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
This verse comes from Moses' final speeches to Israel before they entered the Promised Land around 1400 BC. The Canaanite peoples practiced child sacrifice, temple prostitution, and other practices that God considered abhorrent. God knew that if Israel compromised or showed mercy to these nations, they would gradually adopt their religious practices and turn away from worshiping the true God.
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