Deuteronomy 7:7 kjv
The LORD did not set his love upon you, nor choose you, because ye were more in number than any people; for ye were the fewest of all people:
Deuteronomy 7:7 nkjv
The LORD did not set His love on you nor choose you because you were more in number than any other people, for you were the least of all peoples;
Deuteronomy 7:7 niv
The LORD did not set his affection on you and choose you because you were more numerous than other peoples, for you were the fewest of all peoples.
Deuteronomy 7:7 esv
It was not because you were more in number than any other people that the LORD set his love on you and chose you, for you were the fewest of all peoples,
Deuteronomy 7:7 nlt
"The LORD did not set his heart on you and choose you because you were more numerous than other nations, for you were the smallest of all nations!
Deuteronomy 7 7 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Deut 9:4-6 | "Do not say... 'Because of my righteousness the LORD has brought me in...' Not because of your righteousness..." | God's choice is not based on human merit. |
| Deut 4:37 | "And because He loved your fathers, therefore He chose their descendants..." | God's love for patriarchs extended to nation. |
| Ex 19:5-6 | "if you will indeed obey My voice... you shall be My special treasure among all peoples..." | Covenantal blessing on obedience. |
| Amos 3:2 | "You only have I known of all the families of the earth..." | Israel's unique, exclusive election. |
| Jer 31:3 | "I have loved you with an everlasting love; Therefore with lovingkindness I have drawn you." | God's eternal, steadfast love. |
| Mal 1:2 | "I have loved Jacob, but Esau I have hated..." | God's sovereign choice in love. |
| Ps 105:6 | "O offspring of Abraham, His servant, you children of Jacob, His chosen ones!" | Acknowledges God's selection. |
| Is 43:20 | "I give waters in the wilderness... for My people, My chosen ones." | God provides for His elect. |
| Ezek 16:6-7 | "...when I passed by you and saw you struggling in your blood... you had grown... but you were naked and bare." | Israel's humble, unpromising beginnings. |
| 1 Cor 1:26-29 | "Not many wise... not many mighty... God has chosen the foolish things... that no human being might boast." | God chooses the weak to humble pride. |
| Eph 1:4-5 | "He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world... in love He predestined us..." | God's predestining love before creation. |
| Rom 9:10-13 | "...Jacob I have loved, but Esau I have hated... not of works but of Him who calls." | God's sovereign and unconditional election. |
| 2 Tim 1:9 | "He saved us and called us... not according to our works, but according to His own purpose and grace..." | Salvation and calling by grace, not deeds. |
| Titus 3:5 | "not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to His mercy He saved us..." | Mercy, not merit, is the basis of salvation. |
| Rom 3:20 | "by the deeds of the law no flesh will be justified in His sight..." | Justification not by works. |
| Rom 5:8 | "But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us." | God's love given to the undeserving. |
| 1 John 4:10 | "In this is love, not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son..." | God initiates love, not humanity. |
| John 15:16 | "You did not choose Me, but I chose you..." | Christ's sovereign choice of disciples. |
| 1 Pet 2:9 | "But you are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, His own special people..." | NT application of God's elective love to the Church. |
| Jas 2:5 | "Has God not chosen the poor of this world to be rich in faith...?" | God often chooses the lowly and humble. |
| Ps 115:3 | "Our God is in the heavens; He does all that He pleases." | Reinforces God's absolute sovereignty. |
| Dan 4:35 | "...He does according to His will... No one can restrain His hand..." | God's sovereign will is irresistible. |
| Gen 12:2 | "I will make you a great nation..." | God's promise to make Abraham's seed numerous was a promise, not a prerequisite. |
Deuteronomy 7 verses
Deuteronomy 7 7 Meaning
Deuteronomy 7:7 reveals the profound truth that God's covenantal love for Israel and His choice of them as His treasured people were not based on any intrinsic merit, greatness, or numerical superiority on their part. On the contrary, Moses emphasizes that Israel was "the fewest of all peoples," highlighting that God's selection was a sovereign act of grace and unconditional love, demonstrating His character rather than their worthiness.
Deuteronomy 7 7 Context
Deuteronomy chapter 7 serves as a crucial exhortation within Moses' final discourses to the Israelites on the plains of Moab, just before they enter the Promised Land. This chapter sets forth the foundational principles governing Israel's relationship with Yahweh and their conduct within the land. It emphasizes their separation from the idolatrous nations they are to dispossess, warning against intermarriage and the adoption of pagan practices. Amidst these commands for exclusivity and obedience, verse 7 clarifies the ultimate reason for their privileged position: it is not due to their power, number, or inherent righteousness, but purely by God's choice and love. This truth forms the bedrock for understanding all subsequent covenant demands and blessings. The immediate context of verses 6-11 explains why Israel must be holy and separate: because they are Yahweh's special possession, chosen out of sheer love, and not for their own merits, so they must be faithful to His covenant.
Deuteronomy 7 7 Word analysis
The LORD (יהוה - YHWH/Yahweh): The covenant God of Israel. His personal and proper name, signifying His eternal, self-existent nature and His active presence in relationship with His people. The "LORD" underscores that this is a covenantal declaration, flowing from His faithful character.
did not set His love (לֹא חָשַׁק - lo chashaq): The negative "lo" emphasizes exclusion. Chashaq means to cling to, to long for, to be bound up with, to delight in, to be drawn to with deep affection or passionate desire. It’s a stronger, more emotional term than mere cognitive choice. It implies God’s personal, profound, and decisive commitment. This negates any idea of Israel initiating or deserving this affection.
on you (בָכֶם - bachem): Directly "in you" or "on you." The pronoun highlights Israel as the direct recipient of this love, not any external factor they possessed.
nor choose (וַיִּבְחַר - wayyivchar): The verb bachar means to select, elect, pick out, or prefer. It emphasizes a deliberate act of sovereign selection. The negation implies God's choice was not dependent on their superiority.
because you were more in number (מֵרֹבְכֶם - mero’evchem): Literally "from your multitude" or "because of your great number." This is explicitly negated as the reason for God's love or choice. Ancient Near Eastern peoples often prided themselves on military might and numerical strength, attributing their success to their gods favoring them for such reasons. This declaration serves as a polemic against such human-centric understandings of divine favor.
than any of the peoples (מִכָּל הָעַמִּים - mikkol ha’ammim): "Than all the nations/peoples." This comparison reinforces Israel's standing relative to others; they were not quantitatively superior.
for (כִּי - ki): A conjunction introducing the explanatory reason for the preceding negation. It provides the crucial counter-evidence.
you were the fewest (הַמְעַט - ham’at): Literally "the small," "the least," "the smallest number." This is a stark contrast to being "more in number." It directly discredits any notion of Israel’s numerical or physical power being a factor. This statement humbles Israel and magnifies God's grace.
of all peoples (מִכָּל־הָעַמִּים - mikkol-ha’ammim): Reiteration emphasizing their extreme numerical inferiority among all nations.
"The LORD did not set His love on you nor choose you because you were more in number... for you were the fewest of all peoples": This phrase encapsulates the entire meaning, forcefully denying any merit-based rationale for God's selection and emphatically affirming His unmerited grace. It positions God's character (His love) as the sole origin of the covenant.
Deuteronomy 7 7 Bonus section
The concept expressed in Deut 7:7, that God's choice is based purely on His love and not on human merit or greatness, establishes a theological principle vital throughout the biblical narrative. It acts as an early warning against national pride for Israel and, by extension, against any form of human boasting in the context of salvation or divine favor. This specific use of chashaq for "set His love" is significant, appearing rarely in the Old Testament, but each time denoting a strong, emotional, almost clinging attachment, underscoring the depth of God's feeling for Israel that initiated their relationship. It strongly counters any ancient Near Eastern understanding where gods were thought to align with or favor powerful nations that could contribute to their own glory. Yahweh, the God of Israel, selects the 'unworthy' to reveal His own matchless character and power.
Deuteronomy 7 7 Commentary
Deuteronomy 7:7 is a cornerstone verse, demolishing any basis for Israel's pride or self-righteousness concerning their chosen status. Moses meticulously discredits every human-centric reason for God's favor – size, strength, or numerical superiority. Instead, the emphasis is entirely on God’s profound, covenantal love (chashaq), a love that is independent, sovereign, and deeply committed. This love moved Him to choose a people who were insignificant by worldly standards, precisely so that their existence and success would glorify Him alone, demonstrating that His power and grace are manifested through the weak and few, not through the mighty. It also foreshadows God’s later works in choosing the humble and unlikely to fulfill His purposes, both in the Old Testament narratives and in the New Testament election of believers. This truth protects Israel from attributing their blessings to their own worth and ensures they give God alone the glory.