This article looks at so-called cruelty and killing in the Old Testament, especially at the command to destroy the nations in Canaan. This article is about the justice and wrath of God.

After showing that violence is something neither glorified nor encouraged in the Bible, this article shows the relation of violence in the Old Testament to God, and identifies how in Christ God changed this in the New Testament, while it distinguishes biblical violence from genocide and vengefulness.

Looking at Deuteronomy 7 this article shows how texts dealing with violence and the idea of genocide should be understood in the Old Testament. They reveal the judgment of God, that God is the one who acts. The author shows how Christians should deal with these texts today through the eyes of Christ's work.

Can Christianity advance through the use of violence? The answer is "No." Then why is there so much violence in the Old Testament? This article answers the question by pointing to principles that must govern our thinking about violence in the Old Testament.