Did God Order the Israelites to Commit Genocide? (Joshua 9-22)

Did God really command genocide in Joshua? A closer look at the text and context shows a deeper story of justice, mercy, and fulfilled promises.

Did God Order the Israelites to Commit Genocide? (Joshua 9-22)

Joshua 9-22

Today's Scripture Passage

A Few Thoughts to Consider

How could a loving God command Israel to commit such violent acts as we see in Joshua?

While this is a subject we’ve touched on several times, it bears repeating because Joshua 9-22 sit as some of the most troubling passages of Scripture to modern Western readers. After the conquest of Jericho and Ai, the Gibeonites deceive the Israelites into forming an alliance, and their lives are spared. Then, we see Israel go on a series of lengthy conquests against the Canaanites.

In Joshua 10:40, we see this brutal account: “So Joshua conquered the whole region—the hill country, the Negev, the Judean foothills, and the slopes—with all their kings, leaving no survivors. He completely destroyed every living being, as the Lord, the God of Israel, had commanded.” This would include women and children, leaving many today to conclude the God of the Old Testament is immoral.

However, as Tim Mackie points out, there are several important factors to note.[1] First, the Canaanites were morally corrupt. Leviticus 18 tells us fathers were having sex with their sons’ daughters, there was widespread adultery, and sons were having sex with their father’s wives. It was a mess. Deuteronomy 12:31 also tells us they practiced human sacrifice. It says, “They practice every detestable act, which the Lord hates, for their gods. They even burn their sons and daughters in the fire to their gods.”

Second, as Tim Mackie notes, “Joshua fits in with other ancient battle accounts by using nonliteral hyperbolic language as part of the narrative style.”[2] Notice this original command in Deuteronomy 7:2, where God tells his people, “You must completely destroy [the Canaanites].” Then, in the next few sentences, he says, “Make no treaty with them and show them no mercy. You must not intermarry with them, and you must not give your daughters to their sons or take their daughters for your sons.” As Tim Mackie notes, “You cannot marry someone that you’ve destroyed.”[3]

A similar hyperbolic narrative unfolds in Joshua 10:36-39. Speaking of the residents of Hebron and Debir, the text says the Israelites “struck them down with the sword and completely destroyed everyone in it, leaving no survivors.” But then, in Joshua 15:13-15, we see these towns still have people, indicating that not everyone was killed. Thus, this is not a command for genocide. Instead, he is enacting justice against a people who have become entirely morally corrupt. It’s a specific command for a specific point in history.

In chapters 13-22, Joshua divides up the land, and while these passages might seem irrelevant to us today, they were significant for God’s chosen people because they were evidence of God’s word coming to pass.

Despite Israel’s repeated sins and despite the wickedness of the Canaanites, the main thrust of God’s mission for his chosen people remained the same. They were to be a blessing to all nations and be representatives of God’s covenantal love.