The Herem Command and Its Ancient Context
Deuteronomy's commands to utterly destroy the Canaanite nations — the herem or "ban" — represent one of the most theologically challenging passages in the Old Testament. Deuteronomy 7:1–6 commands Israel to "utterly destroy" the seven Canaanite nations, make no covenant with them, and show them no mercy. The rationale given is theological: intermarriage would lead Israel into idolatry, which would provoke divine judgment. The herem is not ethnic cleansing for its own sake but a radical measure to protect Israel's covenant fidelity.
Scholars like Millard Lind (Yahweh Is a Warrior, 1980) and Peter Craigie (The Problem of War in the Old Testament, 1978) have argued that the holy war tradition in Deuteronomy must be understood within its ancient Near Eastern context. The herem was a known institution in the ancient world — the Mesha Stele from Moab (9th century BC) uses the same concept. What is distinctive in Israel's tradition is that the herem is theologically motivated and ultimately self-limiting: it applies to specific peoples in a specific historical moment, not as a general principle of warfare.
Patristic and Medieval Interpretations
The church fathers struggled with the herem commands, particularly in light of the New Testament's ethic of love for enemies. Origen developed an allegorical interpretation in which the Canaanites represent the vices that must be utterly destroyed within the soul of the believer. Augustine, while acknowledging the literal historical reality of the conquest, argued that God as the sovereign Lord of life and death had the right to command the destruction of peoples whose wickedness had reached its full measure (cf. Genesis 15:16).
Medieval theologians developed the concept of "just war" partly in dialogue with the holy war tradition. Thomas Aquinas's criteria for just war — just cause, right intention, proper authority, last resort, probability of success, proportionality — represent an attempt to apply the principles underlying the herem tradition to the conditions of medieval Christian society. The Crusades, whatever their historical failures, were partly motivated by a misapplication of the holy war tradition to a context for which it was never intended.
Modern Theological Responses
Contemporary theologians have developed several approaches to the herem commands. Tremper Longman III and Daniel Reid (God Is a Warrior, 1995) argue for a canonical approach that reads the holy war tradition in light of its New Testament fulfillment: the ultimate holy war is Christ's victory over sin, death, and the devil at the cross and resurrection. The physical warfare of the Old Testament is transformed into spiritual warfare in the New Testament (Ephesians 6:10–18).
Paul Copan and Matthew Flannagan (Did God Really Command Genocide?, 2014) argue that the herem commands are hyperbolic military rhetoric common in ancient Near Eastern texts, not literal commands to kill every man, woman, and child. The archaeological evidence suggests that the conquest was less total than the rhetorical language implies. This approach has been influential but also contested by scholars who argue it minimizes the genuine theological difficulty of the texts.
Implications for Ministry and Credentialing
The holy war tradition raises important questions about divine violence, justice, and the relationship between the Testaments. Pastors and teachers need robust theological frameworks for addressing these difficult texts. Abide University offers courses in Old Testament theology and biblical ethics.
For ministry professionals seeking to formalize their expertise, the Abide University Retroactive Assessment Program offers a pathway to academic credentialing that recognizes prior learning and pastoral experience.
References
- Lind, Millard C.. Yahweh Is a Warrior. Herald Press, 1980.
- Craigie, Peter C.. The Problem of War in the Old Testament. Eerdmans, 1978.
- Longman, Tremper. God Is a Warrior. Zondervan, 1995.
- Copan, Paul. Did God Really Command Genocide?. Baker Books, 2014.
- Niditch, Susan. War in the Hebrew Bible. Oxford University Press, 1993.