Deuteronomium 7:21 Commentaar

Moses in this chapter exhorts Israel, I. In general, to keep God's commandments (Deu 7:11, Deu 7:12). II. In particular, and in order to that, to keep themselves pure from all communion with idolaters. 1. They must utterly destroy the seven devoted nations, and not spare them, or make leagues with them (Deu 7:1, Deu 7:2, Deu 7:16, Deu 7:24). 2. They must by no means marry with the remainders of them (Deu 7:3, Deu 7:4). 3. They must deface and consume their altars and images, and not so much as take the silver and gold of them to their own use (Deu 7:5, Deu 7:25, Deu 7:26). To enforce this charge, he shows that they were bound to do so, (1.) In duty. Considering [1.] Their election to God (Deu 7:6). [2.] The reason of that election (Deu 7:7, Deu 7:8). [3.] The terms they stood upon with God (Deu 7:9, Deu 7:10). (2.) In interest. It is here promised, [1.] In general, that, if they would serve God, he would bless and prosper them (Deu 7:12-15). [2.] In particular, that if they would drive out the nations, that they might not be a temptation to them, God would drive them out, that they should not be any vexation to them (Deu 7:17, etc.).

INTRODUCTION TO DEUTERONOMY 7 In this chapter the Israelites are exhorted to destroy the seven nations of the land of Canaan, when they entered into it, and to make no alliances with them of any kind, nor suffer any remains of idolatry to continue, Deu 7:1 to observe which, and other commands of God, they are urged from the consideration of their being freely chosen of God above all other people, and of their being redeemed out of the house of bondage, and of the Lord's being a covenant keeping God to them, Deu 7:6 and it is promised them, for their further encouragement to keep the commands of God, that they should have an increase of all temporal good things, and no evils and calamities should come upon them, Deu 6:12, and, lest they should be disheartened at the numbers and might of their enemies, they are put in mind of what God had done for them in Egypt, and of what he had promised to do for them now, Deu 7:17 and they are assured that the nations should be cast out before them by little and little, until they were utterly destroyed, Deu 7:21 and the chapter is concluded with an exhortation to destroy their images, and not admit anything of that sort to be brought into their houses, Deu 7:25.

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.

ALL COMMUNION WITH THE NATIONS FORBIDDEN. (Deu. 7:1-26) the Hittites--This people were descended from Heth, the second son of Canaan (Gen 10:15), and occupied the mountainous region about Hebron, in the south of Palestine. the Girgashites--supposed by some to be the same as the Gergesenes (Mat 8:28), who lay to the east of Lake Gennesareth; but they are placed on the west of Jordan (Jos 24:11), and others take them for a branch of the large family of the Hivites, as they are omitted in nine out of ten places where the tribes of Canaan are enumerated; in the tenth they are mentioned, while the Hivites are not. the Amorites--descended from the fourth son of Canaan. They occupied, besides their conquest on the Moabite territory, extensive settlements west of the Dead Sea, in the mountains. the Canaanites--located in Phœnicia, particularly about Tyre and Sidon, and being sprung from the oldest branch of the family of Canaan, bore his name. the Perizzites--that is, villagers, a tribe who were dispersed throughout the country and lived in unwalled towns. the Hivites--who dwelt about Ebal and Gerizim, extending towards Hermon. They are supposed to be the same as the Avims. the Jebusites--resided about Jerusalem and the adjacent country. seven nations greater and mightier than thou--Ten were formerly mentioned (Gen 15:19-21). But in the lapse of near five hundred years, it cannot be surprising that some of them had been extinguished in the many intestine feuds that prevailed among those warlike tribes. It is more than probable that some, stationed on the east of Jordan, had fallen under the victorious arms of the Israelites.

As the Israelites were warned against idolatry in Deu 6:14, so here are they exhorted to beware of the false tolerance of sparing the Canaanites and enduring their idolatry. - Deu 7:1, Deu 7:5. When the Lord drove out the tribes of Canaan before the Israelites, and gave them up to them and smote them, they were to put them under the ban (see at Lev 27:28), to make no treaty with them, and to contract no marriage with them. נשׁל, to draw out, to cast away, e.g., the sandals (Exo 3:5); here and Deu 7:22 it signifies to draw out, or drive out a nation from its country and possessions: it occurs in this sense in the Piel in Kg2 16:6. On the Canaanitish tribes, see at Gen 10:15. and Deu 15:20-21. There are seven of them mentioned here, as in Jos 3:10 and Jos 24:11; on the other hand, there are only six in Deu 20:17, as in Exo 3:8, Exo 3:17; Exo 23:23, and Exo 33:2, the Girgashites being omitted. The prohibition against making a covenant, as in Exo 23:32 and Exo 34:12, and that against marrying, as in Exo 34:16, where the danger of the Israelites being drawn away to idolatry is mentioned as a still further reason for these commands. יסיר כּי, "for he (the Canaanite) will cause thy son to turn away from behind me," i.e., tempt him away from following me, "to serve other gods." Moses says "from following me," because he is speaking in the name of Jehovah. The consequences of idolatry, as in Deu 6:15; Deu 4:26, etc.