Deuteronomy 2:34

34. And we look all his cities] E, Num_21:24 a, possessed his land from Arnon unto Jabboḳ; J, id. 25: Israel took all these cities and dwelt in all the cities of the Amorites, Ḥeshbon and her towns. Anciently this part of the Plateau was thickly populated. From almost every elevation several groups of ruins are visible, mostly Byzantine, but how much older each site may be cannot yet be said. The land is very good for corn.

utterly destroyed every inhabited city, with the women and the little ones] Devoted—put to the ḥerem or ban—every city-full of males, with, etc. The first mention in Deut. of a custom practised also by other Semites. Mesha (Moabite Stone, 14–17) records that having taken Nebo from Israel he slew the whole population for he ‘had devoted it to Ashtar-Chemosh’; the same verb as in Heb. To Israel as to other peoples a war was from first to last a religious process (see on Deu_20:1 ff.) and the ḥerem was the climax of a series of solemn rites. It consisted of the devotion to the deity, by destruction, of the captives and spoil. The name is from the root ḥrm, ‘to set apart’ or ‘shut off’ (cp. Ar. ḥaram ‘sacred precincts’ and ḥarîm) and was not confined to war. By the earliest code every idolatrous Israelite was put to the ḥerem, E, Exo_22:20 [19]; cp. Deu_13:6-11 of idolaters, and Deu_13:12-18 [13–19] of an idolatrous city; P, Lev_27:28 f. In war the full process was the slaughter of the conquered population and their cattle, the burning of combustible spoil, and the oblation of the rest to the sanctuary. So in the story of the fall of Jericho and Achan’s trespass, Joshua 6 f. (especially Deu_6:17-19; Deu_6:21; Deu_6:24, Deu_7:1; Deu_7:11 ff.), which however contains many editorial additions. But as we see from several narratives and laws, the actual practice varied from time to time under the competing influences of religious feeling, material considerations and humane impulses. The most illustrative passage is 1 Samuel 15. Samuel charges Saul to devote all ‘Amaleḳ and their cattle; Saul spares the king and the best of the cattle. Either his excuse, that he reserved them for sacrifice, is an afterthought; or from the first he had been unwilling that the best cattle should be rendered by the ḥerem unusable by the people in sacrificial feasts. Was the king moved by feelings of humanity? Samuel condemns his action as disobedience against Jehovah; so absolutely at that time was the ḥerem conceived by the religious leaders. The deuteronomic directions, all in the Sg. address, distinguish between Israel’s treatment of the seven Canaanite nations and of Israelite idolaters on the one side, and their treatment of other nations at a distance:—(a) Deu_7:2 : the seven nations are to be put to the ḥerem because of their idolatry and no league with them is allowed; Deu_2:25 f. their idols are to be burned with the silver and gold on them, for they are ḥerem and if used by Israel would make the people ḥerem or devoted to destruction. Similarly in Deu_13:15 f. every Israelite community falling to idolatry shall be devoted, and their city, cattle, and spoil burned to Jehovah thy God. But (b) Deu_20:10 ff directs that distant enemies if they submit shall be spared, though they must become tributary; while if they resist only the males shall be slain, the women, children, cattle and spoil being treated as booty. And in Deu_20:16-17 it is repeated that the nations of Palestine shall be devoted. Religious feeling, the desire that Israel shall not be infected by the idolatry from which they ran most risk of infection, is obviously the paramount motive of these laws. But it is remarkable that the only instances of the ḥerem recorded in Deut., those against Sîḥôn and ‘Ôg, fully agree neither with the treatment enjoined by the deuteronomic laws against the seven nations, nor with that enjoined against distant enemies, but combine features of both. The captive men, women, and children were slain, but the cattle and spoil reserved for booty, Deu_2:34 f., Deu_3:6 f. So too in Jos. (outside the story of Achan):—Jos_8:2; Jos_8:27 spoil and cattle reserved, Jos_10:28 ff., only the people devoted; Jos_11:9 horses houghed, chariots burned; Jos_11:11-15, people devoted, cattle and spoil reserved. Except Jos_11:9 these passages appear to be editorial.—In connection with this subject note that Amos (Amo_1:6; Amo_1:9) condemns as inhuman the selling into captivity of a whole population, just as to-day it is contrary to the Arab conscience to extinguish a ḳabîla or tribe in war (Doughty, Ar. Des. i. 335). Yet, just as by Samuel in the case of Saul, and in Deut., this natural conscience has often been overborne by the rigorous religious demands of Islam. The parallel is instructive; cp. Deu_20:10-18.—See on the use of the term in a criminal case, Exo_22:20, with Driver’s note.

The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges (gen. ed. J. J. S. Perowne; Cambridge University Press, 1878–1918) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

Deu 2:34. Utterly destroyed — By God’s command, these being a part of those people who were devoted by the Lord of life and death to utter destruction for their abominable wickedness.

Joseph Benson's Commentary on the Old and New Testaments (1811–1818) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

2:34 completely destroyed (Hebrew kharam): The Hebrew term refers to the complete consecration of things or people to the Lord, either by destroying them or by giving them as an offering. The underlying rationale was to maintain the Lord’s holiness in the face of pagan idolatry and moral corruption (see also Lev 27:28-29).

Tyndale Open Study Notes — © Tyndale Open Resources, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0. Text via the HelloAO Bible API.

God had cursed Canaan, and therefore he would not that any of the wicked race should be preserved.

Geneva Bible (1599) marginal notes — public domain. Text via Bolls.life.

(34) And utterly destroyed.—i.e., devoted to destruction. They made them chêrem, like the spoil of Jericho. This could only be by Divine direction. The word implies nothing less. It will be seen, therefore, that the narrative asserts in this case an extermination of Sihon’s people by the express command of Jehovah.

A Bible Commentary for English Readers, edited by Charles John Ellicott (1878–1897) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

And we took all his cities at that time,.... As Heshbon, and others mentioned in Num 21:25,

and utterly destroyed the men, and the women, and the little ones of every city, we left none to remain; for the Amorites were one of the seven nations who were devoted to destruction, the measure of whose iniquity was now full, and therefore vengeance was taken.

John Gill's Exposition of the Whole Bible (1746–1763) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API.

Utterly destroyed the men, and the women, and the little ones, of every city - Render, laid under ban (compare Lev 27:28 note) every inhabited city, both women and children: these last words being added by way of fuller explanation.

Albert Barnes' Notes on the Bible (1834–1885) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.

Killing, according to God’s express command, chap. xx. 16. (Menochius)

George Leo Haydock (1774–1849), Haydock's Catholic Family Bible and Commentary, 1859 edition — public domain. Excludes Psalms (Douay-Rheims chapter numbering differs from Protestant) and Deuterocanonical books (Catholic canon only).

By God’s command, these being a part of those people who were devoted by the Lord of life and death to utter destruction for their abominable wickedness. See Deu 7:2; 20:16.

Matthew Poole's English Annotations on the Holy Bible (1683–1685) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.

34. Utterly destroyed the men,… women,… little ones — Every inhabited city and its inhabitants. In these wars cities were often thus devoted. When captured the walls were razed to the foundation and the inhabitants put to death.

Daniel D. Whedon (gen. ed.), Commentary on the Old and New Testaments (1874–1909) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

Utterly destroyed - By God's command, these being a part of those people who were devoted by the Lord of life and death, to utter destruction for their abominable wickedness.

John Wesley, Explanatory Notes Upon the Whole Bible (1754–1765) — public domain. Text via the GEBible commentary corpus.

General Information:

Moses continues reminding the people about what happened in the past.

We took all his cities

"We captured all of King Sihon's cities"

completely destroyed every city

"killed all the people who lived in every city"

translationWords

cow

unfoldingWord translationNotes — © Distant Shores Media and the Door43 World Missions Community, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0. Source: git.door43.org/Door43/en_tn.

מתם means MEN. — Of the spoil taken from Sihon it is stated (v. 35) בזזנו לנו, an expression denoting plunder (בזה), because then this was an object of desire to them, so that each man took spoil for himself. But when they came to the plundering of Og, they were already full to satiety, and it was contemptible in their eyes, so that they tore in pieces and cast away cattle and garments, and took only silver and gold. On this account it is said (Deuteronomy 3:7) בַּזֹּנוּ לנו which is an expression denoting "holding in contempt" (בזיון). Thus is it expounded in Siphre in the chapter beginning with "And Israel dwelt in Shittim״ (Numbers 25:1).

Rashi on the Tanakh — English translations: “The Judaica Press complete Tanach with Rashi, translated by A. J. Rosenberg” (CC BY 4.0); “Pentateuch with Rashi's commentary by M. Rosenbaum and A.M. Silbermann, 1929-1934” (public domain); “The Metsudah Tanach series, Lakewood, N.J” (CC BY 4.0); and “The Book of Joshua, Metsudah Publications, 1997” (CC BY 4.0). Text via Sefaria.

AND WE UTTERLY DESTROYED EVERY CITY, THE MEN, AND THE WOMEN, AND THE LITTLE ONES — who were of the Amorites, and they were commanded thereon, as it is said, But of the cities of these peoples, that the Eternal thy G-d giveth thee for an inheritance, thou shalt save alive nothing that breatheth. Even so, Moses opened discussions with them peacefully, for such is the commandment [that even for the seven nations we were obligated to proclaim peace to them] as I will explain with the help of G-d. But to Og the king of Bashan he did not proclaim peace because Og had come forth to battle against Israel before they even came to his city. (above, 3:1). I have already explained the subject in the section Zoth Chukath.

Ramban (Nachmanides) on the Tanakh — English translation: “Commentary on the Torah by Ramban (Nachmanides). Translated and annotated by Charles B. Chavel. New York, Shilo Pub. House, 1971-1976” (CC BY 4.0). Text via Sefaria.