Deuteronomy 20:17 · Bible study
Deuteronomy 20:17 Commentary: The Command to Destroy the Canaanite Nations
Hebrew · 8 what the commentators say
Meaning in one sentence
Explore the meaning of God's command to utterly destroy the Canaanite nations in Deuteronomy 20:17, including its historical context and
Research Summary
- Meaning: Israel is commanded to devote the six Canaanite nations to complete destruction, so that their idolatry does not corrupt God’s people.
- Key words: ha.cha.Rem (H2763, “certainly to destroy”), the infinitive absolute + finite verb construction intensifies the command. The nations are listed with the definite article: the Hittite, the Amorite, etc., marking them as categories.
- Main debate: Whether “utterly destroy” required killing every individual or could be fulfilled by destroying the nations’ political and religious identity (Clarke, Gill).
- Theological theme: Divine judgment, covenant holiness, and the danger of syncretism. The command protects the purity of the worship of Yahweh.
- Best use: Discussing God’s justice and mercy in historical context, and how the New Testament reorients the concept of holy war toward spiritual warfare and the cross.
Translation Comparison
BSB Berean Standard Bible 2020
For you must devote them to complete destruction—the Hittites, Amorites, Canaanites, Perizzites, Hivites, and Jebusites—as the LORD your God has commanded you,
WEB World English Bible 2000
but you shall utterly destroy them: the Hittite, the Amorite, the Canaanite, the Perizzite, the Hivite, and the Jebusite, as Yahweh your God has commanded you;
KJV King James Version 1769
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:
ASV American Standard Version 1901
but thou shalt utterly destroy them: the Hittite, and the Amorite, the Canaanite, and the Perizzite, the Hivite, and the Jebusite; as Jehovah thy God hath commanded thee;
YLT Young's Literal Translation 1898
for thou dost certainly devote the Hittite, and the Amorite, the Canaanite, and the Perizzite, the Hivite, and the Jebusite, as Jehovah thy God hath commanded thee,
Darby Darby Bible 1890
but shalt utterly devote them to destruction, the Hittites and the Amorites, the Canaanites and the Perizzites, the Hivites and the Jebusites, as Jehovah thy God hath commanded thee;
Douay-Rheims Douay-Rheims Bible 1899
But shalt kill them with the edge of the sword, to wit, the Hethite, and the Amorrhite, and the Chanaanite, the Pherezite, and the Hevite, and the Jebusite, as the Lord thy God hath commanded thee:
Translations in other languages (10 available)
Antes del todo los destruirás: al Hetheo, y al Amorrheo, y al Cananeo, y al Pherezeo, y al Heveo, y al Jebuseo; como Jehová tu Dios te ha mandado:
Antes por completo os destruirás: aos heteus, e aos amorreus, e aos cananeus, e aos perizeus, e aos heveus, e aos jebuseus; como o SENHOR teu Deus te mandou:
Car tu dévoueras ces peuples par interdit, les Héthiens, les Amoréens, les Cananéens, les Phéréziens, les Héviens, et les Jébusiens, comme l’ Éternel, ton Dieu, te l’ a ordonné,
sondern sollst sie verbannen, nämlich die Hethiter, Amoriter, Kanaaniter, Pheresiter, Heviter und Jebusiter, wie dir der HERR, dein Gott, geboten hat,
Maar gij zult ze ganselijk verbannen: de Hethieten, en de Amorieten, en de Kanaanieten, en de Ferezieten, de Hevieten, en de Jebusieten, gelijk als u de HEERE, uw God, geboden heeft;
ma voterai a completo sterminio gli Hittei, gli Amorei, i Cananei, i Ferezei, gli Hivvei e i Gebusei, come l’Eterno, il tuo Dio, ti ha comandato di fare;
Lecz do szczętu wytracisz je, Hetejczyka, Amorejczyka, Chananejczyka, i Ferezejczyka, Hewejczyka, i Jebuzejczyka, jakoć rozkazał Pan, Bóg twój;
но предай их заклятию: Хеттеев и Аморреев, и Хананеев, и Ферезеев, и Евеев, и Иевусеев, [и Гергесеев,] как повелел тебе Господь Бог твой,
只要 照 耶和華─你 神 所吩咐的 將這赫人、亞摩利人、迦南人、比利洗人、希未人、耶布斯人 都滅絕 淨盡，
Give them up to the curse; the Hittite, the Amorite, the Canaanite, the Perizzite, the Hivite, and the Jebusite, as the Lord your God has given you orders:
Verse in Context
Original Language (Biblical Hebrew)
Old Testament · Biblical Hebrew · Deuteronomy 20:17
Source: STEPBible TAGNT/TEHB (CC-BY 4.0). Click or tap a morphology code to see the full parsing.
Scholars' Consensus
Commentators agree that this verse belongs to the ḥerem (ban), the most severe form of warfare in ancient Israel. Keil and Delitzsch note that the command applied only to the seven Canaanite nations, and that “everything that breathes” (כּל־נשׁמה) refers to human beings alone, not livestock. The surrounding context (Deuteronomy 20:10, 18) draws a sharp line between distant cities, where women and children could be spared, and Canaanite cities, where no soul was to be left alive. The stated reason is religious: these nations would teach Israel their abominations, leading them to sin against Yahweh (v. 18).
Yet the commentators disagree on how strictly the command was understood. Adam Clarke argues that “utterly destroy” could mean subduing the enemy or destroying their political existence, not necessarily killing every individual. He points to the Gibeonites, who were made slaves rather than killed, and to Rahab and her household. Gill mentions Jewish traditions that if the Canaanites repented and became proselytes, they could be received. The Cambridge Bible observes that the command’s severity reflects a “fundamental principle” to protect Israel’s religious purity at all costs.
How settled is the interpretation?
Interpretive difficulty: High
Main views:
- Literal extermination: The plain meaning of the Hebrew text and parallel commands in Deuteronomy 7 and Joshua 6–11. Keil and Delitzsch understand ‘all that breathes’ as human beings only.
- Political and religious severance: Adam Clarke and Jewish traditions argue the command could be satisfied by destroying the nations’ identity, not every individual. They cite spared Canaanites (Rahab, Gibeonites, later Solomon’s tributaries).
- Typological judgment: Christian interpreters see the Canaanite destruction as a type of God’s final judgment on sin, with the New Testament shifting the focus to spiritual warfare and the cross (e.g., Augustine, City of God).
What is clear: God commanded Israel to separate completely from the Canaanite nations and their religious practices; the purpose was to protect Israel from idolatry and to execute divine judgment on entrenched wickedness.
What Scholars Agree and Debate
| Topic | Agreed | Debated |
|---|---|---|
| Scope of the ḥerem (ban) | The command applied only to the Canaanite nations within the promised land, not to distant enemies. | Some commentators (Keil, Cambridge Bible) understand it as literal extermination of every human being; others (Clarke, Gill) argue that it allowed for surrender, servitude, or the sparing of those who repented. |
| Whether the command was ever fully carried out | Scripture records that many Canaanites remained in the land (Judges 1, 2 Chronicles 8:7, 8). | Conservative readings see the incomplete conquest as Israel’s disobedience; Clarke sees it as evidence that the command was never intended to mean total annihilation. |
| Moral and theological justification | The command is rooted in God’s judgment on Canaanite wickedness (Genesis 15:16) and the need to protect Israel from idolatry (Deuteronomy 20:18). | Some Christians see the ḥerem as a unique, unrepeatable theocratic judgment; others struggle with its ethical implications and emphasize the progressive revelation of God’s character in Christ. |
| Application for Christians today | The physical conquest of Canaan is not a model for Christian action; the New Testament calls believers to spiritual warfare and love of enemies. | Some traditions (e.g., Amillennialism) see the conquest as a type of judgment; others (e.g., some Dispensationalists) distinguish Israel’s program from the church’s mission. Both agree Christ fulfills the law. |
Historical & Cultural Context
Deuteronomy 20 stands within the ancient Near Eastern tradition of laws regulating war. The chapter distinguishes three cases: cities far from Israel (vv. 10, 15), where peace could be offered; the cities of the seven Canaanite nations (vv. 16, 18), where no mercy was shown; and the preservation of fruit trees during a siege (vv. 19, 20). The Canaanites, Hittites, Amorites, Canaanites, Perizzites, Hivites, Jebusites, are named as the original inhabitants of the promised land. The list in Deuteronomy 7:1 includes seven nations; here the Girgashites are omitted.
The term ḥerem (from the root חרם, H2763) means to devote something to God for destruction. It appears in other ancient cultures, but Israel’s version had a distinct theological rationale: the land belonged to Yahweh, and its inhabitants were judged for centuries of wickedness (Genesis 15:16). The command also served as a preventive measure. Deuteronomy 7:4 warns that intermarriage with these nations “would turn away your sons from following me, that they may serve other gods.” The ḥerem removed the temptation entirely.
Archaeologically, the six nations listed were city-states or tribal groups scattered across Canaan. The Hittites were linked to Anatolia, the Amorites to the hill country, and the Jebusites to Jerusalem itself. The Cambridge Bible notes that Israel’s laws were less brutal than typical ancient warfare, women and children were spared in distant cities, fruit trees preserved, but when Israel’s covenant identity was at stake, no compromise was allowed.
Textual Notes
The supplied sources note no significant textual variants for Deuteronomy 20:17. The list of nations is consistent with Deuteronomy 7:1, except that the Girgashites are omitted here, likely a summary rather than a variant. The manuscript tradition is stable.
Reception History
Jewish tradition, as reflected in the Talmud (Shevi'it 37.3) and Maimonides, discussed whether the Canaanites had to be offered terms of peace before being attacked. Gill cites a tradition that Joshua sent three letters: one offering flight, one offering peace, one preparing for war. Early Christian readers often allegorized the Canaanites as vices to be destroyed within the soul. Origen and Augustine saw the conquest as a figure for the believer’s battle against sin. During the Reformation, commentators like Matthew Henry emphasized the danger of tolerating idolatry and the sovereignty of God in judgment. In the modern period, this passage has been fiercely debated: some Christians defend it as a unique historical judgment, while others view it as a culturally conditioned text that must be read through the lens of Christ’s nonviolent teaching. Almost all traditions agree that the physical command is not to be repeated; the New Testament redefines “holy war” as spiritual warfare (Ephesians 6) and the destruction of sin through the cross.
Preaching This Verse
Three-point outline
- God’s command is context-specific. The ḥerem applied only to the land of Canaan, not to all enemies. It was a unique act of judgment and protection tied to the covenant.
- Sin and idolatry are deadly serious. The command’s severity reveals how dangerous false worship is for God’s people. Israel was not to learn the abominations of the nations (v. 18).
- Grace appears even in judgment. Rahab and the Gibeonites show that God’s mercy remained available to those who turned to Him. Adam Clarke notes that the Israelites did not believe they were bound to kill every Canaanite.
Five-point outline
- The law of war in Deuteronomy 20: distant cities vs. Canaanite cities.
- The meaning of ḥerem: devote to destruction or devote to God?
- Why these six (or seven) nations? God’s long patience with Canaan (Gen 15:16).
- How Israel applied the command: some Canaanites survived as slaves (Gibeonites) or allies (Rahab).
- New Testament perspective: our battle is spiritual (Eph 6:12), and Christ commands us to love enemies while putting sin to death.
Illustration hooks
- A gardener removing an invasive vine that would choke the whole crop. The ḥerem was a drastic removal of a destructive influence.
- A parent forbidding a child from playing with a dangerous friend, not out of hate, but to protect the child from harm. God’s command aimed to protect Israel from spiritual corruption.
- A cancer surgeon cutting out a tumor completely to save the patient’s life. The severity of the surgery matches the severity of the disease.
Questions your congregation is asking
- Does God still command violence today? (No, the command is specific to Israel’s theocratic mission, fulfilled in Christ.)
- How can a loving God order the destruction of entire peoples? (This raises the problem of divine judgment; answer must affirm both God’s justice and mercy, pointing to the cross.)
- Are there examples of Canaanites being saved? (Yes: Rahab, the Gibeonites, and later Ruth the Moabitess, a Canaanite-like foreigner who entered the lineage of Christ.)
Leading a Discussion
This passage confronts readers with a hard question: does God command genocide? Before the group meets, read Deuteronomy 20:10, 20 and remember that the same Bible that commands the ḥerem also commands “love your neighbor as yourself” (Lev 19:18). Let the tension stand. The goal is to understand what God was doing in this specific moment of salvation history, and what it means for followers of Christ today.
Discussion questions
- What do you notice about the structure of Deuteronomy 20:10, 20? How is the treatment of Canaanite cities different from distant cities?
- Keil and Delitzsch say “everything that breathes” in v. 16 refers only to humans, not animals. Why does that distinction matter?
- The Hebrew word ḥerem means to devote something to God for destruction. In what ways does that make the command an act of worship, not just violence?
- Adam Clarke argues that the command could be fulfilled by destroying the nations’ political existence rather than killing every individual. Do the stories of Rahab and the Gibeonites support that view? Why or why not?
- Verse 18 gives the reason for the ḥerem: “that they not teach you to follow all their abominations.” How does that change how you understand the command?
- Christians have read this passage in different ways, some see it as a one-time judgment on Canaan, others as a type of spiritual warfare against sin. What aspects of God’s character do both readings reveal?
- If you had to explain this verse to a friend who sees it as proof that the Bible is violent, what would you say? What parts of the Bible’s story, from Genesis to Revelation, would you include?
Word Study
The key original-language words in this verse. Select any word for its full lexicon entry — meaning, every occurrence in Scripture, and related words.
Cross-References
Source: Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (TSK, public domain)
| Deuteronomy 7:1 | When Yahweh your God brings you into the land where you go to possess it, and casts out many nations before you—the Hittite, the Girgashite, the Amorite, the Canaanite, the Perizzite, the Hivite, and the Jebusite—seven nations greater and mightier than you; |
| Deuteronomy 7:2 | and when Yahweh your God delivers them up before you, and you strike them, then you shall utterly destroy them. You shall make no covenant with them, nor show mercy to them. |
| Isaiah 34:5 | For my sword has drunk its fill in the sky. Behold, it will come down on Edom, and on the people of my curse, for judgment. |
| Isaiah 34:6 | Yahweh’s sword is filled with blood. It is covered with fat, with the blood of lambs and goats, with the fat of the kidneys of rams; for Yahweh has a sacrifice in Bozrah, and a great slaughter in the land of Edom. |
| Jeremiah 48:10 | “Cursed is he who does the work of Yahweh negligently; and cursed is he who keeps back his sword from blood. |
| Jeremiah 50:35 | “A sword is on the Chaldeans,” says Yahweh, “and on the inhabitants of Babylon, on her princes, and on her wise men. |
| Jeremiah 50:40 | As when God overthrew Sodom and Gomorrah and its neighbor cities,” says Yahweh, “so no man will dwell there, neither will any son of man live therein. |
| Ezekiel 38:21 | I will call for a sword against him to all my mountains,” says the Lord Yahweh. “Every man’s sword will be against his brother. |
Interlinear and lexical data from STEPBible (CC BY 4.0). Cross-reference data from OpenBible.info (CC BY 4.0). Commentaries are public domain.
For personal reflection
Read the devotional page — prayer, application, and "for families"
What the Commentators Say
7 public-domain commentaries, condensed into plain language.
Adam Clarke's Commentary Methodist/Wesleyan 1826
Clarke argues that the command to utterly destroy the Canaanites meant annihilating their political existence, not necessarily every individual. He points to the Gibeonites and Rahab being spared, and Solomon later reducing remaining Canaanites to tributary slaves, showing the Hebrews understood the command as removing them as a nation rather than universal slaughter.
Barnes' Notes on the Bible Protestant 1832
Barnes points out the practical reasoning behind sparing fruit trees during a siege: they sustain human life, so destroying them cuts off the very provision people depend on. He contrasts this command with the total destruction required for the Canaanite nations and notes that Egyptian armies routinely cut down fruit trees in war.
Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges Anglican 1880
This commentary stresses that the harsh war rules for Canaanite cities rest on a core principle: Israel must not show mercy where doing so threatens religious purity. The writer notes this law actually advanced the ethics of warfare for its time, even though later biblical figures apparently did not know or follow it.
Geneva Bible Notes Reformed 1599
The note specifies the six Canaanite nations by name and emphasizes that their complete destruction is carried out exactly as God commanded. The listing leaves no doubt about which peoples are meant, and the phrase "as the Lord thy God hath commanded thee" stresses that this is not Israel's own policy but a direct divine order.
Gill's Exposition of the Bible Baptist 1748
Gill observes that God's command to destroy the Canaanites left room for mercy. According to Jewish tradition, Joshua offered each nation three choices: flee, make peace, or prepare for war. The Girgashites fled, the Gibeonites surrendered, and only those who fought were destroyed.
Keil & Delitzsch OT Commentary Protestant 1876
Keil-Delitzsch draw a sharp contrast between distant cities and Canaanite cities. For the Canaanites, God commanded utter destruction, leaving no living soul alive, because they were placed under the ban. This total extermination aimed to prevent the Canaanites from teaching Israel their abominations and leading them into sin.
Lange's Commentary Reformed 1857
Lange argues that the diverse laws in this section—cities of refuge, boundaries, witnesses, warfare, and the unsolved murder ritual—all stem from the sixth commandment’s reverence for human life. He shows that even commands about property and testimony are interpreted through the lens of protecting life. Each regulation flows from the sacredness of life.