Deuteronomy 7:2

“And when the Lord thy God shall deliver them before thee, etc.] Into their hands: thou shalt smite them, and utterly destroy them; men, women, and children; which was ordered not merely to make way and room for the people of Israel to inherit their land, but as a punishment for capital crimes they had been guilty of, such as idolatry, incest, murder, etc. wherefore though they were reprieved for a while for Israel’s sake, till their time was come to possess the land, they were at length righteously punished; which observed, abates the seeming severity exercised upon them: thou shalt make no covenant with them; to dwell in their cities and houses, and enjoy their lands and estates, on any…”

“thou shalt smite them, and utterly destroy them; thou shalt make no covenant with them--This relentless doom of extermination which God denounced against those tribes of Canaan cannot be reconciled with the attributes of the divine character, except on the assumption that their gross idolatry and enormous wickedness left no reasonable hope of their repentance and amendment. If they were to be swept away like the antediluvians or the people of Sodom and Gomorrah, as incorrigible sinners who had filled up the measure of their iniquities, it mattered not to them in what way the judgment was inflicted; and God, as the Sovereign Disposer, had a right to employ any instruments that pleased Him for…”

“See Deuteronomy 6:10 note. Deuteronomy 7:5 Their groves - Render, their idols of wood: the reference is to the wooden trunk used as a representation of Ashtaroth; see Deuteronomy 7:13 and Exodus 34:13 note. Deuteronomy 7:7 The fewest of all people - God chose for Himself Israel, when as yet but a single family, or rather a single person, Abraham; though there were already numerous nations and powerful kingdoms in the earth. Increase Deuteronomy 1:10; Deuteronomy 10:22 had taken place because of the very blessing of God spoken of in Deuteronomy 7:8. Deuteronomy 7:10 Repayeth them that hate him to their face - i. e., punishes His enemies in their own proper persons. return to 'Top of Page'”

“deliver: Deu 7:23, Deu 7:24, Deu 3:3, Deu 23:14; Gen 14:20; Jos 10:24, Jos 10:25, Jos 10:30, Jos 10:32, Jos 10:42, Jos 21:44; Jdg 1:4 utterly: Deu 20:16, Deu 20:17; Lev 27:28, Lev 27:29; Num 33:52; Jos 6:17-25, Jos 8:24, Jos 9:24, Jos 10:28, Jos 10:40; Jos 11:11, Jos 11:12 make no: Deu 20:10, Deu 20:11; Exo 23:32, Exo 23:33, Exo 34:12-16; Jos 2:14, Jos 9:18-21; Jdg 1:24, Jdg 2:2; Sa2 21:2 Deuteronomy 7:3”