THEOSISAugustine of Hippo
It is stated that it was the Lord who caused their hearts to become hardened, leading them to confront Israel in battle. This indicates a parallel to Pharaoh’s experience. There is no doubt that a sovereign Divine decree is at work when anyone is abandoned by the Lord and given into the control of their adversaries; this scenario mirrors what occurred with Pharaoh. However, there is another aspect to consider, as it is noted that they fortified their hearts with the intention of waging war against Israel. Consequently, Israel did not extend mercy to them. Israel might have shown compassion had the Canaanites not engaged them in conflict. Therefore, the Lord commanded that mercy should not be shown, but rather that they should be utterly destroyed.
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The Lord instructed that none among them should be spared, yet Israel did protect the Gibeonites and forged an agreement with them, as they approached Israel presenting themselves as travelers from a far-off land. Nevertheless, it is critical to recognize that, although Israel showed mercy to certain Canaanites—even in opposition to the Lord’s directive—the Canaanites resolved to confront Israel in battle, which precluded any possibility of mercy from Israel. Additionally, the Canaanites had no influence over Israel to ignore the Lord’s command. I cannot accept any other outcome, for Joshua was their commander and adhered faithfully to the Lord’s instructions. Still, it is conceivable that Joshua might not have annihilated them so swiftly had they not acted so treacherously towards him. It is possible that, in obedience to the Lord’s instructions, Joshua could have chosen not to defeat them so decisively, allowing for a scenario where they could have survived until after Joshua's time, when Israel was less vigilant in following the Lord's guidance. Indeed, even during Joshua's leadership, Israel spared some of the same Canaanite groups, although they did subject them to their dominion; some Canaanites remained unconquered. However, these events occurred not during the peak of his leadership, but later, when he had stepped back from military engagements in his old age and was primarily focused on delineating the land for Israel. He apportioned the territory so that Israel could occupy the abandoned lands of their enemies and engage in battle for the rest, although he himself could no longer lead military action. The fact that Israel managed to subdue some of the Canaanites can be credited only in a limited sense to Divine providence, as evidenced in the pertinent Scriptural passages.