Turns out, there was a surprising amount of "calling for peace" involved.
Deuteronomy 20:10 tells us, "When you approach a city to wage war against it, you shall call to it for peace." Seems a bit counterintuitive, doesn't it? But the rabbis of Devarim Rabbah, a collection of homiletic interpretations on the Book of Deuteronomy, saw profound wisdom in this verse. They asked: Who actually did this? Who embodied this call for peace before war?
The answer? Joshua son of Nun.
Rabbi Shmuel bar Naḥman paints a vivid picture of Joshua's approach. Before engaging in battle, Joshua would issue a public decree in every place he intended to conquer. This wasn't just a formality. It was a genuine invitation, a three-pronged offer: "Anyone who wishes to leave, let him leave; whoever wishes to make peace let him do so; and whoever wishes to wage war, let him do so.” He gave the inhabitants a choice.
Think about that for a moment. It wasn't just about brute force. It was about offering options, respecting agency, and perhaps, even minimizing bloodshed.
So, what happened?
Well, the Girgashites, one of the Canaanite nations, took Joshua up on his offer. They chose exile. They evacuated their land and, according to the midrash, were blessed by God with a land just as beautiful as their former home – Africa. Yes, Africa! Imagine that – a whole continent blessed because its inhabitants chose peace over war.
The Givonites, on the other hand, chose a different path. They opted for peace treaties. And Joshua, true to his word, honored their decision and made peace with them.
But what about those who chose war? The thirty-one kings who decided to fight Joshua? Devarim Rabbah tells us that the Holy One, blessed be He, caused them to fall into Joshua's hands. The text references Deuteronomy 3:3, "We smote him until we left him no remnant," to illustrate the completeness of their defeat.
So, what does this tell us? It's not just a simple war story. It's a story about choices. A story about the potential for peace, even in the face of conflict. It's a story about how offering alternatives can lead to unexpected outcomes, both for those who choose to fight and those who choose to flee. And perhaps most importantly, it's a story reminding us that even in times of war, the call for peace should always be the first, and perhaps most powerful, weapon.