But the women, and the little ones, and the cattle, and all that is in the city, even all the spoil thereof, shalt thou take unto thyself; and thou shalt eat the spoil of thine enemies, which the LORD thy God hath given thee.
DEUTERONOMY 20:14KJVWhat does Deuteronomy 20:14 mean?
Deuteronomy 20:14 describes how, after capturing a city in war, the Israelites were allowed to take the women, children, livestock, and everything else in the city as their own possessions, using the spoils provided by God. The verse states that these spoils were given by the LORD as a result of victory over their enemies.
In this verse, Moses is instructing the Israelites about the treatment of cities that are far away from their land, not the nearby Canaanite cities. The context is a set of laws for warfare, where the Israelites are told what they may do with the people and goods of a conquered city. The passage emphasizes that the victory and its benefits are understood as gifts from the LORD (יהוה, Yahweh), reinforcing the idea that God is the source of their success.
The Hebrew behind Deuteronomy 20:14
- "Women" (אִשָּׁה, ishah): This word refers to adult females in the city. The instruction singles out women and children as part of what could be taken, which clarifies who was spared and what was allowed.
- "Spoil" (שָׁלָל, shalal): This word means plunder or goods taken in war. The repetition of this term in the verse underlines that all possessions, not just people or livestock, were included as part of the victory.
- "Take" (לָקַח, laqach): This verb means to take or seize. The use of this word makes it clear that the Israelites were permitted to actively claim these things as their own.
- "Given" (נָתַן, natan): This verb means to give or grant. The verse stresses that the spoils were not just seized by force, but were considered given by God, highlighting a theological point about divine provision.
Why Deuteronomy 20:14 matters
- This verse clarifies that the instructions for taking spoils applied only to distant cities, not those within the land of Canaan, which had different rules.
- The passage emphasizes that victory and its rewards were attributed to the LORD, reminding the Israelites that their success was not solely by their own strength.
- Understanding the specific terms used helps distinguish between the treatment of conquered peoples in different contexts, which is important for interpreting the broader laws of war in Deuteronomy.