Deuteronomy 20:16

16 de his autem civitatibus quae dabuntur tibi nullum omnino permittes vivere

Deuteronomy 20:16 Meaning and Commentary

Deuteronomy 20:16

But of the cities of those people, which the Lord thy God doth
give thee for an inheritance
The cities of the seven nations, six of which are mentioned by name in the next verse:

thou shalt save alive nothing that breatheth;
the reason of this severity was because of their wickedness, the capital crimes and gross abominations they were guilty of, and for which they deserved to die; and on account whereof they were reserved to this destruction, when the measure of their iniquities was full, such as idolatry, incest, witchcraft, soothsaying, necromancy see ( Leviticus 18:3 Leviticus 18:24 Leviticus 18:25 Leviticus 18:27 ) ( 20:2-23 ) ( Deuteronomy 18:9-12 ) .

Deuteronomy 20:16 In-Context

14 absque mulieribus et infantibus iumentis et ceteris quae in civitate sunt omnem praedam exercitui divides et comedes de spoliis hostium tuorum quae Dominus Deus tuus dederit tibi

15 sic facies cunctis civitatibus quae a te procul valde sunt et non sunt de his urbibus quas in possessionem accepturus es

16 de his autem civitatibus quae dabuntur tibi nullum omnino permittes vivere

17 sed interficies in ore gladii Hettheum videlicet et Amorreum et Chananeum Ferezeum et Eveum et Iebuseum sicut praecepit tibi Dominus Deus tuus

18 ne forte doceant vos facere cunctas abominationes quas ipsi operati sunt diis suis et peccetis in Dominum Deum vestrum