Deuteronomy 20:13 Made Simple

KJV ORIGINAL

And when the LORD thy God hath delivered it into thine hands, thou shalt smite every male thereof with the edge of the sword:

Close to the original. Clear modern English.

✦ MADE SIMPLE

And when the LORD your God has given you victory over the city, you must kill every male in it with the sword.

⚡ THE BOTTOM LINE

This verse describes God's command to the Israelites to completely destroy the male population of certain enemy cities during their conquest of the Promised Land.

📚 Historical Context

This passage is part of Moses' instructions to the Israelites about warfare as they prepared to enter and conquer the Promised Land around 1400 BC. These were specific military commands for dealing with Canaanite cities that refused to surrender peacefully. The complete destruction was intended to prevent the influence of pagan religious practices that could lead Israel away from worshiping God.

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