The Meaning of Deuteronomy 20:10 Explained

Deuteronomy 20:10

KJV: When thou comest nigh unto a city to fight against it, then proclaim peace unto it.

YLT: 'When thou drawest near unto a city to fight against it, then thou hast called unto it for Peace,

Darby: When thou approachest unto a city to fight against it, thou shalt proclaim peace unto it.

ASV: When thou drawest nigh unto a city to fight against it, then proclaim peace unto it.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

When thou comest nigh  unto a city  to fight  against it, then proclaim  peace  unto it. 

What does Deuteronomy 20:10 Mean?

Chapter Summary: Deuteronomy 20

1  The priest's exhortation to encourage the people to battle
5  The officers' proclamation of who are to be dismissed from the war
10  How to use the cities that accept or refuse the proclamation of peace
16  What cities must be devoted
19  Trees must not be destroyed in the siege

What do the individual words in Deuteronomy 20:10 mean?

When you go near unto a city to fight against it then proclaim to it [an offer of] peace
כִּֽי־ תִקְרַ֣ב אֶל־ עִ֔יר לְהִלָּחֵ֖ם עָלֶ֑יהָ וְקָרָ֥אתָ אֵלֶ֖יהָ לְשָׁלֽוֹם

תִקְרַ֣ב  you  go  near 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Imperfect, second person masculine singular
Root: קָרַב  
Sense: to come near, approach, enter into, draw near.
אֶל־  unto 
Parse: Preposition
Root: אֶל  
Sense: to, toward, unto (of motion).
עִ֔יר  a  city 
Parse: Noun, feminine singular
Root: עִיר 
Sense: excitement, anguish.
לְהִלָּחֵ֖ם  to  fight 
Parse: Preposition-l, Verb, Nifal, Infinitive construct
Root: לָחַם 
Sense: to fight, do battle, make war.
עָלֶ֑יהָ  against  it 
Parse: Preposition, third person feminine singular
Root: עַל 
Sense: upon, on the ground of, according to, on account of, on behalf of, concerning, beside, in addition to, together with, beyond, above, over, by, on to, towards, to, against.
וְקָרָ֥אתָ  then  proclaim 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Conjunctive perfect, second person masculine singular
Root: קָרָא  
Sense: to call, call out, recite, read, cry out, proclaim.
אֵלֶ֖יהָ  to  it 
Parse: Preposition, third person feminine singular
Root: אֶל  
Sense: to, toward, unto (of motion).
לְשָׁלֽוֹם  [an  offer  of]  peace 
Parse: Preposition-l, Noun, masculine singular
Root: שָׁלֹום  
Sense: completeness, soundness, welfare, peace.