Calling for Peace in the Conquest of Canaan/1
Calling for Peace in the Conquest of Canaan
Introduction
To Make Peace or Not to?
Many verses throughout Torah speak of the need to rid the land of Israel of its Canaanite inhabitants. Perhaps the most explicit of these is Devarim 20. The chapter contrasts the nation's military obligations when fighting an "optional war" against distant cities and when conquering the Seven Nations of Canaan. Before embarking on the former it is necessary to first negotiate peace. If those overtures are rejected, war ensues and all men are killed, while women and children are left alive. When fighting in Canaan, in contrast, the verses teach:
(טז) רַק מֵעָרֵי הָעַמִּים הָאֵלֶּה אֲשֶׁר י"י אֱלֹהֶיךָ נֹתֵן לְךָ נַחֲלָה לֹא תְחַיֶּה כׇּל נְשָׁמָה. (יז) כִּי הַחֲרֵם תַּחֲרִימֵם הַחִתִּי וְהָאֱמֹרִי הַכְּנַעֲנִי וְהַפְּרִזִּי הַחִוִּי וְהַיְבוּסִי כַּאֲשֶׁר צִוְּךָ י"י אֱלֹהֶיךָ.
(16) Howbeit of the cities of these peoples, that the Lord thy God giveth thee for an inheritance, thou shalt save alive nothing that breatheth, (17) but thou shalt utterly destroy them: the Hittite, and the Amorite, theCanaanite, and the Perizzite, the Hivite, and the Jebusite; as the Lord thy God hath commanded thee;
These verses seem to explicitly declare that all Canaanites must be obliterated and that no option for peace exists. However, when summarizing Yehoshua's conquests in Canaan, Yehoshua 11 shares:
(יט) לֹא הָיְתָה עִיר אֲשֶׁר הִשְׁלִימָה אֶל בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל בִּלְתִּי הַחִוִּי יֹשְׁבֵי גִבְעוֹן אֶת הַכֹּל לָקְחוּ בַמִּלְחָמָה. (כ) כִּי מֵאֵת י"י הָיְתָה לְחַזֵּק אֶת לִבָּם לִקְרַאת הַמִּלְחָמָה אֶת יִשְׂרָאֵל לְמַעַן הַחֲרִימָם לְבִלְתִּי הֱיוֹת לָהֶם תְּחִנָּה כִּי לְמַעַן הַשְׁמִידָם כַּאֲשֶׁר צִוָּה י"י אֶת מֹשֶׁה.
(19) There was not a city that made peace with the children of Israel, save the Hivites the inhabitants of Gibeon; they took all in battle. (20) For it was of the Lord to harden their hearts, to come against Israel in battle, that they might be utterly destroyed, that they might have no favour, but that they might be destroyed, as the Lord commanded Moses.
According to these verses, had it not been for Hashem hardening their hearts, some of the Canaanite cities might have made peace with Israel, implying that peace was an option!
