Exodus 23:28 - Exposition

And I will send hornets before thee. This is scarcely to be taken literally, since no actual plague of hornets is mentioned in the historical narrative. "Hornets" here, and in Deuteronomy 7:20 ; Joshua 24:12 , are probably plagues or troubles of any kind, divinely sent to break the power of the heathen nations, and render them an easier prey to the Israelites, when they made their invasion. Possibly, the main "hornets" were the Egyptians, who, under Rameses III ; successfully invaded Palestine about the time of Israel's sojourn in the wilderness, and weakened the power of the Hittites (Khita). The Hivite, the Canaanite, and the Hittite . By a common figure of speech, a part is put {or the whole—three nations for seven. The three names seem to be taken at random, but include the two nations of most power—the Canaanites and the Hittites.