Deuteronomy 20:13

When the LORD your God has delivered it into your hand, you must put every male to the sword.

Berean Standard Bible

Study note

Setting — Moses delivers this command to Israel after a city refuses peace and is besieged. It follows God's promise to hand the city over to them.

The words — The verb הִכִּיתָ (hikita) translates literally as "you will strike down," applied to every male (כָּל־זְכוּרָהּ). This specifies the total execution of the male population upon divine delivery.

The thread — The directive mirrors the command to kill every male during the war against Midian (Numbers 31:7). It also corresponds to the later order to destroy all boys and women who have known men in that same campaign (Numbers 31:17).

Why it lands — The text requires immediate execution of the male population before permitting the taking of women, children, and livestock as plunder. It establishes a fixed sequence of divine delivery, siege, total destruction, and spoil.

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

וּנְתָנָ֛הּu./ne.ta.Na/hand/ he will give/ it יְהוָ֥הYah.wehYahweh אֱלֹהֶ֖יךָ'e.lo.Hei./khaGod/ your בְּיָדֶ֑ךָbe./ya.De./khain/ hand/ your וְהִכִּיתָ֥ve./hi.ki.Taand/ you will strike down אֶת־'et-<obj.>כָּל־kol-every זְכוּרָ֖הּze.khu.Ra/hmale/ its לְפִי־le./fi-to/ [the] mouth of חָֽרֶב׃Cha.rev[the] sword

King James Version

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

Cross-references

Psalms 2:6 “I have installed My King on Zion, upon My holy mountain.”
Numbers 31:7 Then they waged war against Midian, as the LORD had commanded Moses, and they killed every male.
Numbers 31:17 So now, kill all the boys, as well as every woman who has had relations with a man,
1 Kings 11:15 Earlier, when David was in Edom, Joab the commander of the army had gone to bury the dead and had struck down every male in Edom.
Psalms 21:8 Your hand will apprehend all Your enemies; Your right hand will seize those who hate You.
Psalms 110:1 A Psalm of David. The LORD said to my Lord: “Sit at My right hand until I make Your enemies a footstool for Your feet.”
Luke 19:27 And these enemies of mine who were unwilling for me to rule over them, bring them here and slay them in front of me.’”
2 Thessalonians 1:7 and to grant relief to you who are oppressed and to us as well. This will take place when the Lord Jesus is revealed from heaven with His mighty angels