As a revered priest, I reflect on the divine scriptures and teachings of the Bible to understand and share profound insights. Today, I will ponder why God ordered the Israelites to hamstring horses at times.
First, I would like to explain what it means to ‘hamstring’ an animal. This process involves severing the large tendon at the back of the knee on the hind legs, thus crippling the animal. When done to a horse, the creature becomes incapable of performing any useful work afterwards. Historical records show that God, at times, asked the Israelites to hamstring horses captured in war.
Hamstringing an enemy’s horses was not an unusual war strategy throughout ancient history. To hamstring a horse rendered it deficient for further military action. Whenever a band of warriors captured an enemy’s horses, they would hamstring any surplus animals to prevent those horses from being used against them in future conflicts.
This decimation of the enemy’s potential war resources is demonstrated vividly in the Bible before Joshua entered into battle with King Jabin of Hazor. The almighty God ordered Joshua to hamstring all the horses captured and to burn their chariots with fire (Joshua 11:6–9). Understandably, one interpretation for such an order could be to prevent the Canaanites from using those horses and chariots against Israel in future engagements.
Another conceivable reason is linked to the Israelites’ skills or rather lack thereof. During that time, the Israelites were not yet trained to use horses and chariots, so the destruction of these military assets was required by God. Further, there may also have been a spiritual connotation to this command – God perhaps wanted the Israelites to rely not on their own military strength but on Him, teaching them to give credit to Him alone for their success in combat. This notion is encapsulated in Psalm 20:7, “Some trust in chariots and some in horses, but we trust in the name of the LORD our God” and reaffirmed in Isaiah 31:1.
By the time King David led the Israelites into war, however, they were well-versed in military affairs. David knew how to use horses and only hamstrung those he couldn’t utilize. This is documented in 2 Samuel 8:4 and reiterated in 1 Chronicles 18:4.
In addition to horses, even oxen were subjected to hamstringing, mentioned in Genesis 49:6. This barbaric act was perpetrated by Simeon and Levi, explained as a revenge act against Shechem for dishonoring their sister Dinah (Genesis 34).
In essence, horses and chariots signified ancient weapons of war. The principle of hamstringing enemy horses and burning their chariots is still resonant today, albeit in a more modern form. Currently, captured enemy arms and provisions that cannot be carried off or put to good use are often demolished. This assures that these resources can’t be used against them in the future battles.
In conclusion, the divine command of hamstringing horses and burning chariots was not merely grounded in perceived cruelty but rather in tactical and spiritual exigencies. The underlying message for us today is to put our trust in God, deriving our strength from His divine wisdom rather than relying solely on our worldly means.
Leave a Reply