Live. Hebrew, "thou shalt save alive nothing that breatheth." Josephus ([Antiquities?] iv. 8.) acknowledges that all were to be slain; though some of the Rabbins have supposed that they might be spared, if they would abandon idols, &c.
Directions intended to prevent wanton destruction of life and property in sieges. Deuteronomy 20:16 Forbearance, however, was not to be shown toward the Canaanite nations, which were to be utterly ex...
DEUTERONOMY 20. LAWS TO BE OBSERVED DURING WAR. Peculiar to cf. Deuteronomy 21:10 (which some attach immediately to ch. 20) and Deuteronomy 23:9; Deuteronomy 24:5 (see remarks prefixed to...
BREATHETH. Hebrew. _neshamah_. that hath breath. See App-16....
_But_ Heb. _rak_, introducing an opposite case, see Deuteronomy 10:15. _thou shalt save alive nothing that breatheth_ Heb. _any breath_, i.e. human life (Genesis 2:7; 1 Kings 17:17;...
Of the Capture of Heathen Cities Before besieging a city Israel shall offer peace, and if it surrenders its people shall be subject to service (Deuteronomy 20:10 f.). But if it will not, Israel shall...
_VER._ 16-18. _BUT OF THE CITIES OF THESE PEOPLE—THOU SHALT SAVE ALIVE NOTHING THAT BREATHETH_— i.e. Neither man, woman, nor child: but this slaughter of all the people is to be understood only, as we...
(4) TREATMENT OF CANAANITE CITIES (Deuteronomy 20:16-18) 16 But of the cities of these peoples, that Jehovah thy God giveth thee for an inheritance, thou shalt save alive nothing that breatheth; 17 bu...
_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._ No JFB c...
LAWS OF WARFARE 1. Horses and chariots] The army of the Israelites was chiefly composed of infantry: see on Deuteronomy 17:16....
Cp. Deuteronomy 7:1. 19, 20. Fruit-trees are not to be used for bulwarks and battering rams. The words at the end of Deuteronomy 20:19 should probably be read as in RV, 'for is the tree of the field m...
DEUTERONOMY: GOD’S LAW OF LOVE LOVE AND OBEY THE *LORD YOUR GOD DEUTERONOMY _PHILIP SMITH_ CHAPTER 20 V1 ‘Do not be afraid when you go to fight against your enemies. You may see horses and carts...
Deuteronomy 20:10. SIEGES. (10) WHEN THOU COMEST NIGH... PROCLAIM PEACE. — Not as the children of Dan did, who massacred the inhabitants of Laish without warning (Judges 18:27). Even in the wars of Jo...
רַ֗ק מֵ עָרֵ֤י הָֽ עַמִּים֙ הָ אֵ֔לֶּה
THE ECONOMIC ASPECTS OF ISRAELITE LIFE IT has often and justly been said that the life of Israel is so entirely founded on the grace and favor of God that no distinction is made between the secular an...
It is necessary to bear in mind that these people were being led into the land not merely to find a possession for themselves as an established nation, but first as the scourge of God against a corrup...
The nations here excepted from mercy, are evidently types of the open and determined foes of the church of JESUS. There can be no coalition, no agreement between CHRIST and Belial. The seed of the wom...
It is clear that a new division of the statutes and judgments of this book begins with the later verses just read from Deuteronomy 16:1-22. What belonged to the religious life of Israel was closed wit...
THE FOLLOWING COMMENTARY COVERS CHAPTER S 19, 20, AND 21. Chapter 19 opens with ordinances which contemplate the people in possession and enjoyment of the land; they were to observe them, that the la...
BUT OF THE CITIES OF THOSE PEOPLE, WHICH THE LORD THY GOD DOTH GIVE THEE FOR AN INHERITANCE,.... The cities of the seven nations, six of which are mentioned by name in the next verse: THOU SHALT SAVE...
_Thou shalt save alive nothing_ No human creature; for the beasts, some few excepted, were given for a prey. This slaughter of all the people is to be understood only in case they did not surrender wh...
1 The Priests exhortation to encourage the people to battell. 5 The officers proclamation who are to be dismissed from the warre. 10 How to vse the Cities that accept or refuse the proclamation of p...
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, neither man nor beast, for it was to be a war of exterminati...
MANNER OF DEALING WITH A BESIEGED CITY...
WARFARE REGULATED BY GOD (vs.1-19) God certainly never did approve the saying, "All's fair in love and war." Rather, God gave explicit instructions to Israel as to how to conduct their warfare. But...
10-12 The Israelites are here directed about the nations on whom they made war. Let this show God's grace in dealing with sinners. He proclaims peace, and beseeches them to be reconciled. Let it also...
Heb. _no seed_, i.e. no man, as that word is oft used. Compare JOSHUA 10:40, with DEUTERONOMY 11:14. For the beasts, some few excepted as being under a special curse, were given them for a prey....
"When thou goest out to battle against thine enemies, and seest horses and chariots, and a people more than thou, be not afraid of them for the Lord thy God is with thee, which brought thee up out of...
Deuteronomy 20:16 cities H5892 peoples H5971 LORD H3068 God H430 gives H5414 (H8802) inheritance H5159 let H242
INSTRUCTIONS FOR BESIEGING A CITY (DEUTERONOMY 20:10). Israel had already experienced sieges in their battles with the Amorite kings. Once they had entered Canaan they would also have to besiege Canaa...
CONTENTS: Laws of warfare. CHARACTERS: God, Moses. CONCLUSION: Those enterprises which we undertake by a divine warrant and prosecute by divine direction, we may expect to succeed in. Those have no...
Deuteronomy 20:5. _Hath not dedicated it._ David composed the xxxth Psalm for the dedication of his new palace. Good men warmed a new house by devotion. Deuteronomy 20:9. _The officers shall make capt...
_Thou shalt save alive nothing that breatheth._ EXTERMINATION OF CANAANITES Is not this fierce irruption in Canaan with fire and sword precisely similar to the wave of Mahomedan conquest? Is it any w...
DEUTERONOMY—NOTE ON DEUTERONOMY 20:1 These laws on warfare (especially vv. Deuteronomy 20:16) may seem to be at odds with the teachings of the NT. But three things should be kept in m
DEUTERONOMY—NOTE ON DEUTERONOMY 20:16 Only the cities within the Promised Land are to be devoted TO COMPLETE DESTRUCTION. The mandate for complete destruction does not apply to cities outside Canaan ...
CRITICAL NOTES.—Reverence for life, and that which tends to preserve it, was the motive for laws given in last chapter. The same is the basis of those in this chapter. Even in time of war, forbearance...
EXPOSITION DIRECTIONS CONCERNING WARFARE IN GENERAL, AND FOR THE BESIEGING OF CITIES IN PARTICULAR. DEUTERONOMY 20:1 The instructi
Now when they went to war, [chapter twenty] against your enemies, and you see the horses, and chariots, don't be afraid: for the LORD is with you, who brought you out of Egypt (Deuteronomy 20:1). Now...
Deuteronomy 7:1; Deuteronomy 7:16; Joshua 10:28; Joshua 10:40;...
Nothing — No man. For the beasts, some few excepted, were given them for a prey....