What is the meaning of Deuteronomy 20:13? When the LORD your God has delivered it • The initiative begins with the LORD, not Israel’s military prowess. He is the One who “delivered” Jericho to Joshua (Joshua 6:2) and “drove out nations greater and stronger” than Israel (Deuteronomy 7:1-2). • God’s active role underscores His covenant faithfulness (Genesis 15:18-21). Just as He promised Abram the land, He now fulfills that promise in real time. • The certainty of His action encourages confidence; Israel does not wonder if victory will come, but waits for the moment God grants it (Psalm 44:3). into your hand • “Into your hand” speaks of stewardship, not mere possession. What God grants must be handled according to His instructions (Judges 7:15). • The phrase underscores accountability. Israel will answer to God for what it does with the victory He provides (1 Samuel 17:46). • God’s transfer of the city prevents Israel from boasting in itself (Joshua 10:8). It is a gift that carries responsibility, not a license for self‐glory. you must put every male to the sword • In the context of Deuteronomy 20, this directive applies to hostile cities that reject Israel’s offer of peace (vv. 10-12). Refusal brings total defeat. • Eliminating the fighting males removes the immediate military threat. Similar instructions appear in Numbers 31:7 and 1 Samuel 15:3. • The command also protects Israel spiritually. God’s concern is that foreign warriors, left alive, would regroup and lure Israel into idolatry (Deuteronomy 20:16-18; 7:4). • Though severe, the measure reflects divine justice against persistent, unrepentant aggression (Romans 1:18), not random cruelty. God’s holiness demands decisive action against sin when mercy is refused. summary Deuteronomy 20:13 reveals a threefold pattern: God secures the victory, entrusts it to His people, and prescribes how they must complete it. The verse affirms His sovereignty, Israel’s accountability, and the necessity of decisive judgment against entrenched evil. |
    |