^7:1When the Lord your God brings you to the land that you are going to occupy and forces out many nations before you—Hittites,¹ Girgashites,² Amorites,³ Canaanites,⁴ Perizzites,⁵ Hivites,⁶ and Jebusites,⁷ seven⁸ nations more numerous and powerful than you—^7:2and he⁹ delivers them over to you and you attack them, you must utterly annihilate¹⁰ them. Make no treaty¹¹ with them and show them no mercy! ^7:3You must not intermarry with them. Do not give your daughters to their sons or take their daughters for your sons, ^7:4for they will turn your sons away from me to worship other gods. Then the anger of the Lord will erupt against you and he will quickly destroy you. ^7:5Instead, this is what you must do to them: You must tear down their altars, shatter their sacred pillars,¹² cut down their sacred Asherah poles,¹³ and burn up their idols. ^7:6For you are a people holy¹⁴ to the Lord your God. He¹⁵ has chosen you to be his people, prized¹⁶ above all others on the face of the earth.

The Basis of Israel’s Election

^7:7It is not because you were more numerous than all the other peoples that the Lord favored and chose you—for in fact you were the least numerous of all peoples. ^7:8Rather it is because of his¹⁷ love¹⁸ for you and his faithfulness to the promise¹⁹ he solemnly vowed²⁰ to your ancestors²¹ that the Lord brought you out with great power,²² redeeming²³ you from the place of slavery, from the power²⁴ of Pharaoh king of Egypt. ^7:9So realize that the Lord your God is the true God,²⁵ the faithful God who keeps covenant faithfully²⁶ with those who love him and keep his commandments, to a thousand generations, ^7:10but who pays back those who hate²⁷ him as they deserve and destroys them. He will not ignore²⁸ those who hate him but will repay them as they deserve! ^7:11So keep the commandments, statutes, and ordinances that I today am commanding you to do.

Promises of Good for Covenant Obedience

^7:12If you obey these ordinances and are careful to do them, the Lord your God will faithfully keep covenant with you²⁹ as he promised³⁰ your ancestors. ^7:13He will love and bless you, and make you numerous. He will bless you with many children,³¹ with the produce of your soil, your grain, your new wine, your oil, the offspring of your oxen, and the young of your flocks in the land which he promised your ancestors to give you. ^7:14You will be blessed beyond all peoples; there will be no barrenness³² among you or your livestock. ^7:15The Lord will protect you from all sickness, and you will not experience any of the terrible diseases that you knew in Egypt; instead he will inflict them on all those who hate you.

Exhortation to Destroy Canaanite Paganism

^7:16You must destroy³³ all the people whom the Lord your God is about to deliver over to you; you must not pity them or worship³⁴ their gods, for that will be a snare to you. ^7:17If you think, “These nations are more numerous than I—how can I dispossess them?” ^7:18you must not fear them. You must carefully recall³⁵ what the Lord your God did to Pharaoh and all Egypt, ^7:19the great judgments³⁶ you saw, the signs and wonders, the strength and power³⁷ by which he³⁸ brought you out—thus the Lord your God will do to all the people you fear. ^7:20Furthermore, the Lord your God will release hornets³⁹ among them until the very last ones who hide from you⁴⁰ perish. ^7:21You must not tremble in their presence, for the Lord your God, who is present among you, is a great and awesome God. ^7:22He,⁴¹ the God who leads you, will expel the nations little by little. You will not be allowed to destroy them all at once lest the wild animals overrun you. ^7:23The Lord your God will give them over to you; he will throw them into a great panic⁴² until they are destroyed. ^7:24He will hand over their kings to you and you will erase their very names from memory.⁴³ Nobody will be able to resist you until you destroy them. ^7:25You must burn the images of their gods, but do not covet the silver and gold that covers them so much that you take it for yourself and thus become ensnared by it; for it is abhorrent⁴⁴ to the Lord your God. ^7:26You must not bring any abhorrent thing into your house and thereby become an object of divine wrath⁴⁵ along with it.⁴⁶ You must absolutely detest⁴⁷ and abhor it,⁴⁸ for it is an object of divine wrath.

The Lord’s Provision in the Desert

^8:1You must keep carefully all these commandments¹ I am giving² you today so that you may live, increase in number,³ and go in and occupy the land that the Lord promised to your ancestors.⁴^8:2Remember the whole way by which he⁵ has brought you these forty years through the desert⁶ so that he might, by humbling you, test you to see if you have it within you to keep his commandments or not. ^8:3So he humbled you by making you hungry and then feeding you with unfamiliar manna.⁷ He did this to teach you⁸ that humankind⁹ cannot live by bread¹⁰ alone, but also by everything that comes from the Lord’s mouth.¹¹^8:4Your clothing did not wear out nor did your feet swell all these forty years. ^8:5Be keenly aware that just as a parent disciplines his child,¹² the Lord your God disciplines you. ^8:6So you must keep his¹³ commandments, live according to his standards,¹⁴ and revere him. ^8:7For the Lord your God is bringing you to a good land, a land of brooks,¹⁵ springs, and fountains flowing forth in valleys and hills, ^8:8a land of wheat, barley, vines, fig trees, and pomegranates, of olive trees and honey, ^8:9a land where you may eat food¹⁶ in plenty and find no lack of anything, a land whose stones are iron¹⁷ and from whose hills you can mine copper. ^8:10You will eat your fill and then praise the Lord your God because of the good land he has given you.

Exhortation to Remember That Blessing Comes from God

^8:11Be sure you do not forget the Lord your God by not keeping his commandments, ordinances, and statutes that I am giving you today. ^8:12When you eat your fill, when you build and occupy good houses, ^8:13when your cattle and flocks increase, when you have plenty of silver and gold, and when you have abundance of everything, ^8:14be sure¹⁸ you do not feel self-important and forget the Lord your God who brought you from the land of Egypt, the place of slavery, ^8:15and who brought you through the great, fearful desert of venomous serpents¹⁹ and scorpions, an arid place with no water. He made water flow²⁰ from a flint rock and ^8:16fed you in the desert with manna (which your ancestors had never before known) so that he might by humbling you test you²¹ and eventually bring good to you. ^8:17Be careful²² not to say, “My own ability and skill²³ have gotten me this wealth.” ^8:18You must remember the Lord your God, for he is the one who gives ability to get wealth; if you do this he will confirm his covenant that he made by oath to your ancestors,²⁴ even as he has to this day. ^8:19Now if you forget the Lord your God at all²⁵ and follow other gods, worshiping and prostrating yourselves before them, I testify to you today that you will surely be annihilated. ^8:20Just like the nations the Lord is about to destroy from your sight, so he will do to you²⁶ because you would not obey him.²⁷

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Footnotes

1 Hittites. The center of Hittite power was in Anatolia (central modern Turkey). In the Late Bronze Age (1550–1200 b.c.) they were at their zenith, establishing outposts and colonies near and far. Some elements were obviously in Canaan at the time of the Conquest (1400–1350 b.c.).
2 Girgashites. These cannot be ethnically identified and are unknown outside the OT. They usually appear in such lists only when the intention is to have seven groups in all (see also the note on the word “seven” later in this verse).
3 Amorites. Originally from the upper Euphrates region (Amurru), the Amorites appear to have migrated into Canaan beginning in 2200 b.c. or thereabouts.
4 Canaanites. These were the indigenous peoples of the land, going back to the beginning of recorded history ( 3000 b.c.). The OT identifies them as descendants of Ham (Gen 10:6), the only Hamites to have settled north and east of Egypt.
5 Perizzites. This is probably a subgroup of Canaanites (Gen 13:7; 34:30).
6 Hivites. These are usually thought to be the same as the Hurrians, a people well-known in ancient Near Eastern texts. They are likely identical to the Horites (see note on the term “Horites” in ).
7 Jebusites. These inhabited the hill country, particularly in and about Jerusalem (cf. Num 13:29; Josh 15:8; 2 Sam 5:6; 24:16).
8 Seven. This is an ideal number in the OT, one symbolizing fullness or completeness. Therefore, the intent of the text here is not to be precise and list all of Israel’s enemies but simply to state that Israel will have a full complement of foes to deal with. For other lists of Canaanites, some with fewer than seven peoples, see Exod 3:8; 13:5; 23:23, 28; 33:2; 34:11; Deut 20:17; Josh 3:10; 9:1; 24:11. Moreover, the “Table of Nations” (Gen 10:15–19) suggests that all of these (possibly excepting the Perizzites) were offspring of Canaan and therefore Canaanites.
9 Heb “the Lord your God.” The pronoun has been used in the translation for stylistic reasons to avoid redundancy.
10 In the Hebrew text the infinitive absolute before the finite verb emphasizes the statement. The imperfect has an obligatory nuance here. Cf. “shalt (must ) utterly destroy them”; “must destroy them without mercy.”
11 Heb “covenant” (so , ); “alliance.”
12 Sacred pillars. The Hebrew word (מַצֵּבֹת, matsevot) denotes a standing pillar, usually made of stone. Its purpose was to mark the presence of a shrine or altar thought to have been visited by deity. Though sometimes associated with pure worship of the Lord (Gen 28:18, 22; 31:13; 35:14; Exod 24:4), these pillars were usually associated with pagan cults and rituals (Exod 23:24; 34:13; Deut 12:3; 1 Kgs 14:23; 2 Kgs 17:10; Hos 3:4; 10:1; Jer 43:13).
13 Sacred Asherah poles. A leading deity of the Canaanite pantheon was Asherah, wife/sister of El and goddess of fertility. She was commonly worshiped at shrines in or near groves of evergreen trees, or, failing that, at places marked by wooden poles (Hebrew אֲשֵׁרִים [’asherim], as here). They were to be burned or cut down (Deut 12:3; 16:21; Judg 6:25, 28, 30; 2 Kgs 18:4).
14 That is, “set apart.”
15 Heb “the Lord your God.” The pronoun has been used in the translation for stylistic reasons to avoid redundancy.
16 Or “treasured” (so , ); “his own special treasure.” The Hebrew term סְגֻלָּה (ségullah) describes Israel as God’s choice people, those whom he elected and who are most precious to him (cf. Exod 19:4–6; Deut 14:2; 26:18; 1 Chr 29:3; Ps 135:4; Eccl 2:8 Mal 3:17). See E. Carpenter, 3:.
17 Heb “the Lord’s.” See note on “He” in .
18 For the verb אָהַב (’ahav, “to love”) as a term of choice or election, see note on the word “loved” in .
19 Heb “oath.” This is a reference to the promises of the so-called “Abrahamic Covenant” (cf. Gen 15:13–16).
20 Heb “swore on oath.”
21 Heb “fathers” (also in vv. 12, 13).
22 Heb “by a strong hand” ( similar); “with such amazing power.”
23 Redeeming you from the place of slavery. The Hebrew verb translated “redeeming” (from the root פָּדָה, padah) has the idea of redemption by the payment of a ransom. The initial symbol of this was the Passover lamb, offered by Israel to the Lord as ransom in exchange for deliverance from bondage and death (Exod 12:1–14). Later, the firstborn sons of Israel, represented by the Levites, became the ransom (Num 3:11–13). These were all types of the redemption effected by the death of Christ who described his atoning work as “a ransom for many” (Matt 20:28; cf. 1 Pet 1:18).
24 Heb “hand” (so , ), a metaphor for power or domination.
25 Heb “the God.” The article here expresses uniqueness; cf. “is the only God”; “is indeed God.”
26 Heb “who keeps covenant and loyalty.” The syndetic construction of בְּרִית (bérit) and חֶסֶד (khesed) should be understood not as “covenant” plus “loyalty” but as an adverbial construction in which חֶסֶד (“loyalty”) modifies the verb שָׁמַר (shamar, “keeps”).
27 For the term “hate” as synonymous with rejection or disobedience see note on the word “reject” in (cf. “reject”).
28 Heb “he will not hesitate concerning.”
29 Heb “will keep with you the covenant and loyalty.” On the construction used here, see v. 9.
30 Heb “which he swore on oath.” The relative pronoun modifies “covenant,” so one could translate “will keep faithfully the covenant (or promise) he made on oath to your ancestors.”
31 Heb “will bless the fruit of your womb” (so , , ).
32 One of the ironies about the promises to the patriarchs concerning offspring was the characteristic barrenness of the wives of the men to whom these pledges were made (cf. Gen 11:30; 25:21; 29:31). Their affliction is in each case described by the very Hebrew word used here (עֲקָרָה, ’aqarah), an affliction that will no longer prevail in Canaan.
33 Heb “devour” (so ); , , “consume.” The verbal form (a perfect with vav consecutive) is understood here as having an imperatival or obligatory nuance (cf. the instructions and commands that follow). Another option is to take the statement as a continuation of the preceding conditional promises and translate “and you will destroy.”
34 Or “serve” (so , , ).
35 Heb “recalling, you must recall.” The Hebrew text uses the infinitive absolute before the finite verb for emphasis. Cf. , “shalt well remember.”
36 Heb “testings” (so ), a reference to the plagues. See note at .
37 Heb “the strong hand and outstretched arm.” See 4:34.
38 Heb “the Lord your God.” The pronoun has been used in the translation for stylistic reasons to avoid redundancy.
39 The meaning of the term translated “hornets” (צִרְעָה, tsir’ah) is debated. Various suggestions are “discouragement” ( ; cf. , , “panic”; “terror”) and “leprosy” (J. H. Tigay, Deuteronomy [], 360, n. 33; cf. “the pestilence”), as well as “hornet” ( 864 ; cf. , , , ). The latter seems most suitable to the verb שָׁלַח (shalakh, “send”; cf. Exod 23:28; Josh 24:12).
40 Heb “the remnant and those who hide themselves.”
41 Heb “the Lord your God.” See note on “he” in .
42 Heb “he will confuse them (with) great confusion.” The verb used here means “shake, stir up” (see Ruth 1:19; 1 Sam 4:5; 1 Kgs 1:45; Ps 55:2); the accompanying cognate noun refers to confusion, unrest, havoc, or panic (1 Sam 5:9, 11; 14:20; 2 Chr 15:5; Prov 15:16; Isa 22:5; Ezek 7:7; 22:5; Amos 3:9; Zech 14:13).
43 Heb “you will destroy their name from under heaven” (cf. ); “blot out their name from under heaven.”
44 The Hebrew word תּוֹעֵבָה (to’evah, “abhorrent; detestable”) describes anything detestable to the Lord because of its innate evil or inconsistency with his own nature and character. Frequently such things (or even persons) must be condemned to annihilation (חֵרֶם, kherem) lest they become a means of polluting or contaminating others (cf. Deut 13:17; 20:17–18). See M. Grisanti, 4:.
45 Heb “come under the ban” (so ); “be set apart for destruction.” The same phrase occurs again at the end of this verse. The Hebrew word translated an object of divine wrath (חֵרֶם, kherem) refers to persons or things placed under God’s judgment, usually to the extent of their complete destruction. See note on the phrase “divine judgment” in .
46 Or “like it is.”
47 This Hebrew verb (שָׁקַץ, shaqats) is essentially synonymous with the next verb (תָעַב, ta’av; cf. תּוֹעֵבָה, to’evah; see note on the word “abhorrent” in v. ), though its field of meaning is more limited to cultic abomination (cf. Lev 11:11, 13; Ps 22:25).
48 Heb “detesting you must detest and abhorring you must abhor.” Both verbs are preceded by a cognate infinitive absolute indicating emphasis.
1 The singular term (מִצְוָה, mitsvah) includes the whole corpus of covenant stipulations, certainly the book of Deuteronomy at least (cf. Deut 5:28; 6:1, 25; 7:11; 11:8, 22; 15:5; 17:20; 19:9; 27:1; 30:11; 31:5). The plural (מִצְוֹת, mitsot) refers to individual stipulations (as in vv. 2, 6).
2 Heb “commanding” (so ). For stylistic reasons, to avoid redundancy, “giving” has been used in the translation (likewise in v. 11).
3 Heb “multiply” (so , , ); , “increase.”
4 Heb “fathers” (also in vv. 16, 18).
5 Heb “the Lord your God.” The pronoun has been used in the translation for stylistic reasons.
6 Or “wilderness” (so , , ); likewise in v. 15.
7 Heb “manna which you and your ancestors did not know.” By popular etymology the word “manna” comes from the Hebrew phrase מָן הוּא (man hu’), i.e., “What is it?” (Exod 16:15). The question remains unanswered to this very day. Elsewhere the material is said to be “white like coriander seed” with “a taste like honey cakes” (Exod 16:31; cf. Num 11:7). Modern attempts to associate it with various desert plants are unsuccessful for the text says it was a new thing and, furthermore, one that appeared and disappeared miraculously (Exod 16:21–27).
8 Heb “in order to make known to you.” In the Hebrew text this statement is subordinated to what precedes, resulting in a very long sentence in English. The translation makes this statement a separate sentence for stylistic reasons.
9 Heb “the man,” but in a generic sense, referring to the whole human race (“mankind” or “humankind”).
10 The Hebrew term may refer to “food” in a more general sense (cf. ).
11 Jesus quoted this text to the devil in the midst of his forty-day fast to make the point that spiritual nourishment is incomparably more important than mere physical bread (Matt 4:4; cf. Luke 4:4).
12 Heb “just as a man disciplines his son.” The Hebrew text reflects the patriarchal idiom of the culture.
13 Heb “the commandments of the Lord your God.” The pronoun has been used in the translation for stylistic reasons to avoid redundancy.
14 Heb “by walking in his ways.” The “ways” of the Lord refer here to his moral standards as reflected in his commandments. The verb “walk” is used frequently in the Bible (both OT and NT) for one’s moral and ethical behavior.
15 Or “wadis.”
16 The Hebrew term may refer to “food” in a more general sense (cf. , , ) or “bread” in particular (cf. , , ).
17 A land whose stones are iron. Since iron deposits are few and far between in Palestine, the reference here is probably to iron ore found in mines as opposed to the meteorite iron more commonly known in that area.
18 The words “be sure” are not in the Hebrew text; vv. 12–14 are part of the previous sentence. For stylistic reasons a new sentence was started at the beginning of v. 12 in the translation and the words “be sure” repeated from v. 11 to indicate the connection.
19 Heb “flaming serpents”; , “fiery serpents”; “saraph serpents.” This figure of speech (metonymy) probably describes the venomous and painful results of snakebite. The feeling from such an experience would be like a burning fire (שָׂרָף, saraf).
20 Heb “the one who brought out for you water.” In the Hebrew text this continues the preceding sentence, but the translation begins a new sentence here for stylistic reasons.
21 Heb “in order to humble you and in order to test you.” See 8:2.
22 For stylistic reasons a new sentence was started at the beginning of v. 17 in the translation and the words “be careful” supplied to indicate the connection.
23 Heb “my strength and the might of my hand.”
24 and Lucian add “Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob,” the standard way of rendering this almost stereotypical formula (cf. Deut 1:8; 6:10; 9:5, 27; 29:13; 30:20; 34:4). The ’s harder reading presumptively argues for its originality, however.
25 Heb “if forgetting, you forget.” The infinitive absolute is used for emphasis; the translation indicates this with the words “at all” (cf. ).
26 Heb “so you will perish.”
27 Heb “listen to the voice of the Lord your God.” The pronoun has been used in the translation for stylistic reasons to avoid redundancy.