Deuteronomy 20:10-18

Of the Capture of Heathen Cities

Before besieging a city Israel shall offer peace, and if it surrenders its people shall be subject to service (Deuteronomy 20:10 f.). But if it will not, Israel shall lay siege, and having taken it, shall slay every male, but reserve women, children, cattle and spoil for booty (Deuteronomy 20:12-14), a milder form of the ḥerem; so in the case of distant cities. But of the cities of the land, nothing that breathes is to be saved; to this severest form of the ḥeremmust all the seven nations be put (Deuteronomy 20:15-17), so that they teach not Israel their abominations (Deuteronomy 20:18). In the Sg. address except for Deuteronomy 20:18, possibly an addition from Deuteronomy 7:4; Deuteronomy 7:25, etc.

Cornill's opinion (Einl. 3 26) that all of 15 18 is secondary is too drastic: it is a fundamental principle of D not to allow mercy where there is any risk thereby to the purity of Israel's religion. Steuern."s milder suggestion, that the formulas in 14 which Jehovah thy God has given theeand 16 which … is to give thee for an inheritanceand the list of nations in 17 (so too Meyer, ZATWi. 135) are editorial, is possible. On the question whether the law implies the survival of Canaanites when it was written see Introd. § 11.

Characteristically D enjoins less rigorous measures in war than were usual at the time, but only when there is no danger of Israel being tempted by them to the worship of other gods. In modern Arab raids women and children are never touched and no prisoners are made. The men are killed if they defend their property or are left unharmed if they have nothing or are defenceless (Jennings-Bramley PEFQ1908, 33; confirmed by other travellers). But Islam, like Israel, when waging war against peoples of another faith has not observed these equities.