But thou shalt utterly destroy them; namely, the Hittites, and the Amorites, the Canaanites, and the Perizzites, the Hivites, and the Jebusites; as the LORD thy God hath commanded thee:
You must completely destroy them, the Hittites, Amorites, Canaanites, Perizzites, Hivites, and Jebusites, just as the LORD your God has commanded you.
God is commanding the Israelites to completely destroy the specific nations living in the Promised Land as He had instructed them.
📚 Historical Context
In the historical context of the Bible, Deuteronomy 20:17 is part of God's instructions to the Israelites as they prepared to conquer the Promised Land after their exodus from Egypt. This command to utterly destroy specific Canaanite nations like the Hittites, Amorites, and others was intended to prevent the Israelites from adopting their idolatrous practices and to execute God's judgment on these peoples for their long-standing wickedness, as promised in earlier covenants. It reflects the ancient Near Eastern warfare norms but is framed within God's sovereign plan for His chosen people.
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