Deuteronomy

Deuteronomy 7

1All communication with the seven nations of Canaan is forbidden for fear of idolatry, 6and in consideration of the holiness of the people. 9The justice and mercy of God's nature a motive to obedience. 12Blessings and victory are assured to them from God in return. 25Images must be wholly destroyed.


1WHEN the aLORD thy God shall bring thee into the land whither thou goest to possess it, and hath cast out many nations before thee, bthe Hittites, and the Girgashites, and the Amorites, and the Canaanites, and the Perizzites, and the Hivites, and the Jebusites, seven nations cgreater and mightier than thou;

a ch. 15.2. ch. 31.2,3; 9.1-3; 11.23-25. Ge. 15.18-21. Ex. 23.27-31; 34.11,24. Ac. 13.7. Ps. 44.3; 78.55; 136.18-22; 135.11,12; 105.44. v.20-24. b Ex. 13.5. c ch. 4.38.

2And when the LORD thy God dshall deliver them before thee; thou shalt smite them, and utterly destroy them; ethou shalt make no covenant with them, nor shew mercy unto them:

d v.16,23,24. ch. 20.16,17. Ex. 22.20; 23.32,33; 34.12-16. Nu. 33.53,55. Jos. 6.17; 8.24; 10.13,40; 11.11,12; 6.25; 9.15. Ju. 1.24. Ps. 106.34. Le. 27.28,29. e Ex. 23.32. ch. 20.10. Jos. 2.14; 9.18.

3Neither fshalt thou make marriages with them; thy daughter thou shalt not give unto his son, nor his daughter shalt thou take unto thy son.

f Ju. 3.6,7; 14.2,3. Ezr. 9.1,2. Ne. 13.23,25. 2Co. 6.14. Ge. 6.2. Ex. 34.16. Jos. 23.12.

4For they gwill turn away thy son from following me, that they may serve other gods: hso will the anger of the LORD be kindled against you, and destroy thee suddenly.

g Ex. 34.15,16. Ne. 13.26. 1Ki. 11.2,4,9. h Ex. 20.5. Ju. 2.11-20; 3.7,8; 10.6,7. ch. 32.15-27; 6.15; 4.24-26; 8.19; 30.17,18; 29.18-27; 31.16-18.

5But thus shall ye deal with them; iye shall destroy their altars, and break down their 1images, and cut down their groves, and burn their graven images with fire.

1Heb. statues or pillars.

i ch. 12.2,3. Ex. 34.13; 23.24. 2Ki. 18.4; 23.6,14. Nu. 33.52. v.25.

6For jthou art an holy people unto the LORD thy God: the LORD thy God hath chosen thee to be a special people unto himself, above all people that are upon the face of the earth.

j ch. 14.2; 26.19; 28.9; 4.7; 32.9. Ps. 135.4. Ex. 19.5,6. Je. 2.3. 1Pe. 2.9. Am. 3.2. Tit. 2.14. 1Co. 6.19,20.

7The LORD kdid not set his love upon you, nor choose you, because ye were more in number than any people; for ye were lthe fewest of all people:

k Ro. 9.11-15,18,21; 11.6. 1Jn. 3.1; 4.10. Ps. 115.1. l ch. 10.22.

8But mbecause the LORD loved you, and because he would nkeep the oath which he had sworn unto your fathers, hath the LORD brought you out with a mighty hand, and redeemed you out of the house of bondmen, from the hand of Pharaoh king of Egypt.

m ch. 4.37; 9.4,5; 10.15. 1Sa. 12.22. 2Sa. 22.20. Ps. 44.3. Zep. 3.17. Mat. 11.26. Ho. 11.1. Mal. 1.2. n Ex. 32.13. He. 6.17,18. Ps. 105.9-11,42. Ge. 17.7,8; 22.17; 26.4; 28.13-15.

9Know therefore that the LORD thy God, he is God, the ofaithful God, which keepeth covenant and pmercy with them that love him and keep his commandments to a thousand generations;

o Is. 49.7. 1Co. 1.9; 10.13. 2Co. 1.18. 1Th. 5.24. 2Th. 3.3. 2Ti. 2.13. He. 11.11; 10.23. 1Jn. 1.9. Tit. 1.2. p Ne. 1.5. Da. 9.4. ch. 5.10. Ex. 20.6. Ge. 17.7. Ps. 105.8,10.

10And qrepayeth them that hate him to their face, to destroy them: rhe will not be slack to him that hateth him, he will repay him to his face.

q ch. 32.41. Pr. 11.31. Is. 65.6. Na. 1.2. Eze. 18.4. Ps. 21.8,9; 92.7,8; 68.1,2,21. Is. 59.18. r ch. 32.35.

11Thou shalt therefore skeep the commandments, and the statutes, and the judgments, which I command thee this day, to do them.

s ch. 4.1,9; 6.1; 5.32,33; 8.1; 10.12,13; 11.32; 12.32. Tit. 3.8. 1Sa. 15.22. 1Co. 15.58.

12¶Wherefore it shall come to pass, 2if ye thearken to these judgments, and keep, and do them, that the LORD thy God shall keep unto thee the covenant and the mercy which he sware unto thy fathers:

2Heb. because.

t Le. 26.3-13. ch. 28.1-14. v.8,9. Ps. 105.8,9. Lu. 1.72,73. 1Ti. 4.8. 1Co. 15.58.

13And he uwill love thee, and bless thee, and multiply thee: he will also bless the fruit of thy womb, and the fruit of thy land, thy corn, and thy wine, and thine oil, the increase of thy *kine, and the flocks of thy sheep, in the land which he sware unto thy fathers to give thee.

*kine-cows.

u v.7. Jn. 14.21,23. ch. 28.4. Pr. 20.7. Ex. 23.25. Ps. 11.7; 1.3; 144.12-15.

14Thou vshalt be blessed above all people: there shall not be male or female barren among you, or among your cattle.

v ch. 28.1-14. Le. 26.3-13. Ex. 23.25,26. Ps. 144.12-15.

15And the LORD wwill take away from thee all sickness, and will put none of the evil diseases of Egypt, which thou knowest, upon thee; but xwill lay them upon all them that hate thee.

w Ex. 9.14; 15.26. Ps. 105.37. ch. 28.27,60. x Ge. 12.3. Ps. 37.12-16.

16And thou shalt yconsume all the people which the LORD thy God shall deliver thee; zthine eye shall have no pity upon them: neither shalt thou serve their gods; for that will be aa snare unto thee.

y v.2. Ex. 23.33; 34.12-16. Nu. 33.55. Jos. 23.12,13,16. Ju. 2.3,12; 3.6. Ps. 106.34-39. z ch. 13.8; 19.13,21; 25.12. a Ju. 8.27.

17If thou bshalt say in thine heart, These nations are more than I; how can I cdispossess them?

b ch. 8.17. Nu. 13.32. Jos. 17.16. Mat. 15.31. c Nu. 33.53.

18Thou dshalt not be afraid of them: but shalt well eremember what the LORD thy God did unto Pharaoh, and unto all Egypt;

d Is. 41.10,14-16. Mar. 5.36. He. 13.6. Ro. 8.31. Ps. 78.11,42-51. ch. 4.34. Ex. 7-14. ch. 1.29; 31.6. e Ps. 105.5.

19The fgreat temptations which thine eyes saw, and the signs, and the wonders, and the mighty hand, and the stretched out arm, whereby the LORD thy God brought thee out: so shall the LORD thy God do unto all the people of whom thou art afraid.

f Ge. 15.14. Ex. 3.8; 6.1,5-7; 7-14. ch. 11.2-4; 10.21. Jos. 24.5-7. 1Sa. 12.8. Ne. 9.10,11. Ps. 78.11,42-51; 105.27-38. Je. 32.20,21. Eze. 20.6,9.

20Moreover gthe LORD thy God will send the hornet among them, until they that are left, and hide themselves from thee, be destroyed.

g Ex. 23.28-30. Jos. 24.12.

21Thou shalt not be *affrighted at them: for the LORD thy God is hamong you, ia mighty God and terrible.

*affrighted-frightened.

h Nu. 11.20. Jos. 3.10. i Ge. 17.1; 18.14. Je. 32.17,27; 20.11. 1Sa. 4.7,8. Ps. 89.7; 47.2; 66.3,5; 45.4. ch. 10.17. Ne. 1.5; 4.14.

22And the LORD thy God jwill 3put out those nations before thee by little and little: thou mayest not consume them at once, lest the beasts of the field increase upon thee.

3Heb. pluck off.

j Ex. 23.29,30. Jos. 15.63. Ju. 2.21-23; 3.1.

23But the LORD thy God shall deliver them 4unto thee, and shall kdestroy them with a mighty destruction, until they be destroyed.

4Heb. before thy face.

k ch. 2.15; 8.20. Ex. 14.24. Jos. 10.24; 12.7,9-24; 1.5. v.16.

24And lhe shall deliver their kings into thine hand, and thou shalt destroy their name from under heaven: there shall no man be able to stand before thee, until thou have destroyed them.

l Jos. 10.24,25,42; 12.1.

25The mgraven images of their gods nshall ye burn with fire: thou shalt not desire the silver or gold that is on them, nor take it unto thee, lest thou be snared therein: for it is an abomination to the LORD thy God.

m ch. 12.3. Nu. 33.52. Ex. 23.24; 32.28; 34.13. Jos. 7.1,21. 1Ch. 14.12. Is. 30.22. v.5. n Ex. 32.20.

26Neither oshalt thou bring an abomination into thine house, lest thou be a cursed thing like it: but thou shalt utterly detest it, and thou shalt utterly abhor it; for it is a cursed thing.

o Jos. 6.17-19,24; 7.1. ch. 13.17. Le. 27.28,29.