Deuteronomy 20:14
in Deuteronomy 20But 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.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
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 for a prey unto thyself; and thou shalt eat the spoil of thine enemies, which Jehovah thy God hath given thee.
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.
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This verse in Deuteronomy 20
Commentary
6 notes on this verseThis site's exposition
When you approach a city to fight against it
on Deuteronomy 20:10-15
The order is peace first and siege second, and a city that accepts becomes forced labour, living under Israel rather than beside it. Verse 15 limits the paragraph to cities “that are far away from you”, and Adam Clarke reports that interpreters have long divided over how wide the offer runs. Moses had already done this at 2:26, sending words of peace to Sihon king of Heshbon.
This site's exposition
But the women, children, livestock
Matthew Henry notes that a city which accepted peace gained its conquerors as protectors, and a city that refused lost that protection. Its women, children and livestock became spoil, and the spoil is called the LORD's gift. Chapter 21:10 and 11 governs a captive wife.
The record, by era
The Puritans and the Awakening3 voices
Eaten of it - Hebrew. made it common, namely, for the use of himself and family and friends, which it was not, 'till the fifth year. Make captains - Or rather, as the Hebrew hath it, they shall set or place the captains of the armies in the head or front of the people under their charge, that they may conduct them, and by their example encourage their soldiers.
But the women, the little ones, and the cattle,....
Note, A justifiable property is acquired in that which is won in lawful war. God himself owns the title: The Lord thy God gives it thee; and therefore he must be owned in it, Ps. xliv. The nations of Canaan are excepted from the merciful provisions made by this law.
The Nineteenth Century1 voice
A commentator
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown1802–1910
Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)
proposed
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).
How the passage was read
What the Jewish commentators add
והטף AND THE LITTLE ONES [… SHALT THOU TAKE UNTO THYSELF] — the male children, too. But how am I to understand (v. 13) “and thou shalt smite every male thereof”? As referring to the male adults (Sifrei Devarim:7).
This section is reception history: how the passage was read and kept in the Jewish tradition. Where a reading parts from an essential of the Christian faith, the section says so at that point.
Texts and citation data: Sefaria; each excerpt follows its version’s licence. 4 further sources are cited on this chapter that carry no English text this site may quote or only restate the verse.
The words behind it
21 Hebrew wordsEvery Hebrew word of this verse in the order it stands, with what it means and the door to its own study. The last column counts the times a word stands in the whole Bible: the rarer the word, the more the places it appears belong together.
| Hebrew | Sound | Meaning | Word study | In the Bible |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| רַ֣ק | rak | only | H7535 → | 109 times |
| הַ֠נָּשִׁים | hanashim | the women | H802 → | 781 times |
| וְהַטַּ֨ף | vehataf | and the little one[s] | H2945 → | 42 times |
| וְהַבְּהֵמָ֜ה | vehabehemah | and the livestock | H929 → | 190 times |
| וְכֹל֩ | vekhol | and all | H3605 → | 5413 times |
| אֲשֶׁ֨ר | ʾasher | that | H834 → | 5497 times |
| יִהְיֶ֥ה | yihyeh | it will be | H1961 → | 3559 times |
| בָעִ֛יר | vair | in the city | H5892 → | 1090 times |
| כָּל־ | kol- | all | H3605 → | 5413 times |
| שְׁלָלָ֖הּ | shelalah | booty its | H7998 → | 73 times |
| תָּבֹ֣ז | tavoz | you will plunder | H962 → | 43 times |
| לָ֑ךְ | lakh | for <the> yourself | ||
| וְאָֽכַלְתָּ֙ | veakhalta | and you will consume | H398 → | 810 times |
| אֶת־ | ʾet- | <obj.> | H853 → | 10935 times |
| שְׁלַ֣ל | shelal | [the] booty of | H7998 → | 73 times |
| אֹיְבֶ֔יךָ | ʾoyeveikha | enemies your | H341 → | 282 times |
| אֲשֶׁ֥ר | ʾasher | which | H834 → | 5497 times |
| נָתַ֛ן | natan | he has given | H5414 → | 2011 times |
| יְהוָ֥ה | yahweh | Yahweh | H3068 → | 6520 times |
| אֱלֹהֶ֖יךָ | ʾeloheikha | God your | H430 → | 2601 times |
| לָֽךְ׃ | lakh | to <the> you |
רַ֣קonly
rakH7535 →109 times
הַ֠נָּשִׁיםthe women
hanashimH802 →781 times
וְהַטַּ֨ףand the little one[s]
vehatafH2945 →42 times
וְהַבְּהֵמָ֜הand the livestock
vehabehemahH929 →190 times
וְכֹל֩and all
vekholH3605 →5413 times
אֲשֶׁ֨רthat
ʾasherH834 →5497 times
יִהְיֶ֥הit will be
yihyehH1961 →3559 times
בָעִ֛ירin the city
vairH5892 →1090 times
כָּל־all
kol-H3605 →5413 times
שְׁלָלָ֖הּbooty its
shelalahH7998 →73 times
תָּבֹ֣זyou will plunder
tavozH962 →43 times
לָ֑ךְfor <the> yourself
lakh
וְאָֽכַלְתָּ֙and you will consume
veakhaltaH398 →810 times
אֶת־<obj.>
ʾet-H853 →10935 times
שְׁלַ֣ל[the] booty of
shelalH7998 →73 times
אֹיְבֶ֔יךָenemies your
ʾoyeveikhaH341 →282 times
אֲשֶׁ֥רwhich
ʾasherH834 →5497 times
נָתַ֛ןhe has given
natanH5414 →2011 times
יְהוָ֥הYahweh
yahwehH3068 →6520 times
אֱלֹהֶ֖יךָGod your
ʾeloheikhaH430 →2601 times
לָֽךְ׃to <the> you
lakh
A shaded row is a word that stands 400 times or fewer in the Bible.
The walk
8 stopsEach card is a verse this one points to, and under it the verses that one points to in turn. Where several paths arrive at the same place, that place is listed first: the text keeps returning to it.
Through
Joshua 22:8saying, “Return to your homes with your great wealth, with immense herds of livestock, with silver, gold, bronze, iron, and very many clothes. Divide with your brothers the spoil of your enemies.”
it leads to
- Numbers 31:27
Then divide the captives between the troops who went out to battle and the rest of the congregation.
- Proverbs 3:16
Long life is in her right hand; in her left hand are riches and honor.
- Deuteronomy 8:9–14
a land where you will eat food without scarcity, where you will lack nothing; a land whose rocks are iron and whose hills are ready to be mined for copper.
- Deuteronomy 8:17–18
You might say in your heart, “The power and strength of my hands have made this wealth for me.”
- 1 Samuel 30:24
Who will listen to your proposal? The share of the one who went to battle will match the share of the one who stayed with the supplies. They will share alike.”
- Numbers 31:27
Through
Joshua 8:2And you shall do to Ai and its king as you did to Jericho and its king, except that you may carry off their plunder and livestock for yourselves. Set up an ambush behind…
it leads to
- Proverbs 13:22
A good man leaves an inheritance to his children’s children, but the sinner’s wealth is passed to the righteous.
- Joshua 6:21
At the edge of the sword they devoted to destruction everything in the city—man and woman, young and old, oxen, sheep, and donkeys.
- 2 Chronicles 20:22
The moment they began their shouts and praises, the LORD set ambushes against the men of Ammon, Moab, and Mount Seir who had come against Judah, and they were defeated.
- Proverbs 13:22
Where this verse is studied
On this page
Studies1
About Deuteronomy
This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; Jamieson, Fausset & Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763); John Wesley, Explanatory Notes upon the Old Testament and Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible.