A frequent misinterpretation treats this passage as an endorsement of genocide or indiscriminate killing, overlooking its role as a straightforward historical record of ancient warfare tactics common in the Near East, where total destruction of enemy forces was strategic to prevent rebellion; it neither prescribes such violence today nor implies moral approval without broader biblical context on God's sovereignty over nations and calls for justice, leading some to wrongly vilify the Bible or David while ignoring similar practices by Israel's enemies.
I Kings 11:15
King James Version (1769)
15 For it came to pass, when David was in Edom, and Joab the captain of the host was gone up to bury the slain, after he had smitten every male in Edom;
This verse describes Joab's ruthless military campaign in Edom during David's reign, where he systematically eliminated every male as part of consolidating Israelite control over the region, even while burying fallen Israelite soldiers; it provides historical context for the survival and later enmity of Hadad the Edomite against Solomon, illustrating the long-term consequences of David's conquests and the fragile nature of peace in ancient kingdoms.