Deuteronomy 20:16

But in the towns of these peoples whose land the Lord your God is giving you for your heritage, let no living thing be kept from death:

Bible in Basic English

In The King James Version

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:

In Context

15So you are to do to all the towns far away, which are not the towns of these nations.

17Give them up to the curse; the Hittite, the Amorite, the Canaanite, the Perizzite, the Hivite, and the Jebusite, as the Lord your God has given you orders:

Read all of Deuteronomy 20

Cross References

Numbers 21:2Then Israel made an oath to the Lord, and said, If you will give up this people into my hands, then I will send complete destruction on all their towns.

Numbers 33:52See that all the people of the land are forced out from before you, and put to destruction all their pictured stones, and all their metal images, and all their high places:

Deuteronomy 7:1When the Lord your God takes you into the land where you are going, which is to be your heritage, and has sent out the nations before you, the Hittites and the Girgashites and the Amorites and the Canaanites and the Perizzites and the Hivites and the Jebusites, seven nations greater and stronger than you;

Deuteronomy 7:16And you are to send destruction on all the peoples which the Lord your God gives into your hands; have no pity on them, and do not give worship to their gods; for that will be a cause of sin to you.

Deuteronomy 31:5The Lord will give them up into your hands, and you are to do to them as I have given you orders.

Joshua 9:7And the men of Israel said to the Hivites, It may be that you are living among us; how then may we make an agreement with you?

Matthew Henry on Deuteronomy 20:11-20

Proclamations of War; Directions Concerning War. ( b. c. 1451.) 10 When thou comest nigh unto a city to fight against it, then proclaim peace unto it. 11 And it shall be, if it make thee answer of peace, and open unto thee, then it shall be, that all the people that is found therein shall be tributaries unto thee, and they shall serve thee. 12 And if it will make no peace with thee, but will make war against thee, then thou shalt besiege it: 13 And when the Lord thy God hath delivered it into thine hands, thou… Read the whole commentary →

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