Commentary on Deuteronomy, Commentary · Chapter 7
CHAP. VII.
Verſe 1. WHen the LORD thy God ſhall bring thee Verſe 1 into the Land whither thou goest to poſſeſs it.] That is, when he had put them into poſſeſſion of it.
And hath cast out many Nations before thee, the Hittites, and the Girgaſhites, and the Amorites, and the Canaanites, and the Perizzites, and the Hivites, and the Jebuſites, &c.] There were Ten Nations inhabited this Country in the Days of Abraham: But Three of them were either worn out ſince that time, or being but a ſmall People, were incorporated with the reſt: For the Kenites, and the Kenezites, (ſee XV Gen. 19.) are not mentioned after that time, and the Rephaim poſſeſſed but a little part of Canaan; the great Body of them being in Baſhan, on this ſide Jordan, where Moſes now was: See upon XV Gen. 19.
Seven Nations greater and mightier than thou.] The Amorites alone ſeem to have been mightier than the Iſraelites, (for there were no leſs than five Kings of them, that dwelt in the Mountains, X Joſh. 5, 6. beſides thoſe in other parts) and therefore all the Seven Nations, were much ſuperiour to them in ſtrength.
Verſe 2 Ver. 2. And when the LORD thy God ſhall deliver them before thee, thou ſhalt ſmite them, and utterly deſtroy them, &c.] He ſtill purſues his Intention, to preſerve in them a due care to obſerve the Firſt Commandment, of which he began to treat in the foregoing Chapter: For that is the Reaſon, why they were to deſtroy theſe Seven Nations, that they might not be in danger to be ſeduced by them, to ſerve other Gods, v. 1. But whether they were not firſt to offer them Terms of Peace, according to the Directions in the Twentieth Chapter of this Book, is a Queſtion which I have endeavoured to reſolve in another place, upon XXIII. Exod. 33. Certain it is, that if they refuſed their Offers, there was the greater Reaſon to be ſevere to them: And without offering them any Terms, God might, in Juſtice, order the Iſraelites to deſtroy them: For every King hath Power in his Dominions, to cut off Evil-doers; and therefore much more the King of Kings: Who might order whom he pleaſed, (as other Kings do) to be Executioners of his Vengeance upon theſe Seven Nations, for their abominable Idolatries, beaſtly Luſts, and horrid Cruelties, and other ſuch-like Sins, of which they were guilty.
This was a thing of ſuch moment, that God ordered Moſes to give them this Charge, ſome time ago, XXXIII Numb. 52. which he now renews.
Thou ſhalt make no Covenant with them.] To ſuffer them to live with them, in the ſame Country, XXXIV Exod. 12.
Nor ſhew Mercy to them.] For that had been Cruelty to themſelves, and their Poſterity, to ſpare ſuch incurable Idolaters. How far the Talmudiſts extend this, ſee in Dionyſ. Voſſius, upon Maimonides's Treatiſe of Idolatry, p. 139. and Maimon. himſelf, in the following Paragraphs, 4, 5, 6.
Ver. 3. Neither ſhalt thou make Marriages with them: Verſe 3 thy Daughters thou ſhalt not give to his Sons; nor his Daughters ſhalt thou take to thy Sons.] See XXXIV Exod. 15. Some of the Jews think they might marry with them, if they became Proſelytes of Juſtice, (as they called thoſe who received Circumciſion, and undertook to obſerve the whole Law) and they that think this was not lawful, yet think, that they might marry with the Children of ſuch Proſelytes: See Selden, Lib. V. De Jure Nat. & Gent. &c. Cap. XIV, XV. And the Talmudiſts ſay, this Law did not extend to Proſelytes, who might marry with any of theſe Nations, as he ſhews there, Cap. XVIII.
Ver. 4. For they will turn away thy Sons from following Verſe 4 me, that they may ſerve other Gods, &c.] There was great danger, if they loved their Wives, that they might draw them to their Idolatry; in which they were ſo rooted, that there was little hope of converting them to the true Religion. Therefore this is oppoſed to the Love of the LORD their God; for the preſerving of which in their Hearts, they are forbidden ſuch Marriages, XXIII. Joſh. 11.12. And indeed it was but a piece of Natural Equity, that they ſhould abſtain from ſuch familiarity with thoſe, who would certainly undo them. Which made Abraham, before this Law, charge his Son Iſaac, not to take a Wife from among the Canaanites; and the ſame care was taken of Jacob. And when this Law of Moſes was aboliſhed, the Apoſtle warns Chriſtians themſelves againſt ſuch unequal Matches, 2 Corinth. VI. 14. The danger of which David had noted, CVI Pſal. 35, 36. So will the Anger of the LORD be kindled against you, &c. See VI. 15.
Verſe 5 Ver. 5. But thus ſhall ye deal with them: Or, therefore thus ſhall ye deal with them.] That is, to prevent the forementioned Miſchief, he orders them to leave no Relick of their Idolatry remaining.
Ye ſhall deſtroy their Altars.] The very ſame Precept XXXIV Exod. 13.
And break, down their Images.] The very ſame words with theſe, are in XXIII Exod. 24. (only there it is ſaid, quite breaks down) and in XXXIV Exod. 13.
And cut down their Groves.] There is the ſame mention of Aſherim, (which we tranſlate Groves) in the place laſt named; only another word for cut down: See there. But Mr. Selden, both there, and here, underſtands by Aſherim, wooden Images of Aſtarte; a great Goddeſs worſhipped in that Country: For which, among other Reaſons, he gives this, that Gideon is ſaid to have thrown down the Altar of Baal, and cut down the Grove that was by it. So we tranſlate it, VI Judg. 25, 28. where, in the Hebrew, the laſt word is Alau; which ſignifies, upon it, and not by it: And ſo the LXX, foreign. And therefore the Aſherah, which is ſaid to be upon the Altar, muſt not ſignifie a Grove, but an Image; and none more likely than that of Aſtarte. See De Diis Syris Syntagm. 2 Cap. 2. and 2 Kings XXIII. 6, 7.
And burn their graven Images with Fire.] As he was commanded to deſtroy their molten Images, XXXIII Numb. 52. that ſo no ſort of Image, nor any Monument of their Worſhip might be left in the Country; but all ſo entirely aboliſhed, that they might have no Incentive to Idolatry. This was the work of the Supreme Governour, as Grotius prudently obſerves: For tho' out of private places, it belonged to the Lord of the place; or if he were negligent, to the King, to remove Idols, yet none but the Supreme Power might remove them out of publick places, or ſuch Perſons who were delegated thereby to that Office: See L. de Imper. Sum. Poteſt. circa Sacra, Cap. VIII. Sect. 3.
Ver. 6. For thou art an holy People unto the LORD Verſe 6 thy God.] This is an Argument frequently uſed, particularly in the Book of Leviticus, why they ſhould cleave to God alone: becauſe he had ſeparated them to himſelf by many peculiar Laws, which no other People had but they. XI Levit. 44, 45. XIX. 2. XX. 7, 26.
The LORD thy God hath choſen thee to be a ſpecial people unto himſelf, above all People that are upon the face of the Earth.] As he had diſtinguiſhed them from all other People by peculiar Laws; ſo by ſpecial Favours and ſingular Priviledges, which no other Nation whatſoever enjoyed. See XIX Exod. 5, 6. Some interpret the Words ſpecial People, to ſignify that they belong'd to none but him; and he had no other People but they; whom he had eſpouſed to himſelf. From whence it is, that as the Iſraelites are called God's People, ſo that Country is called his Land (LXXXV Pſal. 1.) for there he dwelt by his ſpecial Preſence. And the King of that Country is called God's King, (XVIII Pſal. 50.) and he is ſaid to ſit on God's Throne; and to be Nelech le Jehovah, King for the LORD, 2 Chron. IX. 8. and the Kingdom is called the Kingdom of the LORD, XIII. 8. and therefore with this Argument Aſa addreſſes himſelf to God in the next Chapter (XIV. 11.) for Help in time of Diſtreſs, becauſe he was their God; and would not, he hoped, let their Enemies prevail againſt himſelf. And accordingly theſe Enemies are ſaid to be deſtroyed before the LORD and before his Host, v. 13. Jehoſhaphat alſo exhorts the Judges in that Book, to great Caution, 2 Chron. XIX. 6. becauſe they judged not for Man, but for the LORD. And the Prophet exhorts in the following Chapter, XX. 15. not to be afraid of a mighty Hoſt which came againſt him, becauſe the Battle is not yours but Gods; the Cauſe in which they fought being his, more than their own.
Verſe 7 Ver. 7. The LORD did not ſet his Love upon you, nor chooſe you.] To be his ſpecial People, as he calls them in the foregoing Verſe.
Becauſe ye were more in Number than any People; for ye were the feweſt of all People.] When God declared his Love firſt to Abraham and his Poſterity, he had no Child, XII Gen. 1, 2, 3. XV. 1, 2. And when he had, his Family continued ſo ſmall, after there were XII. Heirs of the Promiſe, that in the ſpace of Two Hundred Years, they were but LXX. Perſons, XLVI Gen. 27. Nor do we read of any great increaſe of them till after the Death of Joſeph, which was near Fourſcore Years more, I Exod. 7, 8, &c. So St. Steven obſerves, VII Acts 17. When the time of the Promiſe drew nigh, which God had ſworn to Abraham, the People grew and multiplied in Aegypt.
Ver. 8. But becauſe the LORD loved you.] Becauſe it was his good Pleaſure to ſingle them out from all other People; to receive ſpecial Tokens of his Favour to them. Verſe 8
And becauſe he would keep the Oath, which he had ſworn unto your Fathers, hath the LORD brought you out with a mighty hand, &c.] Not for any deſert of theirs; but to make good his Promiſe confirmed with an Oath, did he work their wonderful Deliverance out of Egypt, XV Gen. 13, 14. XXII. 16, &c.
Ver. 9. Know therefore that the LORD thy God, he Verſe 9 is God.] He exhorts them therefore to preſerve this Senſe in their Mind, that their God is the only God.
The faithful God, which keepeth Covenant and Mercy with them that love him, and keep his Commandments, &c.] Who will not only faithfully keep his Word and make good his Promiſes, but do abundantly more than he hath promiſed, to thoſe that cleave unto him alone, and ſerve no other God. For it appears by the Second Commandment, that is peculiarly meant, by loving him.
To a thouſand Generations.] See XX Exod. 6.
Ver. 10. And repay them that hate him.] Puniſh all Verſe 10 Idolaters, who are peculiarly called haters of God; as I have often obſerved. See XX Exod. 5.
To their Face.] They themſelves ſhould live to ſee and feel the Puniſhment of their Idolatry. So the Chaldee Paraphraſes it Becajehon, in their Life.
He will not be ſlack to him that hateth him, he will repay him to his Face.] Though he do not puniſh him immediately, yet he will not defer it long; but be avenged of him, before he die. Therefore when he threatens to puniſh them to the Third and Fourth Generation, the meaning is not, that he will only puniſh their Poſterity, but them, with their Poſterity: whom they ſhall ſee deſtroyed before their Face. For the Fourth Generation (as Maimonides obſerves) is as much as the oldeſt Men commonly live to ſee.
Verſe 11 Ver. 11. Thou ſhalt therefore keep the Commandments, and the Statutes, and the Judgments, which I command thee this day, to do them.] All the Laws of God (ſee VI. 1.) eſpecially this great Commandment, to have no other God but him.
Verſe 12 Ver. 12. Wherefore it ſhall come to paſs if ye hearken to theſe Judgments, and keep, and do them; that the LORD thy God, ſhall keep unto thee the Covenant and Mercy, which he ſware unto thy Fathers.] As faithfully fulfil his Promiſes to them, as he did to their Fathers.
Verſe 13 Ver. 13. And he will love thee.] Continue his Love to them.
And bleſs thee and multiply thee.] This was the great Promiſe made to their Fathers, that he would make their Poſterity as numerous as the Stars of Heaven, and the Duſt of the Earth, XV Gen. 5. XXII. 17. XXVIII. 14.
He will alſo bleſs the Fruit of thy Womb.] Preſerve them from Miſcarrying, that ſo they might multiply.
And the Fruit of thy Land, thy Corn, and thy Wine, and thine Oyl.] By giving them Rain in due Seaſon, &c. See XXVI Levit. 4, 5.
The increaſe of thy Kine.] The Hebrew Word Segar, which we tranſlate Increaſe, the LXX. Vulgar and Syriac render the Herds. But Onkelos and Jonathan tranſlate it as we do, the young ones which the Mothers bring forth. See Bochart, P. I. Hierozoicon. L. II. Cap. XXX.
And the Flocks of thy Sheep.] The Hebrew Word Aſhtaroth, comprehends Focks both of Sheep, and of greater Cattle, as the ſame Bochart obſerves, P. 1. Hieroz. L. III. Cap. XLIII. and in his Canaan, Lib. 2. Cap. 2. where he obſerves that the Goddeſs Aſtarte in thoſe Countries was thought to preſide, over Flocks of Sheep, and Herds of Oxen.
Ver. 14. And thou ſhalt be bleſſed above all People.] Verſe 14 He promiſes to make them as ſingular for his Favours, as they were in their Laws and manner of Living.
There ſhall not be Male or Female barren among you, or among your Cattle.] See XXIII. Exod. 26.
Ver. 15. And the LORD will take away from thee all Verſe 15 Sickneſs.] Or, remove from them the common Diſeaſes and Infirmities of Mankind; ſo that they ſhould die in a good old Age (as the Scripture Speaks) which tended manifeſtly to their Increaſe and Multiplication.
And will put none of the evil Diſeaſes of Egypt (which thou knowest) upon thee.] Neither thoſe Blotches, or Boils, which God by an immediate Hand ſmote them withal, IX Exod. 9. XV. 26. Nor any other which they in that Country were ſubject unto; peculiarly their filthy Ulcers called Aegyptiaca and Syriaca, as Caſaubon obſerves upon Perſius Sat. V. p. 467. with which the Prieſts of Iſis were wont to threaten and terrify poor People, if they did not worſhip her. In Oppoſition to which our very learned Dr. Spencer thinks God made this ſpecial Promiſe to his People, to preſerve them from all ſuch evil Diſeaſes, if they kept themſelves pure from that Egyptian Idolatry. Which is very ingenious, if the Worſhip of Iſis was ſo ancient as the Days of Moſes. See L. I. de Legibus Hebr. Ritual. Cap. III.
And will lay them upon all them that hate thee.] And thereby diſable them to hurt his people.
Ver. 16. And thou ſhalt conſume all the people, which Verſe 16 the LORD thy God ſhall deliver thee.] Utterly deſtroy all the people of Canaan, when they had Conquered them; as he commanded them before, v. 7.
Thine eyes ſhall have no pity upon them.] The reaſon of this ſeverity was, becauſe of their abominable wickedneſs, as I there obſerved.
Neither ſhalt thou ſerve their Gods, for that will be a ſnare unto thee.] In the Hebrew, and thou ſhalt not ſerve their Gods, &c. This ſeverity was uſed to prevent their being inticed by them to their Idolatry; if they had ſuffered them to live among them.
Verſe 17 Ver. 17. If thou ſhalt ſay in thine heart, theſe Nations are more than I, how ſhall I diſpoſſeſs them?] If ſuch a diffidence began to ariſe in their hearts, as poſſeſſed their fore-fathers, XIV. Numb.
Verſe 18 Ver. 18. Thou ſhalt not be afraid of them, but ſhalt well remember what the LORD thy God did unto Pharaoh, and unto all Egypt.] He requires them immediately to expel all fear, by Faith in God: which the remembrance of what God had done for them, if ſeriouſly reflected on, might well work in them.
Verſe 19 Ver. 19. The great temptations which thine eyes ſaw, and the ſigns, and the wonders, and the mighty hand, &c.] Of all theſe he had put them in mind before, IV. 34. and now renews the remembrance of it, that the experience they had of Gods power and goodneſs, might baniſh all fear out of their hearts.
Verſe 20 Ver. 20. Moreover the LORD thy God will ſend the hornet among them.] Raiſe up enemies, which they think not of to infeſt them; that is, unuſual ſwarms of hornets, and of an unuſual bigneſs, it's like, which came like an Army upon them. See XXIII Exod. 28.
Ʋntil they that are left, and hide themſelves from thee, be deſtroyed.] Which ſhould purſue thoſe that fled from the Iſraelites, and ſting them to Death in their lurking Holes.
Ver. 21. Thou ſhalt not be afrighted at them.] Let Verſe 21 all this inſpire you with Courage.
For the LORD thy God is among you, a mighty God and a terrible.] The Sovereign of the World, of whoſe Goodneſs you have had ſuch long Experience, dwells among you, and conducts and leads you, whereſoever you go: And who can ſtand before him? See XVII Exod. 7.
Ver. 22. And the LORD thy God will put out theſe Verſe 22 Nations before thee, by little and little: Thou mayst not conſume them at once, lest the Beaſts of the Field increaſe upon thee.] Be not diſcouraged, tho' they be not deſtroyed all at once: There is great Reaſon againſt that; concerning which, ſee XXIII Exod. 21. where this Verſe is explained.
Ver. 23. But the LORD thy God ſhall deliver them Verſe 23 unto thee, and ſhall deſtroy them with a mighty deſtruction, until they be deſtroyed.] In time he will deliver them all up into thy Hands; and thou ſhalt ſo over power them, as to leave none of them remaining.
Ver. 24. And he ſhall deliver their Kings into thy Verſe 24 hand.] As he did, we read in the Book of Joſhua, XII. 7, 8, 9, &c. where XXXI Kings are enumerated, who were conquered by him.
And thou ſhalt deſtroy their Name from under Heaven.] There ſhall no Memory, of ſo much as the Names of ſuch Men, be left any where.
There ſhall no Man be able to ſtand before thee, until thou have deſtroyed them.] The Kings, and great Men of the Country being deſtroyed, their Victory was eaſier over the reſt.
Verſe 25 Ver. 25. The graven Images of their Gods ſhall ye burn with Fire.] This he had required before, v. 5. but mentions it again; to let them know, that if they did not perform their part of the Covenant (of which this was the chief) God would not deſtroy the Inhabitants of Canaan totally. As we find he did not, II Judg. 2, 3. and for this very Reaſon, as Joſhua had told them, XXIII. 12, 13.
Thou ſhalt not deſire the Silver and Gold that is upon them.] The Jews are too nice and curious, who expound this only of the Gold and Silver Clothes, or the Chains, or other Jewels of Gold and Silver, wherewith their Images were adorned; becauſe he ſaith upon them. There is no reaſon to doubt, but he means, that they ſhould be deſtroyed, if they were entirely made of maſſy Gold and Silver; which they were not to convert to their own uſe: For thus Moſes did with the Golden Calf, XXXII Exod. 20. and Jacob in ancienter time buried all the ſtrange Gods, as well as the Ear-rings that were in their Ears, XXXV Gen. 4. And Joſiah, in future Ages, burnt every thing that had been imployed to Idolatry; even the Veſſels that were made for Baal, as well as the Images, &c. and ſtamp'd them to Powder, 2 King. XXIII. 4, 6, 14, 15.
Nor take it unto thee, lest thou be ſnared therein.] Be drawn into a Conceit, that there was ſomething ſacred in it; and ſo tempted to worſhip it.
For it is an abomination to the LORD thy God.] Whatſoever hath been employed to ſuch idolatrous Worſhip, is ſo deteſtable unto the Divine Majeſty, that he will not have it converted to any ordinary and common uſe, but utterly deſtroyed.
Ver. 26. Neither ſhalt thou bring an Abomination into Verſe 26 thy Houſe.] And therefore he requires them, not to bring any of that Silver and Gold, which had belonged to thoſe Idols, (which he calls an Abomination) into their Houſes, to be employed unto any private uſe whatſoever: So the Jews underſtand theſe words, having made from hence one of their affirmative Precepts: That no Man ſhould ſeek the least profit or benefit, from any thing appertaining to an Idol.
Lest thou be a curſed thing like it.] Every thing that was idolatrous, was a Cherem, devoted to Deſtruction, as he ſaith in the laſt words, It is a curſed thing; which no Man might meddle withal, XIII. 17. If he did, he became an accurſed thing, i. e. was devoted to deſtruction, as the thing it ſelf was. This was apparent afterwards, in the Example of Achan, in the VII Joſh. who took a Wedge of Gold, and a Babyloniſh Garment, for his own private uſe, when it had been made a Cherem by God's expreſs Command, (VI Joſh. 17.) and therefore was ſtoned to Death.
But thou ſhalt utterly detest it, and thou ſhalt utterly abhor it.] Not only look upon it, as uſeleſs and unprofitable, but as hateful and execrable in the higheſt degree; and therefore to be entirely deſtroyed. All this tended to their preſervation in the true Religion; which taught them to have every thing contrary to it, in the utmoſt deteſtation: Inſomuch, (as Maimonides interprets this Precept in his More Nevochim, P. III. Cap. XXXVII.) that if any Man broke ſuch Images,Chapter VIII. or melted them down, and then ſold the Silver and Gold, he committed an Abomination; and the Price of this being mingled with his other Riches, proved the Ruſt of them all. This he thinks is the meaning of bringing an Abomination into their Houſe. Which was ſo far from bringing a Bleſſing, (as the Heathen imagined) that it brought a Curſe upon all that they had.
The Jews were ſo ſenſible of all this, after they had ſeverely ſmarted for their Idolatry, that they thought it unlawful, to uſe any Veſſel that had been employed in ſacrificing to a falſe God: Nay, to warm themſelves with the Wood of a Grove that was cut down; or to ſit under the Shadow of it, for Coolneſs ſake, while it was ſtanding; or ſo much as to uſe the Aſhes of the Wood, that were left after the Grove was burnt. See Selden, Lib. II. De Jure Nat. & Gent. juxta Diſcipl. Hebr. Cap. VII. pag. 215, 216, &c.