But of the cities of these people, which the LORD thy God doth give thee for an inheritance, thou shalt save alive nothing that breatheth:
But in the cities of these people that the LORD your God is giving you as your inheritance, you must not let anything that breathes stay alive.
This verse commands the Israelites to completely destroy all living things in the Canaanite cities God was giving them as their promised land.
📚 Historical Context
In the book of Deuteronomy, Moses is delivering God's laws to the Israelites as they prepared to enter the Promised Land after their exodus from Egypt. This verse specifically addresses the command to completely destroy the inhabitants of certain Canaanite cities that God was giving as an inheritance, to prevent the Israelites from adopting the idolatrous practices of those nations. It reflects the ancient Near Eastern context of total warfare and God's emphasis on maintaining covenantal purity and holiness among His people.
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