Deuteronomy 20:17
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This isn't just about military victory; it's about eradicating a spiritual disease. God commanded total destruction not out of bloodlust, but to prevent the surrounding nations' corrupting practices from teaching Israel to sin against their own God.
but you shall devote them to complete destruction, the Hittites and the Amorites, the Canaanites and the Perizzites, the Hivites and the Jebusites, as the LORD your God has commanded,
English Standard Version (ESV)
This instruction follows the directives for warfare against cities far away, contrasting it with the harsh command for the cities within the promised land. It's part of a larger section laying out specific rules for Israel's military engagements, detailing when and how they are to fight, and crucially, how they are to treat their enemies. The command here is absolute and final for these particular nations dwelling in the land God was giving Israel.
This command is harsh, even shocking. Why would a loving God order such severe judgment on entire nations?
This wasn't random violence, but a divinely ordained judgment. The Canaanite nations had reached a point of extreme wickedness and corruption after centuries of idolatry and cruelty. God had been patient, but their continued unfaithfulness made them a moral blight that threatened to infect Israel's spiritual purity.
Think of it like a deep infection that needs to be surgically removed to save the whole body. God's command to 'utterly destroy' (a concept often translated from the Hebrew word 'cherem', meaning something devoted to destruction or destruction itself) was about preventing the spread of deeply ingrained sin and idolatry. It was a necessary, albeit severe, act to protect His chosen people and preserve the lineage through which the Savior would come.
If the command was 'utter destruction,' how did some nations, like the Gibeonites, survive and even become part of Israel?
While the command for utter destruction applied to the seven Canaanite nations in the land, the text also reveals nuances in its application. The primary goal was to prevent the nations' corrupting influence. However, God's justice and mercy often work in tandem.
The Gibeonites, for instance, were spared through a clever ruse, seeking a treaty with Israel by pretending to come from a distant land. When their deception was discovered, Israel's leaders, bound by their oath, couldn't put them to death. Instead, their political and national existence was annihilated – they became perpetual servants ('hewers of wood and drawers of water'). This demonstrates that while their idolatry and practices were condemned, God allowed for strategic mercy and the preservation of those who genuinely sought to submit, even if through deception initially.
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Similarly, figures like Rahab were spared due to her faith in God. This shows that the destruction was primarily aimed at the nations as corrupt political and religious entities, not necessarily every single individual who might show a willingness to align with God's people.
Understand the original words
cherem · Hebrew Noun
A term referring to the act of dedicating something or someone entirely to God. In the context of war, it involved the total destruction of an enemy and their possessions as an act of holy judgment to prevent idolatrous influence.
This passage describes the complete destruction of Jericho, mirroring the command in Deuteronomy to devote certain nations to destruction and leave nothing alive.
Deuteronomy 7:1-2This passage directly precedes the command in Deuteronomy 20 and reiterates the reason for destroying the nations: to prevent Israel from adopting their detestable practices and sinning against God.
1 Samuel 15:3This passage shows Saul's failure to completely destroy the Amalekites as God commanded, highlighting the seriousness of the command for utter destruction and the consequences of disobedience.
Romans 6:23This verse speaks of the 'wages of sin' being death, which conceptually aligns with the idea that persistent sin and corruption, as seen in the Canaanites, ultimately brings divine judgment and destruction.
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…
gillDeuteronomy 20:17: "But thou shalt utterly destroy them; namely, the Hittites, and the Amorites, the Canaanites, and the Perizzites, the Hivites, and the Jebusites; as the LORD thy God hath commanded thee:"
But thou shalt utterly destroy them,.... Men, women, and children: some think this is to be understood only of such cities which did not accept of terms of peace; for they are of opinion that Joshua made proclamation of peace to all the cities of Canaan; which being not complied with, he des…
This isn't just about military victory; it's about eradicating a spiritual disease. God commanded total destruction not out of bloodlust, but to prevent the surrounding nations' corrupting practices from teaching Israel to sin against their own God.
This instruction follows the directives for warfare against cities far away, contrasting it with the harsh command for the cities within the promised land. It's part of a larger section laying out specific rules for Israel's military engagements, detailing when and how they are to fight, and crucially, how they are to treat their enemies. The command here is absolute and final for these particular nations dwelling in the land God was giving Israel.
This instruction follows the directives for warfare against cities far away, contrasting it with the harsh command for the cities within the promised land. It's part of a larger section laying out specific rules for Israel's military engagements, detailing when and how they are to fight, and crucially, how they are to treat their enemies. The command here is absolute and final for these particular nations dwelling in the land God was giving Israel.
"but you shall devote them to complete destruction, the Hittites and the Amorites, the Canaanites and the Perizzites, the Hivites and the Jebusites, as the LORD your God has commanded," — This isn't just about military victory; it's about eradicating a spiritual disease. God commanded total destruction not out of bloodlust, but to prevent the surrounding nations' corrupting practices…
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Last reviewed October 2026
