Deuteronomy 20:16

Verse

However, in the cities of the nations that the LORD your God is giving you as an inheritance, you must not leave alive anything that breathes.

American Standard Version (1901)

But of the cities of these peoples, that Jehovah thy God giveth thee for an inheritance, thou shalt save alive nothing that breatheth;

Bible in Basic English

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:

Douay-Rheims 1899

But of those cities that shall be given thee, thou shalt suffer none at all to live:

Free Bible Version

However, when it comes to the towns of those nations whose land the Lord your God is giving you to occupy, don't leave anything alive that breathes.

Geneva Bible 1599

But of the cities of this people, which the Lord thy God shall giue thee to inherite, thou shalt saue no person aliue,

King James (Authorized) 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:

One Unity Resource Bible

But of the cities of these peoples, that Adonai your God gives you for an inheritance, you shall save alive nothing that breathes;

Translation for Translators

“But in the cities that are in the land that Yahweh our God is giving to you, you must kill all the people and all the animals [LIT].

Unlocked Literal Bible

In the cities of these peoples that Yahweh your God is giving you as an inheritance, you must save alive nothing that breathes.

Noah Webster Bible

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:

World English Bible

But of the cities of these peoples that Yahweh your God gives you for an inheritance, you shall save alive nothing that breathes;

Young's Literal Translation

'Only, of the cities of these peoples which Jehovah thy God is giving to thee [for] an inheritance, thou dost not keep alive any breathing;

Context

Laws of Warfare

¹⁵This is how you are to treat all the cities that are far away from you and do not belong to the nations nearby.¹⁶However, in the cities of the nations that the LORD your God is giving you as an inheritance, you must not leave alive anything that breathes. ¹⁷For you must devote them to complete destruction —the Hittites, Amorites, Canaanites, Perizzites, Hivites, and Jebusites—as the LORD your God has commanded you,

Summary

In this verse, God instructs the Israelites to completely destroy the nations that they will dispossess in the Promised Land, including the Hittites, Amorites, Canaanites, Perizzites, Hivites, and Jebusites. This command was given due to the extreme wickedness and idolatry of these nations, which posed a significant spiritual threat to the Israelites. It underscores the importance of obedience to God's commands and the need to remove all influences that could lead His people astray from their covenant relationship with Him.

Commentary

John Gill

John Gill Bible Commentary

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 alive nothing that breatheth; the reason of this severity was because of their wickedness, the capital crimes and gross abominations they were guilty of, and for which they deserved to die; and on account whereof they were reserved to this destruction, when the measure of their iniquities was full, such as idolatry, incest, witchcraft, soothsaying, necromancy, &c. see Lev 18:3.