- Verse: "They devoted the city to the Lord and destroyed with the sword every living thing in it—men and women, young and old, cattle, sheep, and donkeys."
Next verse’s say,” “Meanwhile, Joshua said to the two spies, “Keep your promise. Go to the prostitute’s house and bring her out, along with all her family.” The men who had been spies went in and brought out Rahab, her father, mother, brothers, and all the other relatives who were with her. They moved her whole family to a safe place near the camp of Israel.”
Joshua 6:22-23
So when the Bible says “ destroyed….every living thing in it”, it obviously makes an exception for this with the prostitute. So we have to assume that there is some leverage when we are talking about this attack on Jericho.
On top of this, the only command sanctioned by God, was to take the city. God did not specify the way in which they were supposed to do it (except for how to take down the walls). God did not say,” Go kill the women and children. So even if this was evil, (which it isn’t) then we still wouldn’t have an objection.
Ezekiel 9:5-6
Verse: "As I listened, he said to the others, 'Follow him through the city and kill, without showing pity or compassion. Slaughter the old men, the young men and women, the mothers and children..."
The chapter title for chapter 9 is:
The slaughter of the idolaters
Earlier in the chapter:
“He said to him, “Walk through the streets of Jerusalem and put a mark on the foreheads of all who weep and sigh because of the detestable sins being committed in their city.” Then I heard the Lord say to the other men, “Follow him through the city and kill everyone whose forehead is not marked. Show no mercy; have no pity! Kill them all—old and young, girls and women and little children. But do not touch anyone with the mark. Begin right here at the Temple.” So they began by killing the seventy leaders.”
Ezekiel 9:4-6 NLT
God commanded them to kill all those who did have the mark on their forehead. The only ones without the mark on their forehead were the ones not looking at the sin in the city and detesting it. So people who are committing the sins.
And when it comes to the women and children part, you have to understand culture back then.
If I were to say to you,” We’re gonna destroy that football team” I don’t actually mean we are gonna destroy them. Rather I am being over dramatic to emphasize a point.
Scholarly opinion for this chapter indicates that when God said,” Kill them all - old and young, girls and women and little children.” He is using emphatic language to emphasize the point of:
Kill everyone without a mark no matter what.
So we have no proof that any children died in this slaughter. The only people that died were idolaters.
Numbers 31:17-18
Verse: "Now kill all the boys. And kill every woman who has slept with a man, but save for yourselves every girl who has never slept with a man."
I think this is a wrong thing to do. However Gods only command was to take revenge on the people. This whole part you quoted and after and a bit before was Moses’s doing. I’m not here to justify everything Moses has ever done. And that doesn’t have anything against scripture either.
1 Samuel 15:3
Verse: "Now go, attack the Amalekites and totally destroy all that belongs to them. Do not spare them; put to death men and women, children and infants, cattle and sheep, camels and donkeys."
This one is a tricky one I’ll give you that. But this story in of itself requires A LOT of context so this could be a topic in of itself.
