Deuteronomy 20:14

14 But don't kill the women and children and animals. Everything inside the town you can take as plunder for you to use and eat - God, your God, gives it to you.

Deuteronomy 20:14 Meaning and Commentary

Deuteronomy 20:14

But the women, the little ones, and the cattle
These were to be spared; women, because of the weakness of their sex, and subjection to their husbands; and little ones, which take in males as well as females, as Jarchi observes, because of their tender age; and cattle because of their insensibility; all these having had no concern in holding out the siege:

and all that is in the city, even all the spoil thereof, shall thou
take unto thyself;
gold, silver, merchandise, household goods, utensils in trade, and whatever was of any worth and value to be found in their houses:

and thou shall eat the spoil of thine enemies, which the Lord thy God
hath given thee;
that is, enjoy all their wealth and riches, estates and possessions; for this is not to be restrained to things eatable only.

Deuteronomy 20:14 In-Context

12 But if they don't settle for peace and insist on war, then go ahead and attack.
13 God, your God, will give them to you. Kill all the men with your swords.
14 But don't kill the women and children and animals. Everything inside the town you can take as plunder for you to use and eat - God, your God, gives it to you.
15 This is the way you deal with the distant towns, the towns that don't belong to the nations at hand.
16 But with the towns of the people that God, your God, is giving you as an inheritance, it's different: don't leave anyone alive.
Published by permission. Originally published by NavPress in English as THE MESSAGE: The Bible in Contemporary Language copyright 2002 by Eugene Peterson. All rights reserved.