Deuteronomy 20:13
New International Version
When the LORD your God delivers it into your hand, put to the sword all the men in it.

New Living Translation
When the LORD your God hands the town over to you, use your swords to kill every man in the town.

English Standard Version
And when the LORD your God gives it into your hand, you shall put all its males to the sword,

Berean Standard Bible
When the LORD your God has delivered it into your hand, you must put every male to the sword.

King James Bible
And when the LORD thy God hath delivered it into thine hands, thou shalt smite every male thereof with the edge of the sword:

New King James Version
And when the LORD your God delivers it into your hands, you shall strike every male in it with the edge of the sword.

New American Standard Bible
When the LORD your God gives it into your hand, you shall strike all the men in it with the edge of the sword.

NASB 1995
“When the LORD your God gives it into your hand, you shall strike all the men in it with the edge of the sword.

NASB 1977
“When the LORD your God gives it into your hand, you shall strike all the men in it with the edge of the sword.

Legacy Standard Bible
And Yahweh your God shall give it into your hand, and you shall strike all the males in it with the edge of the sword.

Amplified Bible
When the LORD your God gives it into your hand, you shall strike down all the men in it with the edge of the sword.

Christian Standard Bible
When the LORD your God hands it over to you, strike down all its males with the sword.

Holman Christian Standard Bible
When the LORD your God hands it over to you, you must strike down all its males with the sword.

American Standard Version
and when Jehovah thy God delivereth it into thy hand, thou shalt smite every male thereof with the edge of the sword:

English Revised Version
and when the LORD thy God delivereth it into thine hand, thou shalt smite every male thereof with the edge of the sword:

GOD'S WORD® Translation
When the LORD your God hands the city over to you, kill every man in that city with your swords.

Good News Translation
Then, when the LORD your God lets you capture the city, kill every man in it.

International Standard Version
The LORD your God will deliver it into your control, and you must execute every male.

Majority Standard Bible
When the LORD your God has delivered it into your hand, you must put every male to the sword.

NET Bible
The LORD your God will deliver it over to you and you must kill every single male by the sword.

New Heart English Bible
and when the LORD your God delivers it into your hand, you shall strike every male of it with the edge of the sword:

Webster's Bible Translation
And when the LORD thy God hath delivered it into thy hands, thou shalt smite every male of it with the edge of the sword:

World English Bible
When Yahweh your God delivers it into your hand, you shall strike every male of it with the edge of the sword;
Literal Translations
Literal Standard Version
and your God YHWH has given it into your hand, and you have struck every male of it by the mouth of the sword.

Young's Literal Translation
and Jehovah thy God hath given it into thy hand, and thou hast smitten every male of it by the mouth of the sword.

Smith's Literal Translation
And Jehovah thy God gave it into thy hand, and thou didst cut off every one of its males by the mouth of the sword.
Catholic Translations
Douay-Rheims Bible
And when the Lord thy God shall deliver it into thy bands, thou shalt slay all that are therein of the male sex, with the edge of the sword,

Catholic Public Domain Version
And when the Lord your God will have delivered it into your hands, you shall strike down anyone who is in it, of the male gender, with the edge of the sword,

New American Bible
and when the LORD, your God, delivers it into your power, put every male in it to the sword;

New Revised Standard Version
and when the LORD your God gives it into your hand, you shall put all its males to the sword.
Translations from Aramaic
Lamsa Bible
And when the LORD your God has delivered it into your hands, you shall slay all its males with the edge of the sword;

Peshitta Holy Bible Translated
And LORD JEHOVAH your God shall hand it over into your hands; kill all of its males by the mouth of the sword:
OT Translations
JPS Tanakh 1917
And when the LORD thy God delivereth it into thy hand, thou shalt smite every male thereof with the edge of the sword;

Brenton Septuagint Translation
until the Lord thy God shall deliver it into thy hands, and thou shalt smite every male of it with the edge of the sword:

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
Laws of Warfare
12But if they refuse to make peace with you and wage war against you, lay siege to that city. 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.…

Cross References
Joshua 6:21
With the edge of the sword they devoted to destruction everything in the city—man and woman, young and old, oxen, sheep, and donkeys.

1 Samuel 15:3
Now go and attack the Amalekites and devote to destruction all that belongs to them. Do not spare them, but put to death men and women, children and infants, oxen and sheep, camels and donkeys.’”

Numbers 31:7-8
Then they waged war against Midian, as the LORD had commanded Moses, and they killed every male. / Among the slain were Evi, Rekem, Zur, Hur, and Reba—the five kings of Midian. They also killed Balaam son of Beor with the sword.

2 Chronicles 20:23
The Ammonites and Moabites rose up against the inhabitants of Mount Seir, devoting them to destruction. And when they had finished off the inhabitants of Seir, they helped to destroy one another.

2 Kings 10:11
So Jehu killed everyone in Jezreel who remained of the house of Ahab, as well as all his great men and close friends and priests, leaving him without a single survivor.

1 Kings 9:16
Pharaoh king of Egypt had attacked and captured Gezer. He had set it on fire, killed the Canaanites who lived in the city, and given it as a dowry to his daughter, Solomon’s wife.

Judges 21:10-11
So the congregation sent 12,000 of their most valiant men and commanded them: “Go and put to the sword those living in Jabesh-gilead, including women and children. / This is what you are to do: Devote to destruction every male, as well as every female who has had relations with a man.”

2 Samuel 8:2
David also defeated the Moabites, made them lie down on the ground, and measured them off with a cord. He measured off with two lengths those to be put to death, and with one length those to be spared. So the Moabites became subject to David and brought him tribute.

1 Chronicles 18:1-2
Some time later, David defeated the Philistines, subdued them, and took Gath and its villages from the hand of the Philistines. / David also defeated the Moabites, and they became subject to David and brought him tribute.

Isaiah 13:15-18
Whoever is caught will be stabbed, and whoever is captured will die by the sword. / Their infants will be dashed to pieces before their eyes, their houses will be looted, and their wives will be ravished. / Behold, I will stir up against them the Medes, who have no regard for silver and no desire for gold. ...

Jeremiah 50:21-22
Go up against the land of Merathaim, and against the residents of Pekod. Kill them and devote them to destruction. Do all that I have commanded you,” declares the LORD. / “The noise of battle is in the land—the noise of great destruction.

Ezekiel 9:5-7
And as I listened, He said to the others, “Follow him through the city and start killing; do not show pity or spare anyone! / Slaughter the old men, the young men and maidens, the women and children; but do not go near anyone who has the mark. Now begin at My sanctuary.” So they began with the elders who were before the temple. / Then He told them, “Defile the temple and fill the courts with the slain. Go forth!” So they went out and began killing throughout the city.

Matthew 11:20-24
Then Jesus began to denounce the cities in which most of His miracles had been performed, because they did not repent. / “Woe to you, Chorazin! Woe to you, Bethsaida! For if the miracles that were performed in you had been performed in Tyre and Sidon, they would have repented long ago in sackcloth and ashes. / But I tell you, it will be more bearable for Tyre and Sidon on the day of judgment than for you. ...

Luke 19:27
And these enemies of mine who were unwilling for me to rule over them, bring them here and slay them in front of me.’”

Revelation 19:11-21
Then I saw heaven standing open, and there before me was a white horse. And its rider is called Faithful and True. With righteousness He judges and wages war. / He has eyes like blazing fire, and many royal crowns on His head. He has a name written on Him that only He Himself knows. / He is dressed in a robe dipped in blood, and His name is The Word of God. ...


Treasury of Scripture

And when the LORD your God has delivered it into your hands, you shall smite every male thereof with the edge of the sword:

thou shalt smite

Numbers 31:7-9,17,18
And they warred against the Midianites, as the LORD commanded Moses; and they slew all the males…

1 Kings 11:15,16
For it came to pass, when David was in Edom, and Joab the captain of the host was gone up to bury the slain, after he had smitten every male in Edom; …

Psalm 2:6-12
Yet have I set my king upon my holy hill of Zion…

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Deuteronomy 20
1. The priest's exhortation to encourage the people to battle
5. The officers' proclamation of who are to be dismissed from the war
10. How to use the cities that accept or refuse the proclamation of peace
16. What cities must be devoted
19. Trees must not be destroyed in the siege














When the LORD your God
This phrase emphasizes the sovereignty and active involvement of God in the affairs of Israel. The Hebrew name for God here is "Yahweh," which signifies His eternal presence and covenantal faithfulness. The phrase underscores the belief that God is not a distant deity but one who is intimately involved in guiding and delivering His people. Historically, this reflects the theocratic nature of Israel, where God was seen as the ultimate ruler and commander.

has delivered it into your hand
The phrase "delivered it into your hand" is a common biblical expression denoting victory granted by divine intervention. The Hebrew root "nathan" (to give) is used here, indicating that the victory is a gift from God, not merely the result of human effort. This reflects the biblical theme that success in battle is attributed to God's will and power, reinforcing the idea that Israel's military conquests were part of a divine plan.

you must put every male to the sword
This command reflects the ancient Near Eastern context of warfare, where total destruction of the enemy was often practiced to prevent future retaliation and to ensure complete victory. The phrase "put to the sword" is a translation of the Hebrew "harag," meaning to kill or destroy. From a conservative Christian perspective, this directive is understood within the framework of divine justice and the specific historical context of Israel's conquest of Canaan. It is seen as a means of purging the land of idolatry and wickedness, fulfilling God's promise to give the land to the descendants of Abraham. This difficult passage is often interpreted as a unique command for a specific time and purpose, not a general principle for all warfare.

Parallel Commentaries ...


Hebrew
When the LORD
יְהוָ֥ה (Yah·weh)
Noun - proper - masculine singular
Strong's 3068: LORD -- the proper name of the God of Israel

your God
אֱלֹהֶ֖יךָ (’ĕ·lō·he·ḵā)
Noun - masculine plural construct | second person masculine singular
Strong's 430: gods -- the supreme God, magistrates, a superlative

has delivered it
וּנְתָנָ֛הּ (ū·nə·ṯā·nāh)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Conjunctive perfect - third person masculine singular | third person feminine singular
Strong's 5414: To give, put, set

into your hands,
בְּיָדֶ֑ךָ (bə·yā·ḏe·ḵā)
Preposition-b | Noun - feminine singular construct | second person masculine singular
Strong's 3027: A hand

you must strike down
וְהִכִּיתָ֥ (wə·hik·kî·ṯā)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Hifil - Conjunctive perfect - second person masculine singular
Strong's 5221: To strike

every
כָּל־ (kāl-)
Noun - masculine singular construct
Strong's 3605: The whole, all, any, every

male
זְכוּרָ֖הּ (zə·ḵū·rāh)
Noun - masculine singular construct | third person feminine singular
Strong's 2138: A male

with the sword.
חָֽרֶב׃ (ḥā·reḇ)
Noun - feminine singular
Strong's 2719: Drought, a cutting instrument, as a, knife, sword


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OT Law: Deuteronomy 20:13 And when Yahweh your God delivers it (Deut. De Du)
Deuteronomy 20:12
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