Deuteronomy 7 24

Deuteronomy 7:24 kjv

And he shall deliver their kings into thine hand, and thou shalt destroy their name from under heaven: there shall no man be able to stand before thee, until thou have destroyed them.

Deuteronomy 7:24 nkjv

And He will deliver their kings into your hand, and you will destroy their name from under heaven; no one shall be able to stand against you until you have destroyed them.

Deuteronomy 7:24 niv

He will give their kings into your hand, and you will wipe out their names from under heaven. No one will be able to stand up against you; you will destroy them.

Deuteronomy 7:24 esv

And he will give their kings into your hand, and you shall make their name perish from under heaven. No one shall be able to stand against you until you have destroyed them.

Deuteronomy 7:24 nlt

He will put their kings in your power, and you will erase their names from the face of the earth. No one will be able to stand against you, and you will destroy them all.

Deuteronomy 7 verses

Deuteronomy 7 24 Meaning

Deuteronomy 7:24 reveals God's explicit promise to the Israelites concerning their conquest of the Canaanite nations. It assures them of divine enablement to utterly defeat and eliminate the leaders and their people, asserting that no enemy will be able to resist Israel until the complete destruction of these hostile nations, thereby demonstrating the Lord's absolute power and His commitment to His covenant.

Deuteronomy 7 24 Context

Deuteronomy Chapter 7 provides specific instructions and warnings to Israel regarding their interaction with the inhabitants of Canaan upon entering the promised land. Moses, standing on the plains of Moab before Israel's entry, reiterates God's covenant promises and commandments. The chapter begins with a clear command for Israel to completely destroy seven great nations in Canaan (Deu 7:1). This severe mandate is justified by God's choice of Israel, His covenant faithfulness (Deu 7:6-8), and the inherent wickedness and idolatry of the Canaanites, which would corrupt Israel if not removed (Deu 7:3-5, 9-10). Verse 24, therefore, serves as a divine assurance within this context, guaranteeing that Israel's obedience to God's command of total eradication will be met with divine assistance, leading to overwhelming victory and the complete erasure of their enemies. Historically, this promise empowered Israel during the Joshuaic conquest and stands as a reminder of God's absolute sovereignty and justice over wicked nations, establishing His unique people in their divinely appointed land.

Deuteronomy 7 24 Word analysis

• And he shall deliver (וְנָתַן - ve'nathan): This is a causative verb, "to give" or "to place into." Here, it explicitly signifies God's active role. It emphasizes that Israel's victory is not due to their military might but to the direct, decisive action of YHWH. He is the one who grants the victory, placing the kings under Israel's power. This underlines divine sovereignty.
• their kings (מַלְכֵיהֶם - malkêyhem): "Kings" represent the political and military leadership, the very embodiment of a nation's strength, authority, and identity in the ancient world. Their defeat signifies the complete dismantling of the nation's structure and power, striking at the head to bring down the body. This focus shows a strategic divine overthrow.
• into thine hand (בְּיָדֶךָ - b'yadekha): This phrase is an idiomatic expression signifying control, power, and complete victory. To be "in one's hand" means to be fully subdued, captured, or under one's authority. It assures Israel of complete subjugation of their enemies.
• and thou shalt destroy (וּמָחִיתָ - u'machita): The Hebrew verb machah implies wiping away, blotting out, or erasing. It denotes an act of obliteration, akin to wiping ink from a scroll or moisture from a surface.
• their name (שְׁמָם - sh'mam): In ancient thought, a "name" was not just an identifier but often represented a person's or entity's essence, reputation, existence, and legacy. To destroy "their name" from under heaven means to erase their memory, identity, and legacy from human history and collective consciousness, ensuring no future remembrance or resurgence of their idolatrous influence.
• from under heaven (מִתַּחַת הַשָּׁמָיִם - mittachat ha'shamayim): This powerful phrase emphasizes totality and comprehensiveness. It means utter eradication from the entire visible world, leaving no trace or reminder of their existence or influence on earth. It highlights the definitive and permanent nature of their destruction.
• there shall no man (לֹא־יִתְיַצֵּב אִישׁ - lo yityatzev ish): This uses a strong negation. "No man" indicates no person, no one at all, from the enemy forces.
• be able to stand before thee (לְפָנֶיךָ - l'faneykha): This is a military idiom, signifying an inability to resist, oppose, or withstand in battle. It promises overwhelming superiority and an unbroken succession of victories for Israel. It conveys complete dominance and an assured outcome.
• until thou have destroyed them (עַד הִשְׁמִדְךָ אֹתָם - 'ad hishmid'kha otam): The Hebrew word shamad denotes total annihilation, extirpation, or making desolate. This phrase acts as a temporal and conditional clause. Israel's invincibility is assured and guaranteed until the divinely ordained task of total destruction is completed. It implies that their strength and success are linked to their obedience and the fulfillment of God's specific command for the conquest. This shows a mission-driven divine enablement.

Deuteronomy 7 24 Bonus section

The phrase "destroy their name from under heaven" implies a "damnatio memoriae," a practice in the ancient world where a person's name or a group's existence would be utterly erased, ensuring they are forgotten and cannot be revived or honored. In this context, it reflects God's complete rejection of their idolatrous legacy and His desire to establish His own Name and His people in the land without corruption. This command was an extraordinary act of divine judgment, unique to this specific period and people, given the gross evil of the Canaanite inhabitants, as revealed throughout Scripture. It should not be generalized as a blanket divine command for all forms of conquest or conflict for future generations or nations, but understood within the specific covenantal and redemptive-historical context of Israel's entry into the Promised Land to be a holy people for a holy God.

Deuteronomy 7 24 Commentary

Deuteronomy 7:24 is a vital assurance within Moses' final exhortation to Israel. It highlights God's unwavering commitment to fulfill His covenant promises, specifically regarding the grant of the land of Canaan. The verse reveals several key theological truths: first, divine sovereignty in judgment, as God Himself actively "delivers" the enemies, not leaving victory to Israel's strength alone. Second, the nature of God's justice is shown in the complete eradication ("destroy their name from under heaven") of nations whose wickedness, particularly idolatry and abhorrent practices (like child sacrifice), had reached their fullness (Gen 15:16). This was not a general command for all warfare, but a unique, divinely appointed judgment on specific peoples in a specific land for a specific purpose related to the holiness of God's people and the land. Third, it assures Israel of divine enablement: "no man shall be able to stand before thee," conditional on their obedience to the command to "destroy them." This demonstrates God empowering His people to carry out His righteous will.

This passage resonates beyond the historical conquest, speaking to the principle of God's power in spiritual warfare for believers today. As ancient Israel battled physical enemies in Canaan, believers contend with spiritual principalities and powers, assured of ultimate victory through Christ.