Genesis 15:16

15:16 In the fourth generation your descendants will return here, for the sin of the Amorites has not yet reached its limit.”

Deuteronomy 20:17

20:17 Instead you must utterly annihilate them – the Hittites, Amorites, Canaanites, Perizzites, Hivites, and Jebusites 10  – just as the Lord your God has commanded you,

Deuteronomy 20:1

Laws Concerning War with Distant Enemies

20:1 When you go to war against your enemies and see chariotry 11  and troops 12  who outnumber you, do not be afraid of them, for the Lord your God, who brought you up out of the land of Egypt, is with you.

Deuteronomy 21:1-2

Laws Concerning Unsolved Murder

21:1 If a homicide victim 13  should be found lying in a field in the land the Lord your God is giving you, 14  and no one knows who killed 15  him, 21:2 your elders and judges must go out and measure how far it is to the cities in the vicinity of the corpse. 16 

Deuteronomy 21:11

21:11 if you should see among them 17  an attractive woman whom you wish to take as a wife,

sn The term generation is being used here in its widest sense to refer to a full life span. When the chronological factors are considered and the genealogies tabulated, there are four hundred years of bondage. This suggests that in this context a generation is equivalent to one hundred years.

tn Heb “they”; the referent (“your descendants”) has been supplied in the translation for clarity.

tn Heb “is not yet complete.”

tn The Hebrew text uses the infinitive absolute for emphasis, which the translation seeks to reflect with “utterly.” Cf. CEV “completely wipe out.”

sn Hittite. The center of Hittite power was in Anatolia (central modern Turkey). In the Late Bronze Age (1550-1200 b.c.) they were at their zenith, establishing outposts and colonies near and far. Some elements were obviously in Canaan at the time of the Conquest (1400-1350 b.c.).

sn Amorite. Originally from the upper Euphrates region (Amurru), the Amorites appear to have migrated into Canaan beginning in 2200 b.c. or thereabouts.

sn Canaanite. These were the indigenous peoples of the land of Palestine, going back to the beginning of recorded history (ca. 3000 b.c.). The OT identifies them as descendants of Ham (Gen 10:6), the only Hamites to have settled north and east of Egypt.

sn Perizzite. This probably refers to a subgroup of Canaanites (Gen 13:7; 34:30).

sn Hivite. These are usually thought to be the same as the Hurrians, a people well-known in ancient Near Eastern texts. They are likely identical to the Horites (see note on “Horites” in Deut 2:12).

10 tc The LXX adds “Girgashites” here at the end of the list in order to list the full (and usual) complement of seven (see note on “seven” in Deut 7:1).

11 tn Heb “horse and chariot.”

12 tn Heb “people.”

13 tn Heb “slain [one].” The term חָלָל (khalal) suggests something other than a natural death (cf. Num 19:16; 23:24; Jer 51:52; Ezek 26:15; 30:24; 31:17-18).

14 tn The Hebrew text includes “to possess it,” but this has not been included in the translation for stylistic reasons.

15 tn Heb “struck,” but in context a fatal blow is meant; cf. NLT “who committed the murder.”

16 tn Heb “surrounding the slain [one].”

17 tn Heb “the prisoners.” The pronoun has been used in the translation for stylistic reasons, to avoid redundancy.