The Meaning of Deuteronomy 20:17 Explained

Deuteronomy 20:17

KJV: But thou shalt utterly destroy them; namely, the Hittites, and the Amorites, the Canaanites, and the Perizzites, the Hivites, and the Jebusites; as the LORD thy God hath commanded thee:

YLT: for thou dost certainly devote the Hittite, and the Amorite, the Canaanite, and the Perizzite, the Hivite, and the Jebusite, as Jehovah thy God hath commanded thee,

Darby: but shalt utterly devote them to destruction, the Hittites and the Amorites, the Canaanites and the Perizzites, the Hivites and the Jebusites, as Jehovah thy God hath commanded thee;

ASV: but thou shalt utterly destroy them: the Hittite, and the Amorite, the Canaanite, and the Perizzite, the Hivite, and the Jebusite; as Jehovah thy God hath commanded thee;

KJV Reverse Interlinear

But thou shalt utterly  destroy  them; [namely], the Hittites,  and the Amorites,  the Canaanites,  and the Perizzites,  the Hivites,  and the Jebusites;  as the LORD  thy God  hath commanded  thee: 

What does Deuteronomy 20:17 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 20:17 mean?

But utterly you shall destroy them the Hittite and the Amorite and the Canaanite and the Perizzite and the Hivite and the Jebusite just as has commanded you Yahweh your God
כִּֽי־ הַחֲרֵ֣ם תַּחֲרִימֵ֗ם הַחִתִּ֤י וְהָאֱמֹרִי֙ הַכְּנַעֲנִ֣י וְהַפְּרִזִּ֔י הַחִוִּ֖י וְהַיְבוּסִ֑י כַּאֲשֶׁ֥ר צִוְּךָ֖ יְהוָ֥ה אֱלֹהֶֽיךָ

הַחֲרֵ֣ם  utterly 
Parse: Verb, Hifil, Infinitive absolute
Root: חָרַם 
Sense: to ban, devote, destroy utterly, completely destroy, dedicate for destruction, exterminate.
תַּחֲרִימֵ֗ם  you  shall  destroy  them 
Parse: Verb, Hifil, Imperfect, second person masculine singular, third person masculine plural
Root: חָרַם 
Sense: to ban, devote, destroy utterly, completely destroy, dedicate for destruction, exterminate.
הַחִתִּ֤י  the  Hittite 
Parse: Article, Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: חִתִּי  
Sense: the nation descended from Heth, the 2nd son of Canaan; once inhabitants of central Anatolia (modern Turkey), later in north Lebanon.
וְהָאֱמֹרִי֙  and  the  Amorite 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Article, Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: אֱמֹרִי  
Sense: one of the peoples of east Canaan and beyond the Jordan, dispossessed by the Israelite incursion from Egypt.
הַכְּנַעֲנִ֣י  and  the  Canaanite 
Parse: Article, Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: כִּנְעָן 
Sense: descendant of inhabitant of Canaan n.
וְהַפְּרִזִּ֔י  and  the  Perizzite 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Article, Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: פְּרִזִּי  
Sense: a people who inhabited southern Canaan prior to the conquest.
הַחִוִּ֖י  and  the  Hivite 
Parse: Article, Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: חִוִּי  
Sense: 6th generation of descendants of Canaan, the son of Ham, who were living in northern Canaan near Mount Hermon at the time of the conquest.
וְהַיְבוּסִ֑י  and  the  Jebusite 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Article, Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: יְבוּסִי  
Sense: descendants of the 3rd son of Canaan who lived in or around the site of Jebus, the early name for Jerusalem.
כַּאֲשֶׁ֥ר  just  as 
Parse: Preposition-k, Pronoun, relative
Root: אֲשֶׁר 
Sense: (relative part.).
צִוְּךָ֖  has  commanded  you 
Parse: Verb, Piel, Perfect, third person masculine singular, second person masculine singular
Root: צָוָה  
Sense: to command, charge, give orders, lay charge, give charge to, order.
יְהוָ֥ה  Yahweh 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: יהוה 
Sense: the proper name of the one true God.
אֱלֹהֶֽיךָ  your  God 
Parse: Noun, masculine plural construct, second person masculine singular
Root: אֱלֹהִים  
Sense: (plural).