當我們脫離上下文而單獨閱讀今天的經文時，我們會被上主的憐憫和忍耐所感動。

祂總是給我們一次又一次悔改的機會，為此我們感謝祂。

然而，當我們通讀整章經文時，會發現作者試圖解答一個極其棘手的問題：為什麼上主先毀滅客納罕人，為把他們的土地交給以色列人？

作者試圖從迦南人的罪惡行徑中尋找答案，但他同時也指出，客納罕人毫無希望，「因為他們從起初，就是被詛咒的後裔」（十二11）。

作者所面臨的問題在舊約聖經中無法得到解答。

唯獨耶穌才能帶來答案：所有民，更好，所有人，族都受罪的轄制；凡信祂的，都得救。

在舊約中，以色列人的地位是模糊的：他們是上主的選民，因此他們的罪如同君王的兒子們的罪，而其他民族的罪則如同普通百姓的罪。。。

When we read today’s text out of its context, we are moved by God’s mercy and patience. He always gives us another opportunity for conversion, and we thank Him for this.

However, when we read the whole chapter, we discover that the author tries to come to terms with a very difficult problem: why did God destroy the people of Canaan before the people of Israel?

The author tries to find a reason in the horrific practices of those peoples, but then he also says that there was no hope for them, because they were a cursed race from the beginning.

The problem the author faces cannot be solved in the Old Testament. Only Jesus brings the solution: all peoples are prey to sin; those who believe in Him are saved. In the Old Testament, the place of the people of Israel was ambiguous: the were the Chosen people, therefore their sins were like the sins of the sons of the King, whereas the sins of the other peoples were like the sins of common citizens…