Common misinterpretations view this verse as justifying indiscriminate genocide or perpetual holy war, ignoring its precise historical context as God's targeted judgment on irredeemably wicked nations like those of Sihon and Og, who rejected opportunities for peace and embodied Canaanite depravity described elsewhere in Scripture; it is not a universal mandate for violence today but a unique theocratic event underscoring divine justice and Israel's role as an instrument of God's holiness, often twisted by critics to paint the Bible as promoting brutality without regard for covenantal purpose.
Deuteronomy 3:7
King James Version (1769)
7 But all the cattle, and the spoil of the cities, we took for a prey to ourselves.
This passage recounts Israel's obedience in utterly destroying the cities of the people defeated by God, emphasizing divine deliverance and judgment; the core truth is God's sovereign faithfulness in granting the promised land to His people after handing over their enemies, Sihon and Og, illustrating His protection, power, and commitment to the covenant despite the severity of the conquest as a specific act of holy war ordained for that era.