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Complete Jewish Bible

Deuteronomy 13:15

then you are to investigate the matter, inquiring and searching diligently. If the rumor is true, if it is confirmed that such detestable things are being done among you,

Bible Study Resources

Concordances:

- Thompson Chain Reference - Canaan, Land of;   Extermination;   Wars of Extermination;  

Dictionaries:

- American Tract Society Bible Dictionary - Idol, Idolatry;   Baker Evangelical Dictionary of Biblical Theology - Israel;   Kill, Killing;   Fausset Bible Dictionary - Devoted Thing;   Elijah;   Holman Bible Dictionary - Capital Punishment;   Crimes and Punishments;   Hastings' Dictionary of the Bible - Deuteronomy;   Prophecy, Prophets;  

Encyclopedias:

- International Standard Bible Encyclopedia - Accursed;   Deuteronomy;   The Jewish Encyclopedia - Abomination;   Accessories;   Capital Punishment;   Jurisdiction;   Sanhedrin;   Sidra;  

Parallel Translations

Christian Standard Bible®
you must strike down the inhabitants of that city with the sword. Completely destroy everyone in it as well as its livestock with the sword.
Hebrew Names Version
you shall surely strike the inhabitants of that city with the edge of the sword, destroying it utterly, and all that is therein and the cattle of it, with the edge of the sword.
King James Version
Thou shalt surely smite the inhabitants of that city with the edge of the sword, destroying it utterly, and all that is therein, and the cattle thereof, with the edge of the sword.
Lexham English Bible
then you shall certainly strike down the inhabitants of that town with the edge of the sword; you shall destroy it and everything in it, its domestic animals with the edge of the sword.
English Standard Version
you shall surely put the inhabitants of that city to the sword, devoting it to destruction, all who are in it and its cattle, with the edge of the sword.
New Century Version
you must kill with a sword everyone who lives in that city. Destroy the city completely and kill everyone in it, as well as the animals, with a sword.
New English Translation
you must by all means slaughter the inhabitants of that city with the sword; annihilate with the sword everyone in it, as well as the livestock.
Amplified Bible
you shall most certainly strike the inhabitants of that city with the edge of the sword, utterly destroying it and all that is in it, even its livestock with the edge of the sword.
New American Standard Bible
you shall most certainly strike the inhabitants of that city with the edge of the sword. Utterly destroy it and all who are in it and its cattle, with the edge of the sword.
Geneva Bible (1587)
Thou shalt euen slay the inhabitants of that citie with the edge of the sworde: destroy it vtterly, and all that is therein, and the cattel thereof with the edge of the sworde.
Legacy Standard Bible
you shall surely strike the inhabitants of that city with the edge of the sword, devoting it to destruction and all that is in it and its cattle with the edge of the sword.
Contemporary English Version
you must take your swords and kill every one of them, and their livestock too.
Darby Translation
thou shalt surely smite the inhabitants of that city with the edge of the sword, devoting it to destruction, and all that is therein, and the cattle thereof, with the edge of the sword.
Easy-to-Read Version
then you must kill all the people of that city and their animals too. You must destroy that city completely.
George Lamsa Translation
You shall surely smite the inhabitants of that city with the edge of the sword, destroying it utterly, and all that is therein, and its cattle, with the edge of the sword.
Good News Translation
then kill all the people in that town and all their livestock too. Destroy that town completely.
Literal Translation
striking you shall strike those who live in that city by the mouth of the sword, destroying it completely, and all that is in it, and its livestock, with the mouth of the sword.
Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
then shalt thou smyte the indwellers of the same cite and their catell, with the edge of the swerde, and damne the cite with all that is therin:
American Standard Version
thou shalt surely smite the inhabitants of that city with the edge of the sword, destroying it utterly, and all that is therein and the cattle thereof, with the edge of the sword.
Bible in Basic English
Then take up arms against the people of that town and give it up to the curse, with all its cattle and everything in it.
Bishop's Bible (1568)
Then thou shalt smyte the dwellers of that citie with the edge of the sworde, and destroy it vtterly, & all that is therin, and euen the very cattell therof, with the edge of the sworde:
JPS Old Testament (1917)
then shalt thou inquire, and make search, and ask diligently; and, behold, if it be truth, and the thing certain, that such abomination is wrought in the midst of thee;
King James Version (1611)
Thou shalt surely smite the inhabitants of that citie with the edge of the sword, destroying it vtterly, and all that is therein, and the cattell thereof, with the edge of the sword.
Brenton's Septuagint (LXX)
thou shalt utterly destroy all the dwellers in that land with the edge of the sword; ye shall solemnly curse it, and all things in it.
English Revised Version
thou shalt surely smite the inhabitants of that city with the edge of the sword, destroying it utterly, and all that is therein and the cattle thereof, with the edge of the sword.
Berean Standard Bible
you must surely strike down the inhabitants of that city with the sword. Devote to destruction all its people and livestock.
Wycliffe Bible (1395)
anoon thou schalt smyte the dwelleris of that citee bi the scharpnesse of swerd, and thou schalt `do it awey, and alle thingis that ben ther ynne, `til to beestis.
Young's Literal Translation
`Thou dost surely smite the inhabitants of that city by the mouth of the sword; devoting it, and all that [is] in it, even its cattle, by the mouth of the sword;
Update Bible Version
you shall surely smite the inhabitants of that city with the edge of the sword, destroying it completely, and all that is therein and the cattle thereof, with the edge of the sword.
Webster's Bible Translation
Thou shalt surely smite the inhabitants of that city with the edge of the sword, destroying it utterly, and all that [is] in it, and its cattle, with the edge of the sword.
World English Bible
you shall surely strike the inhabitants of that city with the edge of the sword, destroying it utterly, and all that is therein and the cattle of it, with the edge of the sword.
New King James Version
you shall surely strike the inhabitants of that city with the edge of the sword, utterly destroying it, all that is in it and its livestock--with the edge of the sword.
New Living Translation
you must attack that town and completely destroy all its inhabitants, as well as all the livestock.
New Life Bible
you must be sure to go against those of that city with the sword. Destroy all of it, all that is in it, and its cattle, with the sword.
New Revised Standard
you shall put the inhabitants of that town to the sword, utterly destroying it and everything in it—even putting its livestock to the sword.
J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
then shalt thou smite, the inhabitants of that city with the edge of the sword, devoting it to destruction, and all that is therein and the cattle thereof: with the edge of the sword, -
Douay-Rheims Bible
Thou shalt forthwith kill the inhabitants of that city with the edge of the sword, and shalt destroy it and all things that are in it, even the cattle.
Revised Standard Version
you shall surely put the inhabitants of that city to the sword, destroying it utterly, all who are in it and its cattle, with the edge of the sword.
New American Standard Bible (1995)
you shall surely strike the inhabitants of that city with the edge of the sword, utterly destroying it and all that is in it and its cattle with the edge of the sword.

Contextual Overview

12 Then all Isra'el will hear about it and be afraid, so that they will stop doing such wickedness as this among themselves. 13 "If you hear it told that in one of your cities which Adonai your God is giving you to live in, 14 certain scoundrels have sprung up among you and have drawn away the inhabitants of their city by saying, ‘Let's go and serve other gods, which you haven't known,' 15 then you are to investigate the matter, inquiring and searching diligently. If the rumor is true, if it is confirmed that such detestable things are being done among you, 16 you must put the inhabitants of that city to death with the sword, destroying it completely with the sword, everything in it, including its livestock. 17 Heap all its spoils in an open space, and burn the city with its spoils to the ground for Adonai your God; it will remain a tel forever and not be built again — 18 none of what has been set apart for destruction is to stay in your hands. Then Adonai will turn from his fierce anger and show you mercy, have compassion on you and increase your numbers, as he swore to your ancestors — provided you listen to what Adonai says and obey all his mitzvot that I am giving you today, thus doing what Adonai your God sees as right.

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

destroying it utterly: Deuteronomy 2:34, Deuteronomy 7:2, Deuteronomy 7:16, Exodus 22:20, Exodus 23:24, Leviticus 27:28, Joshua 6:17-21, Joshua 6:24, Judges 20:48, Revelation 17:16, Revelation 18:18-24, Revelation 19:2, Revelation 19:3

Reciprocal: Numbers 21:2 - I will Numbers 25:4 - and hang Numbers 25:5 - Slay ye Joshua 7:15 - he that is Joshua 22:12 - the whole Judges 21:10 - Go and smite 1 Samuel 15:3 - utterly destroy Psalms 106:30 - General

Cross-References

Genesis 12:7
Adonai appeared to Avram and said, "To your descendants I will give this land." So he built an altar there to Adonai , who had appeared to him.
Genesis 13:1
Avram went up from Egypt — he, his wife and everything he had, and Lot with him — into the Negev.
Genesis 13:2
Avram became wealthy, with much cattle, silver and gold.
Genesis 13:3
As he went on his travels from the Negev, he came to Beit-El, to the place where his tent had been at the beginning, between Beit-El and ‘Ai,
Genesis 13:4
where he had first built the altar; and there Avram called on the name of Adonai .
Genesis 13:7
Moreover, quarreling arose between Avram's and Lot's herdsmen. The Kena‘ani and the P'rizi were then living in the land.
Genesis 13:8
Avram said to Lot, "Please, let's not have quarreling between me and you, or between my herdsmen and yours, since we're kinsmen.
Genesis 13:9
Isn't the whole land there in front of you? Please separate yourself from me — if you go to the left, I will go to the right; if you go to the right, I will go to the left."
Genesis 13:12
Avram lived in the land of Kena‘an; and Lot lived in the cities of the plain, setting up his tent near S'dom.
Genesis 15:18
That day Adonai made a covenant with Avram: "I have given this land to your descendants — from the Vadi of Egypt to the great river, the Euphrates River —

Gill's Notes on the Bible

Thou shalt surely smite the inhabitants of that city with the edge of the sword,.... This could not be the work of a single person, nor of the whole sanhedrim, but was what the whole nation was to join in, according to the above note:

destroying it utterly; pulling down the houses, and demolishing its walls and fortifications, or burning it, as afterwards explained:

and all that is therein; men, women, and children:

and the cattle thereof, with the edge of the sword; this severity was used to show the Lord's indignation against the sin of idolatry, and to deter persons from it, both individuals and bodies of men.

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse Deuteronomy 13:15. Thou shalt surely smite the inhabitants — If one city were permitted to practise idolatry, the evil would soon spread, therefore the contagion must be destroyed in its birth.


 
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