Deuteronomy 31:5 - Yahweh will deliver them up before you, and you shall do to them according to all the commandment which I have commanded you.
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What does "Deuteronomy 31:5" mean?
Deuteronomy 31:5 states: "Yahweh will deliver them up before you, and you shall do to them according to all the commandment which I have commanded you."
Let's break this verse down:
"Yahweh will deliver them up before you": This is a promise from God (Yahweh) to the Israelites. It means that God will give them victory over their enemies. He will bring these enemies into their power. "Deliver them up" suggests a surrendering or a bringing forward of the enemy for the Israelites to confront.
"and you shall do to them according to all the commandment which I have commanded you": This is the crucial part. It says that the Israelites must treat their enemies according to the specific laws and instructions God has given them. It's NOT a blank check for unrestrained violence. The "commandments" would dictate the terms of engagement, how to treat prisoners, rules about plunder, etc. These commandments are found in the rest of the book of Deuteronomy and the preceding books of the Torah (the first five books of the Bible).
Interpretation and Context
To understand the verse fully, it's essential to consider its historical and theological context:
Conquest of Canaan: This verse is part of Moses's final charge to the Israelites before they enter the Promised Land (Canaan). They are about to engage in warfare to take possession of the land from the current inhabitants.
Holy War: The warfare described in Deuteronomy (and other parts of the Old Testament) is often characterized as "holy war." This means the war is sanctioned and directed by God. The victory is seen as a demonstration of God's power and sovereignty.
Commandments as Restraint: The phrase "according to all the commandment which I have commanded you" is a vital limiter. It prevents the Israelites from acting purely out of their own desires for revenge or conquest. God's laws are meant to govern their behavior even in warfare. The commands themselves are varied, some prescribing complete destruction (like the Amalekites), and others dictating specific protocols. The exact nature of "the commandments" as referenced here requires consulting the details provided elsewhere in the Deuteronomic law code.
Potential Interpretations & Controversies: This verse, and others like it, are often cited in discussions of Old Testament ethics and "texts of terror." Modern readers may find the idea of divinely sanctioned warfare and commandments about conquest morally problematic. Some interpret these verses as reflecting the brutal realities of the ancient world, while others emphasize the ways in which God's laws, even in a warfare context, provided a framework for justice and restraint compared to the practices of other nations at the time. It should be noted that these passages describe events from a very specific historical context, and many theologians argue they should not be applied directly to modern warfare or international relations.
In summary: The verse is a divine promise of victory coupled with a strict instruction to follow God's specific laws regarding how to conduct warfare and treat conquered peoples. It's not a general endorsement of violence, but a conditional authorization bound by divine command. The specifics of what those commands entail require careful consideration of the rest of the Torah.
Deuteronomy 31:5 - Yahweh will deliver them up before you, and you shall do to them according to all the commandment which I have commanded you.
What does "Deuteronomy 31:5" mean?
Deuteronomy 31:5 states: "Yahweh will deliver them up before you, and you shall do to them according to all the commandment which I have commanded you."
Let's break this verse down:
"Yahweh will deliver them up before you": This is a promise from God (Yahweh) to the Israelites. It means that God will give them victory over their enemies. He will bring these enemies into their power. "Deliver them up" suggests a surrendering or a bringing forward of the enemy for the Israelites to confront.
"and you shall do to them according to all the commandment which I have commanded you": This is the crucial part. It says that the Israelites must treat their enemies according to the specific laws and instructions God has given them. It's NOT a blank check for unrestrained violence. The "commandments" would dictate the terms of engagement, how to treat prisoners, rules about plunder, etc. These commandments are found in the rest of the book of Deuteronomy and the preceding books of the Torah (the first five books of the Bible).
Interpretation and Context
To understand the verse fully, it's essential to consider its historical and theological context:
Conquest of Canaan: This verse is part of Moses's final charge to the Israelites before they enter the Promised Land (Canaan). They are about to engage in warfare to take possession of the land from the current inhabitants.
Holy War: The warfare described in Deuteronomy (and other parts of the Old Testament) is often characterized as "holy war." This means the war is sanctioned and directed by God. The victory is seen as a demonstration of God's power and sovereignty.
Commandments as Restraint: The phrase "according to all the commandment which I have commanded you" is a vital limiter. It prevents the Israelites from acting purely out of their own desires for revenge or conquest. God's laws are meant to govern their behavior even in warfare. The commands themselves are varied, some prescribing complete destruction (like the Amalekites), and others dictating specific protocols. The exact nature of "the commandments" as referenced here requires consulting the details provided elsewhere in the Deuteronomic law code.
Potential Interpretations & Controversies: This verse, and others like it, are often cited in discussions of Old Testament ethics and "texts of terror." Modern readers may find the idea of divinely sanctioned warfare and commandments about conquest morally problematic. Some interpret these verses as reflecting the brutal realities of the ancient world, while others emphasize the ways in which God's laws, even in a warfare context, provided a framework for justice and restraint compared to the practices of other nations at the time. It should be noted that these passages describe events from a very specific historical context, and many theologians argue they should not be applied directly to modern warfare or international relations.
In summary: The verse is a divine promise of victory coupled with a strict instruction to follow God's specific laws regarding how to conduct warfare and treat conquered peoples. It's not a general endorsement of violence, but a conditional authorization bound by divine command. The specifics of what those commands entail require careful consideration of the rest of the Torah.