Deuteronomy 7

How the children of Israel were t behave themselves towards the heathenish inhabitants of Canaan and their idolatry verse 1 &c. the glory of Israel above all nations with the occasion thereof 6 promises of manifold blessings if they shall obey God 9 comfort and encouragement against the multitude and power of the heathenish nations 17 a prohibition concerning the keeping of the silver and gold that is on idols 25.

1. When the LORD thy God shall have brought thee into the land whither thou goest to inherit it and he shall have cast out many nations before thy face the Hethites and the Girgasites and the Amorites and the Canaanites and the Pherezites and the Hevites and the Jebusites [see Genesis 10:15&c. and 15.19&c.] seven nations that are greater and mightier than thou.

2. And the LORD thy God shall have given before thy face that thou shouldst smite them and thou shalt utterly ban them [Heb. Banning ban see above chapter 2 on verse 34.] thou shalt make no covenant with them nor be merciful unto them.

3. Neither shalt thou join affinity with them thou shalt not give thy daughter[ in the Hebrew this and some other following words are put in the singular number having respect to every of these nations sons and daughters for thy sons.

4. For they will cause thy sons to depart from me that they should serve other Gods and the anger of the LORD will kindle against ye and destroy ye utterly.

5. But thus shall ye do unto them ye shall cast down their altars and break in pieces their images reared up [others statutes or pillar images] and ye shall cut down their grooves [understand idolatrous groves which they had planted for idolatrous use see below chapter 12.3] and burn their carved images with fire.

6. For thou art an holy people unto the LORD thy God [that is a people separated by God from all nations and set apart for him that he might bless thee according to the tenor f the promises of the covenant is holy in his commandments according to thy covenant promises see below chapter 28.9 1Peter 2.9] the LORD thy God hath chosen thee to be peculiar people unto himself out of all nations upon the earth.

7. The Lord hath no desire towards ye neither did chose ye for your multitude above all other nations for ye wee the fewest of all nations.

8. But because the LORD loved ye [Heb. Or out of by reason of the LORD’s love towards ye and that he might keep the oath which he had sworn unto your fathers the LORD hath brought ye forth with a strong hand and had redeemed ye out of the house of bondage from the hand of Pharaoh king of Egypt.

9. Thou shalt then know the LORD thy God he is god thy faithful God [that is who is true in his words and assuredly perfometh his promises see Isaiah 49:7 1Corinthians 1.9 and 10.13 2 Corinthians 1:18 1Thessalonians 5.24 2 Thessalonians 3:3 2Timothy 2.13 Hebrews 11:11 1John 1.9] who keepeth covenant and mercy with them tat love him and keep hois commandments to a thousand generations.

10. And he recompenseth every one of them that hate him in his face [that is in their presence before their eyes as we say or in public without dreading their worldly greatness power or pride even so that they must needs discern and feel the LORD punishing against them] to destroy him he will not be slack to him that hateth him he will recompense him in his face.

11. Keep the commandment and the statutes and the judgments which I command the day to do them.

12. So it shall come to pass because ye shall hear these judgments and keep and do them that the LORD thy God shall keep unto thee the covenant and mercy which he swear unto thy fathers.

13. And he will love thee and bless thee and cause thee to multiply and he will bless the fruit of thy womb and the fruit of thy lamb thy corn and thy new wine and thine oil the propagation [or increase that is the fruit] of thine kine and the flock of thine small cattle in the land which he swear unto thy fathers to give thee.

14. Thou shalt be blessed above all nations there shall not be male or female barren among ye [see Exodus 23:26] also not among your beasts.

15. And the LORD will take away from thee all sickness and he will lay none of the evil disease of the Egyptian which thou knowest [which thou hast seen upon the Egyptians compare below chapter 20.60] upon thee but will them upon all them that hate thee.

16. Thou shalt then consume all these nations which the LORD thy God shall give thee [the word rendered here consume is in the Hebrew properly eat, eat up and so consequently consume destroy them without favoring or sparing as meat or food is not spared much less the prey of the beast compare below chapter 31.17] thine eyes shall not spare them neither shalt thou serve their God for that would be a snare unto thee [see Exodus 23:33 and 34,12 Judges 2:3.]

17. If thou should say in thine heart [that is if thou should think with thy self so below chapter 8.17 and 9.4 &c.] these nations are greater than I how should I be able to drive them out of possession?

18. be not afraid of them remember continually [Heb. Remembering remember] what the LORD thy God did unto Pharaoh and unto all the Egyptians.

19. The great temptation [see above chapter 4 on verse 34]which thine eyes saw and the tokens and the wonders and the strong hand and the stretched out arm whereby the LORD thy God brought thee out so shall the LORD thy God do unto all thy nations of whose face thou art afraid.

20. Moreover the LORD thy God will also send Hornets among them [see Exodus 23:28] until they perish that are left and are hid from thy face [that is that hid themselves and perhaps they have escaped thine hand.]

21. Be not afraid of their face for the LORD thy God is in he midst of thee [to wit with presence and aid] a great and terrible God.

22. And the LORD thy God will cast out [or pull out or root out or cast down destroy.] these nations before thy face by little and little [Heb. A little a little that is very easily one after another] thou mayst not [or shall not be able] consume them quickly lest the wild beasts of the field multiply against thee [or upon thee.]

23. And the LORD shall give them before thy face and he shall terrify them with great terror [or amaze them with great amazement] until they be destroyed.

24. He also deliver their kings into thine hands that thou mayst destroy their name from under heaven no man shall be able to stand before thy face until thou shalt have destroyed them.

25. The carved images of their Gods ye shall burn with fire thou shalt not desire the silver and gold that is on them nor take it for thyself lest thou be snared thereby for that is an abomination unto the LORD thy God.

26. Thou shalt not then bring abomination into thine house that thou shouldst be a ban [that is banned see hereof a notable example Joshua 7:11, 21, 24, 25, 26] as that is [to wit the banned thing or substance] thou shalt utterly detest it and utterly abhor it [Heb. Detesting detest and abhorring abhor.] for it is a ban [that is devoted or given up to destruction because it reserved for idolatrous use.]