Deuteronomy 7:2

and when Adonai your God delivers them up before you, and you strike them; then you shall utterly destroy them. + 7:2. Deut 7:2 (Deut 7:1-8) (#2b.168): T. Not to make a covenant nor treaty with the seven Canaanite nations / R. Not to make a covenant or treaty with idolaters + 7:2 7.2-7, 7.16, 7.26 Note: God commanded Israel to kill all the people and animals of the nations in the Promised Land. One reason is to prevent Israel from learning the Gentile ways of worshiping their deities. Another reason is plague and disease, in order to prevent the spread of disease all living creatures must be killed. Another reason, in order to prevent the uprising of nations that lost a war, they would be assimilated or killed off. God chose to command Israel to “devote” all the nations to destruction. You shall make no covenant with them, + 7:2. Deut 7:2 (Deut 7:1-8) (#6.405): T. Show no mercy to the seven Canaanite nations God is expelling ahead of you / R. Not to have mercy or favor towards idolaters nor show mercy to them;

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In The King James Version

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

In Context

1When Adonai your God brings you into the land where you go to possess it, and casts out many nations before you, the Hittite [Descendant of Trembling fear], the Girgashite, the Amorite [Descendants of Talkers], the Canaanite [Descendant of Humbled], the Perizzite [Descendant of Belonging to village], the Hivite [Wicked], and the Jebusite [Descendants of Thresher], seven nations + 7:1. Quoted in Acts 13:19 greater and mightier than you;

3+ 7:3. Deut 7:3 (Deut 7:1-8, 7:6-11, 7:1-11) (#2b.169): T. Not to intermarry with the seven Canaanite nations / R. Not to marry with idolaters / R. Some Rabbis also interpret this as “Not to marry non-Jews” neither shall you make marriages with them. You shall not give your daughter to his son, nor shall you take his daughter for your son.

Read all of Deuteronomy 7

Cross References

Exodus 22:20“He who sacrifices to any deity, except to Adonai only, shall be utterly destroyed.

Exodus 34:12Be careful, lest you make a covenant with the inhabitants of the land where you are going, lest it be for a snare in the middle of you:

Numbers 21:2Israel [God prevails] vowed a vow to Adonai, and said, “If you will indeed deliver this people into my hand, then I will utterly destroy their cities.”

Deuteronomy 3:3So Yahweh Eloheikhem [Yahweh our God] delivered into our hand Og also, the king of Bashan, and all his people. We struck him until no one was left to him remaining.

Deuteronomy 9:3Know therefore today, that Adonai your God is he who goes over before you as a devouring fire. He will destroy them, and he will bring them down before you. So you shall drive them out, and make them perish quickly, as Adonai has spoken to you. (3)

Deuteronomy 13:9+ 13:9. Deut 13:9 (Deut 13:1-11) [Heb Bible Deut 13:10 (Deut 13:2-12)] (#2a.79): T. The one who entices you secretly to serve other deities must be killed / R. Not to save the life of the enticer of idolatry / R. Not to save the missionary / R. (The Rabbis add) To be present at their death, based on (v9-10) but you shall surely kill him! Your hand shall be first on him to put him to death, and afterwards the hands of all the people.

Matthew Henry on Deuteronomy 7:2-12

A Caution Against Idolatry. ( b. c. 1451.) 1 When the Lord thy God shall bring thee into the land whither thou goest to possess it, and hath cast out many nations before thee, the Hittites, 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; 2 And when the Lord thy God shall deliver them before thee; thou shalt smite them, and utterly destroy them; thou shalt make no covenant with them, nor show mercy unto… Read the whole commentary →

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