Deuteronomy 20:18
in Deuteronomy 20so 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.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
that they teach you not to do after all their abominations, which they have done unto their gods; so would ye sin against Jehovah your God.
KJV
That they teach you not to do after all their abominations, which they have done unto their gods; so should ye sin against the Lord your God.
⋯
This verse in Deuteronomy 20
Commentary
4 notes on this verseThis site's exposition
But of the cities of these people
on Deuteronomy 20:16-18
The near cities are given no such offer, and verse 18 supplies the reason, that they teach you not to do after all their abominations, which they have done unto their gods. Six nations are named here where 7:1 names seven, the Girgashites being absent from this list. Genesis 15:16 had already tied the timing to the iniquity of the Amorites, which was not yet full in Abraham's day. Adam Clarke argues that the Hebrew verb can carry the sense of subduing or expelling a people out of national existence, and John Gill reads the sentence as judgment on capital crimes long accumulated.
The record, by era
The Puritans and the Awakening2 voices
), to introduce their customs into the worship of the God of Israel, and by degrees to forsake him and to worship false gods; for those that dare violate the second commandment will not long keep to the first. Strange worships open the door to strange deities. Care is here taken that in the besieging of cities there should not be any destruction made of fruit-trees,
quarantine:debris (2026-07-29) — leading-punctuation+unbalanced-parens
That they teach you not to do after all their abominations,....
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| לְמַ֗עַן | lemaan | so that | H4616 → | 272 times |
| אֲשֶׁ֨ר | ʾasher | that | H834 → | 5497 times |
| לֹֽא־ | lo'- | not | H3808 → | 5168 times |
| יְלַמְּד֤וּ | yelamedu | they may teach | H3925 → | 85 times |
| אֶתְכֶם֙ | ʾetkhem | <obj.> you | H853 → | 10935 times |
| לַעֲשׂ֔וֹת | laasot | to do | H6213 → | 2628 times |
| כְּכֹל֙ | kekhol | according to all | H3605 → | 5413 times |
| תּֽוֹעֲבֹתָ֔ם | toavotam | abominations their | H8441 → | 117 times |
| אֲשֶׁ֥ר | ʾasher | which | H834 → | 5497 times |
| עָשׂ֖וּ | ʾasu | they have done | H6213 → | 2628 times |
| לֵֽאלֹהֵיהֶ֑ם | leloheihem | for gods their | H430 → | 2601 times |
| וַחֲטָאתֶ֖ם | vachatatem | and you will sin | H2398 → | 238 times |
| לַיהוָ֥ה | layahweh | to Yahweh | H3068 → | 6520 times |
| אֱלֹהֵיכֶֽם׃ ס | ʾeloheikhem | God your | H430 → | 2601 times |
לְמַ֗עַןso that
lemaanH4616 →272 times
אֲשֶׁ֨רthat
ʾasherH834 →5497 times
לֹֽא־not
lo'-H3808 →5168 times
יְלַמְּד֤וּthey may teach
yelameduH3925 →85 times
אֶתְכֶם֙<obj.> you
ʾetkhemH853 →10935 times
לַעֲשׂ֔וֹתto do
laasotH6213 →2628 times
כְּכֹל֙according to all
kekholH3605 →5413 times
תּֽוֹעֲבֹתָ֔םabominations their
toavotamH8441 →117 times
אֲשֶׁ֥רwhich
ʾasherH834 →5497 times
עָשׂ֖וּthey have done
ʾasuH6213 →2628 times
לֵֽאלֹהֵיהֶ֑םfor gods their
leloheihemH430 →2601 times
וַחֲטָאתֶ֖םand you will sin
vachatatemH2398 →238 times
לַיהוָ֥הto Yahweh
layahwehH3068 →6520 times
אֱלֹהֵיכֶֽם׃ סGod your
ʾeloheikhemH430 →2601 times
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
Ephesians 5:11Have no fellowship with the fruitless deeds of darkness, but rather expose them.
it leads to
- Romans 13:12
The night is nearly over; the day has drawn near. So let us lay aside the deeds of darkness and put on the armor of light.
- 1 Timothy 5:20
But those who persist in sin should be rebuked in front of everyone, so that the others will stand in fear of sin.
- 2 Thessalonians 3:6
Now we command you, brothers, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, to keep away from any brother who leads an undisciplined life that is not in keeping with the tradition you received…
- 2 John 1:10–11
If anyone comes to you but does not bring this teaching, do not receive him into your home or even greet him.
- Romans 16:17
Now I urge you, brothers, to watch out for those who create divisions and obstacles that are contrary to the teaching you have learned. Turn away from them.
- Romans 13:12
Through
Joshua 23:13know for sure that the LORD your God will no longer drive out these nations before you. Instead, they will become for you a snare and a trap, a scourge in your sides and…
it leads to
- Deuteronomy 7:16
You must destroy all the peoples the LORD your God will deliver to you. Do not look on them with pity. Do not worship their gods, for that will be a snare to you.
Reached by 2 separate paths from here.
- Numbers 33:55
But if you do not drive out the inhabitants of the land before you, those you allow to remain will become barbs in your eyes and thorns in your sides; they will harass you…
- Deuteronomy 7:16
Through
Exodus 23:33They must not remain in your land, lest they cause you to sin against Me. For if you serve their gods, it will surely be a snare to you.”
it leads to
- Psalms 106:36
They worshiped their idols, which became a snare to them.
- Psalms 106:36
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; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763) and Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible.