The word rendered backs, is in the original, necks, and the passage may mean, I will make all your enemies turn their necks unto you; that is, be subject to you as tributaries, become denationalized, their civil polity, state organization, political existence, destroyed—­their idolatrous temples, altars, images, groves, and all heathen rites destroyed; in a word, their whole system, national, political, civil, and religious, subverted, and the whole people put under tribute.  Again; if these commands required the unconditional destruction of all the individuals of the Canaanites, the Mosaic law was at war with itself, for the directions relative to the treatment of native residents and sojourners, form a large part of it.  “The stranger that dwelleth with you shall be unto you as one born among you, and thou shalt love him as thyself.”  “If thy brother be waxen poor, thou shalt relieve him, yea, though he be a stranger or a sojourner, that he may live with thee.”  “Thou shalt not oppress a stranger.”  “Thou shalt not vex a stranger.”  “Judge righteously between every, man and his brother, and the stranger that is with him.”  “Ye shall not respect persons in judgement.”  “Ye shall have one manner of law as well for the stranger, as for him of your own country.”  We find, also, that provision was made for them in the cities of refuge.  Num. xxxv. 15—­the gleanings of the harvest and vintage were assigned to them, Lev. xix. 9, 10, and xxiii. 22, and 25, 6;—­the blessings of the Sabbath, theirs, Ex. xx. 10;—­the privilege of offering sacrifices secured, Lev. 22. 18; and stated religious instruction provided for them.  Deut. xxxi. 9, 12.  Now, does this same law authorize and appoint the individual extermination of those very persons, whose lives and general interests it so solicitously protects?  These laws were given to the Israelites, long before they entered Canaan; and they must of necessity have inferred from them, that a multitude of the inhabitants of the land would continue in it, under their government.

3. We argue that these commands did not require the INDIVIDUAL destruction of the Canaanites unconditionally, from the fact that the most pious Israelites never seem to have so regarded them. Joshua was selected as the leader of Israel to execute God’s threatenings upon Canaan.  He had no discretionary power.  God’s commands were his official instructions. Going beyond them would have been usurpation; refusing to carry them out, rebellion and treason.  For not obeying, in every particular, and in a single instance, God’s command respecting the Amalekites, Saul was rejected from being king.