Deuteronomy 2 35

Deuteronomy 2:35 kjv

Only the cattle we took for a prey unto ourselves, and the spoil of the cities which we took.

Deuteronomy 2:35 nkjv

We took only the livestock as plunder for ourselves, with the spoil of the cities which we took.

Deuteronomy 2:35 niv

But the livestock and the plunder from the towns we had captured we carried off for ourselves.

Deuteronomy 2:35 esv

Only the livestock we took as spoil for ourselves, with the plunder of the cities that we captured.

Deuteronomy 2:35 nlt

We took all the livestock as plunder for ourselves, along with anything of value from the towns we ransacked.

Deuteronomy 2 verses

Deuteronomy 2 35 Meaning

Deuteronomy 2:35 specifies an exception within God's command for the utter destruction (herem) of the Amorite cities and their inhabitants under King Sihon. While men, women, and children were to be devoted to destruction, the Israelites were expressly permitted by God to take the livestock and the general goods or valuables from the captured cities for their own benefit and sustenance. This highlights God's sovereignty in defining the laws of warfare, His judgment against the wicked nations, and His provision for His people.

Deuteronomy 2 35 Context

Deuteronomy chapter 2 details Israel's journey through the wilderness towards the Promised Land. Prior to verse 35, the chapter describes how God specifically forbade Israel from provoking or engaging certain nations like Edom, Moab, and Ammon because He had given those lands to them. However, when they reached Sihon king of Heshbon, God commanded them to "begin to possess his land and engage him in battle" (Dt 2:24). The immediately preceding verse, Dt 2:34, establishes the strict command for herem, stating that "we utterly destroyed the men, women, and children of every city; we left no survivor." Verse 35 then provides a crucial clarification and exception to this policy: while the living inhabitants were to be eliminated as part of God's holy judgment, the valuable resources—specifically livestock and general plunder—were permitted for Israel's taking. This illustrates the specificity and divine nature of Israel's warfare, distinguishing it from conventional ancient Near Eastern raiding and demonstrating God's provision for His people.

Deuteronomy 2 35 Word analysis

• only: Hebrew: raq (רַק).
  • Meaning: just, but, merely, only.
  • Significance: This restrictive particle indicates a clear exception or limitation. It precisely defines what was not to be subjected to the herem (utter destruction) from what was, highlighting the precise nature of God's commands regarding spoil.
• the livestock: Hebrew: habbehemah (הַבְּהֵמָה).
  • Meaning: domestic animals, cattle, beasts.
  • Significance: These were vital assets for Israel's nomadic and pastoral economy, providing food, labor, and transport. Taking them represented immediate, tangible provision from God's hand through the conquest.
• we took as plunder: Hebrew: bazaznu (בָּזַזְנוּ).
  • Meaning: we plundered, we spoiled, we pillaged. From the verb bazaz (בָזַז), to spoil, take plunder, carry off.
  • Significance: This active verb denotes the permitted act of acquiring property from the defeated enemy. It implies a sanctioned taking, contrasting with indiscriminate or lawless looting.
• for ourselves: Hebrew: lanu (לָנוּ).
  • Meaning: for us, to us, for our benefit.
  • Significance: This pronoun emphasizes that the acquisition was for Israel's direct use and advantage, underlining God's intentional provision and allowing His people to benefit from the military victory He granted them.
• with the spoil: Hebrew: vehasshalal (וְהַשָּׁלָל).
  • Meaning: and the spoil, booty, plunder, prey.
  • Significance: A broader term than "livestock," encompassing other valuable possessions, goods, and movable property found in the conquered cities. This permission for general spoil further demonstrates God's abundant provision and distinguishes it from items under strict herem (like sacred objects or precious metals in some specific instances, e.g., Jericho).
• of the cities: Hebrew: ha'arim (הֶעָרִים).
  • Meaning: the cities, the towns.
  • Significance: Explicitly links the permissible spoil to the locations that had just been conquered, connecting the bounty directly to their victory.
• which we captured: Hebrew: asher lakhadnu (אֲשֶׁר לָכַדְנוּ).
  • Meaning: which we seized, which we took, which we conquered. From the verb lakad (לָכַד), to capture, seize.
  • Significance: This phrase affirms the legitimate and God-endorsed nature of Israel's actions in obtaining the spoil. It reinforces that their acquisition was a consequence of a divinely sanctioned military triumph.

Words-group by words-group analysis:

• "only the livestock we took as plunder for ourselves": This phrase functions as a precise qualifier within the broader herem context. It indicates God's specificity, differentiating between utter destruction of life and property dedicated to Him for judgment, and specific assets He designated for His people's use. This divine distinction shows both God's severe justice against deep sin and His compassionate care for His covenant people.
• "with the spoil of the cities which we captured": This expanded description emphasizes the comprehensive nature of the allowed acquisitions beyond just animals. It legitimizes Israel's benefit from the conquered territories, not as arbitrary theft, but as a sanctioned part of their holy warfare, illustrating that God was providing for them directly through the consequences of the enemy's judgment.

Deuteronomy 2 35 Bonus section

• Polemics: This selective allowance of plunder served as a polemic against common ANE war practices where armies often plundered temples and idols of defeated peoples, bringing their gods as spoil to their own deities or monarchs. In contrast, Israel's spoil-taking was tightly controlled by Yahweh, who alone commanded what was herem and what was for His people's benefit. This reinforced that their God was not like the gods of the nations; He was absolute in His decrees and distinct in His holy judgments and provisions.
• Ethical Consideration: The specific instructions regarding spoil help to nuance the perception of herem itself. It demonstrates that the severe judgment was targeted specifically at the moral and spiritual defilement of the inhabitants and their systems, which posed an existential threat to Israel's nascent faith and purity, rather than a blanket command for absolute destruction of all creation or for economic exploitation beyond God's defined boundaries. The practical permission to take useful assets showed that God was not being arbitrary or purely destructive but was working His purpose on the land while also sustaining His people.

Deuteronomy 2 35 Commentary

Deuteronomy 2:35 provides critical insight into the nuances of the herem (utter destruction) command in Israel's conquest. While the previous verse states that every man, woman, and child of Sihon's cities was put to the sword as divine judgment against their egregious wickedness and idolatry, this verse clarifies that the herem did not extend to all material possessions. Specifically, livestock and general spoil were exempt from destruction and became the rightful possessions of the Israelites. This policy served a dual purpose: it ensured that the Israelites received practical sustenance and economic benefit from the wars God led them into, and it demonstrated God's sovereignty in establishing specific rules of warfare for His people, distinct from common ancient Near Eastern practices of indiscriminate plunder. This was not a license for rapacity, but a carefully defined act of holy war under divine direction, aiming to both purify the land and provide for the new inhabitants. It exemplifies how God's justice often works in tandem with His benevolent provision for His faithful.