Deuteronomy

Deuteronomy 20:13–18

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. ¹⁷For you must devote them to complete destruction^a— the Hittites, Amorites, Canaanites, Perizzites, Hivites, and Jebusites— as the LORD your God has commanded you, ¹⁸so that they cannot teach you to do all the detestable things they do for their gods, and so cause you to sin against the LORD your God.

Footnotes

a 20:17 Forms of the Hebrew cherem refer to the giving over of things or persons to the LORD, either by destroying them or by giving them as an offering.

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 20:13

English	Hebrew	Sounds like	Grammar	Word study
When the LORD	יְהוָ֥ה	Yah·weh	Noun - proper - masculine singular	H3068 Yahweh
your God	אֱלֹהֶ֖יךָ	’ĕ·lō·he·ḵā	Noun - masculine plural construct; second person masculine singular	H430 God
has delivered it	וּנְתָנָ֛הּ	ū·nə·ṯā·nāh	Conjunctive waw; Verb - Qal - Conjunctive perfect - third person masculine singular; third person feminine singular	H5414 give, put, set
into your hand	בְּיָדֶ֑ךָ	bə·yā·ḏe·ḵā	Preposition-b; Noun - feminine singular construct; second person masculine singular	H3027 hand
you must put	וְהִכִּיתָ֥	wə·hik·kî·ṯā	Conjunctive waw; Verb - Hifil - Conjunctive perfect - second person masculine singular	H5221 smite
every	כָּל־	kāl-	Noun - masculine singular construct	H3605 the whole, all
male	זְכוּרָ֖הּ	zə·ḵū·rāh	Noun - masculine singular construct; third person feminine singular	H2138 male
to the sword	חָֽרֶב׃	ḥā·reḇ	Noun - feminine singular	H2719 sword

Deuteronomy 20:14

English	Hebrew	Sounds like	Grammar	Word study
But	רַ֣ק	raq	Adverb	H7535 thin
the women	הַ֠נָּשִׁים	han·nā·šîm	Article; Noun - feminine plural	H802 woman, wife, female
children	וְהַטַּ֨ף	wə·haṭ·ṭap̄	Conjunctive waw, Article; Noun - masculine singular	H2945 children
livestock	וְהַבְּהֵמָ֜ה	wə·hab·bə·hê·māh	Conjunctive waw, Article; Noun - feminine singular	H929 beast, animal, cattle
and whatever	וְכֹל֩	wə·ḵōl	Conjunctive waw; Noun - masculine singular	H3605 the whole, all
else is	יִהְיֶ֥ה	yih·yeh	Verb - Qal - Imperfect - third person masculine singular	H1961 fall out, come to pass, become, be
in the city	בָעִ֛יר	ḇā·‘îr	Preposition-b, Article; Noun - feminine singular	H5892 excitement
all	כָּל־	kāl-	Noun - masculine singular construct	H3605 the whole, all
its spoil	שְׁלָלָ֖הּ	šə·lā·lāh	Noun - masculine singular construct; third person feminine singular	H7998 prey, spoil, plunder, booty
you may take as plunder	תָּבֹ֣ז	tā·ḇōz	Verb - Qal - Imperfect - second person masculine singular	H962 spoil, plunder
and you shall use	וְאָֽכַלְתָּ֙	wə·’ā·ḵal·tā	Conjunctive waw; Verb - Qal - Conjunctive perfect - second person masculine singular	H398 eat
the spoil	שְׁלַ֣ל	šə·lal	Noun - masculine singular construct	H7998 prey, spoil, plunder, booty
of your enemies	אֹיְבֶ֔יךָ	’ō·yə·ḇe·ḵā	Verb - Qal - Participle - masculine plural construct; second person masculine singular	H341 be hostile to
that	אֲשֶׁ֥ר	’ă·šer	Pronoun - relative	H834 particle of relation
the LORD	יְהוָ֥ה	Yah·weh	Noun - proper - masculine singular	H3068 Yahweh
your God	אֱלֹהֶ֖יךָ	’ĕ·lō·he·ḵā	Noun - masculine plural construct; second person masculine singular	H430 God
gives	נָתַ֛ן	nā·ṯan	Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person masculine singular	H5414 give, put, set
you	לָֽךְ׃	lāḵ	Preposition; second person masculine singular

Deuteronomy 20:15

English	Hebrew	Sounds like	Grammar	Word study
This is how	כֵּ֤ן	kên	Adverb	H3651 right, veritable, honest
you are to treat	תַּעֲשֶׂה֙	ta·‘ă·śeh	Verb - Qal - Imperfect - second person masculine singular	H6213 do, make
all	לְכָל־	lə·ḵāl	Preposition-l; Noun - masculine singular construct	H3605 the whole, all
the cities	הֶ֣עָרִ֔ים	he·‘ā·rîm	Article; Noun - feminine plural	H5892 excitement
that are far away	הָרְחֹקֹ֥ת	hā·rə·ḥō·qōṯ	Article; Adjective - feminine plural	H7350 distant, far
from you	מִמְּךָ֖	mim·mə·ḵā	Preposition; second person masculine singular	H4480 out of, from, on account of, off, on the side of, since, above, than, so that not
and do not	לֹא־	lō-	Adverb - Negative particle	H3808 not
belong to the	הָאֵ֖לֶּה	hā·’êl·leh	Article; Pronoun - common plural	H428 these
nations nearby	הַגּֽוֹיִם־	hag·gō·w·yim-	Article; Noun - masculine plural	H1471 nation, people

Deuteronomy 20:16

English	Hebrew	Sounds like	Grammar	Word study
However	רַ֗ק	raq	Adverb	H7535 thin
in the cities	מֵעָרֵ֤י	mê·‘ā·rê	Preposition-m; Noun - feminine plural construct	H5892 excitement
of the	הָאֵ֔לֶּה	hā·’êl·leh	Article; Pronoun - common plural	H428 these
nations	הָֽעַמִּים֙	hā·‘am·mîm	Article; Noun - masculine plural	H5971 people
that	אֲשֶׁר֙	’ă·šer	Pronoun - relative	H834 particle of relation
the LORD	יְהוָ֣ה	Yah·weh	Noun - proper - masculine singular	H3068 Yahweh
your God	אֱלֹהֶ֔יךָ	’ĕ·lō·he·ḵā	Noun - masculine plural construct; second person masculine singular	H430 God
is giving	נֹתֵ֥ן	nō·ṯên	Verb - Qal - Participle - masculine singular	H5414 give, put, set
you	לְךָ֖	lə·ḵā	Preposition; second person masculine singular
as an inheritance	נַחֲלָ֑ה	na·ḥă·lāh	Noun - feminine singular	H5159 possession, property, inheritance
you must not leave alive	תְחַיֶּ֖ה	ṯə·ḥay·yeh	Verb - Piel - Imperfect - second person masculine singular	H2421 live
anything	כָּל־	kāl-	Noun - masculine singular construct	H3605 the whole, all
that breathes	נְשָׁמָֽה׃	nə·šā·māh	Noun - feminine singular	H5397 breath

Deuteronomy 20:17

English	Hebrew	Sounds like	Grammar	Word study
For	כִּֽי־	kî-	Conjunction	H3588 burning, branding
you must devote them to complete destruction	הַחֲרֵ֣ם	ha·ḥă·rêm	Verb - Hifil - Infinitive absolute	H2763 ban, devote, exterminate
the Hittites	הַחִתִּ֤י	ha·ḥit·tî	Article; Noun - proper - masculine singular	H2850 Hittite(s)
Amorites	וְהָאֱמֹרִי֙	wə·hā·’ĕ·mō·rî	Conjunctive waw, Article; Noun - proper - masculine singular	H567 Amorites
Canaanites	הַכְּנַעֲנִ֣י	hak·kə·na·‘ă·nî	Article; Noun - proper - masculine singular	H3669 trader, merchant
Perizzites	וְהַפְּרִזִּ֔י	wə·hap·pə·riz·zî	Conjunctive waw, Article; Noun - proper - masculine singular	H6522 Perizzite
Hivites	הַחִוִּ֖י	ha·ḥiw·wî	Article; Noun - proper - masculine singular	H2340 Chivvite
and Jebusites	וְהַיְבוּסִ֑י	wə·hay·ḇū·sî	Conjunctive waw, Article; Noun - proper - masculine singular	H2983 Jebusite, Jebusites
as	כַּאֲשֶׁ֥ר	ka·’ă·šer	Preposition-k; Pronoun - relative	H834 particle of relation
the LORD	יְהוָ֥ה	Yah·weh	Noun - proper - masculine singular	H3068 Yahweh
your God	אֱלֹהֶֽיךָ׃	’ĕ·lō·he·ḵā	Noun - masculine plural construct; second person masculine singular	H430 God
has commanded you	צִוְּךָ֖	ṣiw·wə·ḵā	Verb - Piel - Perfect - third person masculine singular; second person masculine singular	H6680 lay charge (upon), give charge (to), charge, command, order

Deuteronomy 20:18

English	Hebrew	Sounds like	Grammar	Word study
so that	לְמַ֗עַן	lə·ma·‘an	Conjunction	H4616 purpose, intent
they cannot	לֹֽא־	lō-	Adverb - Negative particle	H3808 not
teach	יְלַמְּד֤וּ	yə·lam·mə·ḏū	Verb - Piel - Imperfect - third person masculine plural	H3925 exercise in, learn
you to do	לַעֲשׂ֔וֹת	la·‘ă·śō·wṯ	Preposition-l; Verb - Qal - Infinitive construct	H6213 do, make
all	כְּכֹל֙	kə·ḵōl	Preposition-k; Noun - masculine singular construct	H3605 the whole, all
the detestable things	תּֽוֹעֲבֹתָ֔ם	tō·w·‘ă·ḇō·ṯām	Noun - feminine plural construct; third person masculine plural	H8441 abomination
they do	עָשׂ֖וּ	‘ā·śū	Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person common plural	H6213 do, make
for their gods	לֵֽאלֹהֵיהֶ֑ם	lê·lō·hê·hem	Preposition-l; Noun - masculine plural construct; third person masculine plural	H430 God
and so cause you to sin	וַחֲטָאתֶ֖ם	wa·ḥă·ṭā·ṯem	Conjunctive waw; Verb - Qal - Conjunctive perfect - second person masculine plural	H2398 miss
against the LORD	לַיהוָ֥ה	Yah·weh	Preposition-l; Noun - proper - masculine singular	H3068 Yahweh
your God	אֱלֹהֵיכֶֽם׃ס	’ĕ·lō·hê·ḵem	Noun - masculine plural construct; second person masculine plural	H430 God