Deuteronomy 7:11-23

11 Therefore, take care to follow the commands, decrees and laws I give you today.
12 If you pay attention to these laws and are careful to follow them, then the LORD your God will keep his covenant of love with you, as he swore to your ancestors.
13 He will love you and bless you and increase your numbers. He will bless the fruit of your womb, the crops of your land—your grain, new wine and olive oil—the calves of your herds and the lambs of your flocks in the land he swore to your ancestors to give you.
14 You will be blessed more than any other people; none of your men or women will be childless, nor will any of your livestock be without young.
15 The LORD will keep you free from every disease. He will not inflict on you the horrible diseases you knew in Egypt, but he will inflict them on all who hate you.
16 You must destroy all the peoples the LORD your God gives over to you. Do not look on them with pity and do not serve their gods, for that will be a snare to you.
17 You may say to yourselves, “These nations are stronger than we are. How can we drive them out?”
18 But do not be afraid of them; remember well what the LORD your God did to Pharaoh and to all Egypt.
19 You saw with your own eyes the great trials, the signs and wonders, the mighty hand and outstretched arm, with which the LORD your God brought you out. The LORD your God will do the same to all the peoples you now fear.
20 Moreover, the LORD your God will send the hornet among them until even the survivors who hide from you have perished.
21 Do not be terrified by them, for the LORD your God, who is among you, is a great and awesome God.
22 The LORD your God will drive out those nations before you, little by little. You will not be allowed to eliminate them all at once, or the wild animals will multiply around you.
23 But the LORD your God will deliver them over to you, throwing them into great confusion until they are destroyed.

Deuteronomy 7:11-23 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.

Cross References 25

  • 1. Leviticus 26:3-13; Deuteronomy 28:1-14; Psalms 105:8-9; Micah 7:20
  • 2. Psalms 11:5; Psalms 146:8; Proverbs 15:9; Isaiah 51:1; John 14:21
  • 3. S Genesis 17:6; Exodus 1:7; Deuteronomy 1:10; Deuteronomy 13:17; Deuteronomy 30:5; Psalms 107:38
  • 4. S Genesis 49:25
  • 5. S Genesis 27:28
  • 6. S Numbers 18:12
  • 7. Deuteronomy 28:4
  • 8. Exodus 23:26
  • 9. S Exodus 15:26
  • 10. S Exodus 9:9
  • 11. S Exodus 23:25; Deuteronomy 30:8-10
  • 12. ver 24; Joshua 6:2; Joshua 10:26
  • 13. S ver 2; Exodus 23:33
  • 14. Judges 3:6; Ezra 9:1; Psalms 106:36
  • 15. ver 25; S Exodus 10:7; Judges 8:27
  • 16. Numbers 33:53
  • 17. S Numbers 14:9; S Deuteronomy 1:21,29; Deuteronomy 31:6
  • 18. Psalms 105:5; Psalms 119:52
  • 19. Psalms 136:12
  • 20. Deuteronomy 4:34
  • 21. S Exodus 23:28; Joshua 24:12
  • 22. S Genesis 17:7; Joshua 3:10
  • 23. Deuteronomy 10:17; Nehemiah 1:5; Nehemiah 9:32; Psalms 47:2; Psalms 66:3; Psalms 68:35; Isaiah 9:6; Daniel 9:4
  • 24. Exodus 23:28-30
  • 25. Exodus 23:27; Joshua 10:10
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