Deuteronomy 7: The seven nations, and a people chosen by Yahweh
A free study, verse by verse. Text: World English Bible. Notes come from the Hebrew. How to read a study
What happens?
Moses tells Israel that when Yahweh brings them into the land and gives seven nations into their hand, they are to destroy them completely, make no covenant and no marriages with them, and break down their altars and images. Israel is a holy people, chosen not because they were many but because Yahweh loves them and keeps his oath to their fathers. If they obey, Yahweh will bless them and drive the nations out little by little, and they are not to be afraid.
Who is speaking?
Moses speaks to Israel in the whole chapter. In verse 17 he gives what Israel might say in their heart. No verse is in gold. God's own words are printed in gold, and those verses are marked God speaks
1When Yahweh your God brings you into the land where you go to possess it, and casts out many nations before you—the Hittite, the Girgashite, the Amorite, the Canaanite, the Perizzite, the Hivite, and the Jebusite—seven nations greater and mightier than you;
In plain English: When Yahweh your God brings you into the land you are going in to possess, and drives out many nations in front of you, the Hittites, the Girgashites, the Amorites, the Canaanites, the Perizzites, the Hivites, and the Jebusites, seven nations greater and stronger than you,
Good to know: Seven nations are named here. names six of them, without the Girgashites.
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2and when Yahweh your God delivers them up before you, and you strike them, then you shall utterly destroy them. You shall make no covenant with them, nor show mercy to them.
In plain English: and when Yahweh your God gives them over to you and you strike them, you are to destroy them completely (literally: devote them to destruction; the Hebrew repeats the verb). Make no covenant with them, and show them no mercy.
The Hebrew word: "Utterly destroy" is charam, explained in the note on : the dictionary gives it as "to devote to religious uses (especially destruction)". Here the Hebrew says the word twice, "devote, you are to devote them". The same word is used in , and again in .
How it is translated: This Bible says "destroy" or a longer form in all 5 verses of Deuteronomy that use charam.
Good to know: This is war law of that time, as the text records it. Verses 2 to 5 command Israel to destroy the seven nations, to make no covenant and no marriages with them, and to destroy their altars and images. The reason the text gives is in : so that Israel will not be turned away to serve other gods. Jewish and Christian readers differ on how to read these commands today.
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3You shall not make marriages with them. You shall not give your daughter to his son, nor shall you take his daughter for your son.
In plain English: Do not marry with them. Do not give your daughter to his son, or take his daughter for your son,
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4For that would turn away your sons from following me, that they may serve other gods. So Yahweh’s anger would be kindled against you, and he would destroy you quickly.
In plain English: because he (or: that) would turn your son (this Bible: sons) away from following me, to serve other gods. Then Yahweh's anger would burn against you, and he would destroy you quickly.
Good to know: "From following me": here Moses speaks in Yahweh's voice, as if Yahweh himself were speaking. The verse is part of Moses' speech, so it is not in gold.
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5But you shall deal with them like this: you shall break down their altars, dash their pillars in pieces, cut down their Asherah poles, and burn their engraved images with fire.
In plain English: But this is what you are to do to them: break down their altars, smash their sacred pillars, cut down their Asherah poles, and burn their carved images with fire.
The Hebrew word: "Asherah" is the name of a goddess. The dictionary gives it as "Asherah (or Astarte) a Phoenician goddess; also an image of the same". This Bible writes "Asherah" in 37 of the 40 verses that use the word, and calls the objects "Asherah poles". The text does not describe them. The same commands are in .
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6For you are a holy people to Yahweh your God. Yahweh your God has chosen you to be a people for his own possession, above all peoples who are on the face of the earth.
In plain English: For you are a holy people to Yahweh your God. Yahweh your God has chosen you out of all the peoples on the face of the earth to be a people for his own treasured possession.
The Hebrew word: "His own possession" is segullah, which the dictionary gives as "wealth (as closely shut up)": a treasure kept close. It is in 8 verses of the Bible. In 6 of them this Bible says "possession", among them , at Sinai, and , which repeats this verse.
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7Yahweh didn’t set his love on you nor choose you, because you were more in number than any people; for you were the fewest of all peoples;
In plain English: Yahweh did not set his love on you and choose you because you were more in number than any other people, for you were the fewest of all peoples.
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8but because Yahweh loves you, and because he desires to keep the oath which he swore to your fathers, Yahweh has brought you out with a mighty hand and redeemed you out of the house of bondage, from the hand of Pharaoh king of Egypt.
In plain English: It was because Yahweh loves you, and because he keeps the oath he swore to your fathers, that Yahweh brought you out with a mighty hand and set you free (this Bible: redeemed you) from the house of slavery, from the hand of Pharaoh king of Egypt.
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9Know therefore that Yahweh your God himself is God, the faithful God, who keeps covenant and loving kindness to a thousand generations with those who love him and keep his commandments,
In plain English: So know that Yahweh your God is God, the faithful God. He keeps his covenant and his loving kindness (or: covenant loyalty) for a thousand generations with those who love him and keep his commandments,
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10and repays those who hate him to their face, to destroy them. He will not be slack to him who hates him. He will repay him to his face.
In plain English: and he repays those who hate him, to their face, by destroying them. He will not be slow with the one who hates him. He will repay him to his face.
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11You shall therefore keep the commandments, the statutes, and the ordinances which I command you today, to do them.
In plain English: So keep the commandment, the statutes, and the rules (this Bible: ordinances) that I command you today, and do them.
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12It shall happen, because you listen to these ordinances and keep and do them, that Yahweh your God will keep with you the covenant and the loving kindness which he swore to your fathers.
In plain English: It will be that, because you listen to these rules and keep and do them, Yahweh your God will keep with you the covenant and the loving kindness that he swore to your fathers.
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13He will love you, bless you, and multiply you. He will also bless the fruit of your body and the fruit of your ground, your grain and your new wine and your oil, the increase of your livestock and the young of your flock, in the land which he swore to your fathers to give you.
In plain English: He will love you, bless you, and make you many. He will bless the fruit of your body (literally: your womb) and the fruit of your ground, your grain, your new wine, and your oil, the young of your cattle and of your flock, in the land he swore to your fathers to give you.
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14You will be blessed above all peoples. There won’t be male or female barren among you, or among your livestock.
In plain English: You will be blessed more than all peoples. No man or woman among you will be unable to have children, and none of your livestock either.
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15Yahweh will take away from you all sickness; and he will put none of the evil diseases of Egypt, which you know, on you, but will lay them on all those who hate you.
In plain English: Yahweh will take all sickness away from you. He will not put on you any of the evil diseases of Egypt that you know, but he will put them on all who hate you.
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16You shall consume all the peoples whom Yahweh your God shall deliver to you. Your eye shall not pity them. You shall not serve their gods; for that would be a snare to you.
In plain English: You are to consume (literally: eat) all the peoples that Yahweh your God gives over to you. Do not look on them with pity. Do not serve their gods, because that would be a trap (this Bible: snare) to you.
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17If you shall say in your heart, “These nations are more than I; how can I dispossess them?”
In plain English: If you say in your heart, "These nations are greater than I am. How can I drive them out?"
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18you shall not be afraid of them. You shall remember well what Yahweh your God did to Pharaoh and to all Egypt:
In plain English: do not be afraid of them. Remember well what Yahweh your God did to Pharaoh and to all Egypt:
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19the great trials which your eyes saw, the signs, the wonders, the mighty hand, and the outstretched arm, by which Yahweh your God brought you out. So shall Yahweh your God do to all the peoples of whom you are afraid.
In plain English: the great trials your eyes saw, the signs, the wonders, the mighty hand, and the outstretched arm by which Yahweh your God brought you out. Yahweh your God will do the same to all the peoples you are afraid of.
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20Moreover Yahweh your God will send the hornet among them, until those who are left, and hide themselves, perish from before you.
In plain English: And Yahweh your God will send the hornet among them, until those who are left and those who hide themselves have perished from before you.
The Hebrew word: "Hornet" is tsir'ah, which the dictionary gives as "a wasp (as stinging)". It is in only 3 verses: here, and . The text does not explain it further.
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21You shall not be scared of them; for Yahweh your God is among you, a great and awesome God.
In plain English: Do not be terrified of them, for Yahweh your God is among you, a great and awesome God.
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22Yahweh your God will cast out those nations before you little by little. You may not consume them at once, lest the animals of the field increase on you.
In plain English: Yahweh your God will drive out those nations in front of you little by little. You will not be able to finish them off all at once, or the wild animals (literally: the animals of the field) would grow too many for you.
Good to know: and give the same plan: the nations are driven out little by little, so that the wild animals do not grow too many.
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23But Yahweh your God will deliver them up before you, and will confuse them with a great confusion, until they are destroyed.
In plain English: But Yahweh your God will give them over to you and throw them into great confusion (or: panic), until they are destroyed.
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24He will deliver their kings into your hand, and you shall make their name perish from under the sky. No one will be able to stand before you until you have destroyed them.
In plain English: He will give their kings into your hand, and you will wipe out their name from under the sky. No one will be able to stand against you until you have destroyed them.
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25You shall burn the engraved images of their gods with fire. You shall not covet the silver or the gold that is on them, nor take it for yourself, lest you be snared in it; for it is an abomination to Yahweh your God.
In plain English: Burn the carved images of their gods with fire. Do not covet the silver or the gold on them, or take it for yourself, or you will be trapped by it, because it is detestable (this Bible: an abomination) to Yahweh your God.
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26You shall not bring an abomination into your house and become a devoted thing like it. You shall utterly detest it. You shall utterly abhor it; for it is a devoted thing.
In plain English: Do not bring a detestable thing (this Bible: an abomination) into your house, or you will become devoted to destruction (this Bible: a devoted thing) like it. Utterly detest it and utterly abhor it, because it is devoted to destruction.
The Hebrew word: "Devoted thing" is cherem, which comes from the same word as charam in . The dictionary gives it as "usually a doomed object". Bringing such a thing home would make the person a doomed thing too.
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