Deuteronomy 7:2

King James Version:

(The Lord speaking is red text)

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 shew mercy unto them:

Complete Jewish Bible:

When he does this, when ADONAI your God hands them over ahead of you, and you defeat them, you are to destroy them completely! Do not make any covenant with them. Show them no mercy.

Berean Standard Bible:

and when the LORD your God has delivered them over to you to defeat them, then you must devote them to complete destruction. Make no treaty with them and show them no mercy.

American Standard Version:

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

KJV with Strong’s Numbers:

And when the LORD^{H3068} thy God^{H430} shall deliver^{H5414} them before^{H6440} thee; thou shalt smite^{H5221} them, and utterly^{H2763} destroy^{H2763} them; thou shalt make^{H3772} no covenant^{H1285} with them, nor shew mercy^{H2603} unto them:

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Commentary for Deuteronomy 7:2

1. Themes of Deuteronomy 7:2:
- Divine Command: The verse conveys a directive from God to the Israelites regarding their treatment of the inhabitants of the Promised Land.
- Conquest and Judgment: It commands the complete destruction of certain nations as an act of divine judgment.
- Separation from Pagan Influence: The Israelites are instructed not to form covenants or show mercy, emphasizing a need to remain separate from the pagan practices of these nations.
- Obedience to God: The verse underscores the importance of obedience to God's laws and commands, which is a central theme throughout Deuteronomy.

2. Historical Context:
- Deuteronomy is the fifth book of the Pentateuch, traditionally attributed to Moses. It records his speeches to the Israelites as they prepare to enter the Promised Land after 40 years of wandering in the wilderness.
- The book is set in the context of a covenant renewal ceremony where Moses reiterates the law to the new generation who are about to possess Canaan.
- The verse reflects the period's common ancient Near Eastern practice of completely destroying enemy cities to prevent future uprisings and to eliminate their religious and cultural influence.
- The command to destroy the inhabitants was part of God's judgment on the Canaanite nations for their deep-seated moral corruption and religious practices that included child sacrifice and other abominations.
- The instruction not to intermarry or make treaties with these nations was meant to preserve the unique identity and religious purity of Israel, as intermingling with the Canaanites could lead to idolatry and apostasy.

In summary, Deuteronomy 7:2 reflects the themes of divine command, conquest, separation from pagan influence, and obedience within the historical context of Israel's preparation to enter and possess the Promised Land, and the need to maintain their distinct identity as the people of God.

*This commentary is produced by Microsoft/WizardLM-2-8x22B AI model

Strong's Numbers and Definitions:

Note: H = Hebrew (OT), G = Greek (NT)

1. Strong's Number: H3068
   There are 5521 instances of this translation in the Bible
   Lemma: יְהֹוָה
   Transliteration: Yᵉhôvâh
   Pronunciation: yeh-ho-vaw'
   Description: from הָיָה; (the) self-Existent or Eternal; Jehovah, Jewish national name of God; Jehovah, the Lord. Compare יָהּ, יְהֹוִה.
   
2. Strong's Number: H430
   There are 2334 instances of this translation in the Bible
   Lemma: אֱלֹהִים
   Transliteration: ʼĕlôhîym
   Pronunciation: el-o-heem'
   Description: plural of אֱלוֹהַּ; gods in the ordinary sense; but specifically used (in the plural thus, especially with the article) of the supreme God; occasionally applied by way of deference to magistrates; and sometimes as a superlative; angels, [idiom] exceeding, God (gods) (-dess, -ly), [idiom] (very) great, judges, [idiom] mighty.
   
3. Strong's Number: H5414
   There are 1816 instances of this translation in the Bible
   Lemma: נָתַן
   Transliteration: nâthan
   Pronunciation: naw-than'
   Description: a primitive root; to give, used with greatest latitude of application (put, make, etc.); add, apply, appoint, ascribe, assign, [idiom] avenge, [idiom] be (healed), bestow, bring (forth, hither), cast, cause, charge, come, commit, consider, count, [phrase] cry, deliver (up), direct, distribute, do, [idiom] doubtless, [idiom] without fail, fasten, frame, [idiom] get, give (forth, over, up), grant, hang (up), [idiom] have, [idiom] indeed, lay (unto charge, up), (give) leave, lend, let (out), [phrase] lie, lift up, make, [phrase] O that, occupy, offer, ordain, pay, perform, place, pour, print, [idiom] pull, put (forth), recompense, render, requite, restore, send (out), set (forth), shew, shoot forth (up), [phrase] sing, [phrase] slander, strike, (sub-) mit, suffer, [idiom] surely, [idiom] take, thrust, trade, turn, utter, [phrase] weep, [phrase] willingly, [phrase] withdraw, [phrase] would (to) God, yield.
   
4. Strong's Number: H6440
   There are 1890 instances of this translation in the Bible
   Lemma: פָּנִים
   Transliteration: pânîym
   Pronunciation: paw-neem'
   Description: plural (but always as singular) of an unused noun פָּנֶה; from פָּנָה); the face (as the part that turns); used in a great variety of applications (literally and figuratively); also (with prepositional prefix) as a preposition (before, etc.); [phrase] accept, a-(be-) fore(-time), against, anger, [idiom] as (long as), at, [phrase] battle, [phrase] because (of), [phrase] beseech, countenance, edge, [phrase] employ, endure, [phrase] enquire, face, favour, fear of, for, forefront(-part), form(-er time, -ward), from, front, heaviness, [idiom] him(-self), [phrase] honourable, [phrase] impudent, [phrase] in, it, look(-eth) (-s), [idiom] me, [phrase] meet, [idiom] more than, mouth, of, off, (of) old (time), [idiom] on, open, [phrase] out of, over against, the partial, person, [phrase] please, presence, propect, was purposed, by reason of, [phrase] regard, right forth, [phrase] serve, [idiom] shewbread, sight, state, straight, [phrase] street, [idiom] thee, [idiom] them(-selves), through ([phrase] -out), till, time(-s) past, (un-) to(-ward), [phrase] upon, upside ([phrase] down), with(-in, [phrase] -stand), [idiom] ye, [idiom] you.
   
5. Strong's Number: H5221
   There are 460 instances of this translation in the Bible
   Lemma: נָכָה
   Transliteration: nâkâh
   Pronunciation: naw-kaw'
   Description: a primitive root; to strike (lightly or severely, literally or figuratively); beat, cast forth, clap, give (wounds), [idiom] go forward, [idiom] indeed, kill, make (slaughter), murderer, punish, slaughter, slay(-er, -ing), smite(-r, -ing), strike, be stricken, (give) stripes, [idiom] surely, wound.
   
6. Strong's Number: H2763
   There are 48 instances of this translation in the Bible
   Lemma: חָרַם
   Transliteration: châram
   Pronunciation: khaw-ram'
   Description: a primitive root; to seclude; specifically (by a ban) to devote to religious uses (especially destruction); physical and reflexive, to be blunt as to the nose; make accursed, consecrate, (utterly) destroy, devote, forfeit, have a flat nose, utterly (slay, make away).
   
7. Strong's Number: H3772
   There are 280 instances of this translation in the Bible
   Lemma: כָּרַת
   Transliteration: kârath
   Pronunciation: kaw-rath'
   Description: a primitive root; to cut (off, down or asunder); by implication, to destroy or consume; specifically, to covenant (i.e. make an alliance or bargain, originally by cutting flesh and passing between the pieces); be chewed, be con-(feder-) ate, covenant, cut (down, off), destroy, fail, feller, be freed, hew (down), make a league (covenant), [idiom] lose, perish, [idiom] utterly, [idiom] want.
   
8. Strong's Number: H1285
   There are 264 instances of this translation in the Bible
   Lemma: בְּרִית
   Transliteration: bᵉrîyth
   Pronunciation: ber-eeth'
   Description: from בָּרָה (in the sense of cutting (like בָּרָא)); a compact (because made by passing between pieces of flesh); confederacy, (con-) feder(-ate), covenant, league.
   
9. Strong's Number: H2603
   There are 72 instances of this translation in the Bible
   Lemma: חָנַן
   Transliteration: chânan
   Pronunciation: khaw-nan'
   Description: a primitive root (compare חָנָה); properly, to bend or stoop in kindness to an inferior; to favor, bestow; causatively to implore (i.e. move to favor by petition); beseech, [idiom] fair, (be, find, shew) favour(-able), be (deal, give, grant (gracious(-ly), intreat, (be) merciful, have (shew) mercy (on, upon), have pity upon, pray, make supplication, [idiom] very.