Bible Strands
Deuteronomy 2:34
At that time we captured all his cities and devoted to destruction the people of every city, including women and children. We left no survivors.
Berean Standard Bible
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Study note
Setting — Moses addresses the Israelites on the plains of Moab, recounting the conquest of Sihon’s territory as they prepare to cross the Jordan. He records that the Israelites captured all of Sihon’s cities and destroyed every person, woman and child, leaving no survivors.
The words — וַנַּחֲרֵם (va.na.cha.Rem) denotes a deliberate, total destruction, while כָּל (kol) emphasizes the exhaustive scope of the action across every city.
The thread — This pattern of total destruction recurs in Deuteronomy 7:2, 1 Samuel 15:3, and Deuteronomy 3:6 as a consistent mandate for conquering specific nations.
Why it lands — The text demands recognition of absolute divine authority over warfare and the complete removal of opposing populations without exception.
Drafted by a language model from the text, its original words and its cross-references, then checked against them. It can still be wrong: open the verse in the app to report it.
The Hebrew words
King James Version
And we took all his cities at that time, and utterly destroyed the men, and the women, and the little ones, of every city, we left none to remain:
Cross-references
- Deuteronomy 7:2 and when the LORD your God has delivered them over to you to defeat them, then you must devote them to complete destruction. Make no treaty with them and show them no mercy.
- 1 Samuel 15:3 Now go and attack the Amalekites and devote to destruction all that belongs to them. Do not spare them, but put to death men and women, children and infants, oxen and sheep, camels and donkeys.’”
- Deuteronomy 3:6 We devoted them to destruction, as we had done to Sihon king of Heshbon, utterly destroying the men, women, and children of every city.
- Leviticus 27:28 Nothing that a man sets apart to the LORD from all he owns—whether a man, an animal, or his inherited land—can be sold or redeemed; everything so devoted is most holy to the LORD.
- Numbers 21:2 So Israel made a vow to the LORD: “If You will deliver this people into our hands, we will devote their cities to destruction.”
- Deuteronomy 7:26 And you must not bring any detestable thing into your house, or you, like it, will be set apart for destruction. You are to utterly detest and abhor it, because it is set apart for destruction.
- Deuteronomy 20:16 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.
- Joshua 7:11 Israel has sinned; they have transgressed My covenant that I commanded them, and they have taken some of what was devoted to destruction. Indeed, they have stolen and lied, and they have put these things with their own possessions.
- Joshua 8:25 A total of twelve thousand men and women fell that day—all the people of Ai.
- Joshua 11:14 The Israelites took for themselves all the plunder and livestock of these cities, but they put all the people to the sword until they had completely destroyed them, not sparing anyone who breathed.