- Deuteronomy 20:10
כִּי־תִקְרַב אֶל־עִיר לְהִלָּחֵם עָלֶיהָ וְקָרָאתָ אֵלֶיהָ לְשָׁלוֹם׃
When you approach a town to attack it, you shall offer it terms of peace.
Targum Onkelos
אֲרֵי תִקְרַב לְקַרְתָּא לְאָגָחָא קְרָבָא עֲלַהּ וְתִקְרֵי לַהּ מִלִּין דִּשְׁלָם׃
When you near a city to do battle against it, you are to offer it [words of] peace.
- Deuteronomy 20:11
וְהָיָה אִם־שָׁלוֹם תַּעַנְךָ וּפָתְחָה לָךְ וְהָיָה כׇּל־הָעָם הַנִּמְצָא־בָהּ יִהְיוּ לְךָ לָמַס וַעֲבָדוּךָ׃
If it responds peaceably and lets you in, all the people present there shall serve you at forced labor.
Targum Onkelos
וִיהֵי אִם שְׁלָם תַּעֲנֵינָךְ וְתִפְתַּח לָךְ וִיהֵי כָל עַמָּא דְּיִשְׁתְּכַח בַּהּ יְהוֹן לָךְ מַסְּקֵי מִסִּין וְיִפְלְחוּנָּךְ׃
Should it respond, ‘‘Peace!’’ and open for you, then all the people found in it will become your payers of tribute, and your servants.
- Deuteronomy 20:12
וְאִם־לֹא תַשְׁלִים עִמָּךְ וְעָשְׂתָה עִמְּךָ מִלְחָמָה וְצַרְתָּ עָלֶיהָ׃
If it does not surrender to you, but would join battle with you, you shall lay siege to it;
Targum Onkelos
וְאִם לָא תַשְׁלֵים עִמָּךְ וְתַעֲבֵיד עִמָּךְ קְרָב וּתְצוּר עֲלַהּ׃
And if it does not settle for peace with you but engages in war against you, you shall lay siege to it.
- Deuteronomy 20:13
וּנְתָנָהּ יְהֹוָה אֱלֹהֶיךָ בְּיָדֶךָ וְהִכִּיתָ אֶת־כׇּל־זְכוּרָהּ לְפִי־חָרֶב׃
and when the ETERNAL your God delivers it into your hand, you shall put all its males to the sword.
Targum Onkelos
וְיִמְסְרִנַּהּ יְיָ אֱלָהָךְ בִּידָךְ וְתִמְחֵי יָת כָּל דְּכוּרַהּ לְפִתְגָם דְּחָרֶב׃
Adonoy, your God, will deliver it into your hand, and you will smite all its males by the sword.
- Deuteronomy 20:14
רַק הַנָּשִׁים וְהַטַּף וְהַבְּהֵמָה וְכֹל אֲשֶׁר יִהְיֶה בָעִיר כׇּל־שְׁלָלָהּ תָּבֹז לָךְ וְאָכַלְתָּ אֶת־שְׁלַל אֹיְבֶיךָ אֲשֶׁר נָתַן יְהֹוָה אֱלֹהֶיךָ לָךְ׃
You may, however, take as your booty the women, the children, the livestock, and everything in the town—all its spoil—and enjoy the use of the spoil of your enemy, which the ETERNAL your God gives you.
Targum Onkelos
לְחוֹד נְשַׁיָּא וְטַפְלָא וּבְעִירָא וְכֹל דִּיהֵי בְקַרְתָּא כָּל עֲדָאַהּ תִּבּוֹז לָךְ וְתֵיכוֹל יָת עֲדַי סָנְאָךְ דִּיהַב יְיָ אֱלָהָךְ לָךְ׃
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.
- Deuteronomy 20:15
כֵּן תַּעֲשֶׂה לְכׇל־הֶעָרִים הָרְחֹקֹת מִמְּךָ מְאֹד אֲשֶׁר לֹא־מֵעָרֵי הַגּוֹיִם־הָאֵלֶּה הֵנָּה׃
Thus you shall deal with all towns that lie very far from you, towns that do not belong to nations hereabout.
Targum Onkelos
כֵּן תַּעֲבֵיד לְכָל קִרְוַיָּא דְּרַחִיקִין מִנָּךְ לַחְדָּא דְּלָא מִקִּרְוֵי עַמְמַיָּא הָאִלֵּין אִנִּין׃
So will you do to all the cities, that are very distant from you, that are not among the cities of these nations.
- Deuteronomy 20:16
רַק מֵעָרֵי הָעַמִּים הָאֵלֶּה אֲשֶׁר יְהֹוָה אֱלֹהֶיךָ נֹתֵן לְךָ נַחֲלָה לֹא תְחַיֶּה כׇּל־נְשָׁמָה׃
In the towns of the latter peoples, however, which the ETERNAL your God is giving you as a heritage, you shall not let a soul remain alive.
Targum Onkelos
לְחוֹד מִקִּרְוֵי עַמְמַיָּא הָאִלֵּין דַּייָ אֱלָהָךְ יָהֵיב לָךְ אַחְסָנָא לָא תְּקַיֵּים כָּל נִשְׁמָא׃
However, from the cities of these peoples that Adonoy, your God, is giving you as inheritance, you are not to leave any person alive.
- Deuteronomy 20:17
כִּי־הַחֲרֵם תַּחֲרִימֵם הַחִתִּי וְהָאֱמֹרִי הַכְּנַעֲנִי וְהַפְּרִזִּי הַחִוִּי וְהַיְבוּסִי כַּאֲשֶׁר צִוְּךָ יְהֹוָה אֱלֹהֶיךָ׃
No, you must proscribe them—the Hittites and the Amorites, the Canaanites and the Perizzites, the Hivites and the Jebusites—as the ETERNAL your God has commanded you,
Targum Onkelos
אֲרֵי גַּמָּרָא תְגַּמְּרִנּוּן חִתָּאֵי וֶאֱמוֹרָאֵי כְּנַעֲנָאֵי וּפְרִזָּאֵי חִוָּאֵי וִיבוּסָאֵי כְּמָא דְּפַקְּדָךְ יְיָ אֱלָהָךְ׃
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.
- Deuteronomy 20:18
לְמַעַן אֲשֶׁר לֹא־יְלַמְּדוּ אֶתְכֶם לַעֲשׂוֹת כְּכֹל תּוֹעֲבֹתָם אֲשֶׁר עָשׂוּ לֵאלֹהֵיהֶם וַחֲטָאתֶם לַיהֹוָה אֱלֹהֵיכֶם׃
lest they lead you into doing all the abhorrent things that they have done for their gods and you stand guilty before the ETERNAL your God.
Targum Onkelos
בְּדִיל דְּלָא יַלְּפוּן יָתְכוֹן לְמֶעֱבַד כְּכֹל תּוֹעֵיבָתְהוֹן דְּעָבְדִין לְטָעֲוָתְהוֹן וּתְחוּבוּן קֳדָם יְיָ אֱלָהֲכוֹן׃
In order that they do not teach you to do any of their abominations that they did for their gods [idols], and you will sin to [before] Adonoy, your God.
- Deuteronomy 20:19
כִּי־תָצוּר אֶל־עִיר יָמִים רַבִּים לְהִלָּחֵם עָלֶיהָ לְתׇפְשָׂהּ לֹא־תַשְׁחִית אֶת־עֵצָהּ לִנְדֹּחַ עָלָיו גַּרְזֶן כִּי מִמֶּנּוּ תֹאכֵל וְאֹתוֹ לֹא תִכְרֹת כִּי הָאָדָם עֵץ הַשָּׂדֶה לָבֹא מִפָּנֶיךָ בַּמָּצוֹר׃
When in your war against a city you have to besiege it a long time in order to capture it, you must not destroy its trees, wielding the ax against them. You may eat of them, but you must not cut them down. Are trees of the field human to withdraw before you into the besieged city?
Targum Onkelos
אֲרֵי תְצוּר עַל קַרְתָּא יוֹמִין סַגִּיאִין לְאָגָחָא קְרָבָא עֲלַהּ לְמִכְבְּשַׁהּ לָא תְחַבֵּיל יָת אִילָנַהּ לְאָרָמָא עֲלוֹהִי בַּרְזְלָא אֲרֵי מִנֵּיהּ תֵּיכוֹל וְיָתֵיהּ לָא תְקוּץ אֲרֵי לָא כַאֲנָשָׁא אִילָן חַקְלָא לְמֵיעַל מִן קֳדָמָךְ בִּצְיָרָא׃
If you besiege a city many days to wage war against it, to capture it, do not harm [any of] its trees by chopping it with an ax, because you eat from it you are not to cut it down; For, is [not] the tree in the field a man to join the besieged to escape you?
- Deuteronomy 20:20
רַק עֵץ אֲשֶׁר־תֵּדַע כִּי־לֹא־עֵץ מַאֲכָל הוּא אֹתוֹ תַשְׁחִית וְכָרָתָּ וּבָנִיתָ מָצוֹר עַל־הָעִיר אֲשֶׁר־הִוא עֹשָׂה עִמְּךָ מִלְחָמָה עַד רִדְתָּהּ׃
Only trees that you know do not yield food may be destroyed; you may cut them down for constructing siegeworks against the city that is waging war on you, until it has been reduced.
Targum Onkelos
לְחוֹד אִילָן דְּתִדַּע אֲרֵי לָא אִילָן דְּמֵיכַל הוּא יָתֵיהּ תְּחַבֵּיל וּתְקוּץ וְתִבְנֵי כַּרְקוֹמִין עַל קַרְתָּא דְּהִיא עָבְדָא עִמָּךְ קְרָב עַד דְּתִכְבְּשַׁהּ׃
Only a tree that you know that it is not a fruit tree may you harm or cut down; and you will build battlements [fortifications] against the city that is waging war against you until it is conquered.
- Deuteronomy 21:1
כִּי־יִמָּצֵא חָלָל בָּאֲדָמָה אֲשֶׁר יְהֹוָה אֱלֹהֶיךָ נֹתֵן לְךָ לְרִשְׁתָּהּ נֹפֵל בַּשָּׂדֶה לֹא נוֹדַע מִי הִכָּהוּ׃
If, in the land that the ETERNAL your God is assigning you to possess, someone slain is found lying in the open, the identity of the slayer not being known,
Targum Onkelos
אֲרֵי יִשְׁתְּכַח קְטִילָא בְּאַרְעָא דַּייָ אֱלָהָךְ יָהֵיב לָךְ לְמֵירְתַהּ רְמִי בְחַקְלָא לָא יְדִיעַ מַן קַטְלֵיהּ׃
If a corpse is found in the land that Adonoy, your God, is giving you to inherit, fallen in the field, it is not known who smote him.
- Deuteronomy 21:2
וְיָצְאוּ זְקֵנֶיךָ וְשֹׁפְטֶיךָ וּמָדְדוּ אֶל־הֶעָרִים אֲשֶׁר סְבִיבֹת הֶחָלָל׃
your elders and magistrates shall go out and measure the distances from the corpse to the nearby towns.
Targum Onkelos
וְיִפְּקוּן סָבָךְ וְדַיָּינָךְ וְיִמְשְׁחוּן לְקִרְוַיָּא דִּבְסַחְרָנוּת קְטִילָא׃
Your elders shall go out—and your judges—and measure in the direction of the cities around the corpse.
- Deuteronomy 21:3
וְהָיָה הָעִיר הַקְּרֹבָה אֶל־הֶחָלָל וְלָקְחוּ זִקְנֵי הָעִיר הַהִוא עֶגְלַת בָּקָר אֲשֶׁר לֹא־עֻבַּד בָּהּ אֲשֶׁר לֹא־מָשְׁכָה בְּעֹל׃
The elders of the town nearest to the corpse shall then take a heifer that has never been worked, which has never pulled in a yoke;
Targum Onkelos
וּתְהֵי קַרְתָּא דְּקָרִיבָא לִקְטִילָא וְיִסְּבוּן סָבֵי קַרְתָּא הַהִיא עֶגְלַת תּוֹרִין דְּלָא אִתְפְּלַח בַּהּ דְּלָא נְגַדַת בְּנִיר׃
Now, the city nearest the corpse—the elders of that city are to take a calf-heifer that has not been worked, that has not drawn [with] a yoke.
- Deuteronomy 21:4
וְהוֹרִדוּ זִקְנֵי הָעִיר הַהִוא אֶת־הָעֶגְלָה אֶל־נַחַל אֵיתָן אֲשֶׁר לֹא־יֵעָבֵד בּוֹ וְלֹא יִזָּרֵעַ וְעָרְפוּ־שָׁם אֶת־הָעֶגְלָה בַּנָּחַל׃
and the elders of that town shall bring the heifer down to an everflowing wadi, which is not tilled or sown. There, in the wadi, they shall break the heifer’s neck.
Targum Onkelos
וְיַחֲתוּן סָבֵי קַרְתָּא הַהִיא יָת עֶגְלְתָא לִנְחַל בְּיָר דְּלָא אִתְפְּלַח בֵּיהּ וְלָא יִזְדְּרַע וְיִקְפוֹן תַּמָּן יָת עֶגְלְתָא בְּנַחְלָא׃
The elders of that city will take down the calf to a stony valley that is not to be tilled and not to be seeded, and they shall decapitate the calf in that valley.
- Deuteronomy 21:5
וְנִגְּשׁוּ הַכֹּהֲנִים בְּנֵי לֵוִי כִּי בָם בָּחַר יְהֹוָה אֱלֹהֶיךָ לְשָׁרְתוֹ וּלְבָרֵךְ בְּשֵׁם יְהֹוָה וְעַל־פִּיהֶם יִהְיֶה כׇּל־רִיב וְכׇל־נָגַע׃
The priests, sons of Levi, shall come forward; for the ETERNAL your God has chosen them for divine service and to pronounce blessing in the name of GOD, and every lawsuit and case of assault is subject to their ruling.
Targum Onkelos
וְיִתְקָרְבוּן כָּהֲנַיָּא בְּנֵי לֵוִי אֲרֵי בְהוֹן אִתְרְעִי יְיָ אֱלָהָךְ לְשַׁמָּשׁוּתֵיהּ וּלְבָרָכָא בִּשְׁמָא דַּייָ וְעַל מֵימַרְהוֹן יְהֵי כָּל דִּין וְכָל מַכְתָּשׁ סְגִירוּ׃
The kohanim, descendants of Levi, will approach; because them did Adonoy, your God, choose to serve Him and to bless in Adonoy’s Name; and they will decide every dispute [law] and every nega.
- Deuteronomy 21:6
וְכֹל זִקְנֵי הָעִיר הַהִוא הַקְּרֹבִים אֶל־הֶחָלָל יִרְחֲצוּ אֶת־יְדֵיהֶם עַל־הָעֶגְלָה הָעֲרוּפָה בַנָּחַל׃
Then all the elders of the town nearest to the corpse shall wash their hands over the heifer whose neck was broken in the wadi.
Targum Onkelos
וְכֹל סָבֵי קַרְתָּא הַהִיא דְּקָרִיבִין לִקְטִילָא יַסְחוֹן יָת יְדֵיהוֹן עַל עֶגְלְתָא דִּנְקִיפָא בְּנַחְלָא׃
And all the elders of that city, those near the corpse, will wash their hands over the calf beheaded in that valley.
- Deuteronomy 21:7
וְעָנוּ וְאָמְרוּ יָדֵינוּ לֹא (שפכה) [שָׁפְכוּ] אֶת־הַדָּם הַזֶּה וְעֵינֵינוּ לֹא רָאוּ׃
And they shall make this declaration: “Our hands did not shed this blood, nor did our eyes see it done.
Targum Onkelos
וְיָתִיבוּן וְיֵימְרוּן יְדַנָא לָא אֲשַׁדָא יָת דְּמָא הָדֵין וְעֵינַנָא לָא חֲזַאָה׃
They will [answer] loudly declare, ‘‘Our hands have not spilled this blood and our eyes did not see.’’
- Deuteronomy 21:8
כַּפֵּר לְעַמְּךָ יִשְׂרָאֵל אֲשֶׁר־פָּדִיתָ יְהֹוָה וְאַל־תִּתֵּן דָּם נָקִי בְּקֶרֶב עַמְּךָ יִשְׂרָאֵל וְנִכַּפֵּר לָהֶם הַדָּם׃
Absolve, O ETERNAL One, Your people Israel whom You redeemed, and do not let guilt for the blood of the innocent remain among Your people Israel.” And they will be absolved of bloodguilt.
Targum Onkelos
כָּהֲנַיָּא יֵימְרוּן כַּפַּר לְעַמָּךְ יִשְׂרָאֵל דִּפְרַקְתָּא יְיָ וְלָא תִתֵּין חוֹבַת דַּם זַכַּאי בְּגוֹ עַמָּךְ יִשְׂרָאֵל וְיִתְכַּפַּר לְהוֹן עַל דְּמָא׃
[The kohanim will say,] ‘‘Forgive Your people Yisroel, whom You, Adonoy, have redeemed; and do not allow [the responsibility of] innocent blood [liability] within Your people Yisroel.’’ The blood shall thus be atoned for in their behalf.
- Deuteronomy 21:9
וְאַתָּה תְּבַעֵר הַדָּם הַנָּקִי מִקִּרְבֶּךָ כִּי־תַעֲשֶׂה הַיָּשָׁר בְּעֵינֵי יְהֹוָה׃
Thus you will remove from your midst guilt for the blood of the innocent, for you will be doing what is right in GOD’s sight.
Targum Onkelos
וְאַתְּ תְּפַלֵּי אָשְׁדֵי דַּם זַכַּאי מִבֵּינָךְ אֲרֵי תַעֲבֵיד דְּכָשַׁר קֳדָם יְיָ׃
Still, you must eradicate the [liability for] [shedding] innocent blood from within you, when you do what is upright [proper] in Adonoy’s eyes.