבָדֽוּךָ׃wa·‘ă·ḇā·ḏū·ḵāConjunctive waw; Verb - Qal - Conjunctive perfect - third person common plural; second person masculine singularH5647 work, serve
youלְךָ֛lə·ḵāPreposition; second person masculine singular

Deuteronomy 20:12

EnglishHebrewSounds likeGrammarWord study
But ifוְאִם־wə·’im-ConjunctionH518 if
they refuseלֹ֤אlōAdverb - Negative particleH3808 not
to make peaceתַשְׁלִים֙ṯaš·lîmVerb - Hifil - Imperfect - third person feminine singularH7999 be complete, sound
with youעִמָּ֔ךְ‘im·māḵPreposition; second person masculine singularH5973 with
and wageוְעָשְׂתָ֥הwə·‘ā·śə·ṯāhConjunctive waw; Verb - Qal - Conjunctive perfect - third person feminine singularH6213 do, make
warמִלְחָמָ֑הmil·ḥā·māhNoun - feminine singularH4421 battle, war
against youעִמְּךָ֖‘im·mə·ḵāPreposition; second person masculine singularH5973 with
lay siegeוְצַרְתָּ֖wə·ṣar·tāConjunctive waw; Verb - Qal - Conjunctive perfect - second person masculine singularH6696 confine, bind, besiege
toעָלֶֽיהָּ׃ʿå̄·lɛ·hå̄Preposition; third person feminine singularH5921 height

Deuteronomy 20:13

EnglishHebrewSounds likeGrammarWord study
When the LORDיְהוָ֥הYah·wehNoun - proper - masculine singularH3068 Yahweh
your Godאֱלֹהֶ֖יךָ’ĕ·lō·he·ḵāNoun - masculine plural construct; second person masculine singularH430 God
has delivered itוּנְתָנָ֛הּū·nə·ṯā·nāhConjunctive waw; Verb - Qal - Conjunctive perfect - third person masculine singular; third person feminine singularH5414 give, put, set
into your handבְּיָדֶ֑ךָbə·yā·ḏe·ḵāPreposition-b; Noun - feminine singular construct; second person masculine singularH3027 hand
you must putוְהִכִּיתָ֥wə·hik·kî·ṯāConjunctive waw; Verb - Hifil - Conjunctive perfect - second person masculine singularH5221 smite
everyכָּל־kāl-Noun - masculine singular constructH3605 the whole, all
maleזְכוּרָ֖הּzə·ḵū·rāhNoun - masculine singular construct; third person feminine singularH2138 male
to the swordחָֽרֶב׃ḥā·reḇNoun - feminine singularH2719 sword

Deuteronomy 20:14

EnglishHebrewSounds likeGrammarWord study
Butרַ֣קraqAdverbH7535 thin
the womenהַ֠נָּשִׁיםhan·nā·šîmArticle; Noun - feminine pluralH802 woman, wife, female
childrenוְהַטַּ֨ףwə·haṭ·ṭap̄Conjunctive waw, Article; Noun - masculine singularH2945 children
livestockוְהַבְּהֵמָ֜הwə·hab·bə·hê·māhConjunctive waw, Article; Noun - feminine singularH929 beast, animal, cattle
and whateverוְכֹל֩wə·ḵōlConjunctive waw; Noun - masculine singularH3605 the whole, all
else isיִהְיֶ֥הyih·yehVerb - Qal - Imperfect - third person masculine singularH1961 fall out, come to pass, become, be
in the cityבָעִ֛ירḇā·‘îrPreposition-b, Article; Noun - feminine singularH5892 excitement
allכָּל־kāl-Noun - masculine singular constructH3605 the whole, all
its spoilשְׁלָלָ֖הּšə·lā·lāhNoun - masculine singular construct; third person feminine singularH7998 prey, spoil, plunder, booty
you may take as plunderתָּבֹ֣זtā·ḇōzVerb - Qal - Imperfect - second person masculine singularH962 spoil, plunder
and you shall useוְאָֽכַלְתָּ֙wə·’ā·ḵal·tāConjunctive waw; Verb - Qal - Conjunctive perfect - second person masculine singularH398 eat
the spoilשְׁלַ֣לšə·lalNoun - masculine singular constructH7998 prey, spoil, plunder, booty
of your enemiesאֹיְבֶ֔יךָ’ō·yə·ḇe·ḵāVerb - Qal - Participle - masculine plural construct; second person masculine singularH341 be hostile to
thatאֲשֶׁ֥ר’ă·šerPronoun - relativeH834 particle of relation
the LORDיְהוָ֥הYah·wehNoun - proper - masculine singularH3068 Yahweh
your Godאֱלֹהֶ֖יךָ’ĕ·lō·he·ḵāNoun - masculine plural construct; second person masculine singularH430 God
givesנָתַ֛ןnā·ṯanVerb - Qal - Perfect - third person masculine singularH5414 give, put, set
youלָֽךְ׃lāḵPreposition; second person masculine singular

Deuteronomy 20:15

EnglishHebrewSounds likeGrammarWord study
This is howכֵּ֤ןkênAdverbH3651 right, veritable, honest
you are to treatתַּעֲשֶׂה֙ta·‘ă·śehVerb - Qal - Imperfect - second person masculine singularH6213 do, make
allלְכָל־lə·ḵālPreposition-l; Noun - masculine singular constructH3605 the whole, all
the citiesהֶ֣עָרִ֔יםhe·‘ā·rîmArticle; Noun - feminine pluralH5892 excitement
that are far awayהָרְחֹקֹ֥תhā·rə·ḥō·qōṯArticle; Adjective - feminine pluralH7350 distant, far
from youמִמְּךָ֖mim·mə·ḵāPreposition; second person masculine singularH4480 out of, from, on account of, off, on the side of, since, above, than, so that not
and do notלֹא־lō-Adverb - Negative particleH3808 not
belong to theהָאֵ֖לֶּהhā·’êl·lehArticle; Pronoun - common pluralH428 these
nations nearbyהַגּֽוֹיִם־hag·gō·w·yim-Article; Noun - masculine pluralH1471 nation, people

Deuteronomy 20:16

EnglishHebrewSounds likeGrammarWord study
Howeverרַ֗קraqAdverbH7535 thin
in the citiesמֵעָרֵ֤יmê·‘ā·rêPreposition-m; Noun - feminine plural constructH5892 excitement
of theהָאֵ֔לֶּהhā·’êl·lehArticle; Pronoun - common pluralH428 these
nationsהָֽעַמִּים֙hā·‘am·mîmArticle; Noun - masculine pluralH5971 people
thatאֲשֶׁר֙’ă·šerPronoun - relativeH834 particle of relation
the LORDיְהוָ֣הYah·wehNoun - proper - masculine singularH3068 Yahweh
your Godאֱלֹהֶ֔יךָ’ĕ·lō·he·ḵāNoun - masculine plural construct; second person masculine singularH430 God
is givingנֹתֵ֥ןnō·ṯênVerb - Qal - Participle - masculine singularH5414 give, put, set
youלְךָ֖lə·ḵāPreposition; second person masculine singular
as an inheritanceנַחֲלָ֑הna·ḥă·lāhNoun - feminine singularH5159 possession, property, inheritance
you must not leave aliveתְחַיֶּ֖הṯə·ḥay·yehVerb - Piel - Imperfect - second person masculine singularH2421 live
anythingכָּל־kāl-Noun - masculine singular constructH3605 the whole, all
that breathesנְשָׁמָֽה׃nə·šā·māhNoun - feminine singularH5397 breath

Cross-references

Other passages that speak to the same thing. Point at one to read it.

Deuteronomy 20:13 Psalm 2:6–12

Deuteronomy 20:14 Joshua 8:2 · Joshua 22:8 · Numbers 31:9

Deuteronomy 20:16 Joshua 11:14 · Numbers 21:2–3 · Deuteronomy 7:1–4 · Joshua 6:17–21 · Deuteronomy 7:16 · Joshua 10:40 · Joshua 10:28 · Numbers 33:52 · Exodus 23:31–33 · Joshua 11:11–12 · Numbers 21:35

Cross-references from OpenBible.info, used under CC BY 4.0. The best-supported references for each verse are shown.

Scripture text: Berean Standard Bible.