The term "exterminate" refers to the complete destruction or eradication of a group, people, or entity. In the context of the Bible, it often relates to God's commands to the Israelites to destroy certain nations or peoples who were inhabiting the Promised Land. This concept is primarily found in the Old Testament and is associated with divine judgment and the fulfillment of God's promises to His chosen people.

Biblical Context

1. Divine Command and Judgment: The command to exterminate certain peoples is often seen as an act of divine judgment against nations that were deeply entrenched in idolatry and immorality. The Canaanites, for example, were subject to such commands due to their practices, which were abominable in the sight of God. In Deuteronomy 20:16-18 , God instructs the Israelites: "However, in the cities of the nations the LORD your God is giving you as an inheritance, you must not leave alive anything that breathes. You must completely destroy them—the Hittites, Amorites, Canaanites, Perizzites, Hivites, and Jebusites—as the LORD your God has commanded you, so that they cannot teach you to do all the detestable things they do for their gods, and so cause you to sin against the LORD your God."

2. Fulfillment of God's Promises: The extermination of certain peoples was also tied to the fulfillment of God's promises to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob regarding the land of Canaan. The eradication of these nations was seen as necessary for the Israelites to fully possess the land promised to them by God. In Joshua 11:20 , it is stated, "For it was of the LORD to harden their hearts to engage Israel in battle, so that they would be completely destroyed without mercy and be annihilated, as the LORD had commanded Moses."

3. Moral and Theological Implications: The concept of extermination raises significant moral and theological questions. From a biblical perspective, it is understood within the framework of God's sovereignty and justice. The destruction of these nations is seen as a means to prevent the spread of sin and idolatry, which could lead the Israelites away from their covenant relationship with God. The severity of these commands underscores the holiness of God and the seriousness of sin.

4. Historical and Cultural Context: The commands to exterminate certain peoples must be understood within the historical and cultural context of the ancient Near East. Warfare and conquest were common, and the complete destruction of enemy nations was a typical practice. However, the biblical narrative emphasizes that these actions were not merely human endeavors but were directed by divine command for specific purposes.

5. New Testament Perspective: In the New Testament, the focus shifts from physical extermination to spiritual warfare. The emphasis is on the eradication of sin and the spiritual enemies of God. Ephesians 6:12 states, "For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this world's darkness, and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms." This reflects a transition from physical battles to spiritual ones, highlighting the ultimate victory of Christ over sin and death.

Conclusion

The concept of extermination in the Bible is complex and multifaceted, involving themes of divine judgment, fulfillment of promises, and the holiness of God. It serves as a reminder of the seriousness of sin and the lengths to which God will go to preserve His covenant people and purposes.1. (v. t.) To drive out or away; to expel.

2. (v. t.) To destroy utterly; to cut off; to extirpate; to annihilate; to root out; as, to exterminate a colony, a tribe, or a nation; to exterminate error or vice.

3. (v. t.) To eliminate, as unknown quantities.

1842. exolethreuo -- to destroy utterly
... Phonetic Spelling: (ex-ol-oth-ryoo'-o) Short Definition: I destroy utterly, annihilate
Definition: I destroy utterly, annihilate, exterminate, root out. ...
//strongsnumbers.com/greek2/1842.htm - 7k6789. tsamath -- to put an end to, exterminate
... tsamath. 6790 . to put an end to, exterminate. Transliteration: tsamath Phonetic
Spelling: (tsaw-math') Short Definition: destroy. Word Origin a prim. ...
/hebrew/6789.htm - 6k

2763a. charam -- to ban, devote, exterminate
... 2763, 2763a. charam. 2763b . to ban, devote, exterminate. Transliteration:
charam Short Definition: destroyed. Word Origin a prim. ...
/hebrew/2763a.htm - 5k

2763. charam -- to ban, devote, exterminate
... 2762, 2763. charam. 2763a . to ban, devote, exterminate. Transliteration: charam
Phonetic Spelling: (khaw-ram') Short Definition: accursed. ...
/hebrew/2763.htm - 5k

6131. aqar -- to pluck or root up
... A primitive root; to pluck up (especially by the roots); specifically, to hamstring;
figuratively, to exterminate -- dig down, hough, pluck up, root up. ...
/hebrew/6131.htm - 6k

8045. shamad -- to be exterminated or destroyed
... exterminated or destroyed NASB Word Usage completely (1), demolish (2), destroy
(36), destroyed (41), destruction (2), eradicated (1), exterminate (2), totally ...
/hebrew/8045.htm - 6k

Moreover, --To Touch Briefly Some of the More Recondite Topics ...
... in the conflicts of sin, as the Prophet Ezekiel mystically intimates when he says,
"In that day angels shall come forth hastening to exterminate Ethiopia, and ...
/.../15 moreoverto touch briefly some.htm

The First Great Group of Parables.
... The field is not the church, but the world, and the teaching of the parable
is that we are not to attempt to exterminate evil men. ...
/.../mcgarvey/the four-fold gospel/liv the first great group 6.htm

Thy Will be done on Earth as it is in Heaven.
... must be done and succeed although the devil with all his adherents raise a great
tumult, are angry and rage against it, and undertake to exterminate the Gospel ...
//christianbookshelf.org/luther/the large catechism/thy will be done on.htm

On Bk. viii. Chap. 2, 4 (Note 3, Continued). The Causes of the ...
... turned his attention to religious matters, and determined as a step toward the
restoration of the old Roman religion in its purity to exterminate Christianity. ...
//christianbookshelf.org/pamphilius/church history/on bk viii chap 2.htm

His Conversion
... 37. Severity of the Persecution."It was the persecutor's hope utterly to exterminate
Christianity. But little did he understand its genius. ...
/.../stalker/the life of st paul/chapter iii his conversion.htm

Species, or Units of Nature.
... New and improved varieties will inevitably supplant and exterminate the
older.""Origin of Species, pp.264, 266, 413. Do the facts sustain this assumption? ...
/.../species or units of nature.htm

Of the Times of Christ's Birth and Passion, and of Jerusalem's ...
... and after these lxii hebdomads shall the anointing be exterminated, and shall not
be; and the city and the holy place shall he exterminate together with the ...
/.../tertullian/an answer to the jews/chapter viii of the times of.htm

The Church under the Roman Empire
... the earth like the mustard-tree; and the power and influence of Imperial Rome were
employed {67} in spreading the Faith instead of seeking to exterminate it. ...
/.../blunt/a key to the knowledge of church history/chapter vi the church under.htm

The Case of a Heathen Whose Wife is Converted after Marriage with ...
... the Christian name pleasing; and, accordingly, some heathen men are found not to
shrink in horror from Christian women, just in order to exterminate them, to ...
//christianbookshelf.org/tertullian/to his wife/chapter vii the case of a.htm

Warning.
... The day of pardon had passed and the day of vengeance had come; Maclan and his men
were put to death. Hence, it is wise to exterminate the weeds at once. ...
//christianbookshelf.org/moody/sowing and reaping/chapter viii warning.htm

Exterminate (8 Occurrences)
... 2. (vt) To destroy utterly; to cut off; to extirpate; to annihilate; to root out;
as, to exterminate a colony, a tribe, or a nation; to exterminate error or ...
/e/exterminate.htm - 9k

Exterminated (8 Occurrences)
... Noah Webster's Dictionary (imp. & pp) of Exterminate. Multi-Version
Concordance Exterminated (8 Occurrences). Joshua 11:20 For it ...
/e/exterminated.htm - 9k

Tried (96 Occurrences)
... Acts 9:21 and his hearers were all amazed, and began to ask one another, "Is not
this the man who in Jerusalem tried to exterminate those who called upon that ...
/t/tried.htm - 33k

Exterior (1 Occurrence)

/e/exterior.htm - 7k

Anathema (6 Occurrences)
... form anathema is generally used as the rendering of the Hebrew word herem, derived
from a verb which means (1) to consecrate or devote; and (2) to exterminate. ...
/a/anathema.htm - 13k

Amalekite (12 Occurrences)
... On account of this they were placed under the ban and Israel was commanded to
exterminate them (Deuteronomy 25:19 1 Samuel 15:2, 3). The next encounter of the ...
/a/amalekite.htm - 16k

Amorites (82 Occurrences)
... They are named instead of the Canaanites as the inhabitants of Palestine whom the
Israelites were required to exterminate (Genesis 15:16 Deuteronomy 20:17 ...
/a/amorites.htm - 50k

Amalek (35 Occurrences)
... On account of this they were placed under the ban and Israel was commanded to
exterminate them (Deuteronomy 25:19 1 Samuel 15:2, 3). The next encounter of the ...
/a/amalek.htm - 22k

Antiochus
... Enraged at this, Antiochus marched against them in person, threatening utterly to
exterminate the nation; but on the way he was suddenly arrested by the hand ...
/a/antiochus.htm - 17k

Chains (100 Occurrences)
... Acts 9:21 and his hearers were all amazed, and began to ask one another, "Is not
this the man who in Jerusalem tried to exterminate those who called upon that ...
/c/chains.htm - 39k

Why did God command the extermination / genocide of the Canaanites, women and children included? | GotQuestions.org

Who were the Amalekites? | GotQuestions.org

Who were the Jebusites? | GotQuestions.org

Exterminate: Dictionary and Thesaurus | Clyx.com

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