What is the meaning of Deuteronomy 20:14? But the women, children, livestock God distinguishes between combatants and non-combatants. The fighting men of a hostile city are to be defeated (Deuteronomy 20:13), yet the innocent—“the women, children, livestock”—are spared. • This demonstrates that the Lord values life even amid judgment (cf. Numbers 31:9; Joshua 8:27). • It safeguards future stability; families, herds, and flocks sustain a society once hostilities end. • Mercy toward the vulnerable models God’s heart: “He defends the cause of the fatherless and the widow” (Deuteronomy 10:18). and whatever else is in the city—all its spoil Nothing useful is to be wasted. “Whatever else” widens the circle to include goods, tools, and produce. • Israel had wandered forty years with limited resources; the Lord now provides abundance through victory (2 Chronicles 20:25). • The entire spoil belongs to God first; the people merely receive it from His hand (Joshua 22:8). you may take as plunder Permission is explicit: “you may.” • This is not unrestrained greed; it follows an offer of peace (Deuteronomy 20:10-11). • Previous campaigns set the pattern: “Only the livestock and plunder of the city we took for ourselves” (Deuteronomy 3:7). • Plunder offsets wartime losses and funds national worship (cf. 1 Samuel 30:20, where spoil is dedicated to the Lord). and you shall use the spoil of your enemies The bounty is practical, not merely ornamental. • Food, clothing, metal, and animals meet daily needs (Deuteronomy 8:10). • What was once a weapon against Israel becomes a provision for Israel—illustrating Romans 8:28 in Old-Testament form. • Similar reversals appear in Exodus 12:36, where Egypt’s wealth equips the departing slaves. that the LORD your God gives you Every gain is traced back to divine gift. • Victory and wealth come “not by our sword” (Psalm 44:3) but by His favor. • This reminder curbs pride and fuels gratitude (Deuteronomy 8:17-18). • The phrase ties obedience to blessing; staying under God’s authority secures ongoing provision (Proverbs 21:31). summary Deuteronomy 20:14 extends God’s wartime instructions: spare the innocent, gather the resources, and remember the Source. The verse balances justice and mercy, practicality and piety. Israel may collect plunder, yet all of it is a gift from the Lord, calling the people to humble stewardship and thankful dependence. |
    |