Deuteronomy 20:13

13 And when the Lord thy God hath delyuered it in to thine handes, smyte all the males thereof with the edge of the swerde,

Deuteronomy 20:13 Meaning and Commentary

Deuteronomy 20:13

And when the Lord thy God hath delivered it into thine hands,
&c.] When, what with pressures without, and calamities within, the city is obliged to surrender: this is not to be imputed to the methods and arts of war used in besieging, or to the courage and skill of the besiegers; but to the power and providence of God succeeding means used, and sending famine or pestilence among the besieged, and inclining their hearts to deliver up their city:

thou shall smite every male thereof with the edge of the sword;
the men in it, grown persons, as distinguished from little ones in the next verse; because it was owing to these it was not surrendered at once, when terms of peace were offered.

Deuteronomy 20:13 In-Context

11 And yf they answere the agayne peasably, and open vnto the, then let all the people that is founde therein be tributaries vnto the and serue the.

12 But and yf they will make no peace with the, then make warre agenste the citie and besege it.

13 And when the Lord thy God hath delyuered it in to thine handes, smyte all the males thereof with the edge of the swerde,

14 saue the weme and the childern and the catell and all that is in the citie and all the spoyle thereof take vnto thy selfe and eate the spoyle of thyne enemies which the Lord thy God geueth the.

15 Thus thou shalt doo vnto all the cities whiche are a greate waye of from the ad not of the cities of these nacions.