Genocide
Deuteronomy 7:1–2 — Command to destroy the Canaanite nations Israel encounters
Summary: When entering the land, Israel is commanded to utterly destroy certain nations and make no covenant with them.
[1] "When the LORD your God brings you into the land which you are entering to take possession of it, and clears away many nations before you, the Hittites, the Gir'gashites, the Amorites, the Canaanites, the Per'izzites, the Hivites, and the Jeb'usites, seven nations greater and mightier than yourselves, [2] and when the LORD your God gives them over to you, and you defeat them; then you must utterly destroy them; you shall make no covenant with them, and show no mercy to them.
(Deuteronomy 7:1–2)
Deuteronomy 20:16–18 — Warfare rules: do not leave survivors in certain cities
Summary: In siege warfare of distant cities of the nations the LORD is giving Israel, they are commanded to leave none alive.
[16] But in the cities of these peoples that the LORD your God gives you for an inheritance, you shall save alive nothing that breathes, [17] but you shall utterly destroy them, the Hittites and the Amorites, the Canaanites and the Per'izzites, the Hivites and the Jeb'usites, as the LORD your God has commanded; [18] that they may not teach you to do according to all their abominable practices which they have done in the service of their gods, and so to sin against the LORD your God.
(Deuteronomy 20:16–18)
Deuteronomy 25:17–19 — Remember Amalek; blot out their memory
Summary: Israelites are commanded to remember Amalek’s attack and to blot out their memory from under heaven.
[17] "Remember what Am'alek did to you on the way as you came out of Egypt, [18] how he attacked you on the way, when you were faint and weary, and cut off at your rear all who lagged behind you; and he did not fear God. [19] Therefore when the LORD your God has given you rest from all your enemies round about, in the land which the LORD your God gives you for an inheritance to possess, you shall blot out the remembrance of Am'alek from under heaven; you shall not forget.
(Deuteronomy 25:17–19)
Joshua 6:17–21 — Jericho: devote the city to destruction (herem)
Summary: The people of Jericho are devoted to the LORD; the city and all within are destroyed, with Rahab spared.
[17] And the city and all that is within it shall be devoted to the LORD for destruction; only Rahab the harlot and all who are with her in her house shall live, because she hid the messengers that we sent. [18] But you, keep yourselves from the things devoted to destruction, lest when you have devoted them you take any of the devoted things and make the camp of Israel a thing for destruction, and bring trouble upon it. [19] But all silver and gold, and vessels of bronze and iron, are sacred to the LORD; they shall go into the treasury of the LORD." [20] So the people shouted, and the trumpets were blown. As soon as the people heard the sound of the trumpet, the people raised a great shout, and the wall fell down flat, so that the people went up into the city, every man straight before him, and they took the city. [21] Then they utterly destroyed all in the city, both men and women, young and old, oxen, sheep, and asses, with the edge of the sword.
(Joshua 6:17–21)
Joshua 10:28–40 — Conquests of southern cities; destruction of peoples
Summary: Joshua attacks and destroys numerous southern cities and their kings; the text repeatedly states he left none that breathed.
[28] And Joshua took Makke'dah on that day, and smote it and its king with the edge of the sword; he utterly destroyed every person in it, he left none remaining; and he did to the king of Makke'dah as he had done to the king of Jericho. [29] Then Joshua passed on from Makke'dah, and all Israel with him, to Libnah, and fought against Libnah; [30] and the LORD gave it also and its king into the hand of Israel; and he smote it with the edge of the sword, and every person in it; he left none remaining in it; and he did to its king as he had done to the king of Jericho. [31] And Joshua passed on from Libnah, and all Israel with him, to Lachish, and laid siege to it, and assaulted it: [32] and the LORD gave Lachish into the hand of Israel, and he took it on the second day, and smote it with the edge of the sword, and every person in it, as he had done to Libnah. [33] Then Horam king of Gezer came up to help Lachish; and Joshua smote him and his people, until he left none remaining. [34] And Joshua passed on with all Israel from Lachish to Eglon; and they laid siege to it, and assaulted it; [35] and they took it on that day, and smote it with the edge of the sword; and every person in it he utterly destroyed that day, as he had done to Lachish. [36] Then Joshua went up with all Israel from Eglon to Hebron; and they assaulted it, [37] and took it, and smote it with the edge of the sword, and its king and its towns, and every person in it; he left none remaining, as he had done to Eglon, and utterly destroyed it with every person in it. [38] Then Joshua, with all Israel, turned back to Debir and assaulted it, [39] and he took it with its king and all its towns; and they smote them with the edge of the sword, and utterly destroyed every person in it; he left none remaining; as he had done to Hebron and to Libnah and its king, so he did to Debir and to its king. [40] So Joshua defeated the whole land, the hill country and the Negeb and the lowland and the slopes, and all their kings; he left none remaining, but utterly destroyed all that breathed, as the LORD God of Israel commanded.
(Selections from Joshua 10:28–40, Joshua 11 also repeats similar language; KJV)
Joshua 11:11–15 — Northern campaign: utterly destroyed and took spoil
Summary: Joshua destroys the northern kings and casts down cities, taking spoil; the land had rest after that.
[11] And they put to the sword all who were in it, utterly destroying them; there was none left that breathed, and he burned Hazor with fire. [12] And all the cities of those kings, and all their kings, Joshua took, and smote them with the edge of the sword, utterly destroying them, as Moses the servant of the LORD had commanded. [13] But none of the cities that stood on mounds did Israel burn, except Hazor only; that Joshua burned. [14] And all the spoil of these cities and the cattle, the people of Israel took for their booty; but every man they smote with the edge of the sword, until they had destroyed them, and they did not leave any that breathed. [15] As the LORD had commanded Moses his servant, so Moses commanded Joshua, and so Joshua did; he left nothing undone of all that the LORD had commanded Moses.
(Joshua 11:11–15)
1 Samuel 15:1–3 (and context) — Saul commanded to utterly destroy Amalek
Summary: Samuel conveys God’s command to Saul to utterly destroy Amalek: men, women, infants, oxen, sheep, camels, and asses.
[1] And Samuel said to Saul, "The LORD sent me to anoint you king over his people Israel; now therefore hearken to the words of the LORD. [2] Thus says the LORD of hosts, `I will punish what Am'alek did to Israel in opposing them on the way, when they came up out of Egypt. [3] Now go and smite Am'alek, and utterly destroy all that they have; do not spare them, but kill both man and woman, infant and suckling, ox and sheep, camel and ass.'"
(1 Samuel 15:1–3)
(Note: the narrative then records Saul sparing Agag and the best of the livestock, and Samuel’s rebuke.)
Numbers 31:1–18 — Moses commands Midianite slaughter; division of spoil and women
Summary: God commands Moses to take vengeance on Midian; Israel slaughters the men, takes women and children captive, and Moses commands the killing of all male children and non-virgin women. (This chapter contains very explicit instructions about killing and the treatment of captives.)
[1] The LORD said to Moses, [2] "Avenge the people of Israel on the Mid'ianites; afterward you shall be gathered to your people." [3] And Moses said to the people, "Arm men from among you for the war, that they may go against Mid'ian, to execute the LORD's vengeance on Mid'ian. [4] You shall send a thousand from each of the tribes of Israel to the war." [5] So there were provided, out of the thousands of Israel, a thousand from each tribe, twelve thousand armed for war. [6] And Moses sent them to the war, a thousand from each tribe, together with Phin'ehas the son of Elea'zar the priest, with the vessels of the sanctuary and the trumpets for the alarm in his hand. [7] They warred against Mid'ian, as the LORD commanded Moses, and slew every male. [8] They slew the kings of Mid'ian with the rest of their slain, Evi, Rekem, Zur, Hur, and Reba, the five kings of Mid'ian; and they also slew Balaam the son of Be'or with the sword. [9] And the people of Israel took captive the women of Mid'ian and their little ones; and they took as booty all their cattle, their flocks, and all their goods. [10] All their cities in the places where they dwelt, and all their encampments, they burned with fire, [11] and took all the spoil and all the booty, both of man and of beast. [12] Then they brought the captives and the booty and the spoil to Moses, and to Elea'zar the priest, and to the congregation of the people of Israel, at the camp on the plains of Moab by the Jordan at Jericho. [13] Moses, and Elea'zar the priest, and all the leaders of the congregation, went forth to meet them outside the camp. [14] And Moses was angry with the officers of the army, the commanders of thousands and the commanders of hundreds, who had come from service in the war. [15] Moses said to them, "Have you let all the women live? [16] Behold, these caused the people of Israel, by the counsel of Balaam, to act treacherously against the LORD in the matter of Pe'or, and so the plague came among the congregation of the LORD. [17] Now therefore, kill every male among the little ones, and kill every woman who has known man by lying with him. [18] But all the young girls who have not known man by lying with him, keep alive for yourselves.
(Numbers 31:1–3, 7–18 — selected and contiguous verses quoting the command and aftermath)
Judges 1–11; Judges 20 (examples of large-scale slaughter)
Summary: Various battles in Judges include the destruction of peoples and the near-annihilation of the tribe of Benjamin (Judges 20). The book contains many episodes of widespread killing in internecine and intertribal warfare.
Example (Judges 20:48): “And the children of Israel turned again upon the children of Benjamin, and smote them with the edge of the sword, … and they utterly destroyed the inhabitants of Gibeah, and all the men and all the women and all that were found there.”
(Judges 20:48 — see Judges chapters for fuller narrative.)
Other Deuteronomic/Joshua passages and “herem” language
Summary: Multiple verses across Deuteronomy and Joshua use the phrase “utterly destroy,” “leave none alive,” “devoted to the LORD,” or “accursed” (the Hebrew concept herem). Examples are scattered (Deut. 2:34; Deut. 3:6; Joshua 8:24–29; 10:40; 11:12–14; etc.). These all contribute to the pattern of commands or reports of total destruction.
Example (Joshua 8:24–26): “And it came to pass at the end of the day, that Joshua ... took Ai, and smote it with the edge of the sword, and the king thereof he hanged on a tree, until eventide. … And all the people of Ai were slain … and Joshua burnt Ai, and made it an heap for ever, even a desolation unto this day.”
(Joshua 8:24–29— sample language.)
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