The Meaning of Deuteronomy 20:18 Explained

Deuteronomy 20:18

KJV: That they teach you not to do after all their abominations, which they have done unto their gods; so should ye sin against the LORD your God.

YLT: so that they teach you not to do according to all their abominations which they have done to their gods, and ye have sinned against Jehovah your God.

Darby: that they teach you not to do according to all their abominations, which they have done unto their gods, so that ye sin against Jehovah your God.

ASV: that they teach you not to do after all their abominations, which they have done unto their gods; so would ye sin against Jehovah your God.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

That they teach  you not to do  after all their abominations,  which they have done  unto their gods;  so should ye sin  against the LORD  your God. 

What does Deuteronomy 20:18 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 20:18 mean?

To the end that - lest they teach you to do according to all their abominations which they have done for their gods and you sin against Yahweh your God -
לְמַ֗עַן אֲשֶׁ֨ר לֹֽא־ יְלַמְּד֤וּ אֶתְכֶם֙ לַעֲשׂ֔וֹת כְּכֹל֙ תּֽוֹעֲבֹתָ֔ם אֲשֶׁ֥ר עָשׂ֖וּ לֵֽאלֹהֵיהֶ֑ם וַחֲטָאתֶ֖ם לַיהוָ֥ה אֱלֹהֵיכֶֽם ס

לְמַ֗עַן  To  the  end  that 
Parse: Conjunction
Root: לְמַעַן 
Sense: purpose, intent prep.
אֲשֶׁ֨ר  - 
Parse: Pronoun, relative
Root: אֲשֶׁר 
Sense: (relative part.).
לֹֽא־  lest 
Parse: Adverb, Negative particle
Root: הֲלֹא 
Sense: not, no.
יְלַמְּד֤וּ  they  teach 
Parse: Verb, Piel, Imperfect, third person masculine plural
Root: לָמַד  
Sense: to learn. teach, exercise in.
לַעֲשׂ֔וֹת  to  do 
Parse: Preposition-l, Verb, Qal, Infinitive construct
Root: עָשָׂה 
Sense: to do, fashion, accomplish, make.
כְּכֹל֙  according  to  all 
Parse: Preposition-k, Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: כֹּל  
Sense: all, the whole.
תּֽוֹעֲבֹתָ֔ם  their  abominations 
Parse: Noun, feminine plural construct, third person masculine plural
Root: תֹּועֵבָה  
Sense: a disgusting thing, abomination, abominable.
עָשׂ֖וּ  they  have  done 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Perfect, third person common plural
Root: עָשָׂה 
Sense: to do, fashion, accomplish, make.
לֵֽאלֹהֵיהֶ֑ם  for  their  gods 
Parse: Preposition-l, Noun, masculine plural construct, third person masculine plural
Root: אֱלֹהִים  
Sense: (plural).
וַחֲטָאתֶ֖ם  and  you  sin 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Conjunctive perfect, second person masculine plural
Root: חָטָא 
Sense: to sin, miss, miss the way, go wrong, incur guilt, forfeit, purify from uncleanness.
לַיהוָ֥ה  against  Yahweh 
Parse: Preposition-l, Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: יהוה 
Sense: the proper name of the one true God.
אֱלֹהֵיכֶֽם  your  God 
Parse: Noun, masculine plural construct, second person masculine plural
Root: אֱלֹהִים  
Sense: (plural).
ס  - 
Parse: Punctuation