Rashi on TanakhDeuteronomy 7

And He will cast out. This is an expression of casting away and displacing, and similarly, “And the iron flies off.”

And do not favor them. Do not hold them in esteem. It is forbidden to say, “How handsome is the heathen.” Another interpretation: do not give them an encampment (settlement) in the land.

For he will turn your son away from me. If the son of the gentile will marry your daughter, he will turn away your son (grandson) whom your daughter will bear for him, from following after Me. From this we learn that your daughter’s son, who is born of a gentile, is considered your son; but your son’s son, born of a gentile woman, is not considered your son, rather her son; for it is not said [regarding the prohibition:] “Do not take his daughter for your son,” because she will turn [your (grand)son away from Me], but only that he (the gentile) will turn your son, etc.

Their altars. Constructed of several stones.

Their monuments. Made of a single stone.

Their worship-trees. Trees which they worship.

Their statues. Carved images.

Not because of the multitude of your population. This is to be taken literally, but there is also a Midrashic interpretation: Because you do not magnify yourselves (boasting) when I shower you with goodness, therefore did [Adonoy] delight in you.

For you are the least. You diminish yourselves, as did Avrohom, who said, “I am but dust and ashes,” and like Moshe and Aharon who said, “What are we”? And you are not as Nevuchadnetzar, who said, “I will be compared to the Most High,” or like like Sancherev, who said, “Who are they among all the gods of these lands, [that have delivered their land out of my hand that Adonoy should deliver Jerusalem and of my hand”?] or like Chirom, who said, “I am a god, in the seat of God, I sit.”

For you are the least. Here the word כִּי is used to express “for.”

Rather, out of Adonoy’s love. Here the word כִּי is used to express “rather.” “Not because of the multitude of your population, did Adonoy desire you, rather, out of Adonoy’s love for you.”

And out of His keeping the oath. On account of His keeping the oath.

For a thousand generations. But below it states: “For thousands of generations.” Here where it is connected to “and for those who keep His commandments” [referring to those who do so out of fear] it states “for a thousand generations; but below it is connected to “for those who love Me” [referring to those who do so out of love, whose reward is greater,] it states for thousands of generations.

For those who love Him. They obey [God’s commandments] out of love.

And for those who keep His commandments. Referring to those who do so out of fear.

And He pays His enemy to his face. During his lifetime He rewards him for his good deeds, in order to destroy him [from participating] in the World to Come.

Today, to fulfill. And tomorrow in the World to Come, [will you] receive the reward for them.

In the future, as a consequence of your heeding. If, even the lesser commandments which a person [sometimes] treads on with his heels, you will heed, [then] —

Adonoy, your God will preserve. . . He will keep his promise to you.

The offspring of your cattle. The young of your cattle which the female casts out from her womb.

And the herds of your sheep. Menachem (ben Seruk) explains that אַבִּירֵי בָּשָׁן (the strong bulls of Bashan) means the choicest of the flock, similar to עַשְׁתְּרֹת קַרְנַיִם, which expresses strength. Onkelos translates it as herds of your sheep. Our Sages said: “Why are they called עַשְׁתָּרֹת ? “Because they enrich their owners.”

A sterile male — who cannot beget children.

Perhaps you may think to yourself. You must agree that (כִּי) in this context is an expression of perhaps: Perhaps you may think to yourself “Because they are [so] many, I will be unable to dispossess them.” You should not say [think] so. Do not fear them. And it is impossible to explain [the word כִּי ] according to any of the other meanings of כִּי that would fit in with: Do not fear them.

Tests. מַסֹת means tests.

Signs. For example, “And it became a snake,” and “it became blood on the dry land.”

And the wonders — the wondrous plagues.

The mighty hand. This refers to the pestilence.

And the extended arm. This is a reference to the sword of the plague of (the Egyptian) first born.

The tzir’oh. This a flying insect which injected a poisonous substance into them, and castrated them and blinded them in every place where they would hide.

Lest the wild animals multiply against you. But is it not true that if they do the will of the Omnipresent they would not have to fear the beast, as it is said, “And the wild animals will be at peace with you”? However it was known to Him that they would sin in the future.

And will confuse them. Both syllables of the word הָמָם have a kometz vowel because the last mem is not part of the root. Thus וְהָמָם is the same as וְהָם אוֹתָם [and will confuse them]. However (the word וְהָמַם in the verse,) “And though the roller of his wagon was noisy,” the verb הָמַם consists entirely of root letters; therefore half of it has a kometz (הָ) and half of it has a patach (מַ) like any other verb of three letters.