Misinterpretations of Deuteronomy 20:15 often portray it as a universal divine mandate for brutal conquest or genocide against any 'far-off' enemies, stripping away its precise historical and theological context tied to Israel's unique theocratic mission in Canaan; critics may decry it as endorsing slavery or imperialism without noting the peace-offer prerequisite and sparing of non-combatants, while some extremists misuse it to justify modern wars or ethnic violence by claiming perpetual application, ignoring the Bible's progression toward grace and the New Testament's ethic of love for enemies.
Deuteronomy 20:15
King James Version (1769)
15 Thus shalt thou do unto all the cities which are very far off from thee, which are not of the cities of these nations.
Deuteronomy 20:15 clarifies the scope of Israel's warfare instructions during the conquest of Canaan, specifying that the rules of offering peace terms first—followed by subjugation with sparing of women, children, and livestock if rejected—apply only to distant cities not belonging to the seven idolatrous nations (Hittites, Amorites, Canaanites, Perizzites, Hivites, and Jebusites) whose lands God allotted to Israel; this distinction protected Israel's covenant purity from pervasive pagan influence while permitting measured engagement with external threats.