How does Joshua 10:20 connect with God's command in Deuteronomy 20:16-18? Setting the Scene Israel has crossed the Jordan, entered Canaan, and begun the conquest. The battles recorded in Joshua are the lived-out response to instructions God had already given through Moses. God's Command in Deuteronomy 20:16-18 “However, in the cities of the nations that the LORD your God is giving you as an inheritance, you must not leave alive anything that breathes. You must utterly destroy them—the Hittites, Amorites, Canaanites, Perizzites, Hivites, and Jebusites—as the LORD your God has commanded you, so that they cannot teach you to do all the detestable things they do for their gods, and so cause you to sin against the LORD your God.” Key truths embedded in those verses: • The command is specific to the peoples occupying the Promised Land. • “Utterly destroy” translates the Hebrew herem—complete devotion to destruction. • The purpose is spiritual protection: eliminating idolatry that would lure Israel away from the LORD. Joshua 10:20—The Outworking “So Joshua and the Israelites finished inflicting a very great slaughter on them until they were wiped out, though a few survivors escaped to the fortified cities.” What the verse shows: • “Finished inflicting a very great slaughter” mirrors the herem mandate. • The enemy in this chapter is the Amorite coalition—one of the nations listed in Deuteronomy. • A remnant slips away, indicating the campaign is not yet fully complete, but the trajectory is clear: obedience to God’s earlier directive. Points of Connection 1. Same Targeted Peoples • Deuteronomy names the Amorites; Joshua 10 records Israel’s attack on five Amorite kings (Joshua 10:5). 2. Same Language of Destruction • Deuteronomy 20:17 “utterly destroy” (herem). • Joshua 10:20 “wiped out” (same root idea). 3. Same Purpose • Deuteronomy 20:18 emphasizes preventing idolatrous influence. • Joshua continues that aim; later notes show no treaties with these peoples (Joshua 11:19-20). 4. Progressive Fulfillment • Joshua 10:20 records a major step; subsequent verses (10:28-42) and chapters (11:10-23) mop up remaining pockets, completing what the escapees delayed. 5. Covenant Faithfulness • God’s promise of the land (Genesis 15:16; Exodus 23:31-33) advances as Israel acts in line with Deuteronomy’s command. Why the Connection Matters Today • It showcases God’s consistency: what He commands in the Torah unfolds in Joshua. • It underlines the seriousness of spiritual purity—compromise with sin is never an option (cf. 2 Corinthians 6:17). • It reminds believers that partial obedience leaves footholds for future trouble; Israel’s later struggles in Judges 1–2 stem from the pockets left unconquered. The harmony between Deuteronomy 20:16-18 and Joshua 10:20 affirms Scripture’s unity, God’s faithfulness, and the call to wholehearted obedience. |
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