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 LORD thy God shall bring thee into the land whither thou goest to possess it, and hath cast out manya nations before thee, the 1Hittites, and the Girgashites, and the Amorites, and the Canaanites, and the Perizzites, and the Hivites, and the Jebusites, seven nations greater and mightier than thou;
a Deut. 31:3.
1 See Gen. 10:15, etc.; 15:19, etc.
2And when the LORD thy God shall deliver them before thee; thoub shalt smite them, and 2utterly destroy them; thouc shalt make no covenant with them, nor shew mercy unto them:
b Num. 33:52; Joshua 11:11.
2 Hebr. banning ban them. See Deut. 2 on verse 34.
c Exod. 23:32; 34:15.
3Neither shalt thou make marriagesd with them; 3thy daughter thou shalt not give unto his son, nor his daughter shalt thou take unto thy son.
d Exod. 34:16; 1 Kings 11:2.
3 In the Hebrew, this and some other following words, is stated in the singular, having respect to every one of these nations, sons and daughters.
4For they will turn away thy son from following me, that they may serve other gods: so will the anger of the LORD be kindled against you, and destroy thee suddenly.
5But thus shall ye deal with them; ye shall destroy theire altars, and break down their 4images, and cut down their 5groves, and burn their graven images with fire.
e Exod. 23:24; 34:13; Deut. 12:2, 3.
4 Other, statues, or, pillar images.
5 Understand the idolatrous groves, which they had planted for idolatrous use. See Deut. 12:3.
6For thoufart an 6holy 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.
f Exod. 19:5; Deut. 4:20; 14:21; 26:18; 28:9; 1 Peter 2:9.
6 That is, a people, separated by God from all nations and set apart for Him, in order that He bless thee according to the tenor of the promises of His covenant, and that thou walkest holily (as He, with Whom thou hast entered into covenant, is holy) in His commandments, according to thy covenant promises. See Deut. 28:9; 1 Peter 2:9.
7The LORD did not set his love upon you, nor choose you, because ye were more in number than any people; for ye were the fewest of all people:
8But 7because the LORD lovedg you, and because he would keep 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.
7 Hebr. for or out of, by reason of the LORD’S love towards you.
g Deut. 10:15.
9Know therefore that the LORD thy God, hehis God, the 8faithful God, which keepeth covenant and mercy with them that love him and keep his commandments to a thousand generations;
h Exod. 20:5; Deut. 5:9.
8 That is, Who is true in His words, and assuredly performs His promises. See Isa. 49:7; 1 Cor. 1:9; 10:13; 2 Cor. 1:18; 1 Thes. 5:24; 2 Thes. 3:3; 2 Tim. 2:13; Heb. 11:11; 1 John 1:9.
10And repayeth them that hate him 9to their face, to destroy them: he will not be slacki to him that hateth him, he will repay him to his face.
9 That is, in their presence, before their eyes, as we say, or in public, without dreading their worldly greatness, power, or pride; and even that they must needs discern and feel the LORD’S punishing hand against them.
i Nah. 1:2.
11Thou shalt therefore keep the commandments, and the statutes, and the judgments, which I command thee this day, to do them.
12¶Wherefore it shall come to pass, ifj ye hearken 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:
j Lev. 26:3; Deut. 28:1.
13And he will 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 10increase of thy kine, and the flocks of thy sheep, in the land which he sware unto thy fathers to give thee.
10 Or, propagation, that is, the fruit.
14Thou shalt be blessed above all people: there shall notk be male or female barren among you, or among your cattle.
k Exod. 23:26.
15And the LORD will take away from thee all sickness, and will put none of the evil diseases of Egypt, 11which thou knowest, upon thee; but will lay them upon all them that hate thee.
11 Which you have seen upon the Egyptians. Compare Deut. 28:60.
16And thou shalt 12consume all the people which the LORD thy God shall deliver thee; thine eye shall have no pity upon them: neither shalt thou serve their gods; for that will be a 13snare unto thee.
12 Hebr. properly, eat, eat up, and so consequently consume; that is, thou shalt consume, destroy them without favoring or sparing, as meat or food is not spared, much less the prey of a wild beast. Compare Deut. 31:17.
13 See Exod. 23:23; 34:12; Judges 2:3.
1714If thou shalt say in thine heart, These nations are more than I; how can I dispossess them?
14 That is, if you would think within yourself. So Deut. 8:17; 9:4, etc.
18Thou shalt not be afraid of them: but shalt 15well remember what the LORD thy God did unto Pharaoh, and unto all Egypt;
15 Hebr. remembering remember.
19Thel great 16temptations 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.
l Deut. 4:34; 29:3.
16 See Deut. 4 on verse 34.
20Moreover the LORD thy God will send the 17hornetm among them, until they that are left, and 18hide themselves from thee, be destroyed.
17 See Exod. 23:28.
m Exod. 23:28; Joshua 24:12.
18 That is, who have hid themselves and perhaps have escaped your hand.
21Thou shalt not be affrighted at them: for the LORD thy God is 19among you, a mighty God and terrible.
19 Namely, with His grace and aid.
22And the LORD thy God will 20put out those nations before thee 21by little and little: thou 22mayest not consume them at once, lest the beasts of the field increase 23upon thee.
20 Or, pull out, root out, cast down, destroy.
21 Or, gradually, that is, very easily, one after another.
22 Or, couldest.
23 Or, against thee.
23But the LORD thy God shall deliver them unto thee, and shall 24destroy them with a mighty destruction, until they be destroyed.
24 Or, amaze them with great amazement.
24And he 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.
25The graven images of their gods shall 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.
26Neither shalt thou bring an abomination into thine house, lest thou be 25a cursed thing like 26it: but thou shalt 27utterly detest it, and thou shalt utterly abhor it; for it is 28a cursed thing.
25 That is, banned. See hereof a notable example, Joshua 7:11, 21, 24, 25, 26.
26 Namely, the banned thing or substance.
27 Hebr. detesting detest, and abhorring abhor.
28 That is, given up to destruction, because it served for idolatrous use.