Herem (war or property): Difference between revisions
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==References== |
==References== |
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Revision as of 09:50, 1 October 2010
Cherem or herem (Hebrew: חרם, ḥērem), also known as the ban, is a concept used in the Hebrew Bible in which non-Israelite peoples were completely destroyed, along with their property. The verb form occurs 51 times, while the noun occurs 28 times.[1] Although the word itself simply means devotion to God (and is used this way in Leviticus 27:28), it most often refers to "a ban for utter destruction"[1]. This idea first appears in Numbers 21:2, and is translated in a variety of ways in English translations:
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 this vow to the LORD : "If you will deliver these people into our hands, we will totally destroy their cities."
Then the people of Israel made this vow to the Lord: "If you will hand these people over to us, we will completely destroy all their towns."
And Israel vowed a vow to the LORD and said, "If you will indeed give this people into my hand, then I will devote their cities to destruction."
The word is often used in the Book of Joshua, where cities such as Jericho and Ai came under cherem. This meant they had to be completely destroyed, except for the "the silver and gold and the articles of bronze and iron" which were to go into "Yahweh's treasury" (Joshua 6:19). The following chapter describes how Achan kept back some items for himself, and was executed by stoning. Indeed, Achan is himself described as something "devoted to destruction" (Joshua 7:12).
Deuteronomy 20 also names six people groups who were to be under the ban: the Hittites, Amorites, Canaanites, Perizzites, Hivites and Jebusites. This has led to the conquest of Canaan being referred to as genocide.
William Dumbrell suggests that "the ban appears to have been conceived as an acknowledgement of Yahweh's help."[2] He also notes that "everything likely to contaminate Israel religiously" was destroyed, and thus the institution of the ban was "designed not to counter a military threat but to counter a religious threat."[3] Similarly, Balchin argues that "drastic action was required to keep Israel in holy existence."[4]