Deuteronomy 20:16 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:
Deuteronomy 20:16 nkjv
"But of the cities of these peoples which the LORD your God gives you as an inheritance, you shall let nothing that breathes remain alive,
Deuteronomy 20:16 niv
However, in the cities of the nations the LORD your God is giving you as an inheritance, do not leave alive anything that breathes.
Deuteronomy 20:16 esv
But in the cities of these peoples that the LORD your God is giving you for an inheritance, you shall save alive nothing that breathes,
Deuteronomy 20:16 nlt
In those towns that the LORD your God is giving you as a special possession, destroy every living thing.
Deuteronomy 20 16 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Deut 7:2 | "And when the LORD thy God shall deliver them before thee, thou shalt smite them, and utterly destroy them..." | Command for total destruction (herem) of nations. |
| Deut 20:17 | "But thou shalt utterly destroy them; namely, the Hittites, and the Amorites..." | Lists specific nations to be destroyed. |
| Deut 20:18 | "That they teach you not to do after all their abominations, which they have done..." | Purpose: Prevent spiritual defilement. |
| Deut 7:4 | "For they will turn away thy son from following me, that they may serve other gods..." | Reason for herem: Avoid idolatry. |
| Josh 6:17 | "And the city shall be accursed, even it, and all that are therein, to the LORD..." | Jericho as an example of herem. |
| Josh 11:14 | "And all the spoil of these cities...the children of Israel took for a prey unto themselves..." | Clarifies no spoil for these cities. |
| Num 33:55 | "But if ye will not drive out the inhabitants of the land from before you...it shall vex you..." | Warning against incomplete conquest. |
| Exod 23:33 | "They shall not dwell in thy land, lest they make thee sin against me..." | Prohibition against allowing them to remain. |
| Lev 18:24-25 | "Defile not ye yourselves in any of these things: for in all these the nations are defiled..." | Canaanite defilement the reason for judgment. |
| Gen 15:16 | "But in the fourth generation they shall come hither again: for the iniquity of the Amorites is not yet full." | God's patience with nations had run out. |
| 1 Sam 15:3 | "Now go and smite Amalek, and utterly destroy all that they have, and spare them not..." | Another example of a herem command. |
| 1 Sam 15:9 | "But Saul and the people spared Agag, and the best of the sheep, and of the oxen..." | Saul's disobedience and its consequences. |
| Josh 23:12-13 | "Else if ye do in any wise go back...know for a certainty that the LORD your God will no more drive out these nations..." | Consequences of compromise in the conquest. |
| Judg 2:2-3 | "I will not drive them out from before you; but they shall be as thorns in your sides..." | God's judgment on incomplete obedience. |
| Ps 106:34-40 | "They did not destroy the nations, concerning whom the LORD commanded them..." | Israel's failure to obey and its idolatrous outcome. |
| Lev 27:28-29 | "No devoted thing, that a man shall devote unto the LORD of all that he hath...shall be sold or redeemed..." | Broader meaning of herem as devoted irrevocably. |
| Hab 1:5-6 | "For, lo, I raise up the Chaldeans, that bitter and hasty nation, which shall march through..." | God uses nations as instruments of judgment. |
| Jer 25:9-11 | "Behold, I will send and take all the families of the north, saith the LORD..." | Future judgments for disobedience (Babylon). |
| Eph 6:12 | "For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers..." | NT spiritual application of "total destruction" of sin. |
| Col 3:5 | "Mortify therefore your members which are upon the earth; fornication, uncleanness..." | NT call to "put to death" sinful desires. |
| 2 Cor 6:17 | "Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord..." | NT command for spiritual separation and holiness. |
| Rom 1:18 | "For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men..." | God's righteous judgment against sin. |
| Matt 5:44 | "But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you..." | NT command of love, distinct from OT conquest warfare. |
Deuteronomy 20 verses
Deuteronomy 20 16 Meaning
Deuteronomy 20:16 outlines a specific and severe command given to the Israelites regarding the inhabitants of the cities within the Promised Land. Unlike the instructions for distant cities where surrender or servitude was an option, this verse mandates the complete eradication of life for the indigenous nations of Canaan. It conveys a divine directive for utter destruction (herem), meaning "devoted to destruction" or "under the ban," to prevent the spread of their corrupting idolatry and abominable practices among the chosen people of God. This act was understood as a holy war and a divine judgment against deeply entrenched wickedness.
Deuteronomy 20 16 Context
Deuteronomy 20 outlines the laws for Israel's engagement in warfare, distinguishing between how they should treat distant cities and how they must handle cities within the promised land of Canaan. Verses 10-15 provide guidelines for outside conquests, permitting offers of peace, or if refused, killing the adult males and taking women, children, and livestock as spoil. Verse 16 presents a radical contrast: the "cities of these people," referring specifically to the seven nations (Hittites, Amorites, Canaanites, Perizzites, Hivites, Jebusites, Girgashites as named in Deut 7:1) that God was dispossessing, required a different, far stricter, policy. The command to "save alive nothing that breatheth" is directly tied to the reason given in verse 18: to prevent these nations from teaching Israel their abominations and practices that would defile the land and lead Israel to sin against the Lord. This command arose from God's holy character, His covenant with Israel, and His just judgment against the pervasive, egregious wickedness of the Canaanite nations, whose "iniquity was not yet full" (Gen 15:16) until that appointed time of judgment.
Deuteronomy 20 16 Word analysis
- But of the cities: This phrase marks a strong distinction from the previous military regulations concerning cities outside the promised land (Deut 20:10-15). It indicates a separate category of conquest.
- of these people: Refers to the nations inhabiting the land of Canaan that God had promised to Israel. Specifically, the list found in Deut 7:1 and 20:17 names the Hittites, Amorites, Canaanites, Perizzites, Hivites, Jebusites, and Girgashites. They were uniquely singled out due to their profound moral depravity and idolatry.
- which the LORD thy God doth give thee for an inheritance: Emphasizes divine authorization and ownership. The land (nachalah - נַחֲלָה, meaning "inheritance" or "possession") was not conquered by human right or might, but bestowed by God. This underscores that the war was a divinely sanctioned act of dispossession and judgment.
- thou shalt save alive: The Hebrew lo' tekhayyeh (לֹא תְחַיֶּה) means "you shall not let live" or "you shall not keep alive." It is a direct and absolute prohibition against showing mercy or clemency to any inhabitant.
- nothing that breatheth: The Hebrew phrase kol neshama (כָּל נְשָׁמָה) literally means "all breath" or "every breathing thing." Here, it refers exclusively to all human inhabitants, indicating the total eradication of life. This phrase is central to the concept of herem (חֵרֶם), a sacred ban or utter devotion to destruction, distinct from regular warfare. It implied the setting apart of everything in the city to God by complete destruction, preventing Israel from being defiled by it or enriching themselves from it (except specific spoil explicitly permitted in other herem commands, like Jericho where precious metals were given to the treasury of the Lord). This extreme measure highlights the severe spiritual danger posed by these nations and the uncompromised holiness God required from Israel.
Deuteronomy 20 16 Bonus section
The command for herem in Deuteronomy 20:16 was critically different from other ancient Near Eastern warfare practices. While some cultures practiced widespread killing or enslavement, the Israelite herem was uniquely driven by theological motives: purifying the land and preventing the religious defilement of God's people. It was not primarily for conquest for personal gain or glory. Furthermore, biblical accounts themselves (e.g., Judges, and Ps 106:34-40) reveal that Israel often failed to fully execute this command. Their failure led to severe spiritual consequences, as the remaining Canaanites did indeed become "thorns in their sides" (Num 33:55) and sources of idolatry, illustrating the critical importance of God's initial strict instruction. This specific directive has a finite historical and theological scope; it does not set a universal pattern for future conflicts or provide a justification for later crusades or violence committed in the name of God without direct divine mandate.
Deuteronomy 20 16 Commentary
Deuteronomy 20:16 commands the total destruction of the indigenous inhabitants of Canaan, a command often challenging to modern sensibilities. This herem command was a unique and specific directive for a specific time and people, reflecting God's ultimate holiness and justice against unrepentant, extreme wickedness. It was not a blanket endorsement of conquest or genocide. God had waited centuries for the "iniquity of the Amorites" to reach its full measure (Gen 15:16). The purpose was two-fold: divine judgment on widespread, systemic sin (including child sacrifice, temple prostitution, etc.) and divine protection for Israel from assimilation into these pagan practices, thus preserving the covenant community and the lineage through which the Messiah would come (Deut 20:18). This was a cultic act of purification for the land given as a holy inheritance. For New Covenant believers, the literal execution of herem is not a present command; rather, its spiritual principle of completely eradicating sin from our lives (Col 3:5), remaining separate from worldly defilement (2 Cor 6:17), and engaging in spiritual warfare against evil forces (Eph 6:12) carries profound relevance.