Deuteronomy 20 Study Notes
General
True or False: The offer of peace in 20:10-15 was meant for the Canaanite nations' towns inside the land God was giving Israel.
Answer: False
This is false. The peace terms applied only to cities far away that were not part of the nations nearby (20:15). For the towns of the peoples inside the promised land a different rule applied: complete destruction (20:16-17), as Moses had already commanded, forbidding any treaty with them (7:1-2). The Gibeonites later exploited this difference by tricking Joshua into thinking they lived far away. When the deception came to light, they were made to cut wood and draw water (Joshua 9:22-23).
- Deuteronomy 20:15 (BSB)“This is how you are to treat all the cities that are far away from you and do not belong to the nations nearby.”The peace procedure is limited to distant cities outside the nearby nations.
- Deuteronomy 7:1-2 (BSB)“When the LORD your God brings you into the land that you are entering to possess, and He drives out before you many nations—the Hittites, Girgashites, Amorites, Canaanites, Perizzites, Hivites, and Jebusites, seven nations larger and stronger than you— and when the LORD your God has delivered them over to you to defeat them, then you must devote them to complete destruction. Make no treaty with them and show them no mercy.”Moses had forbidden any treaty with the nations inside the land.
- Joshua 9:22-23 (BSB)“Then Joshua summoned the Gibeonites and said, “Why did you deceive us by telling us you live far away from us, when in fact you live among us? Now therefore you are under a curse and will perpetually serve as woodcutters and water carriers for the house of my God.””The Gibeonites had pretended to live far away, and were bound to service when exposed.
Theological
True or False: Deuteronomy 20:10-15 extends peace terms to the towns of the Canaanite nations within the inheritance.
Answer: False
This is false. Verse 15 restricts the procedure to distant cities not belonging to the nearby nations. The cities within the inheritance fall under herem instead (20:16-17), consistent with the earlier prohibition of any treaty with the peoples of Canaan (7:1-2). The Gibeonite episode turns on exactly this distinction; once their deception was exposed, Joshua bound them to perpetual service (Joshua 9:22-23).
- Deuteronomy 20:15 (BSB)“This is how you are to treat all the cities that are far away from you and do not belong to the nations nearby.”The peace procedure is limited to distant cities outside the nearby nations.
- Deuteronomy 7:1-2 (BSB)“When the LORD your God brings you into the land that you are entering to possess, and He drives out before you many nations—the Hittites, Girgashites, Amorites, Canaanites, Perizzites, Hivites, and Jebusites, seven nations larger and stronger than you— and when the LORD your God has delivered them over to you to defeat them, then you must devote them to complete destruction. Make no treaty with them and show them no mercy.”Moses had forbidden any treaty with the nations inside the land.
- Joshua 9:22-23 (BSB)“Then Joshua summoned the Gibeonites and said, “Why did you deceive us by telling us you live far away from us, when in fact you live among us? Now therefore you are under a curse and will perpetually serve as woodcutters and water carriers for the house of my God.””The Gibeonites had pretended to live far away, and were bound to service when exposed.
General
What reason does Moses give Israel for not fearing an enemy with horses, chariots, and a bigger army?
Answer: The God who had brought them out of Egypt was with them in battle
Moses expects Israel to face armies larger and better equipped than its own. The ground for courage is not Israel's strength but the LORD's presence: the same God who had already rescued them from Egypt would be with them (20:1). Past rescue is the pledge of future help. Moses made the same argument earlier, urging the people to remember how God dealt with Pharaoh (7:18-19). A psalm contrasts reliance on chariots and horses with trust in the LORD's name (Psalm 20:7), and Paul draws the same confidence for believers: since God is on His people's side, no opponent can finally prevail against them (Romans 8:31).
- Deuteronomy 20:1 (BSB)“When you go out to war against your enemies and see horses, chariots, and an army larger than yours, do not be afraid of them; for the LORD your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, is with you.”Moses tells Israel not to fear a larger army, because the LORD who brought them out of Egypt is with them.
- Deuteronomy 7:18-19 (BSB)“But do not be afraid of them. Be sure to remember what the LORD your God did to Pharaoh and all Egypt: the great trials that you saw, the signs and wonders, and the mighty hand and outstretched arm by which the LORD your God brought you out. The LORD your God will do the same to all the peoples you now fear.”Moses grounds courage in remembering what God did to Pharaoh and Egypt.
- Psalm 20:7 (BSB)“Some trust in chariots and others in horses, but we trust in the name of the LORD our God.”The psalm sets trust in the LORD against trust in chariots and horses.
- Romans 8:31 (BSB)“What then shall we say in response to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us?”Paul reasons that God's being for His people outweighs every opponent.
Theological
On what basis does Deuteronomy 20:1 forbid Israel to fear a superior enemy force?
Answer: The God who had brought them out of Egypt was with them in battle
Israel's courage rests on the presence of the covenant God whose saving power was already displayed in the exodus (20:1). The redemption from Egypt functions as the guarantee of future deliverance, the same logic Moses used in 7:18-19. Psalm 20:7 sets trust in the LORD's name against trust in military hardware, and Paul applies the principle to the church: since God is on His people's side, no adversary can finally stand against them (Romans 8:31).
- Deuteronomy 20:1 (BSB)“When you go out to war against your enemies and see horses, chariots, and an army larger than yours, do not be afraid of them; for the LORD your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, is with you.”Moses tells Israel not to fear a larger army, because the LORD who brought them out of Egypt is with them.
- Deuteronomy 7:18-19 (BSB)“But do not be afraid of them. Be sure to remember what the LORD your God did to Pharaoh and all Egypt: the great trials that you saw, the signs and wonders, and the mighty hand and outstretched arm by which the LORD your God brought you out. The LORD your God will do the same to all the peoples you now fear.”Moses grounds courage in remembering what God did to Pharaoh and Egypt.
- Psalm 20:7 (BSB)“Some trust in chariots and others in horses, but we trust in the name of the LORD our God.”The psalm sets trust in the LORD against trust in chariots and horses.
- Romans 8:31 (BSB)“What then shall we say in response to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us?”Paul reasons that God's being for His people outweighs every opponent.
General
Which of these men did the officers send home rather than into battle?
Answer: A man engaged to a woman whose wedding had not yet happened
The officers announced three exemptions: a man who had built a house but not yet dedicated it, a man who had planted a vineyard but not yet eaten its fruit, and a man engaged to a woman he had not yet married. Each was to go home so that he would not be killed in the fighting and leave someone else to enjoy what he had begun (20:5-7). The law showed care for ordinary life and hopes. A related law gave a newly married man a full year at home, free from military duty (24:5). The same three losses later appear among the covenant curses for disobedience (28:30).
- Deuteronomy 20:5-7 (BSB)“Furthermore, the officers are to address the army, saying, “Has any man built a new house and not dedicated it? Let him return home, or he may die in battle and another man dedicate it. Has any man planted a vineyard and not begun to enjoy its fruit? Let him return home, or he may die in battle and another man enjoy its fruit. Has any man become pledged to a woman and not married her? Let him return home, or he may die in battle and another man marry her.””The officers send home men with a new house, a new vineyard, or a bride not yet married.
- Deuteronomy 24:5 (BSB)“If a man is newly married, he must not be sent to war or be pressed into any duty. For one year he is free to stay at home and bring joy to the wife he has married.”A newly married man was freed from military service for a year.
- Deuteronomy 28:30 (BSB)“You will be pledged in marriage to a woman, but another man will violate her. You will build a house but will not live in it. You will plant a vineyard but will not enjoy its fruit.”The covenant curses include losing a betrothed wife, a new house, and a vineyard's fruit.
Theological
Which exemption from military service do the officers announce in Deuteronomy 20:5-7?
Answer: A man engaged to a woman whose wedding had not yet happened
Three exemptions are granted: the man with an undedicated new house, the man with a vineyard whose fruit he has not yet enjoyed, and the betrothed man not yet married (20:5-7). Each concerns a life-good begun but not yet received. The newly married man receives a year's exemption in 24:5, and the same three frustrations reappear among the covenant curses (28:30), where losing them is a mark of judgment.
- Deuteronomy 20:5-7 (BSB)“Furthermore, the officers are to address the army, saying, “Has any man built a new house and not dedicated it? Let him return home, or he may die in battle and another man dedicate it. Has any man planted a vineyard and not begun to enjoy its fruit? Let him return home, or he may die in battle and another man enjoy its fruit. Has any man become pledged to a woman and not married her? Let him return home, or he may die in battle and another man marry her.””The officers send home men with a new house, a new vineyard, or a bride not yet married.
- Deuteronomy 24:5 (BSB)“If a man is newly married, he must not be sent to war or be pressed into any duty. For one year he is free to stay at home and bring joy to the wife he has married.”A newly married man was freed from military service for a year.
- Deuteronomy 28:30 (BSB)“You will be pledged in marriage to a woman, but another man will violate her. You will build a house but will not live in it. You will plant a vineyard but will not enjoy its fruit.”The covenant curses include losing a betrothed wife, a new house, and a vineyard's fruit.
General
True or False: The officers sent home any soldier who was afraid, so that his fear would not spread to the other men.
Answer: True
This is true. After the three exemptions, the officers invited anyone fearful or fainthearted to go back, so that his fear would not weaken the courage of his fellow soldiers (20:8). Only then were commanders appointed (20:9). Fear spreads, as Israel had learned when the spies' report discouraged the whole people (1:28; Joshua 14:8). The rule also meant Israel went to war relying on the LORD rather than on large numbers. Gideon's army was thinned in this very way when God said it was too large (Judges 7:2-3).
- Deuteronomy 20:8-9 (BSB)“Then the officers shall speak further to the army, saying, “Is any man afraid or fainthearted? Let him return home, so that the hearts of his brothers will not melt like his own.” When the officers have finished addressing the army, they are to appoint commanders to lead it.”The officers dismiss the fearful so they will not discourage others, then appoint commanders.
- Deuteronomy 1:28 (BSB)“Where can we go? Our brothers have made our hearts melt, saying: ‘The people are larger and taller than we are; the cities are large, with walls up to the heavens. We even saw the descendants of the Anakim there.’””The people recalled how the spies' report had made their hearts melt.
- Joshua 14:8 (BSB)“Although my brothers who went with me made the hearts of the people melt with fear, I remained loyal to the LORD my God.”Caleb recalls that the other spies spread fear among the people.
- Judges 7:2-3 (BSB)“Then the LORD said to Gideon, “You have too many men for Me to deliver Midian into their hands, lest Israel glorify themselves over Me, saying, ‘My own hand has saved me.’ Now, therefore, proclaim in the hearing of the men: ‘Whoever is fearful and trembling may turn back and leave Mount Gilead.’” So twenty-two thousand of them turned back, but ten thousand remained.”God sends the fearful home from Gideon's army so Israel cannot boast in its own strength.
Theological
True or False: Deuteronomy 20:8 sends fearful soldiers home to keep their fear from spreading through the ranks.
Answer: True
This is true. The fearful are dismissed so that their dread does not melt the resolve of their brothers (20:8), before commanders are appointed (20:9). The spies' report at Kadesh had shown how contagious fear is (1:28; Joshua 14:8). The provision also reduces Israel's reliance on numbers; in Judges 7:2-3 God has the fearful sent home from Gideon's army so that Israel could not boast that its own strength had saved it.
- Deuteronomy 20:8-9 (BSB)“Then the officers shall speak further to the army, saying, “Is any man afraid or fainthearted? Let him return home, so that the hearts of his brothers will not melt like his own.” When the officers have finished addressing the army, they are to appoint commanders to lead it.”The officers dismiss the fearful so they will not discourage others, then appoint commanders.
- Deuteronomy 1:28 (BSB)“Where can we go? Our brothers have made our hearts melt, saying: ‘The people are larger and taller than we are; the cities are large, with walls up to the heavens. We even saw the descendants of the Anakim there.’””The people recalled how the spies' report had made their hearts melt.
- Joshua 14:8 (BSB)“Although my brothers who went with me made the hearts of the people melt with fear, I remained loyal to the LORD my God.”Caleb recalls that the other spies spread fear among the people.
- Judges 7:2-3 (BSB)“Then the LORD said to Gideon, “You have too many men for Me to deliver Midian into their hands, lest Israel glorify themselves over Me, saying, ‘My own hand has saved me.’ Now, therefore, proclaim in the hearing of the men: ‘Whoever is fearful and trembling may turn back and leave Mount Gilead.’” So twenty-two thousand of them turned back, but ten thousand remained.”God sends the fearful home from Gideon's army so Israel cannot boast in its own strength.
General
During a long siege, which trees were the Israelites forbidden to cut down, and why?
Answer: Fruit-bearing trees, since the people would be able to eat from them
Even during a long siege, Israel was not to take axes to trees that bore fruit, because those trees provided food. The question in 20:19 makes the point sharply: trees are not enemy soldiers to be attacked. Trees that did not bear fruit could be cut down and used for siege works until the city fell (20:19-20). The law restrained wasteful destruction in war and protected the produce of the land. From creation God had given fruit trees to people as food (Genesis 1:29), and such trees were part of what made Canaan a good land (8:7-8).
- Deuteronomy 20:19-20 (BSB)“When you lay siege to a city for an extended time while fighting against it to capture it, you must not destroy its trees by putting an axe to them, because you can eat their fruit. You must not cut them down. Are the trees of the field human, that you should besiege them? But you may destroy the trees that you know do not produce fruit. Use them to build siege works against the city that is waging war against you, until it falls.”Israel must not cut down fruit trees during a siege, though other trees may be used for siege works.
- Genesis 1:29 (BSB)“Then God said, “Behold, I have given you every seed-bearing plant on the face of all the earth, and every tree whose fruit contains seed. They will be yours for food.”God gave fruit-bearing trees to humanity as food from the beginning.
- Deuteronomy 8:7-8 (BSB)“For the LORD your God is bringing you into a good land, a land of brooks and fountains and springs that flow through the valleys and hills; a land of wheat, barley, vines, fig trees, and pomegranates; a land of olive oil and honey;”Fruit trees such as vines, figs, and pomegranates were part of the goodness of the land.
Theological
Which trees does Deuteronomy 20:19-20 forbid Israel to cut down during a siege, and why?
Answer: Fruit-bearing trees, since the people would be able to eat from them
Fruit trees may not be felled during a siege, because they supply food; the rhetorical question in 20:19 denies that trees are combatants. Only trees known not to bear fruit may be cut for siege works (20:19-20). The law restrains the destructiveness of war and preserves the fruitfulness of the land, which God gave to humanity for food from creation (Genesis 1:29) and which marked Canaan as a good land (8:7-8).
- Deuteronomy 20:19-20 (BSB)“When you lay siege to a city for an extended time while fighting against it to capture it, you must not destroy its trees by putting an axe to them, because you can eat their fruit. You must not cut them down. Are the trees of the field human, that you should besiege them? But you may destroy the trees that you know do not produce fruit. Use them to build siege works against the city that is waging war against you, until it falls.”Israel must not cut down fruit trees during a siege, though other trees may be used for siege works.
- Genesis 1:29 (BSB)“Then God said, “Behold, I have given you every seed-bearing plant on the face of all the earth, and every tree whose fruit contains seed. They will be yours for food.”God gave fruit-bearing trees to humanity as food from the beginning.
- Deuteronomy 8:7-8 (BSB)“For the LORD your God is bringing you into a good land, a land of brooks and fountains and springs that flow through the valleys and hills; a land of wheat, barley, vines, fig trees, and pomegranates; a land of olive oil and honey;”Fruit trees such as vines, figs, and pomegranates were part of the goodness of the land.
General
What were the Israelites to do first when they came against a distant city to attack it?
Answer: Offer it terms of peace before any of the fighting began
Before attacking a city outside the promised land, Israel was to offer it peace. If the city accepted and opened its gates, its people were spared and made to serve as forced laborers. If it refused and fought, Israel was to besiege it, and when God gave it into their hand, every male was put to death while the women, children, animals, and goods were taken as plunder (20:10-14). Moses had likewise sent messengers to Sihon proposing peace before that war (2:26). The difference between far and near cities also shaped Israel's first reply to the Gibeonites, who claimed to live in a faraway country: if they lived nearby, Israel could not enter a covenant with them (Joshua 9:6-7).
- Deuteronomy 20:10-14 (BSB)“When you approach a city to fight against it, you are to make an offer of peace. If they accept your offer of peace and open their gates, all the people there will become forced laborers to serve you. But if they refuse to make peace with you and wage war against you, lay siege to that city. When the LORD your God has delivered it into your hand, you must put every male to the sword. But the women, children, livestock, and whatever else is in the city—all its spoil—you may take as plunder, and you shall use the spoil of your enemies that the LORD your God gives you.”Israel must offer peace to a distant city; the outcome depends on whether it accepts.
- Deuteronomy 2:26 (BSB)“So from the Wilderness of Kedemoth I sent messengers with an offer of peace to Sihon king of Heshbon, saying,”Moses sent Sihon an offer of peace before the conflict.
- Joshua 9:6-7 (BSB)“They went to Joshua in the camp at Gilgal and said to him and the men of Israel, “We have come from a distant land; please make a treaty with us.” But the men of Israel said to the Hivites, “Perhaps you dwell near us. How can we make a treaty with you?””The Gibeonites claimed to be from far away, and Israel replied that a nearby people could not receive a treaty.
Theological
What does Deuteronomy 20:10 require before Israel attacks a distant city?
Answer: Offer it terms of peace before any of the fighting began
Warfare against cities outside Canaan begins by proposing peace. Acceptance brings the city into forced labor under Israel; refusal leads to siege, the execution of every male once the LORD delivers the city, and the seizure of the women and children, animals, and goods as spoil (20:10-14). Moses had likewise sent envoys proposing peace to Sihon (2:26). The distinction also underlies Israel's first answer to the Gibeonites, who claimed to live in a faraway country: a people living nearby could not be granted a treaty (Joshua 9:6-7).
- Deuteronomy 20:10-14 (BSB)“When you approach a city to fight against it, you are to make an offer of peace. If they accept your offer of peace and open their gates, all the people there will become forced laborers to serve you. But if they refuse to make peace with you and wage war against you, lay siege to that city. When the LORD your God has delivered it into your hand, you must put every male to the sword. But the women, children, livestock, and whatever else is in the city—all its spoil—you may take as plunder, and you shall use the spoil of your enemies that the LORD your God gives you.”Israel must offer peace to a distant city; the outcome depends on whether it accepts.
- Deuteronomy 2:26 (BSB)“So from the Wilderness of Kedemoth I sent messengers with an offer of peace to Sihon king of Heshbon, saying,”Moses sent Sihon an offer of peace before the conflict.
- Joshua 9:6-7 (BSB)“They went to Joshua in the camp at Gilgal and said to him and the men of Israel, “We have come from a distant land; please make a treaty with us.” But the men of Israel said to the Hivites, “Perhaps you dwell near us. How can we make a treaty with you?””The Gibeonites claimed to be from far away, and Israel replied that a nearby people could not receive a treaty.
General
Who spoke to Israel's army first as a battle drew near, and what was the heart of the message?
Answer: The priest, assuring the troops that the LORD would fight on their behalf
Before the fighting began, the priest stepped forward to address the troops. He called Israel to listen and told them not to lose heart or panic, because the LORD would go out with them and fight their enemies for them to save them (20:2-4). The battle was ultimately God's. Moses had spoken the same way at the Red Sea (Exodus 14:13-14). Joshua later reminded Israel that one of them could rout a thousand because the LORD fought for them (Joshua 23:10), and the LORD's message to King Jehoshaphat declared that the battle was God's rather than Judah's (2 Chronicles 20:15).
- Deuteronomy 20:2-4 (BSB)“When you are about to go into battle, the priest is to come forward and address the army, saying to them, “Hear, O Israel, today you are going into battle with your enemies. Do not be fainthearted or afraid; do not be alarmed or terrified because of them. For the LORD your God goes with you to fight for you against your enemies, to give you the victory.””The priest encourages the army that the LORD goes with them and fights for them.
- Exodus 14:13-14 (BSB)“But Moses told the people, “Do not be afraid. Stand firm and you will see the LORD’s salvation, which He will accomplish for you today; for the Egyptians you see today, you will never see again. The LORD will fight for you; you need only to be still.””At the Red Sea Moses told the people not to fear because the LORD would fight for them.
- Joshua 23:10 (BSB)“One of you can put a thousand to flight, because the LORD your God fights for you, just as He promised.”Joshua reminds Israel that one could rout a thousand because God fought for them.
- 2 Chronicles 20:15 (BSB)“And he said, “Listen, all you people of Judah and Jerusalem! Listen, King Jehoshaphat! This is what the LORD says: ‘Do not be afraid or discouraged because of this vast army, for the battle does not belong to you, but to God.”The LORD's message to Jehoshaphat declares that the battle belongs to God.
Theological
According to Deuteronomy 20:2-4, who first addressed the army before battle, and with what message?
Answer: The priest, assuring the troops that the LORD would fight on their behalf
The priest, not a military officer, speaks first, which frames Israel's warfare as the LORD's own campaign. His charge forbids fear and panic on the ground that the LORD accompanies Israel and fights for them to give them victory (20:2-4). The theme recurs throughout Israel's history: Moses at the sea (Exodus 14:13-14), Joshua's farewell (Joshua 23:10), and the prophetic word to Jehoshaphat that the battle was God's (2 Chronicles 20:15).
- Deuteronomy 20:2-4 (BSB)“When you are about to go into battle, the priest is to come forward and address the army, saying to them, “Hear, O Israel, today you are going into battle with your enemies. Do not be fainthearted or afraid; do not be alarmed or terrified because of them. For the LORD your God goes with you to fight for you against your enemies, to give you the victory.””The priest encourages the army that the LORD goes with them and fights for them.
- Exodus 14:13-14 (BSB)“But Moses told the people, “Do not be afraid. Stand firm and you will see the LORD’s salvation, which He will accomplish for you today; for the Egyptians you see today, you will never see again. The LORD will fight for you; you need only to be still.””At the Red Sea Moses told the people not to fear because the LORD would fight for them.
- Joshua 23:10 (BSB)“One of you can put a thousand to flight, because the LORD your God fights for you, just as He promised.”Joshua reminds Israel that one could rout a thousand because God fought for them.
- 2 Chronicles 20:15 (BSB)“And he said, “Listen, all you people of Judah and Jerusalem! Listen, King Jehoshaphat! This is what the LORD says: ‘Do not be afraid or discouraged because of this vast army, for the battle does not belong to you, but to God.”The LORD's message to Jehoshaphat declares that the battle belongs to God.
General
What reason does 20:18 give for devoting the nations inside the land to complete destruction?
Answer: So they would not lead Israel into their abominable religious practices
In the towns of the six nations named in 20:17, Israel was to leave nothing alive that breathed (20:16-17). To devote something to destruction (in Hebrew, herem) meant handing it over wholly to the LORD, here for judgment. The text gives the reason directly: those peoples would teach Israel their abhorrent religious practices and so lead them into sin against God (20:18). Moses elsewhere adds that the nations were being driven out for their own wickedness, not for Israel's righteousness (9:4-5), a judgment God had told Abram would wait until the Amorites' iniquity was complete (Genesis 15:16). The command belonged to Israel's unique role as God's covenant nation at one specific moment in redemptive history; it was given for that conquest, not as a pattern for any later people. The danger proved real: when Israel failed to carry it out, they took up Canaanite idolatry and even sacrificed their own children (Psalm 106:34-38).
- Deuteronomy 20:16-18 (BSB)“However, in the cities of the nations that the LORD your God is giving you as an inheritance, you must not leave alive anything that breathes. For you must devote them to complete destruction—the Hittites, Amorites, Canaanites, Perizzites, Hivites, and Jebusites—as the LORD your God has commanded you, so that they cannot teach you to do all the detestable things they do for their gods, and so cause you to sin against the LORD your God.”The cities of the nations within the land are devoted to destruction so they cannot teach Israel their practices.
- Deuteronomy 9:4-5 (BSB)“When the LORD your God has driven them out before you, do not say in your heart, “Because of my righteousness the LORD has brought me in to possess this land.” Rather, the LORD is driving out these nations before you because of their wickedness. It is not because of your righteousness or uprightness of heart that you are going in to possess their land, but it is because of their wickedness that the LORD your God is driving out these nations before you, to keep the promise He swore to your fathers, to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.”The nations were driven out for their wickedness, not because of Israel's righteousness.
- Genesis 15:16 (BSB)“In the fourth generation your descendants will return here, for the iniquity of the Amorites is not yet complete.””God waited until the Amorites' iniquity was complete before bringing judgment.
- Psalm 106:34-38 (BSB)“They did not destroy the peoples as the LORD had commanded them, but they mingled with the nations and adopted their customs. They worshiped their idols, which became a snare to them. They sacrificed their sons and their daughters to demons. They shed innocent blood—the blood of their sons and daughters, whom they sacrificed to the idols of Canaan, and the land was polluted with blood.”When Israel failed to destroy the nations, it adopted their idolatry and child sacrifice.
Theological
What rationale does Deuteronomy 20:18 give for applying herem to the nations of Canaan?
Answer: So they would not lead Israel into their abominable religious practices
Within the inheritance, the towns of the six nations listed in 20:17 were placed under herem, with nothing that breathed left alive (20:16-17). The stated rationale is protective: those peoples would draw Israel into their abominations and so into rebellion against the LORD (20:18). Deuteronomy also presents the conquest as judgment on the nations' wickedness rather than a reward for Israel's merit (9:4-5), long withheld until Amorite iniquity was complete (Genesis 15:16). The command is tied to Israel's theocratic calling at a unique point in redemptive history and provides no warrant for any later people. Israel's failure to obey led exactly where the text warned: syncretism and child sacrifice (Psalm 106:34-38).
- Deuteronomy 20:16-18 (BSB)“However, in the cities of the nations that the LORD your God is giving you as an inheritance, you must not leave alive anything that breathes. For you must devote them to complete destruction—the Hittites, Amorites, Canaanites, Perizzites, Hivites, and Jebusites—as the LORD your God has commanded you, so that they cannot teach you to do all the detestable things they do for their gods, and so cause you to sin against the LORD your God.”The cities of the nations within the land are devoted to destruction so they cannot teach Israel their practices.
- Deuteronomy 9:4-5 (BSB)“When the LORD your God has driven them out before you, do not say in your heart, “Because of my righteousness the LORD has brought me in to possess this land.” Rather, the LORD is driving out these nations before you because of their wickedness. It is not because of your righteousness or uprightness of heart that you are going in to possess their land, but it is because of their wickedness that the LORD your God is driving out these nations before you, to keep the promise He swore to your fathers, to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.”The nations were driven out for their wickedness, not because of Israel's righteousness.
- Genesis 15:16 (BSB)“In the fourth generation your descendants will return here, for the iniquity of the Amorites is not yet complete.””God waited until the Amorites' iniquity was complete before bringing judgment.
- Psalm 106:34-38 (BSB)“They did not destroy the peoples as the LORD had commanded them, but they mingled with the nations and adopted their customs. They worshiped their idols, which became a snare to them. They sacrificed their sons and their daughters to demons. They shed innocent blood—the blood of their sons and daughters, whom they sacrificed to the idols of Canaan, and the land was polluted with blood.”When Israel failed to destroy the nations, it adopted their idolatry and child sacrifice.