Does God command genocide in the Old Testament?

Today I'm going to do something a little different. I'm going to take on what I think is probably the most serious and difficult challenge that skeptics and atheists will bring up when they attack Christianity.

 

It's something that probably raises eyebrows when you're reading through the relevant texts. Read in isolation, these texts are really hard to swallow. Context is essential, but even then, it's not easy to accept.

 

Does God command genocide in the Old Testament? Specifically, in the conquest of the Canaanites (in Joshua) and in his command to King Saul to eliminate the Amalekites in 1 Samuel?

 

And what about the texts that command not only the slaughter of these people, but non-combatants, like women and children?

 

The first thing I want to say is that I don't think it behooves Christians to try and address these texts by "excusing" God, or trying to get Him off the hook. We do the text (and whoever might be bothered by these texts) a disservice to dismiss these issues outright.

 

There's a lot going on here, and several things must be said, and held together to really make sense of this. No single explanation, or fact, about what's going on can handle this issue alone. All of it must be taken together to see a big picture that elucidates what's going on here.

First, though, I think it's important to emphasize that "genocide" definitely isn't what's happening here. Genocide is the elimination of a people solely on the basis of their race, ethnicity, or religion.

 

As we will see, what happened in the OT conquest of Canaan (or when Saul was commanded to eliminate the Amalekites) wasn't about ethnic cleansing. It was about judgment... and it's judgment that follows abundant patience, probably more than most of us today would have if we knew of similar evils happening.

 

Ethnic cleansing is not what's happening here. The Scriptures make this point abundantly clear.

 

Let's begin with God's promise to Abraham regarding the land of Canaan. In Genesis 15:16, we read, "And they shall come back here in the fourth generation, for the iniquity of the Amorites is not yet complete." This verse unveils God's longsuffering nature. The Hebrew word for "iniquity," עָוֹן (ʿāwōn), encompasses both sin and its consequences. God granted the Canaanites centuries to turn from their wickedness, demonstrating His desire for repentance rather than judgment. 

 

One of the reasons God didn't give this land to Abraham's people immediately was because the people there hadn't fallen deep enough into sin to warrant such judgment or expulsion. However, God has foreknowledge. He didn't hesitate to promise the land to Abraham's descendants because He knew what was going to happen. He knew how depraved the people there would become. But God does not "judge" prematurely, or on the basis of foreknowledge.

 

By the time of the conquest (in the book of Joshua), Canaanite society had descended into extreme depravity. Archaeological evidence corroborates biblical accounts of practices like child sacrifice. Leviticus 18:21 warns, "You shall not give any of your children to offer them to Molech, and so profane the name of your God: I am the LORD." The term "Molech" (מֹלֶךְ, mōlek) refers to a Canaanite deity associated with such abhorrent practices.

 

Now, hold on to your seat. Because this gets really graphic. Philo (a Jewish historian in the 1st Century) based on sources we no longer have, described the practices of the Canaanites in their worship of "Molech." The people had erected giant copper statues of "Molech" and lit fires within/beneath the metal idols, heating entire statue to scalding. Then, they placed their babies in the false idol's arms as they "sizzled" to death in sacrifice to Molech.

 

They'd beat a drum, to drown out the cries of the babies, as the parents stood in watch.

 

Can you even imagine? It's hard to get more vile than that.

 

When God commands the conquest of these people it's in judgment. This is not genocide, by any stretch of the imagination.  

 

Now, here's a point worth considering. So many skeptics/atheists will argue that they can't believe in a God who allows evil to endure in the world and doesn't intervene.

 

Well, here's an instance when God actively intervened to stop a horrifying evil, and the same skeptics try to "judge" God for it. There's an issue of consistency here.

 

When examining the conquest narratives, it's also crucial to understand the use of hyperbole in ancient Near Eastern war rhetoric. Joshua 10:40 declares, "So Joshua struck the whole land, the hill country and the Negeb and the lowland and the slopes, and all their kings. He left none remaining, but devoted to destruction all that breathed, just as the LORD God of Israel commanded." Yet, Joshua 23:12-13 warns against intermarriage with remaining inhabitants, indicating that the destruction was not absolute. This isn't a contradiction in the book, it's hyperbole which is common in the Scriptures in texts like this.

 

The Hebrew term חָרַם (ḥāram), often translated as "utterly destroy" or "devote to destruction," doesn't necessarily imply total annihilation. It can also mean a convincing victory, which could include driving out inhabitants or dismantling their religious and cultural institutions.

 

Turning to the Amalekites, their history of aggression against Israel is well-documented. Exodus 17:8-16 recounts their unprovoked attack on the Israelites shortly after the Exodus. The command to "blot out the memory of Amalek from under heaven" (Ex 17:14) employs the Hebrew מָחָה (māḥāh), which can mean to wipe out or erase, but also to strike or beat severely. This judgment extends through Israel's history, as seen in Saul's incomplete obedience (1 Sam 15). David, also, never eliminates the Amalekites entirely.

There are consequences. We see it in fact with Haman's plot against the Jews in Esther. Haman actually intended a genocide against the Jewish people... and Haman was descended from the Amalekites.

 

These events must be understood within God's overarching plan for human redemption. The Amalekites and Canaanites posed a threat not just to Israel's physical existence, but to the spiritual lineage through which the Messiah would come. As Paul writes, "And the Scripture, foreseeing that God would justify the Gentiles by faith, preached the gospel beforehand to Abraham, saying, 'In you shall all the nations be blessed'" (Gal 3:8).

 

God's actions in the Old Testament, while sometimes difficult to comprehend, always point towards His ultimate goal of salvation for all peoples. Even in judgment, we see glimpses of His mercy. The book of Jonah powerfully illustrates God's compassion for the Ninevites, a people renowned for their cruelty. When they repented, "God relented of the disaster that he had said he would do to them, and he did not do it" (Jonah 3:10). This suggests that had the Canaanites or Amalekites shown genuine repentance, God might have extended similar mercy.

 

While we do not have an actual account of a Jonah-like prophet sent to the Canaanites, I don't think it's a stretch given what we know from Jonah, that God certainly warned the people, probably repeatedly, to turn from evil. Just because we don't have accounts of that (the Bible is concerned with the story of Israel, not the Canaanite people) doesn't mean God didn't send them warnings over the 400+ years that he allowed them to remain in the land before he sent Joshua and the Israelites into the land to judge them for their horrific sins.

 

It's important to note that God held Israel to the same standards of righteousness.

 

When Israel fell into idolatry and wickedness, they too faced divine judgment. The prophet Amos declared, "You only have I known of all the families of the earth; therefore I will punish you for all your iniquities" (Amos 3:2). We saw the people of Israel completely destroyed, the Northern Kingdom by Assyria, and the Southern Kingdom of Judah was exiled by Babylon. We hear of how God used Babylon (a sinful people, no doubt) to judge Israel in the book of Habakkuk, and how God had already planned for Babylon's judgment in turn.

 

As we grapple with these challenging texts, we must remember that God, as the author of life, has the sovereign right to give and take life as He sees fit. As Job affirms in his suffering, "The LORD gave, and the LORD has taken away; blessed be the name of the LORD" (Job 1:21). This doesn't diminish the tragedy of loss from a human perspective, but it places it within the context of God's eternal purposes. I think that has to be kept in mind given the loss of innocents in the wake of these judgments. In God's infinite wisdom and justice, we can trust that he handles them justly in eternity. We can recognize that, given the horrors these people subjected the children to, there is a sort of severe mercy here. God was welcoming these children to their eternal home, a just eternity, in His arms rather than the scalding arms of a villainous idol.

 

It's ABSOLUTELY ESSENTIAL to emphasize that these Old Testament events are not prescriptive for modern warfare or Christian conduct. They were specific judgments carried out under a theocratic system that no longer exists. The New Testament presents a radically different approach, epitomized in Jesus' words: "Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you" (Mt 5:44).

 

Yet, God will still execute His justice. We see that carried out, ultimately, in the texts concerning the final judgment, particularly in Matt. 25, Luke 21, and the book of Revelation.

 

As we reflect on these difficult passages, we're confronted with profound questions about divine justice and mercy. How can a God of love command such seemingly harsh judgments? The answer lies in understanding the holiness of God and the depth of human sin. God's justice demands a response to evil, yet His mercy seeks to redeem and restore.

 

The conquest narratives reveal a God who is patient beyond measure, giving nations centuries to repent. They show a God who judges wickedness but also extends mercy to those who turn to Him. They portray a God working through history to bring about His plan of salvation for all peoples.

 

In our modern context, these texts challenge us to examine our own hearts. What "Canaanite" practices might we be harboring in our lives? What idols have we set up that need to be torn down? How might God be calling us to be agents of His justice and mercy in a world often consumed by darkness?

 

The God of the conquest is the same God who sent His Son to die for the sins of the world. The apparent tension between divine judgment and divine love finds its resolution at the cross, where justice and mercy meet in perfect harmony. As we contemplate these challenging passages, may we be drawn into a deeper understanding of God's character and a more profound appreciation of His grace.

 

God Bless,

Judah