Tyndale Open Study NotesDeuteronomy 7

Before Israel could occupy the promised land, they had to remove the people already living there (compare Genesis 13:14–17; 15:18–21). The land belonged to the Lord, and only God could decide who should live there.

• The Hittites were from Anatolia, which is now north-central Turkey. They set up colonies in distant places like Syria and were also linked to Canaan in the list of ancient nations (see Genesis 10:15; 23:3–20). The Hittite empire ended suddenly around 1200 BC. But people called Hittites still lived in Israel, such as "Uriah the Hittite" (2 Samuel 11:3; 23:39).

  It is impossible to prove that the Hittites of Anatolia were the same as those mentioned in the Old Testament, but they were probably similar in some ways.

• Girgashites were an otherwise unknown Canaanite group (Genesis 10:16–17).

• For Amorites, see study note on Deuteronomy 1:4.

• The Canaanites were the original people of Canaan, living there since 3000 BC. They descended from Noah’s son Ham (see Genesis 9:18–27).

• The Perizzites are not in the Table of Nations (Genesis 10:16–17), so they might not have any connection to the Canaanites.

• Many scholars think the Hivites were the same as the Horites (or Hurrians; see study note on Deuteronomy 2:1). They were a non-Semitic group found throughout the ancient Near East.

• The Jebusites had a connection to Jerusalem (Judges 1:21; 2 Samuel 5:6–8). King David bought land from Araunah the Jebusite to build an altar (2 Samuel 24:15–25). This site was where Solomon later built his temple (2 Chronicles 3:1).

• Engraved stone pillars called stelae usually represented pagan male gods. People commonly found these sacred pillars at shrines dedicated to Baal.

• Asherah poles, usually made of wood, represented Canaanite fertility goddesses, especially Asherah, the mother of the gods. These shrines might have developed as stylized sacred trees associated with fertility (see study note on 12:2).

Out of all the peoples on the earth, God chose Israel to be his prized possession. This means they belonged to him in a special way and were precious to him.

Israel did not earn this choice by doing anything special. Instead, God chose them because of his grace. Grace means God’s kindness that is not earned and is freely given.

• The faithful God is completely reliable and trustworthy. God commended Abraham as righteous because he trusted in God and relied entirely on God's faithfulness (Genesis 15:6).

• In contrast to humans, who often fail to keep promises, the Lord faithfully keeps his covenant.

swore: In a covenant or treaty, the parties involved had to swear to follow its terms for it to be valid. God's promises are always certain because of his character (7:9; 32:4; Hebrews 6:18; James 1:17). He fulfilled the requirements of the covenant with Israel by swearing to keep its terms (see Genesis 22:16).

terrible diseases … in Egypt: These might be the same as the plagues, such as those mentioned in Exodus 9:9. They may also include other serious diseases that commonly affected the Egyptians.

• The phrase signs and wonders refers to the miraculous acts God did to make his enemies afraid and to inspire awe and praise among his people (see 6:22).

• mighty hand and outstretched arm: See study notes on 4:34 and 8:2.

the hornet: Whether God sent stinging insects or another source of fear, he would expel the remaining Canaanites from the land (Exodus 23:28; Joshua 24:12).

awesome (literally one to be feared): This kind of fear does not mean terror, as if God were cruel or unfair.

Instead, it refers to reverential fear. This means deep respect and awe before a loving God. His greatness and majesty are so powerful that they fill people with wonder and holy fear.

wipe out their names: In the ancient world, a person’s name represented that person’s ongoing life through future generations. A name continued through children and grandchildren.

So to erase a name meant more than killing one person. It meant ending a family line and removing its future. When God destroyed a nation in his war of judgment, that nation lost its descendants and its lasting identity.

it is detestable to the LORD your God: Pagan worship denies God's uniqueness and rejects his demand for exclusive worship (5:7–9). The terrible and disgusting ceremonies often linked to pagan worship opposed God's holy nature. But Israel risked adopting similar beliefs and practices (12:31; 13:12–17).

An Israelite who recognized or worshiped false gods committed treason against the Lord. In other words, that person was unfaithful to God as king. The only solution was the complete destruction of these detestable objects.

set apart for destruction (Hebrew kherem): See study note on 2:34.