What is the meaning of Deuteronomy 20:15? This is how you are to treat God is giving Israel explicit battle procedures (Deuteronomy 20:10-14). • Before any assault on a distant city, Israel must first “proclaim peace to it” (v. 10), echoing the earlier promise to be a blessing among the nations (Genesis 12:3). • If peace is accepted, the people become Israel’s servants (v. 11), a merciful alternative to total destruction. • If peace is refused, Israel may lay siege, trusting the LORD who fights for them (Joshua 10:42). • The directive is not optional; obedience is worship (1 Samuel 15:22-23). all the cities The command applies to every fortified center outside Canaan’s borders, not just a select few. • The plural “cities” parallels Deuteronomy 2:34 and 3:4, where every town in Og’s and Sihon’s kingdoms was taken—showing thorough, consistent obedience. • By treating “all the cities” uniformly, Israel avoids favoritism and self-chosen alliances (Exodus 23:32-33). • Total coverage ensures that God alone directs Israel’s foreign relations (Psalm 20:7). that are far away from you Distance marks the difference. These places lie beyond the inheritance lines defined in Numbers 34:1-12. • Far-off cities represent peoples Israel will encounter during expansion or trade (1 Kings 10:24-25). • Because they do not occupy the land promised to Abraham (Genesis 15:18-21), they are offered leniency rather than the ban of destruction. • The clause safeguards Israel from needless aggression against immediate neighbors (Proverbs 3:29-30). and do not belong to the nations nearby The “nations nearby” are the seven Canaanite groups listed earlier (Deuteronomy 7:1-2; 20:16-18). • Those nations practiced idolatry so corrupt that God ordered their total removal to protect Israel’s holiness (Leviticus 18:24-25). • By contrast, distant nations could live under Israelite authority, learning Israel’s laws (Isaiah 2:3). • This dual policy—destruction inside Canaan, subjugation outside—highlights God’s redemptive plan: preserve a pure covenant people who can bless the Gentiles (Zechariah 8:23; Acts 15:14-18). summary Deuteronomy 20:15 sets a clear wartime boundary: cities outside the promised land are to receive an offer of peace and, if conquered, be spared the complete destruction commanded for the idolatrous Canaanite nations. The verse underscores God’s holiness, Israel’s missionary calling, and the necessity of precise obedience to divine instruction. |
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