Deuteronomy 20:16
in Deuteronomy 20However, 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.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
But of the cities of these peoples, that Jehovah thy God giveth thee for an inheritance, thou shalt save alive nothing that breatheth;
KJV
But of the cities of these people, which the Lord thy God doth give thee for an inheritance, thou shalt save alive nothing that breatheth:
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This verse in Deuteronomy 20
Commentary
4 notes on this verseBut of the cities of those people, which the Lord thy God doth give thee for an inheritance,.... The cities of the seven nations, six of which are mentioned by name in the next verse: thou shalt save alive nothing that breatheth; the reason of this severity was because of their wickedness, the capital crimes and gross abominations they were guilty of, and for which they deserved to die; and on account whereof they were reserved to this destruction, when the measure of their iniquities was full, such as idolatry, incest, witchcraft, soothsaying, necromancy, &c. see Lev 18:3.
This site's exposition
However, in the cities of the nations
on Deuteronomy 20:16-18
The near cities get no such offer. Verse 18 gives the reason, “so that they cannot teach you to do all the detestable things they do for their gods”.
The record, by era
The Puritans and the Awakening1 voice
), for it put a slight upon the promise to admit Canaanites to share with them in the peculiar land of promise; and for another reason they must be utterly destroyed (
quarantine:debris (2026-07-29) — leading-punctuation
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).
The words behind it
14 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| רַ֗ק | rak | only | H7535 → | 109 times |
| מֵעָרֵ֤י | mearei | from [the] cities of | H5892 → | 1090 times |
| הָֽעַמִּים֙ | haamim | the peoples | H5971 → | 1873 times |
| הָאֵ֔לֶּה | haeleh | <the> these | H428 → | 746 times |
| אֲשֶׁר֙ | ʾasher | which | H834 → | 5497 times |
| יְהוָ֣ה | yahweh | Yahweh | H3068 → | 6520 times |
| אֱלֹהֶ֔יךָ | ʾeloheikha | God your | H430 → | 2601 times |
| נֹתֵ֥ן | noten | [is] about to give | H5414 → | 2011 times |
| לְךָ֖ | lekha | to <the> you | ||
| נַחֲלָ֑ה | nachalah | an inheritance | H5159 → | 222 times |
| לֹ֥א | lo' | not | H3808 → | 5168 times |
| תְחַיֶּ֖ה | techaiyeh | you will let live | H2421 → | 282 times |
| כָּל־ | kol- | any | H3605 → | 5413 times |
| נְשָׁמָֽה׃ | neshamah | breathing thing | H5397 → |
רַ֗קonly
rakH7535 →109 times
מֵעָרֵ֤יfrom [the] cities of
meareiH5892 →1090 times
הָֽעַמִּים֙the peoples
haamimH5971 →1873 times
הָאֵ֔לֶּה<the> these
haelehH428 →746 times
אֲשֶׁר֙which
ʾasherH834 →5497 times
יְהוָ֣הYahweh
yahwehH3068 →6520 times
אֱלֹהֶ֔יךָGod your
ʾeloheikhaH430 →2601 times
נֹתֵ֥ן[is] about to give
notenH5414 →2011 times
לְךָ֖to <the> you
lekha
נַחֲלָ֑הan inheritance
nachalahH5159 →222 times
לֹ֥אnot
lo'H3808 →5168 times
תְחַיֶּ֖הyou will let live
techaiyehH2421 →282 times
כָּל־any
kol-H3605 →5413 times
נְשָׁמָֽה׃breathing thing
neshamahH5397 →
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
Numbers 33:52you must drive out before you all the inhabitants of the land, destroy all their carved images and cast idols, and demolish all their high places.
it leads to
- Leviticus 26:1
“You must not make idols for yourselves or set up a carved image or sacred pillar; you must not place a sculpted stone in your land to bow down to it. For I am…
- Exodus 23:24
You must not bow down to their gods or serve them or follow their practices. Instead, you are to demolish them and smash their sacred stones to pieces.
- Deuteronomy 20:16–18
However, 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.
- Deuteronomy 7:2–5
and when the LORD your God has delivered them over to you to defeat them, then you must devote them to complete destruction. Make no treaty with them and show them no mercy.
- Deuteronomy 12:2–3
Destroy completely all the places where the nations you are dispossessing have served their gods—atop the high mountains, on the hills, and under every green tree.
- Leviticus 26:1
Through
Joshua 11:14The Israelites took for themselves all the plunder and livestock of these cities, but they put all the people to the sword until they had completely destroyed them, not sparing anyone who breathed.
it leads to
- Numbers 31:11–12
and carried away all the plunder and spoils, both people and animals.
- Joshua 8:27
Israel took for themselves only the cattle and plunder of that city, as the LORD had commanded Joshua.
- Numbers 31:9
The Israelites captured the Midianite women and their children, and they plundered all their herds, flocks, and goods.
- Numbers 31:11–12
Where this verse is studied
On this page
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 Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament and Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible.