“And Israel vowed a vow unto the Lord, and said, If thou wilt indeed deliver this people into my hand, then I will utterly destroy their cities.”
Then Israel made a vow to the LORD and said, 'If you will indeed give this people into our hands, then we will utterly destroy their cities' — Israel responds with a vow (neder), a binding oath invoked in God's name. The vow commits Israel to cherem (total destruction, devotion to destruction): every city, every person, every animal. The vow is conditional: 'if you will give... then we will...'. Israel stakes its future military success on prior divine intervention.
COMMUNITY REFLECTIONS
Publish a note on this verse
0/2000
No notes on this verse yet. Be the first to write one!