Deuteronomy 7:1-5

Matthew Henry's Complete Commentary - Deuteronomy 7:1-11

Here is, I. A very strict caution against all friendship and fellowship with idols and idolaters. Those that are taken into communion with God must have no communication with the unfruitful works of darkness. These things they are charged about for the preventing of this snare now before them. 1. They must show them no mercy, Deut. 7:1, 2. Bloody work is here appointed them, and yet it is God's work, and good work, and in its time and place needful, acceptable, and honourable. (1.) God here... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Deuteronomy 7:1

When the Lord thy God shall bring thee into the land whither thou goest to possess it ,.... The land of Canaan they were just now going into to take possession of; their introduction into which is here, as in many other places, ascribed not to themselves, or their leaders, but to the Lord as their covenant God: and hath cast out many nations before thee ; even all that were in it, the seven following: the Hittites, and the Girgashites, and the Amorites, and the Canaanites, and the... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Deuteronomy 7:2

And when the Lord thy God shall deliver them before thee ,.... Into their hands: thou shalt smite them, and utterly destroy them ; men, women, and children; which was ordered not merely to make way and room for the people of Israel to inherit their land, but as a punishment for capital crimes they had been guilty of, such as idolatry, incest, murder, &c.; wherefore though they were reprieved for a while for Israel's sake, till their time was come to possess the land, they were at... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Deuteronomy 7:3

Neither shalt thou make marriages with them ,.... Unless they became proselytes, as Rahab, who was married by Salmon, and so those of other nations, as Ruth the Moabitess, and so any captive taken in war; otherwise it was not lawful, bad consequences have followed upon it, which it is the design of this law to prevent; that is, being snared and drawn aside into idolatry, which was the case of Solomon: thy daughter thou shalt not give unto his son, nor his daughter shalt thou take unto thy... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Deuteronomy 7:4

For they will turn away thy son from following me ,.... From the pure worship of God, his word, statutes, and ordinances: that they may serve other gods ; worship their idols; that is, the daughters of Heathens, married to the sons of Israelites, would entice them from the worship of the true God to idolatry; so the Targum of Jonathan; as Solomon's wives drew him aside: or "he will turn away thy son" F4 יסיר "faciet recedere": Pagninus, Montanus; so Junius and Tremellius, Piscator,... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Deuteronomy 7:5

But thus shall ye deal with them ,.... The inhabitants of the land of Canaan: ye shall destroy their altars ; on which they sacrificed to their idols: and break down their images ; of their gods, and the statues and pillars erected to the honour of them: and cut down their groves ; sacred to idols, which were usually planted on hills, and about Heathen temples, and under which idols were placed to be worshipped. The Targum of Jonathan calls them trees of their adoration, under... read more

Adam Clarke

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible - Deuteronomy 7:1

Seven nations greater and mightier than thou - In several places of the Hebrew text, each of these seven nations is not enumerated, some one or other being left out, which the Septuagint in general supply. How these nations were distributed over the land of Canaan previously to the entering in of the Israelites, the reader may see in the note on Joshua 3:10 ; (note). read more

Adam Clarke

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible - Deuteronomy 7:2

Thou shalt smite them, etc. - These idolatrous nations were to be utterly destroyed, and all the others also which were contiguous to the boundaries of the promised land, provided they did not renounce their idolatry and receive the true faith: for if they did not, then no covenant was to be made with them on any secular or political consideration whatever; no mercy was to be shown to them, because the cup of their iniquity also was now full; and they must either embrace, heartily embrace,... read more

Adam Clarke

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible - Deuteronomy 7:3

Neither shalt thou make marriages, etc. - The heart being naturally inclined to evil, there is more likelihood that the idolatrous wife should draw aside the believing husband, than that the believing husband should be able to bring over his idolatrous wife to the true faith. read more

John Calvin

John Calvin's Commentary on the Bible - Deuteronomy 7:2

Verse 2 2.Thou shalt smite them and utterly destroy them. Those who think that there was cruelty in this command, usurp too great authority in respect to Him who is the judge of all. The objection is specious that the people of God were unreasonably imbued with inhumanity, so that, advancing with murderous atrocity, they should spare neither sex nor age. But we must first remember what we shall see hereafter, i.e., that when God had destined the land for His people, He was at liberty utterly to... read more

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