Devarim 20:15

15 Thus shalt thou do unto all the towns which are very far off from thee, which are not of the towns of these Goyim.

Devarim 20:15 Meaning and Commentary

Deuteronomy 20:15

Thus shalt thou do unto all the cities which are very far off
from thee
As all such were reckoned that were without the land of Israel, even all in their neighbouring nations, the Moabites, Edomites, Ammonites, Syrians for the children of Israel never went to war with any very distant nations, unless they came unto them and invaded them; nor did they seek to carry their conquests to any great distance, when the most powerful and victorious, as in the days of David and Solomon:

which are not of the cities of these nations;
of these seven nations, as the Targum of Jonathan, the seven nations of the land of Canaan; all that were not of them were accounted foreign cities, and at a distance.

Devarim 20:15 In-Context

13 And when Hashem Eloheicha hath delivered it into thine hands, thou shalt strike every male thereof with the edge of the cherev;

14 But the nashim, and the little ones, and the behemah, and all that is in the town, even all the plunder thereof, shalt thou take unto thyself; and thou shalt eat the plunder of thine enemies Hashem Eloheicha hath given thee.

15 Thus shalt thou do unto all the towns which are very far off from thee, which are not of the towns of these Goyim.

16 But of the towns of these people, which Hashem Eloheicha doth give thee for a nachalah, thou shalt save alive nothing that breatheth;

17 But thou shalt utterly put them under cherem of destruction; namely, the Chitti, and the Emori, the Kena’ni, and the Perizzi, the Chivi, and the Yevusi; as Hashem Eloheicha hath commanded thee;