Tanach
Devarim 20:10-18 דברים כ׳:י׳-י״ח
Part of: ShoftimShoftim, Aliyah 7Chapter 20
Reading: Hebrew · Simple EnglishHebrew · Faithful translationHebrew onlyHebrew · Simple EnglishHebrew · Faithful translationHebrew onlySimple English onlyFaithful translation onlySide by sideRashi
כִּֽי־תִקְרַב אֶל־עִיר לְהִלָּחֵם עָלֶיהָ וְקָרָאתָ אֵלֶיהָ לְשָׁלֽוֹם׃
When you near a city to do battle against it, you are to offer it peace.
When you near a city to do battle against it, you are to offer it peace.
Rashi
וְהָיָה אִם־שָׁלוֹם תַּֽעַנְךָ וּפָתְחָה לָךְ וְהָיָה כׇּל־הָעָם הַנִּמְצָא־בָהּ יִהְיוּ לְךָ לָמַס וַעֲבָדֽוּךָ׃
Should it respond, ‘‘Peace!’’ and open for you, then all the people found in it will become your payers of tribute, and your servants.
Should it respond, ‘‘Peace!’’ and open for you, then all the people found in it will become your payers of tribute, and your servants.
Rashi
כל העם הנמצא בה. אֲפִלּוּ אַתָּה מוֹצֵא בָהּ מִשִּׁבְעָה אֻמּוֹת שֶׁנִּצְטַוִּיתָ לְהַחֲרִימָם, אַתָּה רַשַּׁאי לְקַיְּמָם (שם):
All the people found in it. Even if you should find in it members of the seven nations you are required to annihilate, you may allow them to survive.
למס ועבדוך. עַד שֶׁיְּקַבְּלוּ עֲלֵיהֶם מִסִּים וְשִׁעְבּוּד (שם):
Payers of tribute and your servants. Provided they accept the tribute payment and the servitude.
וְאִם־לֹא תַשְׁלִים עִמָּךְ וְעָשְׂתָה עִמְּךָ מִלְחָמָה וְצַרְתָּ עָלֶֽיהָ׃
And if it does not settle for peace with you but engages in war against you, you shall lay siege to it.
And if it does not settle for peace with you but engages in war against you, you shall lay siege to it.
Rashi
ואם לא תשלים עמך ועשתה עמך מלחמה. הַכָּתוּב מְבַשֶּׂרְךָ שֶׁאִם לֹא תַשְׁלִים עִמְּךָ סוֹפָהּ לְהִלָּחֵם בְּךָ אִם תַּנִּיחֶנָּה וְתֵלֵךְ (שם):
If it does not settle for peace with you, but engages in war against you. Scripture informs you that if it does not make peace with you, it will ultimately engage in war against you if you withdraw and depart.
וצרת עליה. אַף לְהַרְעִיבָהּ וּלְהַצְמִיאָהּ וְלַהֲמִיתָהּ מִיתַת תַּחֲלוּאִים (שם):
You shall lay siege to it. Even if this causes famine and thirst, and death from pestilence.
וּנְתָנָהּ יְהֹוָה אֱלֹהֶיךָ בְּיָדֶךָ וְהִכִּיתָ אֶת־כׇּל־זְכוּרָהּ לְפִי־חָֽרֶב׃
Adonoy, your God, will deliver it into your hand, and you will smite all its males by the sword.
Adonoy, your God, will deliver it into your hand, and you will smite all its males by the sword.
Rashi
ונתנה ה' אלהיך בידך. אִם עָשִׂיתָ כָּל הָאָמוּר בָּעִנְיָן, סוֹף שֶׁה' נוֹתְנָהּ בְּיָדֶךָ (שם):
Adonoy your God will deliver it into your hand. If you fulfill everything mentioned here, God will ultimately deliver it into your hand.
רַק הַנָּשִׁים וְהַטַּף וְהַבְּהֵמָה וְכֹל אֲשֶׁר יִהְיֶה בָעִיר כׇּל־שְׁלָלָהּ תָּבֹז לָךְ וְאָֽכַלְתָּ אֶת־שְׁלַל אֹיְבֶיךָ אֲשֶׁר נָתַן יְהֹוָה אֱלֹהֶיךָ לָֽךְ׃
However, the women and the children, and the animals, and everything that will be in the city—all its booty—are you to plunder for yourself; you will eat the booty of your enemies that Adonoy, your God, gave you.
However, the women and the children, and the animals, and everything that will be in the city—all its booty—are you to plunder for yourself; you will eat the booty of your enemies that Adonoy, your God, gave you.
Rashi
והטף. אַף טַף שֶׁל זְכָרִים, וּמָה אֲנִי מְקַיֵּם "וְהִכִּיתָ אֶת כָל זְכוּרָהּ"? בַּגְּדוֹלִים (שם):
And children. Even the male children. How, then, is “Strike down all its males” fulfilled? With the adults.
כֵּן תַּעֲשֶׂה לְכׇל־הֶעָרִים הָרְחֹקֹת מִמְּךָ מְאֹד אֲשֶׁר לֹא־מֵעָרֵי הַגּֽוֹיִם־הָאֵלֶּה הֵֽנָּה׃
So will you do to all the cities, that are very distant from you, that are not among the cities of these nations.
So will you do to all the cities, that are very distant from you, that are not among the cities of these nations.
רַק מֵעָרֵי הָֽעַמִּים הָאֵלֶּה אֲשֶׁר יְהֹוָה אֱלֹהֶיךָ נֹתֵן לְךָ נַחֲלָה לֹא תְחַיֶּה כׇּל־נְשָׁמָֽה׃
However, from the cities of these peoples that Adonoy, your God, is giving you as inheritance, you are not to leave any person alive.
However, from the cities of these peoples that Adonoy, your God, is giving you as inheritance, you are not to leave any person alive.
כִּֽי־הַחֲרֵם תַּחֲרִימֵם הַחִתִּי וְהָאֱמֹרִי הַכְּנַעֲנִי וְהַפְּרִזִּי הַחִוִּי וְהַיְבוּסִי כַּאֲשֶׁר צִוְּךָ יְהֹוָה אֱלֹהֶֽיךָ׃
Rather annihilate are you to annihilate them: the Chittites and the Emorites, the Canaanites and the Perizites, the Chivites and the Yevusites; as Adonoy, your God, commanded you.
Rather annihilate are you to annihilate them: the Chittites and the Emorites, the Canaanites and the Perizites, the Chivites and the Yevusites; as Adonoy, your God, commanded you.
Rashi
כאשר צוך. לְרַבּוֹת אֶת הַגִּרְגָּשִׁי (שם):
As [God] commanded you. This adds the Girgashites.
לְמַעַן אֲשֶׁר לֹֽא־יְלַמְּדוּ אֶתְכֶם לַעֲשׂוֹת כְּכֹל תּֽוֹעֲבֹתָם אֲשֶׁר עָשׂוּ לֵאלֹֽהֵיהֶם וַחֲטָאתֶם לַיהֹוָה אֱלֹהֵיכֶֽם׃ {ס}
In order that they do not teach you to do any of their abominations that they did for their gods, and you will sin to Adonoy, your God.
In order that they do not teach you to do any of their abominations that they did for their gods, and you will sin to Adonoy, your God.
Rashi
למען אשר לא ילמדו. הָא אִם עָשׂוּ תְשׁוּבָה וּמִתְגַיְּרִין אַתָּה רַשַּׁאי לְקַבְּלָם (שם):
In order that they do not teach you. This infers that if they repent and convert, you may accept them.
כי תקרב אל עיר. בְּמִלְחֶמֶת הָרְשׁוּת הַכָּתוּב מְדַבֵּר, כְּמוֹ שֶׁמְּפֹרָשׁ בָּעִנְיָן "כֵּן תַּעֲשֶׂה לְכָל הֶעָרִים הָרְחֹקֹת וְגוֹ'" (ספרי):
When you near a city. Scripture refers to a discretionary war, as stated explicitly below, “You shall deal this way with all the distant cities, etc.”