Doesn't the Bible Support Violence?

One of the most common criticisms of the Bible is that the Old Testament is full of violent narratives in which God is on the side of violence and injustice and indeed explicitly commands violence, including genocide. It will be shown that there are numerous differences between these narratives and modern conflicts which cumulate to mean that they cannot be judged immoral. In fact, a fair understanding of God's character in the Old Testament shows him to be extremely compassionate.