Deuteronomy 20:10-20 - The Importance of Choosing Righteous Friends

<p>     In our current section on case laws (Deut 19:1—26:19), we are considering how the nation of ancient Israel was to practice righteous living after they entered the land of Canaan (Deut 16:20), and how righteousness was measured by conformity to God’s laws (Deut 6:24-25). In the previous section, Moses encouraged his people to be strengthened mentally in times of conflict (Deut 20:1). He also gave instructions to the priests to encourage the people with divine viewpoint (Deut 20:2-4), and to the officers to exempt certain men from military service (Deut 20:5-9). In the current pericope, Moses provides instruction concerning war with cities outside Canaan (Deut 20:10-15), and cities inside Canaan (Deut 20:16-20).</p> <p>     In Moses’ opening words, he directed Israel to offer terms of peace when approaching a city outside the land of Canaan, saying, “When you approach a city to fight against it, you shall offer it terms of peace” (Deut 20:10). Deuteronomy 20:15 makes it clear that Moses is referring to cities outside the promised land. This likely refers to cities that God would grant His people if their land was expanded beyond the Canaanite territory (Deut 19:8-9), which territory was originally promised to Abraham and his descendants (Gen 15:18; cf. Num 34:1-15).</p> <p>     If that expansion occurred, then the Israelites were to offer the residents of the city terms of peace (שָׁלוֹם shalom). However, terms of peace did not mean nonaggression, but rather, that the residents of the city could choose a vassal status rather than destruction. This is obvious from the following verse in which Moses said, “If it agrees to make peace with you and opens to you, then all the people who are found in it shall become your forced labor and shall serve you” (Deut 20:11). Eugene Merrill states:</p> <ul><li>"The formula here, “If you call out to it with respect to peace,” followed by the words “if they reply peace to you” (Deut 20:11), expresses the technical language of making treaty (cf. Judg 21:13). The idea w