INTRODUCTION TO DEUTERONOMY 7 In this chapter the Israelites are exhorted to destroy the seven nations of the land of Canaan, when they entered into it, and to make no alliances with them of any kind, nor suffer any remains of idolatry to continue, Deuteronomy 7:1 to observe which, and other comman... [ Continue Reading ]
WHEN THE LORD THY GOD SHALL BRING THEE INTO THE LAND WHITHER THOU GOEST TO POSSESS IT,.... The land of Canaan they were just now going into to take possession of; their introduction into which is here, as in many other places, ascribed not to themselves, or their leaders, but to the Lord as their co... [ Continue Reading ]
AND WHEN THE LORD THY GOD SHALL DELIVER THEM BEFORE THEE,.... Into their hands: THOU SHALT SMITE THEM, AND UTTERLY DESTROY THEM; men, women, and children; which was ordered not merely to make way and room for the people of Israel to inherit their land, but as a punishment for capital crimes they ha... [ Continue Reading ]
NEITHER SHALT THOU MAKE MARRIAGES WITH THEM,.... Unless they became proselytes, as Rahab, who was married by Salmon, and so those of other nations, as Ruth the Moabitess, and so any captive taken in war; otherwise it was not lawful, bad consequences have followed upon it, which it is the design of t... [ Continue Reading ]
FOR THEY WILL TURN AWAY THY SON FROM FOLLOWING ME,.... From the pure worship of God, his word, statutes, and ordinances: THAT THEY MAY SERVE OTHER GODS; worship their idols; that is, the daughters of Heathens, married to the sons of Israelites, would entice them from the worship of the true God to... [ Continue Reading ]
BUT THUS SHALL YE DEAL WITH THEM,.... The inhabitants of the land of Canaan: YE SHALL DESTROY THEIR ALTARS; on which they sacrificed to their idols: AND BREAK DOWN THEIR IMAGES; of their gods, and the statues and pillars erected to the honour of them: AND CUT DOWN THEIR GROVES; sacred to idols, w... [ Continue Reading ]
FOR THOU ART AN HOLY PEOPLE UNTO THE LORD THY GOD,.... Not sanctified in a spiritual sense, or having principles of grace and holiness in them, from whence holy actions sprang, at least not all of them; but they were separated from all other people in the world to the pure worship and service of God... [ Continue Reading ]
THE LORD DID NOT SET HIS LOVE UPON YOU, NOR CHOOSE YOU,.... He had done both, and the one as the effect and evidence of the other; he loved them, and therefore he chose them; but neither of them, BECAUSE YE WERE MORE IN NUMBER THAN ANY PEOPLE; not for the quantity of them, nor even for the quality... [ Continue Reading ]
BUT BECAUSE THE LORD LOVED YOU,.... With an unmerited love; he loved them, because he loved them; that is, because he would love them; his love was not owing to any goodness in them, or done by them, or any love in them to him, but to his own good will and pleasure: AND BECAUSE HE WOULD KEEP THE OA... [ Continue Reading ]
Ver. 9 KNOW THEREFORE THAT THE LORD THY GOD, HE IS GOD,.... The only true and living God, and not the idols of the Gentiles, who are false and lifeless ones, and therefore not the proper objects of adoration: THE FAITHFUL GOD, WHICH KEEPETH COVENANT AND MERCY; as appeared by fulfilling the promise... [ Continue Reading ]
AND REPAYETH THEM THAT HATE HIM TO THEIR FACE, TO DESTROY THEM,.... Openly, publicly, and at once, they not being able to make any resistance. Onkelos interprets it in their lifetime, and so Jarchi which agrees with the Targums of Jonathan and Jerusalem: "or to his face"; f the face of God; that is,... [ Continue Reading ]
THOU SHALT THEREFORE KEEP THE COMMANDMENTS, AND THE STATUTES, AND THE JUDGMENTS,.... The laws, moral, ceremonial, and judicial, urged thereunto both by promises and threatenings, in hopes of reward, and through fear of punishment: WHICH I COMMAND THEE THIS DAY, TO DO THEM; in the name of the Lord,... [ Continue Reading ]
WHEREFORE IT SHALL COME TO PASS, IF YE HEARKEN TO THESE JUDGMENTS, AND KEEP AND DO THEM,.... Attentively listen to the declaration made of them, and be careful to observe them: THAT THE LORD THY GOD SHALL KEEP UNTO THEE THE COVENANT AND THE MERCY WHICH HE SWARE UNTO THY FATHERS; to bring them into... [ Continue Reading ]
AND HE WILL LOVE THEE,.... As he has done, and rest in his love, and give further instances and proofs of it: AND BLESS THEE, AND MULTIPLY THEE; that is bless thee with a multiplication of offspring, which was what was often promised to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob; that their seed should be as the st... [ Continue Reading ]
THOU SHALT BE BLESSED ABOVE ALL PEOPLE,.... Even with temporal blessings, besides those of a religious kind; they having the oracles of God, the covenants, the giving of the law, the service of God, and the promises, Romans 3:1, THERE SHALL NOT BE MALE OR FEMALE BARREN AMONG YOU; which to be was re... [ Continue Reading ]
AND WILL TAKE AWAY FROM THEE ALL SICKNESS,.... Bodily sickness and diseases, prevent the coming of them, or remove them when come: AND WILL PUT NONE OF THE EVIL DISEASES OF EGYPT WHICH THOU KNOWEST UPON THEE; meaning either the plagues that were inflicted upon them to oblige them to let the Israeli... [ Continue Reading ]
AND THOU SHALL CONSUME ALL THE PEOPLE WHICH THE LORD THY GOD SHALL DELIVER THEE,.... All the inhabitants of the land of Canaan, which the Lord should deliver into their hands; them they were not to spare, but utterly destroy men, women, and children: THINE EYE SHALL HAVE NO PITY UPON THEM; Deuteron... [ Continue Reading ]
IF THOU SHALL SAY IN THINE HEART,.... Should have secret thoughts arise in the heart, misgivings of heart, fears and doubts there, which, though not outwardly expressed, might be inwardly retained: THESE NATIONS ARE MORE THAN I; seven to one, and perhaps anyone of them as powerful as Israel: HOW C... [ Continue Reading ]
THOU SHALT NOT BE AFRAID OF THEM,.... Neither on account of their number, nor their strength: BUT SHALL WELL REMEMBER WHAT THE LORD THY GOD DID UNTO PHARAOH, AND UNTO ALL EGYPT; a people more numerous and potent than the Canaanites, among whom the Lord wrought such wonderful things by his power, wh... [ Continue Reading ]
THE GREAT TEMPTATIONS WHICH THINE EYES SAW, AND THE SIGNS, AND THE WONDERS,.... The miracles wrought in Egypt; see Deuteronomy 4:34 AND THE MIGHTY HAND, AND STRETCHED OUT ARM, WHEREBY THE LORD THY GOD BROUGHT THEE OUT; that is, out of Egypt, which was an instance and proof of his almighty power: S... [ Continue Reading ]
MOREOVER, THE LORD THY GOD WILL SEND THE HORNET AMONG THEM,.... Not a single one, but several of them, and which may be understood of creatures so called, which resemble wasps, only twice as large, an insect very bold and venomous; see Exodus 23:28. Aben Ezra interprets it of the leprosy: UNTIL THE... [ Continue Reading ]
THOU SHALL NOT BE AFFRIGHTED AT THEM,.... At their numbers, nor at their gigantic stature: FOR THE LORD THY GOD IS AMONG YOU: in the tabernacle, in the holy of holies, which was in the midst of them, and besides would give proof of his powerful presence among them, in protecting them, and destroyin... [ Continue Reading ]
AND THE LORD THY GOD WILL PUT OUT THOSE NATIONS BEFORE THEE BY LITTLE AND LITTLE,.... Which is observed for their encouragement, who seeing that all were not destroyed at once, might fear the work would never be thoroughly accomplished; see Exodus 23:30, THOU MAYEST NOT CONSUME THEM AT ONCE; though... [ Continue Reading ]
BUT THE LORD THY GOD SHALL DELIVER THEM UNTO THEE,.... Gradually, by little and little, until at length they should all come into their hands: and shall destroy them with a mighty destruction until they be destroyed; even all of them.... [ Continue Reading ]
AND HE SHALL DELIVER THEIR KINGS INTO THINE HAND,.... Who were very numerous, for though there were but seven nations, there were more kings, even one and thirty, Joshua 12:9, THOU SHALL DESTROY THEIR NAME FROM UNDER HEAVEN; not only destroy the name of the reigning kings, so as that they should no... [ Continue Reading ]
THE GRAVEN IMAGES OF THEIR GODS SHALL YE BURN WITH FIRE,.... Which is repeated from Deuteronomy 7:5, that it might be the more observed and strictly performed, and which unless done, they could not expect the utter destruction of their enemies, who were left in the land to try and prove them with re... [ Continue Reading ]
NEITHER SHALT THOU BRING AN ABOMINATION INTO THY HOUSE,.... An idol, so the Targum of Jonathan, the abominations of idols and their utensils, or what is ministered to them, with anything that appertains to them, or is used in the service of them, as well as the gold and silver upon them; this care w... [ Continue Reading ]