Celebrating Christian Centenaries
Southwestern Journal of Theology
Volume 68, No. 1 - Fall 2025
Editor: Malcolm B. Yarnell III
The Destruction of the Canaanites: God, Genocide, and Biblical Interpretation. By Charlie Trimm. Grand Rapids: William B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, 2022, 127 pp., $14.99.
Trimm has provided a balanced and methodical survey of what he calls “the ethical problem of the destruction of the Canaanites” (2). The book is divided into two parts, the first of which provides prerequisite discussions on the nature of warfare in the ancient Near East (hereafter ANE), definitions of genocide, and the identity of and ancient perspectives on the Canaanites. This first half of the book establishes the appropriate working knowledge on these general topics and the parameters within which questions about the biblical testimony, the nature of God, and the interpretive options may be addressed, which is the focus of part two. Throughout the book, Trimm is fair and open-minded in his syntheses and analyses. His surveys of background information are appropriately nuanced, thorough, and sufficiently granular without being overwhelming for the non-specialist.
Trimm begins part one with a survey of warfare in the ANE, which he functionally delimits as the geographical regions between Egypt and Mesopotamia from approximately 2000 to 500 BCE. His maturity on this issue is illustrated by his regular reminders of the non-monolithic nature of ANE cultures, despite the modern researchers need to synthesize on some level. In the second chapter, he moves into a discussion of how genocide has been defined, leaning heavily into the understanding adopted by the UN Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide. He also helpfully addresses whether any of the recorded events from the ANE outside of the Bible may be classified as genocide, ultimately concluding that the cultural gulf between modernity and antiquity should restrict the use of the term to modern events so as to avoid misunderstanding and imprecise analyses. In the third and final chapter of part one, Trimm, drawing upon the work of Anson Rainey, helpfully synthesizes the ANE data related to the identity of the Canaanites; this chapter concludes with an insightful, clear, and succinct review of the instructions given to the Israelites regarding the Canaanites, with special attention to the idea of herem.
With the contextual background of part one properly addressed, Trimm pivots in part two to identify the options available to the exegete for addressing “the problem of the destruction of the Canaanites” (50). If clarity, balance, and succinctness are the primary descriptors of Trimm’s writing for part one, then logical and systematic are the best modifiers of his work in part two. Trimm organizes the second half of the book around four statements that, according to Trimm, cannot all be true collectively: 1) God is good and compassionate; 2) the Old Testament is a faithful record of God’s dealings with humanity and favorably portrays YHWH’s actions; 3) the Old Testament describes events that are similar to genocide; and 4) mass killings are always evil. The positions described in each chapter of part two reject or adjust at least one of these statements in order to assuage the moral injury inflicted by the seemingly genocidal nature of the scriptural account.
Trimm acknowledges that the rejection of monotheism and a moral deity quickly alleviates the ethical dilemmas associated with the destruction of the Canaanites but introduces other social and existential problems. He is charitable in his presentation of views that reject the historicity, divine authority, or ethical standing of the Old Testament text, but also critiques the limited nature of these strategies for those who still want to give some relevance to these Scriptures. One might expect Trimm to be more favorable to one or both of the final two strategies—interpreting the texts in ways that dissociate it from genocide or preserving the justness of the deity’s violent destruction of the Canaanites en masse. However, Trimm does not shy away from critiquing these positions as well. He highlights the potential inconsistency and special pleading associated with those views that interpret the relevant passages non-lethally, hyperbolically, or in a spiritualized manner. Likewise, he calls out the cavalier attitude of this strategy toward YHWH’s reputation and the precedent that it has set for acts in the name of God in the more recent past.
Overall, Trimm has provided a well-written volume, largely free of typos and grammatical errors. His style is a model for clarity and succinct writing; there are no wasted words in this book. He has organized the material logically and in ways that anticipate the reader’s next question. His posture is humble; his tone is fair and balanced; and the work is void of any straw man arguments. What may be the only two weaknesses of the book proceed out of these strengths.
First, Trimm’s representation of the works that he associates with the various views, although charitable and equitable, sometimes lacks contextualization and at times may critique the works by criteria outside the primary purposes of the authors. For example, Rick Hess has written in multiple publications on the battle of Jericho and Ai. However, in the work cited by Trimm, he did not write to address the ethical problem of the Canaanite destruction, even if his work has bearing on and relevance for this discussion. Thus, to critique his work on these standards seems a bit out of place (73–74). Perhaps the intent was to critique those who may appeal to Hess’s work to address this question, but this does not come across clearly. Having said this, I believe any resultant weakness should be attributed to the succinct nature of the book alone.
Second, in his effort to remain fair and balanced and in line with the survey nature of this book, Trimm opts not to identify his preferred view, which in turn means that no view was defended above the others. Although, he clearly states in his introduction that his goal is not to provide a “correct answer” to the problem, the reader is left feeling rather flat at the conclusion of the book without even a hint of guidance from the expert author.
In the end, Trimm has produced a fine survey on the topic of the Canaanite destruction. His review of the various background topics and his organization of the possible views on the subject are an excellent introduction to this matter. Also, his posture and tone are a model for writers in our divisive and polarized era. This book would serve as an excellent supplemental textbook in an undergraduate or graduate course on religion or Old Testament studies. It would also be a useful volume for personal study by educated parishioners who are interested in this subject or wrestling with its ethical, moral, and theological implications.
