Deuteronomy 20:17

J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible

But thou shalt devote them to destruction - the Hittites and the Amorites the Canaanites and the Perizzites, the Hivites, and the Jebusites, - as Yahweh thy God hath commanded thee:

Parallel Translations

Geneva Bible (1587)
But shalt vtterly destroy them: to wit, the Hittites, and the Amorites, the Canaanites, & the Perizzites, the Hiuites, and the Iebusites, as the Lord thy God hath commanded thee,

Hebrew Names Version
but you shall utterly destroy them: the Hittite, and the Amori, the Kana`ani, and the Perizzi, the Hivvi, and the Yevusi; as the LORD your God has commanded you;

Easy-to-Read Version
You must completely destroy all the people—the Hittites, Amorites, Canaanites, Perizzites, Hivites, and Jebusites. The Lord your God has commanded you to do this.

English Standard Version
but you shall devote them to complete destruction, the Hittites and the Amorites, the Canaanites and the Perizzites, the Hivites and the Jebusites, as the Lord your God has commanded,

American Standard Version
but thou shalt utterly destroy them: the Hittite, and the Amorite, the Canaanite, and the Perizzite, the Hivite, and the Jebusite; as Jehovah thy God hath commanded thee;

Bible in Basic English
Give 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:

Contemporary English Version
He has commanded you to completely wipe out the Hittites, the Amorites, the Canaanites, the Perizzites, the Hivites, and the Jebusites.

Complete Jewish Bible
Rather you must destroy them completely — the Hitti, the Emori, the Kena‘ani, the P'rizi, the Hivi and the Y'vusi — as Adonai your God has ordered you;

JPS Old Testament (1917)
but thou shalt utterly destroy them: the Hittite, and the Amorite, the Canaanite, and the Perizzite, the Hivite, and the Jebusite; as the LORD thy God hath commanded thee;

King James Version (1611)
But thou shalt vtterly destroy them, namely, the Hittites, and the Amorites, the Canaanites, and the Perizzites, the Hiuites, and the Iebusites, as the Lord thy God hath commanded thee:

Amplified Bible
"But you shall utterly destroy them, the Hittite, the Amorite, the Canaanite, the Perizzite, the Hivite and the Jebusite, just as the LORD your God has commanded you,

Brenton's Septuagint (LXX)
but ye shall surely curse them, the Chettite, and the Amorite, and the Chananite, and the Pherezite, and the Evite, and the Jebusite, and the Gergesite; as the Lord thy God commanded thee:

English Revised Version
but thou shalt utterly destroy them; the Hittite, and the Amorite, the Canaanite, and the Perizzite, the Hivite, and the Jebusite; as the LORD thy God hath commanded thee:

Berean Standard Bible
For you must devote them to complete destruction-the Hittites, Amorites, Canaanites, Perizzites, Hivites, and Jebusites-as the LORD your God has commanded you,

Lexham English Bible
Rather, you shall utterly destroy them, the Hittites and the Amorites, the Canaanites and the Perizzites, the Hivites, and the Jebusites, just as Yahweh your God has commanded you,

Literal Translation
But you shall utterly destroy them, the Hittites, and the Amorites, the Canaanites, and the Perizzites, the Hivites, and the Jebusites, as Jehovah your God has commanded you;

New Century Version
Completely destroy these people: the Hittites, Amorites, Canaanites, Perizzites, Hivites, and Jebusites, as the Lord your God has commanded.

New English Translation
Instead you must utterly annihilate them—the Hittites, Amorites, Canaanites, Perizzites, Hivites, and Jebusites—just as the Lord your God has commanded you,

New King James Version
but you shall utterly destroy them: the Hittite and the Amorite and the Canaanite and the Perizzite and the Hivite and the Jebusite, just as the LORD your God has commanded you,

New Living Translation
You must completely destroy the Hittites, Amorites, Canaanites, Perizzites, Hivites, and Jebusites, just as the Lord your God has commanded you.

New Life Bible
Destroy everything and everyone in them, the Hittite, the Amorite, the Canaanite, the Perizzite, the Hivite and the Jebusite, as the Lord your God has told you.

Douay-Rheims Bible
But shalt kill them with the edge of the sword, to wit, the Hethite, and the Amorrhite, and the Chanaanite, the Pherezite, and the Hevite, and the Jebusite, as the Lord thy God hath commanded thee:

George Lamsa Translation
But you shall utterly destroy them; namely, the Hittites, and the Amorites, the Canaanites, and the Perizzites, the Hivites, and the Jebusites; as the LORD your God has commanded you;

Good News Translation
Completely destroy all the people: the Hittites, the Amorites, the Canaanites, the Perizzites, the Hivites, and the Jebusites, as the Lord ordered you to do.

New American Standard Bible
"Instead, you shall utterly destroy them, the Hittite and the Amorite, the Canaanite and the Perizzite, the Hivite and the Jebusite, just as the LORD your God has commanded you,

King James Version
But thou shalt utterly destroy them; namely, the Hittites, and the Amorites, the Canaanites, and the Perizzites, the Hivites, and the Jebusites; as the Lord thy God hath commanded thee:

Darby Translation
but shalt utterly devote them to destruction, the Hittites and the Amorites, the Canaanites and the Perizzites, the Hivites and the Jebusites, as Jehovah thy God hath commanded thee;

Wycliffe Bible (1395)
but thou schalt sle bi the scharpnesse of swerd; that is to seie, Ethei, and Ammorrey, and Cananei, Ferezei, Euey, and Jebusei, as `thi Lord God comaundide to thee;

Young's Literal Translation
for thou dost certainly devote the Hittite, and the Amorite, the Canaanite, and the Perizzite, the Hivite, and the Jebusite, as Jehovah thy God hath commanded thee,

World English Bible
but you shall utterly destroy them: the Hittite, and the Amorite, the Canaanite, and the Perizzite, the Hivite, and the Jebusite; as Yahweh your God has commanded you;

Revised Standard Version
but you shall utterly destroy them, the Hittites and the Amorites, the Canaanites and the Per'izzites, the Hivites and the Jeb'usites, as the LORD your God has commanded;

Update Bible Version
but you shall completely destroy them: the Hittite, and the Amorite, the Canaanite, and the Perizzite, the Hivite, and the Jebusite; as Yahweh your God has commanded you;

Webster's Bible Translation
But thou shalt utterly destroy them, [namely], the Hittites, and the Amorites, the Canaanites, and the Perizzites, the Hivites, and the Jebusites, as the LORD thy God hath commanded thee:

Bishop's Bible (1568)
But shalt destroy them without redemption, namely the Hethites, the Amorites, the Chanaanites, the Pherezites, the Heuites, and the Iebusites, as the Lorde thy God hath commaunded thee:

Christian Standard Bible®
You must completely destroy them—the Hethite, Amorite, Canaanite, Perizzite, Hivite, and Jebusite—as the Lord your God has commanded you,

Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
but shalt vtterly destroye the, namely the Hethites, Amorites, Cananites, Pheresites, Heuites, & Iebusites, as the LORDE thy God hath commaunded the,

New Revised Standard
You shall annihilate them—the Hittites and the Amorites, the Canaanites and the Perizzites, the Hivites and the Jebusites—just as the Lord your God has commanded,

New American Standard Bible (1995)
"But you shall utterly destroy them, the Hittite and the Amorite, the Canaanite and the Perizzite, the Hivite and the Jebusite, as the LORD your God has commanded you,

Legacy Standard Bible
But you shall devote them to destruction, the Hittite and the Amorite, the Canaanite and the Perizzite, the Hivite and the Jebusite, as Yahweh your God has commanded you,

Contextual Overview

¹⁰ When thou shalt come nigh unto a city, to fight against it, - then shalt thou proclaim unto it - peace, ¹¹ and it shall be if peace, be the answer it giveth thee, and it open unto thee, then shall it be, that, all the people that are found therein, shall become thy tributaries and shall serve thee. ¹² But if it will not make peace with thee, but will make war with thee, then shalt thou lay siege to it; ¹³ and Yahweh thy God will deliver it into thy hand, - and thou shalt smite every male thereof with the edge of the sword; ¹⁴ but the women and the little ones and the cattle and all that shall be in the city - all the spoil thereof, shalt thou take as thy prey, - so shalt thou eat the spoil of thine enemies, whom Yahweh thy God hath delivered unto thee. ¹⁵ Thus, shalt thou do unto all the cities that are very far away from thee, - which are not of the cities of those nations. ¹⁶ But of the cities of these peoples which Yahweh thy God is giving unto thee as an inheritance, shalt thou not save alive, any breathing thing. ¹⁷ But thou shalt devote them to destruction - the Hittites and the Amorites the Canaanites and the Perizzites, the Hivites, and the Jebusites, - as Yahweh thy God hath commanded thee: ¹⁸ lest they teach you to do, according to all their abominations, which they have done unto their gods, - and so ye sin against Yahweh your God. ¹⁹ When thou shalt besiege a city for many days to fight against it, to take it, thou shalt not destroy the trees thereof by wielding against them an axe, when of them, thou mightest eat, them, there-fore shalt thou not cut down, - for, Is the tree of the field, a man, that it should enter, because of thee into the siege?

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

thou shalt: Isaiah 34:5, Isaiah 34:6, Jeremiah 48:10, Jeremiah 50:35-40, Ezekiel 38:21-23, Revelation 19:18

the Hittites: Deuteronomy 7:1

Reciprocal: Leviticus 27:28 - no devoted Deuteronomy 7:2 - utterly Deuteronomy 31:5 - according Joshua 6:21 - utterly Joshua 10:28 - them Joshua 11:12 - as Moses Joshua 11:20 - as the Lord 1 Chronicles 1:14 - Amorite Ezra 9:1 - of the Canaanites Psalms 106:34 - concerning Ezekiel 16:3 - Amorite

Cross-References

Genesis 20:7
Now, therefore restore the man's wife, for a prophet, is he, that he may pray for thee and live thou, - But if thou art not going to restore her, know, that thou shalt die, thou - and all that are thine.

Genesis 20:9
Then Abimelech called Abraham, and said to him, What hast thou done to us? and wherein had I sinned against thee, that thou shouldst have brought in over me and over my kingdom, a sin so great? Deeds, which should not be done, hast thou done with me.

Genesis 20:10
And Abimelech said unto Abraham, - What hadst thou seen, that thou shouldst have done this thing?

Genesis 20:11
And Abraham said, Because I thought, Surely there is no fear of God, in this place, - therefore will they slay me for the sake of my wife.

Genesis 20:12
Moreover also, in truth, my sister daughter of my father, she is, only not daughter of my mother, - so she became my wife.

Genesis 29:31
And, when Yahweh saw that Leah was hated, he granted her to bear children, - whereas, Rachel, was barren.

Ezra 6:10
that they may be offering sweet-smelling sacrifices unto the God of the heavens, - and be praying for the life of the king, and his sons.

Proverbs 15:8
The sacrifice of lawless men, is an abomination to Yahweh, but, the prayer of the upright, is his delight.

Proverbs 15:29
Far off is Yahweh, from the lawless, but, the prayer of the righteous, will he hear.

Isaiah 45:11
Thus, saith, Yahweh, The Holy One of Israel And his Fashioner, As to things to come, they have asked me, Concerning my sons and concerning the work of my hands, they would command me!

Gill's Notes on the Bible

But thou shalt utterly destroy them,.... Men, women, and children: some think this is to be understood only of such cities which did not accept of terms of peace; for they are of opinion that Joshua made proclamation of peace to all the cities of Canaan; which being not complied with, he destroyed them as they fell into his hands; and they suppose that the Gibeonites had not heard of such a proclamation, and therefore were spared; and it is certain that there were many who were suffered to live among them, who it may be thought were allowed on their becoming proselytes, which was one of the terms of peace, as Rahab and her household did, and which is the sense of some of the Jewish writers. Jarchi on the following verse observes, that if they repented, and became proselytes, they might be received: namely,

the Hittites and the Amorites, the Canaanites and the Perizzites, the Hivites and the Jebusites; one of the seven nations is here omitted, the Girgashites, as they are also in Exodus 23:23. It is said b, that

"Joshua sent three letters into the land of Israel before they went into it; in the first, whoever would turn (and flee) might; in the second, whoever would make peace might; in the third, whoever would make war might: the Girgashites, believing God, went to Africa, according to Isaiah 36:17, the land there is Africa; the Gibeonites made peace and dwelt in the land; thirty one kings made war, and fell:''

as the Lord thy God hath commanded thee; Deuteronomy 7:1.

b T. Hieros. Shebiith, fol. 37. 3. Debarim Rabba, sect. 5. fol. 241. 2. Vid. Maimon. Hilchot Melachim, c. 6. sect. 5. & Migdol Oz in ib.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

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 exterminated (compare Deuteronomy 7:1-4). The command did not apply to beasts as well as men (compare Joshua 11:11, Joshua 11:14).

Deuteronomy 20:19

The parenthesis may he more literally rendered “for man is a tree of the field,” i. e., has his life from the tree of the field, is supported in life by it (compare Deuteronomy 24:6). The Egyptians seem invariably to have cut down the fruit-trees in war.

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse Deuteronomy 20:17. But thou shalt utterly destroy them — The above reasoning will gain considerable strength, provided we could translate כי החרם תחרימם hi hacharem tacharimem, thou shalt utterly subdue them - slaying them if they resist, and thus leaving nothing alive that breathed; or totally expel them from the land, or reduce them to a state of slavery in it, that they might no longer exist as a people. This certainly made them an anathema as a nation, wholly destroying their political existence. Probably this was so understood by the Gibeonites, viz., that they either must be slain or utterly leave the land, which last was certainly in their power, and therefore, by a stratagem, they got the princes of Israel to make a league with them. When the deceit was discovered, the Israelites, though not bound by their oath, because they were deceived by the Gibeonites, and therefore were under no obligation to fulfil their part of the covenant; yet, though they had this command before their eyes, did not believe that they were bound to put even those deceivers to death; but they destroyed their political existence, by making them hewers of wood and drawers of water to the congregation; i. e., slaves to the Israelites. (See Joshua 9:23) Rahab and her household also were spared. So that it does not appear that the Israelites believed that they were bound to put every Canaanite to death. Their political existence was under the anathema, and this the Hebrews annihilated.

That many of the Canaanites continued in the land even to the days of Solomon, we have the fullest proof; for we read, 2 Chronicles 8:7: "All the people of the land that were left of the Hittites, Amorites, Perizzites, Hivites, and Jebusites, who were left in the land, whom the children of Israel consumed not, them did Solomon make to pay tribute to this day." Thus Solomon destroyed their political existence, but did not consider himself bound by the law of God to put them to death.