Deuteronomy 20:16
“But of the cities of these peoples, that Yahweh your God gives you for an inheritance, you shall save alive nothing that breathes;”
What does Deuteronomy 20:16 mean?
This command comes in the context of Israel's conquest of Canaan, where God instructed complete destruction of certain cities as part of taking the land He promised them. The instruction was specific to those particular peoples and that particular historical moment, not a general principle for how to treat enemies or conduct warfare. Understanding this as tied to a specific time and place helps us avoid reading it as God's universal will for how His people should act toward others. For those wrestling with difficult Old Testament passages like this one, it's worth remembering that God's character revealed most fully in Jesus shows us His ultimate heart: compassion, redemption, and love for enemies. When hard passages confuse us, we can bring those questions honestly to God, trusting that He's not asking us to become cruel, and that His fuller revelation through Christ shows us the direction He always wanted humanity to move.