Deuteronomy 13 · Verse 15

Deuteronomy 13:15

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.
Deuteronomy 13:15, King James Version

Deuteronomy 13:15 in other translations

BSByou must surely put the inhabitants of that city to the sword. Devote to destruction all its people and livestock.
WEByou shall surely strike the inhabitants of that city with the edge of the sword, destroying it utterly, with all that is therein and its livestock, with the edge of the sword.
ASVthou 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.
YLT‘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;
DARBYthou 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.
BBEThen take up arms against the people of that town and give it up to the curse, with all its cattle and everything in it.
WebsterThou 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.

What does Deuteronomy 13:15 mean?

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown on Deuteronomy 13:12-18

12-18. Certain men, the children of Belial--lawless, designing demagogues (Jud 19:22; 1Sa 1:16; 25:25), who abused their influence to withdraw the inhabitants of the city to idol-worship.

Read the full comment on Deuteronomy 13:12-18 →

Adam Clarke's Commentary
Verse 15 Thou shalt surely smite the inhabitants - If one city were permitted to practice idolatry, the evil would soon spread, therefore the contagion must be destroyed in its birth.

Adam Clarke, 1831 · public domain

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary on Deuteronomy 13:12-18

Here is the case of a city revolting from the God of Israel, and serving other gods. The crime is supposed to be committed by one of the cities of Israel. Even when they were ordered to preserve their religion by force, yet they were not allowed to bring others to it by fire and sword. Spiritual judgments under the Christian dispensation are more terrible than the execution of criminals; we have not less cause than…

Read the full comment on Deuteronomy 13:12-18 →

Deuteronomy 13:15 in the original Hebrew

Word-by-word with transliteration, English gloss and Strong's number. Tap a number for the full definition and every place the word is used.

הַכֵּ֣הha.Kehcertainly <to strike>H5221
תַכֶּ֗הta.Kehyou will strikeH5221
אֶת\־'et-<obj.>H853
יֹֽשְׁבֵ֛יyo.she.Vei[the] inhabitants ofH3427
הָעִ֥ירha.'Irthe cityH5892
הַהִ֖יאha.hu'<the> thatH1931
לְפִי\־le.fi-to [the] mouth ofH6310
חָ֑רֶבCha.rev[the] swordH2719
הַחֲרֵ֨םha.cha.Remtotally destroyH2763
אֹתָ֧הּ'o.Tah<obj.> itH853
וְאֶת\־ve.'Etand <obj.>H853
כָּל\־kol-allH3605
אֲשֶׁר\־'a.Sher-whoH834
בָּ֛הּbah[are] in it
וְאֶת\־ve.'Etand <obj.>H853
בְּהֶמְתָּ֖הּbe.hem.Tahlivestock itsH929
לְפִי\־le.fi-to [the] mouth ofH6310
חָֽרֶב\׃Cha.rev[the] swordH2719

Source: STEPBible TAHOT/TAGNT (Tyndale House, CC BY 4.0).

Cross references for Deuteronomy 13:15

  • Exodus 22:20

    He that sacrificeth unto any god, save unto the Lord only, he shall be utterly destroyed.

  • Leviticus 27:28

    Notwithstanding no devoted thing, that a man shall devote unto the Lord of all that he hath, both of man and beast, and of the field of his possession, shall be sold or redeemed: every devoted thing is most holy unto the Lord.

  • Deuteronomy 7:2

    And when the Lord thy God shall deliver them before thee; thou shalt smite them, and utterly destroy them; thou shalt make no covenant with them, nor shew mercy unto them:

  • Deuteronomy 7:16

    And thou shalt consume all the people which the Lord thy God shall deliver thee; thine eye shall have no pity upon them: neither shalt thou serve their gods; for that will be a snare unto thee.

  • Joshua 6:24

    And they burnt the city with fire, and all that was therein: only the silver, and the gold, and the vessels of brass and of iron, they put into the treasury of the house of the Lord.

  • Revelation 17:16

    And the ten horns which thou sawest upon the beast, these shall hate the whore, and shall make her desolate and naked, and shall eat her flesh, and burn her with fire.

  • Revelation 18:18-24

    And cried when they saw the smoke of her burning, saying, What city is like unto this great city! And they cast dust on their heads, and cried, weeping and wailing, saying, Alas, alas, that great city, wherein were made rich all that had ships in the sea by reason of her costliness! for in one hour is she made desolate. Rejoice over her, thou heaven, and ye holy apostles and prophets; for God hath avenged you on her. And a mighty angel took up a stone like a great millstone, and cast it into the sea, saying, Thus with violence shall that great city Babylon be thrown down, and shall be found no more at all. …

  • Exodus 23:24

    Thou shalt not bow down to their gods, nor serve them, nor do after their works: but thou shalt utterly overthrow them, and quite break down their images.

  • Judges 20:48

    And the men of Israel turned again upon the children of Benjamin, and smote them with the edge of the sword, as well the men of every city, as the beast, and all that came to hand: also they set on fire all the cities that they came to.

  • Revelation 19:2-3

    For true and righteous are his judgments: for he hath judged the great whore, which did corrupt the earth with her fornication, and hath avenged the blood of his servants at her hand. And again they said, Alleluia. And her smoke rose up for ever and ever.

  • Joshua 6:17-21

    And the city shall be accursed, even it, and all that are therein, to the Lord: only Rahab the harlot shall live, she and all that are with her in the house, because she hid the messengers that we sent. And ye, in any wise keep yourselves from the accursed thing, lest ye make yourselves accursed, when ye take of the accursed thing, and make the camp of Israel a curse, and trouble it. But all the silver, and gold, and vessels of brass and iron, are consecrated unto the Lord: they shall come into the treasury of the Lord. So the people shouted when the priests blew with the trumpets: and it came to pass, when the people heard the sound of the trumpet, and the people shouted with a great shout, that the wall fell down flat, so that the people went up into the city, every man straight before him, and they took the city. …

  • Deuteronomy 2:34

    And we took all his cities at that time, and utterly destroyed the men, and the women, and the little ones, of every city, we left none to remain:

Ranked by reader votes · OpenBible.info cross references (CC BY).

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
destroying it utterly.
2:34; 7:2,16; Ex 22:20; 23:24; Le 27:28; Jos 6:17-21,24; Jud 20:48
Re 17:16; 18:18-24; 19:2,3

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (Samuel Bagster, c. 1836) · public domain

Context

  • Deuteronomy 13:14

    Then shalt thou enquire, and make search, and ask diligently; and, behold, if it be truth, and the thing certain, that such abomination is wrought among you;

  • Deuteronomy 13:15

    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.

  • Deuteronomy 13:16

    And thou shalt gather all the spoil of it into the midst of the street thereof, and shalt burn with fire the city, and all the spoil thereof every whit, for the Lord thy God: and it shall be an heap for ever; it shall not be built again.

Read all of Deuteronomy 13

Deuteronomy 13:15 in other languages

Spanish
Reina-Valera 1909
Irremisiblemente herirás á filo de espada los moradores de aquella ciudad, destruyéndola con todo lo que en ella hubiere, y también sus bestias á filo de espada.
French
Bible J.N. Darby 1885
alors tu rechercheras, et tu t’informeras, et tu t’enquerras bien; et si c’est la vérité, si la chose est établie, si cette abomination a été commise au milieu de toi,
German
Elberfelder 1871
so sollst du die Bewohner jener Stadt gewißlich schlagen mit der Schärfe des Schwertes; du sollst sie verbannen und alles, was in ihr ist, und ihr Vieh, mit der Schärfe des Schwertes.
Latin
Clementine Vulgate
statim percuties habitatores urbis illius in ore gladii, et delebis eam ac omnia quæ in illa sunt, usque ad pecora.