Joshua 6:21
“They utterly destroyed all that was in the city, both man and woman, both young and old, and ox, sheep, and donkey, with the edge of the sword.”
What does Joshua 6:21 mean?
This verse describes the aftermath of Jericho's fall, when the Israelites carried out what ancient warfare texts called "herem," or complete destruction of a conquered city. It's a difficult passage because it shows the harsh realities of ancient warfare, where total victory often meant the elimination of an entire population and their resources, leaving nothing for enemies to use against future attacks. For many readers today, this raises honest questions about God's character and how to understand violent passages in Scripture. Scholars and theologians across traditions wrestle with this, recognizing that God's actions in the Old Testament sometimes operate within the brutal context of ancient Near Eastern warfare, while also pointing us toward Jesus's teachings about mercy and love of enemies. Rather than glossing over the difficulty, it's worth sitting with the discomfort and asking God to help us understand both the historical reality and what these passages reveal about how God's purposes have unfolded across time.