Deuteronomy
Deuteronomy 20:16–18
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 destructiona— 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.
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 20:16
| 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 |
Cross-references
Other passages that speak to the same thing. Point at one to read it.
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
Deuteronomy 20:17 Isaiah 34:5–6 · Jeremiah 50:35–40 · Ezekiel 38:21–23 · Jeremiah 48:10 · Deuteronomy 7:1–2
Deuteronomy 20:18 Deuteronomy 12:30–31 · Exodus 23:33 · Ephesians 5:11 · Deuteronomy 7:4–5 · Joshua 23:13 · Psalm 106:34–40 · 1 Corinthians 15:33 · Exodus 34:16 · 2 Corinthians 6:17 · 2 Thessalonians 3:14
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.