Deuteronomy 7:7-17

7 Not for ye overcame in number all folks, the Lord is joined to you, and chose you, since ye be fewer than all peoples; (The Lord is not joined to you, or chose you, because ye were greater in number than all the other nations, since ye be fewer than all the other peoples;)
8 but for the Lord loved you, and kept the oath which he swore to your fathers; and he led you out in [a] strong hand, and again-bought you from the house of servage, from the house of Pharaoh, king of Egypt. (but because the Lord loved you, and kept the oath which he swore to your fathers; and he led you out with a strong hand, and bought you back, that is, redeemed, or ransomed, you, from the house of servitude, or of slavery, from the hand, or the power, of Pharaoh, the king of Egypt.)
9 And thou shalt know, that thy Lord God himself is a strong God, and faithful, and keepeth covenant and mercy to them that love him, and to them that keep his commandments, into a thousand generations; (And thou shalt know, that the Lord thy God himself is a strong God, and faithful, and keepeth covenant and mercy with those who love him, and with those who obey his commandments, unto a thousand generations;)
10 and he yieldeth anon to them that hate him, so that he destroy them, and defer, or tarry, no longer; restoring, or yielding, anon to them that that they deserve. (but that he yieldeth at once to those who hate him, to destroy them, and to defer, or to tarry, no longer; yea, swiftly yielding to them what they deserve.)
11 Therefore keep thou the commandments, and ceremonies, and dooms, which I command to thee today, that thou do them. (And so obey thou the commandments, and statutes, and laws, or judgements, which I command to thee today, yea, do thou them.)
12 If after that thou hearest these dooms, thou keepest, and doest them, thy Lord God shall keep to thee covenant, and mercy, which he swore to thy fathers. (If after that thou hearest these laws, or these judgements, thou obeyest, and doest them, then the Lord thy God shall keep the covenant with thee, which he swore to thy fathers, and show his mercy to thee.)
13 And he shall love thee, and multiply thee, and he shall bless the fruit of thy womb, and the fruit of thy land, thy wheat, and thy vintage, thine oil, and thy droves of beasts, and the flocks of thy sheep, on the land for which he swore to thy fathers, that he should give it to thee. (And he shall love thee, and multiply thee, and he shall bless the fruit of thy womb, and the fruit of thy land, yea, thy corn, and thy wine, thy oil, and thy herds of beasts, and the flocks of thy sheep, in the land which he swore to thy fathers, that he would give thee.)
14 Thou shalt be blessed among all peoples; none barren of ever either kind shall be with thee, as well in men, as in thy flocks. (Thou shalt be blessed among all peoples; there shall be no barren among thee, male or female, in people, as well as in thy flocks.)
15 The Lord shall do away from thee all ache (The Lord shall take away all thy aches and pains); and he shall not bring to thee the full evil sicknesses of Egypt, that thou hast known, but to all thine enemies these sicknesses shall come.
16 And thou shalt devour, that is, destroy, all [the] peoples, which thy Lord God shall give (over) to thee; thine eye shall not spare them, neither thou shalt serve their gods, lest they be into the falling of thee (lest they be thy downfall).
17 If thou sayest in thine heart, These folks be more than I, how may I do away them? (If thou sayest in thy heart, These nations, or these peoples, be more than I, how can I do them away?)

Deuteronomy 7:7-17 Meaning and Commentary

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, De 7:1-5 to observe which, and other commands of God, they are urged from the consideration of their being freely chosen of God above all other people, and of their being redeemed out of the house of bondage, and of the Lord's being a covenant keeping God to them, De 7:6-11 and it is promised them, for their further encouragement to keep the commands of God, that they should have an increase of all temporal good things, and no evils and calamities should come upon them, De 6:12-16, and, lest they should be disheartened at the numbers and might of their enemies, they are put in mind of what God had done for them in Egypt, and of what he had promised to do for them now, De 7:17-20 and they are assured that the nations should be cast out before them by little and little, until they were utterly destroyed, De 7:21-24 and the chapter is concluded with an exhortation to destroy their images, and not admit anything of that sort to be brought into their houses, De 7:25,26.

Copyright © 2001 by Terence P. Noble. For personal use only.