Deuteronomy 7:5

“But thus shall ye deal with them, etc.] The inhabitants of the land of Canaan: ye shall destroy their altars; on which they sacrificed to their idols: and break down their images; of their gods, and the statues and pillars erected to the honour of them: and cut down their groves; sacred to idols, which were usually planted on hills, and about Heathen temples, and under which idols were placed to be worshipped. The Targum of Jonathan calls them trees of their adoration, under which they worshipped; though there was a worship paid to them, not indeed directly to them, or for their sakes, but for the sake of the idols they were sacred to, or were placed under them; so Maimonides f77 says, a…”

“thus shall ye deal with them; ye shall destroy their altars, &c.--The removal of the temples, altars, and everything that had been enlisted in the service, or might tend to perpetuate the remembrance, of Canaanite idolatry, was likewise highly expedient for preserving the Israelites from all risk of contamination. It was imitated by the Scottish Reformers, and although many ardent lovers of architecture and the fine arts have anathematized their proceedings as vandalism, yet there was profound wisdom in the favorite maxim of Knox--"pull down the nests, and the rooks will disappear."”

“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'”

“Their graves - Which idolaters planted about the temples and altars of their Gods. Hereby God designed to take away whatsoever might bring their idolatry to remembrance, or occasion the reviving of it. Deuteronomy 7:7”

“7:5 Engraved stone pillars called stelae usually represented pagan male deities. These sacred pillars were commonly found at shrines dedicated to Baal. • Asherah poles, usually made of wood, represented Canaanite fertility goddesses, particularly Asherah, the mother of the gods. These shrines might have developed as stylized sacred trees associated with fertility (see study note on 12:2).”

“destroy: Deu 12:2, Deu 12:3; Exo 23:24, Exo 34:13; Kg2 23:6-14 images: Heb. statues, or pillars, Deu 16:22; Lev 26:1 and cut: Jdg 6:25, Jdg 6:26 burn: Deu 7:25, Deu 9:21; Exo 32:20 Deuteronomy 7:6”

“The Israelites were rather to destroy the altars and idols of the Canaanites, according to the command in Exo 34:13; Exo 23:24. Deuteronomy 7:6”