Deuteronomy 7 2

Deuteronomy 7:2 kjv

And when the LORD thy God shall deliver them before thee; thou shalt smite them, and utterly destroy them; thou shalt make no covenant with them, nor show mercy unto them:

Deuteronomy 7:2 nkjv

and when the LORD your God delivers them over to you, you shall conquer them and utterly destroy them. You shall make no covenant with them nor show mercy to them.

Deuteronomy 7:2 niv

and when the LORD your God has delivered them over to you and you have defeated them, then you must destroy them totally. Make no treaty with them, and show them no mercy.

Deuteronomy 7:2 esv

and when the LORD your God gives them over to you, and you defeat them, then you must devote them to complete destruction. You shall make no covenant with them and show no mercy to them.

Deuteronomy 7:2 nlt

When the LORD your God hands these nations over to you and you conquer them, you must completely destroy them. Make no treaties with them and show them no mercy.

Deuteronomy 7 verses

Deuteronomy 7 2 Meaning

Deuteronomy 7:2 commands Israel, after the Lord God has supernaturally delivered the pagan inhabitants of Canaan into their power, to utterly destroy them without mercy and to establish no diplomatic or social alliances with them. This instruction emphasizes the divine judgment against the nations' wickedness and the absolute necessity of Israel's separation and exclusive devotion to Yahweh to avoid spiritual corruption and idolatry.

Deuteronomy 7 2 Context

Deuteronomy chapter 7 sets the stage for Israel's entry into the Promised Land. It begins by emphasizing that the seven nations dwelling there are numerous and formidable, but Yahweh promises to drive them out. The core message of the chapter is to preserve Israel's unique covenant relationship with Yahweh and protect them from the spiritual and moral contagion of Canaanite idolatry. The command in verse 2 to "utterly destroy" and not "show mercy" or "make covenant" is presented as a necessary act of divine judgment and spiritual prophylaxis. It underscores God's absolute holiness and His detestation of the abominable practices of these nations (such as child sacrifice, cultic prostitution, and rampant polytheism, as described in Lev 18 and 20). The rationale is deeply theological: failure to obey these commands would lead to Israel's assimilation, apostasy, and eventually, their own destruction. Moses's exhortations here are directed to a generation on the cusp of conquering the land, stressing the vital importance of exclusive allegiance to their covenant God.

Deuteronomy 7 2 Word analysis

• "And when the Lord thy God": Hebrew: ve-Yahweh Eloheikha (ויהוה אלהיך).

  • Yahweh (יהוה): The personal, covenantal name of God. This emphasizes His faithfulness to the Abrahamic covenant and His unique relationship with Israel. The command stems directly from their sovereign covenant partner.
  • Eloheikha (אלהיך): "Your God." Highlights the exclusive nature of this relationship and Israel's sole allegiance to Him.

• "shall deliver them before thee": Hebrew: yit'nêm lefaneykha (יִתְּנֵם לְפָנֶיךָ).

  • yit'nêm (יִתְּנֵם): From natan (נָתַן), "to give," "to deliver." Signifies God's initiative and enablement in the conquest. The victory is not by Israel's might but by divine bestowal, removing any boasting from human strength.

• "thou shalt smite them": Hebrew: ve'hikkeeta otam (וְהִכִּיתָ אֹתָם).

  • hikkeeta (הִכִּיתָ): From nakah (נָכָה), "to strike," "to beat." Indicates a decisive military defeat, rendering them powerless.

• "and utterly destroy them": Hebrew: ve'hacharamta otam (וְהַחֲרַמְתָּ אֹתָם).

  • hacharamta (הַחֲרַמְתָּ): From haram (חָרַם), meaning "to devote to destruction," "to put under the ban," "to utterly destroy." This is the theological concept of herem or "holy war." It signifies that the conquered people and their possessions are devoted to Yahweh by being entirely removed from human use – often by complete annihilation – as a sanctifying act, preventing defilement of the land and of Israel. It prevents contamination, rather than promoting material gain or vengeance.

• "thou shalt make no covenant with them": Hebrew: lo tikhrot lahem brit (לֹא תִכְרֹת לָהֶם בְּרִית).

  • tikhrot (תִכְרֹת): From karat (כָּרַת), "to cut." Covenants were ritually "cut" in the ancient Near East.
  • brit (בְּרִית): "Covenant," "treaty," "alliance." Prohibits any diplomatic or friendly agreement that would integrate Israel with pagan nations, which invariably led to compromise and syncretism.

• "nor shew mercy unto them": Hebrew: ve'lo tehannem (וְלֹא תְחָנֵּם).

  • tehannem (תְחָנֵּם): From chanan (חָנַן), "to be gracious," "to show favor," "to have pity or compassion." This commands Israel not to allow human sympathy to override the divine command of herem. This highlights the severity of the Canaanites' sin and the existential threat they posed to Israel's purity. It means a complete cessation of their culture and practices in the land.

• Words-group by words-group analysis:

  • "And when the Lord thy God shall deliver them before thee; thou shalt smite them, and utterly destroy them": This sequence emphasizes divine agency first, then human obedience. The "delivering" is God's sovereign act of giving victory; Israel's "smiting" and "utterly destroying" is the responsive, instrumental act of executing God's judgment and removing existential spiritual threats. The act of "utterly destroying" them by herem is less about a generalized form of conquest and more about ritually dedicating these uniquely wicked entities to Yahweh for obliteration, thereby cleansing the land and Israel.
  • "thou shalt make no covenant with them, nor shew mercy unto them": This second instruction prohibits post-conflict integration or clemency. It extends beyond military action to socio-political and personal relations. The "no covenant" prevents strategic alliances that might introduce foreign gods, while "no mercy" ensures that no survivors or aspects of their culture persist to tempt Israel away from exclusive worship of Yahweh. Both reinforce the absolute separation necessary for Israel to maintain its holiness and unique identity.

Deuteronomy 7 2 Bonus section

• The severity of Deuteronomy 7:2 is directly linked to the unparalleled depravity of the Canaanite religious and social systems (e.g., child sacrifice, ritual prostitution), which were an affront to God's nature and a potent threat to Israel's ethical and theological distinctiveness. This was a targeted judgment on cultures that had exceeded the measure of God's forbearance, rather than a universal template for all inter-national relations.
• Biblical scholars differentiate this specific herem command from general warfare rules. The selective and unique nature of the herem was tied to the land and the preservation of a monotheistic witness amidst polytheism, serving as a 'divine quarantine' for the covenant people.
• The consequences for disobedience to this command were severe, as seen in the book of Judges, where the remaining Canaanite populations became "thorns in their sides" (Num 33:55; Judg 2:3), tempting Israel into idolatry and becoming instruments of divine discipline. This highlights God's foresight and the importance of His protective boundaries.
• From a New Covenant perspective, the concept of spiritual herem is echoed. Believers are called to "utterly destroy" practices of sin within themselves (Col 3:5, "put to death therefore what is earthly in you: sexual immorality..."), to "make no covenant" with the values of the world (Rom 12:2; 1 Jn 2:15-17), and to be separate unto God, showing no mercy to spiritual compromises that lead to defilement.
• The command also underlines that God’s electing love for Israel (mentioned in Deut 7:7-8) was not arbitrary, but demanded a corresponding commitment to holiness and separation, demonstrated in their obedient actions regarding the inhabitants of the land.

Deuteronomy 7 2 Commentary

Deuteronomy 7:2 is a profound and challenging command, central to understanding Israel's mission in the Promised Land. It establishes God's unique sovereignty in judging nations and underscores His holiness in dealing with extreme wickedness. The Canaanite nations had sunk into grievous practices, making their continued existence a moral contagion to Israel and a defilement of the land (Gen 15:16; Lev 18, 20). Thus, their removal was a just, if severe, divine judgment executed through Israel. The command to "utterly destroy" (haram) reveals that this was not mere human warfare for territorial gain, but a unique holy war where the defeated peoples were 'devoted' entirely to God, thereby cleansing the land. The strict prohibitions against making treaties or showing mercy emphasize that spiritual purity and absolute devotion to Yahweh were paramount. Any compromise with Canaanite cultures would inevitably lead Israel into idolatry and its associated moral corruption, undermining their very purpose as a light to the nations. The subsequent history of Israel in the book of Judges repeatedly demonstrates the catastrophic consequences when they failed to fully adhere to this instruction. Spiritually, while not a model for modern military action, this verse highlights the radical nature of God's demand for exclusive worship and calls believers today to "utterly destroy" sinful habits and to "make no covenant" with spiritual compromises that draw them away from pure devotion to God.