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How Can We Explain the Slaughter of the Canaanites?

The conquest of the land of Canaan, as recorded in the Hebrew Scriptures, particularly the books of Numbers, Joshua, and Judges, has long been a subject of scrutiny and debate. Some critics charge that the destruction of the Canaanite populations by the Israelites, particularly the command to annihilate entire cities, reflects a cruel and bloodthirsty spirit incompatible with the principles of divine justice. For a Christian apologist, however, this issue is not one of wanton cruelty but a matter of divine sovereignty, the righteousness of God's judgment, and the context of His covenant with Israel.


In order to understand this complex subject, it is essential to approach it through the lens of Scripture, accepting God's supreme authority as the Creator and Judge of all. The Bible explicitly reveals that the land of Canaan was promised to the descendants of Abraham by a divine, covenantal oath (Genesis 12:5-7). Additionally, the wickedness of the Canaanites is repeatedly emphasized, showing that the destruction was not arbitrary but rooted in their persistent rebellion against God and their moral degradation. The slaughter of the Canaanites, therefore, was not merely a political or military conquest but an act of divine judgment executed through Israel.



The Sovereignty of God and His Right as Judge


One of the foundational truths of Scripture is that God has the absolute right to judge the earth and its inhabitants. In Genesis 18:25, Abraham, while interceding for Sodom and Gomorrah, declares, "Shall not the Judge of all the earth do what is right?" This rhetorical question affirms that Jehovah is the sovereign Judge, and His decisions are inherently just. As Creator, JHVH owns all life, and He alone has the authority to give or take it.


This principle of God's sovereignty is evident throughout the Bible. In Deuteronomy 32:39, Moses records God’s words: "See now that I myself am he! There is no god besides me. I put to death and I bring to life, I have wounded and I will heal, and no one can deliver out of my hand." This passage affirms that God’s decisions regarding life and death are His alone. Similarly, in Job 1:21, Job acknowledges this sovereignty, stating, "Jehovah gave, and Jehovah has taken away; may the name of Jehovah be praised." These verses collectively emphasize that JHVH, as the Creator of life, has the moral right to determine the duration and end of human life. He is under no obligation to explain His judgments to humans, yet Scripture consistently reveals that His judgments are based on righteousness.


The Canaanite conquest must be viewed in light of this divine sovereignty. Jehovah had already judged the people of Canaan as deserving of destruction, not merely for their idolatry but for their persistent immorality and abominable practices. In Genesis 15:16, God told Abraham that his descendants would inherit the land of Canaan, but not immediately, "for the iniquity of the Amorites is not yet complete." This indicates that God was extending mercy by allowing the Canaanites time to repent. However, after 400 years of increasing wickedness, the moral corruption of the Canaanites reached a point where divine judgment became inevitable.



The Depravity of the Canaanite Civilization


The Bible provides explicit details about the extent of Canaanite depravity. The Canaanite religion was not only idolatrous but also characterized by moral degradation, including sexual immorality, child sacrifice, and other detestable practices. Leviticus 18:24-25 vividly describes the moral filth of the land: "Do not make yourselves unclean by any of these things, for by all these the nations I am driving out before you have become unclean, and the land became unclean, so that I punished its iniquity, and the land vomited out its inhabitants."


Child sacrifice, in particular, was a horrific practice widespread among the Canaanites. In Deuteronomy 12:31, God warned the Israelites not to follow the Canaanite customs: "You shall not worship Jehovah your God in that way, for every abominable thing that Jehovah hates they have done for their gods, for they even burn their sons and daughters in the fire to their gods." Archaeological evidence supports the biblical account, revealing that child sacrifice was a central part of Canaanite religious practice. As Merrill F. Unger noted, excavations in Palestine uncovered piles of ashes and infant skeletons, demonstrating the prevalence of this abomination. The Canaanites' gods, such as Baal and Ashtoreth, were associated with fertility rites, prostitution, and violence, which further contributed to their moral collapse.


In addition to child sacrifice, the Canaanites were involved in gross sexual immorality. Leviticus 18:2-23 outlines a series of immoral acts, including incest, sodomy, and bestiality, which were rampant in Canaanite culture. These practices are explicitly condemned by God, and the Israelites were warned that engaging in such behavior would result in the land vomiting them out, just as it did with the Canaanites (Leviticus 18:28).


Therefore, the destruction of the Canaanites was a necessary act of divine judgment. The land had become so defiled that it required cleansing. This cleansing took the form of the complete destruction of those who had polluted it. The Bible consistently emphasizes that the Canaanites were not innocent victims but people who had repeatedly rejected God and embraced practices that made them worthy of death.



The Role of Israel as God’s Instrument of Judgment


Israel's role in the conquest of Canaan was unique. Jehovah explicitly commanded Israel to act as His agent of judgment against the Canaanites. In Deuteronomy 9:3-5, Moses tells the Israelites, "Know therefore today that it is Jehovah your God who is crossing over before you as a consuming fire. He will destroy them and subdue them before you, so that you may drive them out and destroy them quickly, just as Jehovah has spoken to you." However, Moses also clarifies that the Israelites were not being given the land because of their righteousness but because of the wickedness of the Canaanites. This is a crucial point: the conquest of Canaan was not an expression of Israelite superiority but an act of divine justice.


The Israelites were not the first or the last human agents used by God to execute judgment. Throughout Scripture, God uses individuals and nations to accomplish His purposes. For example, He used the Babylonians to judge Israel for their unfaithfulness (Jeremiah 25:8-11) and later used the Persians to judge Babylon (Isaiah 45:1-4). In the case of Canaan, God chose Israel to carry out His righteous judgment, demonstrating that Israel’s role was divinely sanctioned and not an act of imperialism or cruelty. God’s power and sovereignty were also displayed by His enabling of Israel to conquer seven nations more populous and mighty than themselves (Deuteronomy 7:1). This victory, which seemed humanly impossible, proved that the destruction of the Canaanites was not the result of Israelite strength but of God’s intervention.



The Justness of the Command to Destroy


The command to destroy the Canaanites, while severe, is rooted in the righteousness of JHVH as the Judge of all the earth. Some modern readers may struggle with the concept of divine judgment, especially when it involves the complete destruction of entire populations, including women and children. However, God’s justice is not limited to human understanding. In Isaiah 55:8-9, Jehovah declares, "For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways. As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts."


In this context, it is essential to understand that the Canaanite children who perished were spared from growing up in a society corrupted by idolatry, immorality, and violence. God, who knows the end from the beginning (Isaiah 46:10), in His mercy, took those children into His care, preventing them from being further contaminated by the Canaanite culture. Moreover, the eradication of the Canaanites was necessary to prevent their sinful practices from corrupting Israel. As Israel's later history shows, the failure to fully carry out God’s command to destroy the Canaanites led to significant spiritual and moral decay within Israel (Judges 2:11-23).


God’s actions were not arbitrary but were based on His long-suffering patience, as He had given the Canaanites over 400 years to repent of their wickedness (Genesis 15:16). They persisted in their rebellion, choosing to harden their hearts against God’s warnings. In Joshua 11:19-20, we read that "Jehovah let their hearts become stubborn so as to declare war against Israel, in order that he might devote them to destruction, that they might come to have no favorable consideration, but in order that he might annihilate them." This passage emphasizes that the Canaanites had ample opportunity to seek mercy, as Rahab and the Gibeonites did (Joshua 2:9-14; 9:3-27), but they instead chose to resist God’s will.



A Unique Theocratic Mandate


The command to destroy the Canaanites was part of a unique theocratic mandate that applied specifically to Israel during that period. God was establishing Israel as a holy nation, set apart for His purposes, and the destruction of the Canaanites was essential to preserving Israel’s purity. Deuteronomy 7:2-6 states, "When Jehovah your God delivers them over to you, you shall conquer them and utterly destroy them. You shall make no covenant with them nor show mercy to them... For you are a holy people to Jehovah your God; Jehovah your God has chosen you to be a people for Himself, a special treasure above all the peoples on the face of the earth."


This theocratic mandate was specific to Israel’s situation and was not a model for future warfare or conquests. Israel’s actions were guided by direct divine commands, and no other nation has had the same theocratic relationship with JHVH. As such, the conquest of Canaan cannot be used as a justification for violence in other contexts. The destruction of the Canaanites was an exceptional event in redemptive history, directly related to God’s covenant with Israel and His plan for the establishment of a holy nation.



Theological Implications of the Conquest


The conquest of Canaan also carries significant theological implications for understanding God’s justice, holiness, and the reality of divine judgment. The destruction of the Canaanites serves as a powerful reminder that God will not tolerate sin indefinitely. While He is patient and long-suffering, giving people time to repent (2 Peter 3:9), there comes a point when His judgment must fall. The Canaanites had ample opportunity to repent, but they chose to continue in their rebellion.


The biblical record also demonstrates that God’s holiness requires the removal of sin and defilement. The land of Canaan had become so morally and spiritually polluted that it required cleansing through judgment. This principle is reiterated throughout Scripture: God’s holiness cannot coexist with sin, and He will ultimately remove all that is unholy from His presence. This is not only true for the Canaanites but for all humanity. The Apostle Paul writes in Romans 1:18, "The wrath of God is being revealed from heaven against all the godlessness and wickedness of people, who suppress the truth by their wickedness." Just as the Canaanites faced divine judgment for their sins, so too will all who reject God’s truth and persist in sin.



Conclusion to the Larger Biblical Context


As we consider the larger biblical context, the destruction of the Canaanites foreshadows the final judgment that is to come. In Revelation 19:11-21, the Apostle John records a vision of Christ returning as a warrior to execute judgment upon the nations. This passage vividly describes Christ riding a white horse, with His robe dipped in blood, coming to "strike down the nations" and "tread the winepress of the fury of the wrath of God Almighty" (Revelation 19:15). The destruction of the Canaanites, then, can be seen as a preview of the final judgment that awaits all who oppose God’s rule and reject His offer of salvation through Jesus Christ.


In conclusion, the slaughter of the Canaanites must be understood within the context of God’s sovereignty, justice, and holiness. Far from being an act of wanton cruelty, it was a divinely ordered judgment upon a people who had persistently rebelled against God and defiled the land with their wickedness. The Israelites, as God’s chosen instrument, carried out this judgment, not by their own initiative, but by divine command. Through the conquest of Canaan, God demonstrated both His righteous judgment and His faithfulness to His covenant promises. Furthermore, the destruction of the Canaanites serves as a sobering reminder of the reality of divine judgment and the ultimate fate of those who continue in sin.


About the Author

EDWARD D. ANDREWS (AS in Criminal Justice, BS in Religion, MA in Biblical Studies, and MDiv in Theology) is CEO and President of Christian Publishing House. He has authored over 220 books. In addition, Andrews is the Chief Translator of the Updated American Standard Version (UASV).


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