The LORD hardened the Canaanites' hearts — For it was the LORD's doing to harden their hearts so that they should come against Israel in battle (כִּי מֵת־יְהוָה הִקְשׁוֹת אֶת־לִבָּם לִקְרַאת־יִשְׂרָאֵל בַּמִּלְחָמָה), in order that they should be utterly destroyed (לְמַעַן הַחֲרִימָם), with no mercy granted to them (בִּלְתִּי־לִהְיוֹת לָהֶם תְּחִנָּה), but that they should be destroyed (כִּי הֻחְרְמוּ), as the LORD commanded Moses. The hardening of hearts echoes the hardening of Pharaoh's heart in Exodus. The Canaanites come to battle rather than negotiate because the LORD guides their decision toward destruction. This verse presents the conquest as divinely orchestrated—the Canaanites' choice to fight rather than flee is itself divinely prompted to ensure their annihilation as the LORD commanded.

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