And thou shalt consume all the people which the LORD thy God shall deliver thee; thine eye shall have no pity upon them: neither shalt thou serve their gods; for that will be a snare unto thee.
You must completely destroy all the peoples that the LORD your God gives you victory over. Don't feel sorry for them or show them mercy. And don't worship their gods, because that will become a trap that leads you away from God.
God is commanding Israel to completely defeat their enemies and avoid being influenced by foreign religions that would lead them away from following Him.
📚 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 reflects God's command for the Israelites to completely destroy the Canaanite nations to prevent them from adopting pagan practices and idolatry, which could lead the people astray from their covenant with Him. Historically, this instruction was part of Israel's mission to establish a holy nation dedicated to God's worship in the land He promised to their ancestors.
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