Thou shall not be affrighted at them ,.... At their numbers, nor at their gigantic stature: for the Lord thy God is among you : in the tabernacle, in the holy of holies, which was in the midst of them, and besides would give proof of his powerful presence among them, in protecting them, and destroying their enemies: a mighty God and terrible ; mighty to save his people, and terrible to others. read more
Reward in proportion to arduous service. The enterprise upon which the Jews were entering was one of prodigious difficulty. They had to contend at the same time with stalwart human foes, and with the internal foes of evil lust. Here was a splendid field for eternal renown. In proportion to the difficulty of the enterprise would be the glory of success. I. OBSERVE THE DISCOURAGING ASPECTS OF THE UNDERTAKING . 1. Their adversaries were more numerous than they . The... read more
The heathen they were utterly to extirpate from the land which God was about to give them; mighty as these nations were, they were not to be afraid of them, for God would be with his people, and would deliver these nations, with their kings, into their hands. Not all at once, however, should the former occupants of the country be driven out; this should be done by degrees, lest, the land being suddenly depopulated, the wild animals would increase too much, so as to be a source of danger and... read more
God for us. The numbers, strength, and fortified security of the seven nations made the conquest of Palestine a task of difficulty, and might naturally produce a disheartening effect on the invaders. I. A NATURAL FEAR . ( Deuteronomy 7:17 .) Like disheartening feelings may assail ourselves in presence of the strong spiritual opposition to be encountered in seeking to win the world for Christ. Our enemies are neither weak nor few; we will do well not to underrate them. The larger... read more
Canaan gradually won. The winning of the whole land seemed a great task—too great for sense and sight. But the Divine programs, though comprehensive, are taken in detail. The Israelites are to win the country little by little, and remove the people gradually. In this patient work they may expect the co-operation of God. I. THE WORK BEFORE US SEEMS OF OVERPOWERING DIMENSIONS . MUST we win a victory over all the evil within us? and then contemplate a victory over all... read more
The promised land (7:1-8:20)Israel’s responsibility was to destroy the people of Canaan along with everything connected with their religion, so that nothing would remain in the land that might corrupt God’s people (7:1-5). Israel’s favoured place as God’s chosen people was not an excuse for them to do as they liked, but a reason for them to avoid corruption and be holy. If they were disobedient, they would surely be punished (6-11). But if they were obedient, they would enjoy the blessings of... read more
mighty = great. terrible = to be feared. read more
11-26. Thou shalt therefore keep the commandments, and the statutes, and the judgments, which I command thee this day—In the covenant into which God entered with Israel, He promised to bestow upon them a variety of blessings so long as they continued obedient to Him as their heavenly King. He pledged His veracity that His infinite perfections would be exerted for this purpose, as well as for delivering them from every evil to which, as a people, they would be exposed. That people accordingly... read more
3. Examples of the application of the principles chs. 7-11"These clearly are not laws or commandments as such but primarily series of parenetic homilies in which Moses exhorted the people to certain courses of action in light of the upcoming conquest and occupation of Canaan. Within these sections, however, are specific and explicit injunctions based upon the Decalogue and anticipatory of further elaboration in the large section of detailed stipulations that follows (Deuteronomy 12:1 to... read more
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Matthew Henry's Complete Commentary - Deuteronomy 7:12-26
Here, I. The caution against idolatry is repeated, and against communion with idolaters: ?Thou shalt consume the people, and not serve their gods.? Deut. 7:16. We are in danger of having fellowship with the works of darkness if we take pleasure in fellowship with those that do those works. Here is also a repetition of the charge to destroy the images, Deut. 7:25, 26. The idols which the heathen had worshipped were an abomination to God, and therefore must be so to them: all that truly love God... read more