Misinterpretations often portray this verse as endorsing universal slavery, imperialism, or modern conquest, detached from its narrow context of Israel's theocratic holy war against idolatrous Canaanites under divine mandate; some misconstrue 'tributaries' as voluntary service rather than subjugation, or apply it indiscriminately to all peoples ignoring distinctions for nearer cities, while others use it to justify oppression today, overlooking its role in covenantal judgment and temporary national establishment.
Deuteronomy 20:11
King James Version (1769)
11 And it shall be, if it make thee answer of peace, and open unto thee, then it shall be, that all the people that is found therein shall be tributaries unto thee, and they shall serve thee.
Deuteronomy 20:11 outlines the merciful option in God's instructions for Israel's warfare against distant cities in Canaan: if they respond peacefully by opening their gates, their inhabitants are spared destruction and instead become tributaries—forced laborers—serving Israel, reflecting divine justice that rewards submission with life and labor while securing Israel's dominance, provision, and purity in the Promised Land without unnecessary bloodshed.