The Meaning of Deuteronomy 20:14 Explained

Deuteronomy 20:14

KJV: But the women, and the little ones, and the cattle, and all that is in the city, even all the spoil thereof, shalt thou take unto thyself; and thou shalt eat the spoil of thine enemies, which the LORD thy God hath given thee.

YLT: Only, the women, and the infants, and the cattle, and all that is in the city, all its spoil, thou dost seize for thyself, and thou hast eaten the spoil of thine enemies which Jehovah thy God hath given to thee.

Darby: only the women, and the little ones, and the cattle, and all that shall be in the city, all the spoil thereof, shalt thou take as booty for thyself; and thou shalt eat the spoil of thine enemies, which Jehovah thy God giveth thee

ASV: but the women, and the little ones, and the cattle, and all that is in the city, even all the spoil thereof, shalt thou take for a prey unto thyself; and thou shalt eat the spoil of thine enemies, which Jehovah thy God hath given thee.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

But the women,  and the little ones,  and the cattle,  and all that is in the city,  [even] all the spoil  thereof, shalt thou take  unto thyself; and thou shalt eat  the spoil  of thine enemies,  which the LORD  thy God  hath given  thee. 

What does Deuteronomy 20:14 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 20:14 mean?

But the women and the little ones and the livestock and all that is in the city all its spoil you shall plunder for yourself and you shall eat - the plunder enemies' which gives Yahweh your God you
רַ֣ק הַ֠נָּשִׁים וְהַטַּ֨ף וְהַבְּהֵמָ֜ה וְכֹל֩ אֲשֶׁ֨ר יִהְיֶ֥ה בָעִ֛יר כָּל־ שְׁלָלָ֖הּ תָּבֹ֣ז לָ֑ךְ וְאָֽכַלְתָּ֙ אֶת־ שְׁלַ֣ל אֹיְבֶ֔יךָ אֲשֶׁ֥ר נָתַ֛ן יְהוָ֥ה אֱלֹהֶ֖יךָ לָֽךְ

הַ֠נָּשִׁים  the  women 
Parse: Article, Noun, feminine plural
Root: אִשָּׁה  
Sense: woman, wife, female.
וְהַטַּ֨ף  and  the  little  ones 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Article, Noun, masculine singular
Root: טַף 
Sense: children, little children, little ones.
וְהַבְּהֵמָ֜ה  and  the  livestock 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Article, Noun, feminine singular
Root: בְּהֵמָה  
Sense: beast, cattle, animal.
וְכֹל֩  and  all 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Noun, masculine singular
Root: כֹּל  
Sense: all, the whole.
אֲשֶׁ֨ר  that 
Parse: Pronoun, relative
Root: אֲשֶׁר 
Sense: (relative part.).
בָעִ֛יר  in  the  city 
Parse: Preposition-b, Article, Noun, feminine singular
Root: עִיר 
Sense: excitement, anguish.
שְׁלָלָ֖הּ  its  spoil 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct, third person feminine singular
Root: שָׁלָל  
Sense: prey, plunder, spoil, booty.
תָּבֹ֣ז  you  shall  plunder 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Imperfect, second person masculine singular
Root: בָּזַז  
Sense: to spoil, plunder, prey upon, seize.
לָ֑ךְ  for  yourself 
Parse: Preposition, second person masculine singular
וְאָֽכַלְתָּ֙  and  you  shall  eat 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Conjunctive perfect, second person masculine singular
Root: אָכַל  
Sense: to eat, devour, burn up, feed.
אֶת־  - 
Parse: Direct object marker
Root: אֹות 
Sense: sign of the definite direct object, not translated in English but generally preceding and indicating the accusative.
שְׁלַ֣ל  the  plunder 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: שָׁלָל  
Sense: prey, plunder, spoil, booty.
אֹיְבֶ֔יךָ  enemies' 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Participle, masculine plural construct, second person masculine singular
Root: אֹיֵב  
Sense: (Qal) enemy.
נָתַ֛ן  gives 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Perfect, third person masculine singular
Root: יָתַן 
Sense: to give, put, set.
יְהוָ֥ה  Yahweh 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: יהוה 
Sense: the proper name of the one true God.
אֱלֹהֶ֖יךָ  your  God 
Parse: Noun, masculine plural construct, second person masculine singular
Root: אֱלֹהִים  
Sense: (plural).