Deuteronomy 20:11
And if it responds to you peaceably and it opens to you, then all the people who are found in it shall do forced labor for you and shall serve you.
English Standard Version (ESV)
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Instead of outright destruction, a city that surrenders peaceably is to provide tribute and labor, signifying not necessarily slavery but a form of national service and submission under the victor's rule. This demonstrates a nuanced approach to warfare, distinguishing between complete annihilation and the subjugation of a defeated enemy.
This passage comes as part of instructions for the Israelites about how to conduct warfare, specifically addressing how to deal with cities they encounter. After outlining the initial offer of peace to a city, this verse details the consequence if the city surrenders peacefully: its inhabitants are to become subjects, paying tribute and performing labor for Israel. This is contrasted with the harsh fate prescribed for the Canaanite nations, whom they were commanded to utterly destroy to prevent them from corrupting Israel with their idolatrous practices.
Imagine approaching a fortified city, ready for battle. But what if the city chooses a different path? This verse reveals God's surprising protocol for peaceful surrender.
In ancient warfare, the norm was often total annihilation or outright conquest. However, Deuteronomy 20 lays out a specific procedure for dealing with cities.
The Proclamation of Peace
Before any battle commences, Israel was commanded to first offer terms of peace. This wasn't just a suggestion; it was a divine instruction.
Conditions for Surrender
If a city responded positively, opening its gates and agreeing to the terms of peace, a different outcome awaited its inhabitants.
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Warfare in the ancient world was brutal. Yet, within God's commands for Israel, there's a distinct difference in how cities were treated based on their response. What does this tell us about God's justice?
Deuteronomy 20 presents a clear distinction between cities that resisted and those that surrendered peacefully.
Cities of Distant Nations (Deut. 20:15)
For cities far away that were not part of the land God was giving to Israel, if they surrendered peacefully, they would become tributaries and serve Israel.
Cities of the Promised Land (Deut. 20:16-18)
However, for the cities within the land God was giving to Israel – the Hittites, Amorites, Canaanites, etc. – the command was different. If they did not surrender peacefully, they were to be utterly destroyed. This was not arbitrary cruelty but a divine judgment against deeply ingrained idolatry and wickedness that would corrupt Israel.
The Principle of Just War
This distinction highlights that God's commands, even in war, were not without principle. Peaceful submission led to subjugation and service, while stubborn resistance and deeply rooted corruption led to destruction. The overarching goal was the preservation of Israel's covenant faithfulness.
Understand the original words
shalom · Hebrew Noun
In a biblical context, peace (Shalom) denotes more than the absence of conflict; it signifies wholeness, well-being, harmony, and a state of reconciliation or covenantal accord with God and others.
mas · Hebrew Noun
The term refers to compulsory, often heavy labor imposed upon a conquered or subjugated population, reflecting the socio-political reality of ancient Near Eastern warfare and covenantal consequences.
abad · Hebrew Verb
To serve denotes submitting to the authority or ownership of another, often used in scripture to describe either enslavement to masters or, more importantly, the devotional service and worship owed to God.
This passage directly follows the conquest of Canaan and describes how the Ephraimites did not drive out the Canaanites living among them, instead making them 'forced labor,' echoing the 'tribute and service' mentioned in Deuteronomy 20:11.
1 Kings 9:20-21After Solomon conquered cities the Israelites couldn't fully take, he used the remaining Amorites, Hittites, Perizzites, Hivites, and Jebusites as forced labor for his building projects, illustrating the long-term consequence of 'tribute and service' as commanded in Deuteronomy.
2 Chronicles 8:7-8This passage shows the descendants of those not utterly destroyed by Israel, including the Hivites and Jebusites, being subjected to forced labor for Solomon's kingdom, directly fulfilling the principle of 'tribute and service' for surrendered peoples.
Isaiah 31:8This prophecy speaks of the Assyrians falling not by the sword but into servitude, with their forced labor becoming tribute, reflecting the same concept of subjugation and service applied to conquered peoples in Deuteronomy 20:11.
pooleDeuteronomy 20:11: "And it shall be, if it make thee answer of peace, and open unto thee, then it shall be, that all the people that is found therein shall be tributaries unto thee, and they shall serve thee."
By their purses, and by their labours too, as appears from 1 Kings 9:15 2 Chronicles 8:7,8
calvinDeuteronomy 20:10-18: "When thou comest nigh unto a city to fight against it, then proclaim peace unto it."
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.
Tantum mulieres, et parvulos, et animalia, et quicquid fuerit in urbe, omnia spolia ejus praedaberis tibi: comedesque spolia inimicorum tuorum, quos dederit…
Instead of outright destruction, a city that surrenders peaceably is to provide tribute and labor, signifying not necessarily slavery but a form of national service and submission under the victor's rule. This demonstrates a nuanced approach to warfare, distinguishing between complete annihilation and the subjugation of a defeated enemy.
This passage comes as part of instructions for the Israelites about how to conduct warfare, specifically addressing how to deal with cities they encounter. After outlining the initial offer of peace to a city, this verse details the consequence if the city surrenders peacefully: its inhabitants are to become subjects, paying tribute and performing labor for Israel. This is contrasted with the harsh fate prescribed for the Canaanite nations, whom they were commanded to utterly destroy to prevent them from corrupting Israel with their idolatrous practices.
This passage comes as part of instructions for the Israelites about how to conduct warfare, specifically addressing how to deal with cities they encounter. After outlining the initial offer of peace to a city, this verse details the consequence if the city surrenders peacefully: its inhabitants are to become subjects, paying tribute and performing labor for Israel. This is contrasted with the harsh fate prescribed for the Canaanite nations, whom they were commanded to utterly destroy to prevent them from corrupting Israel with their idolatrous practices.
"And if it responds to you peaceably and it opens to you, then all the people who are found in it shall do forced labor for you and shall serve you." — Instead of outright destruction, a city that surrenders peaceably is to provide tribute and labor, signifying not necessarily slavery but a form of national service and submission under the victor's…
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