In the second passage, Yahweh told his people that the land he was going to give his people had become defiled by the Canaanites. So, as punishment for their sin, Yahweh was going to have the land vomit them out (Lev 18:24–25). Throughout the Bible the welfare of land is directly connected to the spiritual state of the people who occupy it.[13] It thus seems that the Lord decided he would allow the defilement of the Canaanites to render their land temporarily unfruitful so they would naturally migrate to greener pastures. No babies would need to be bludgeoned in the process.
