Chú giải chương
Deuteronomy Chương 7
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Moses in this chapter exhorts Israel, I. In general, to keep God's commandments, De 8:11,12. II. In particular, and in order to that, to keep themselves pure from all communion with idolaters. 1. They must utterly destroy the seven devoted nations, and not spare them, or make leagues with them, De 8:1,2,16,24. 2. They must by no means marry with the remainders of them, De 8:3,4. 3. They must deface and consume their altars and images, and not so much as take the silver and gold of them to their own use, De 8:5,25,26. To enforce this charge, he shows that they were bound to do so, (1.) In duty. Considering [1.] Their election to God, De 8:6. [2.] The reason of that election, De 8:7,8. [3.] The terms they stood upon with God, De 8:9,10. (2.) In interest. It is here promised, [1.] In general, that, if they would serve God, he would bless and prosper them, De 8:12-15. [2.] In particular, that if they would drive out the nations, that they might not be a temptation to them, God would drive them out, that they should not be any vexation to them, De 8:17-26, etc.
1-26
A Caution Against Idolatry (1451 BC)
简体中文
防备偶像崇拜的告诫（主前 1451 年）
¹ 耶和华你神领你进入要得为业之地，从你面前赶出许多国民，就是赫人、革迦撒人、亚摩利人、迦南人、比利洗人、希未人、耶布斯人，共七个民，都比你强大。 ² 耶和华你神将他们交给你击杀的时候，你要把他们灭绝净尽；不可与他们立约，也不可怜恤他们。 ³ 不可与他们结亲；不可将你的女儿嫁他们的儿子；他们的女儿也不可娶给你儿子。 ⁴ 因为你儿子必因他们随从他们的神，以致耶和华向你们发怒，就忽然将你们灭绝。 ⁵ 你们却要这样待他们：拆毁他们的祭坛，打碎他们的柱像，砍下他们的木偶，用火焚烧他们雕刻的偶像。 ⁶ 因为你归耶和华你神为圣洁的民；耶和华你神从地上的万民中拣选你，特作自己的子民。 ⁷ 耶和华专爱你们，拣选你们，并非因你们的人数多于别民；原来你们在万民中是最少的。 ⁸ 只因耶和华爱你们，又因要守他向你们列祖所起的誓，就用大能的手领你们出来，从为奴之家救赎你们脱离埃及王法老的手。 ⁹ 所以你要知道耶和华你的神，他是神，是信实的神；向爱他守他诫命的人守约施慈爱，直到千代； ¹⁰ 向恨他的人当面报应他们，将他们灭绝；凡恨他的人，他必报应他们，决不迟延。 ¹¹ 所以你要谨守遵行我今日所吩咐你的诫命、律例、典章。
此处有：I\. 关于与偶像和拜偶像者一切友谊与团契的极严密的告诫。那些被带进与神相交的人，绝不可与那黑暗无益的作为有任何相通。为要防止现今摆在他们面前的这网罗，便在这些事上嘱咐他们。
1\. 他们不可怜恤他们（申 7:1、2）。此处给他们指定的是流血之工，然而那是神的工，是善工，在它的时候和地位是必要的、可蒙悦纳的、也是尊荣的。
（1）神在此应承要尽他的本分。此处把神必领他们进应许之地、必在他们面前赶出那地现今的占据者——国民——当作理所当然之事；对此毫无疑惑的余地。他的权能无法抵挡，所以他能作；他的应许不可违背，所以他必作。如今，[1.] 这些当灭之国在此被命名又被数点（申 7:1），共七个；以七对一是极大的差距。它们被一一指出，为要使以色列知道他们使命的界限：他们的严厉到此为止，不可 farther；他们也不可借这使命之名，杀掉一切挡路的人；不，这波浪要止于此。把这使命限于这里所提到的几国，明明暗示后世不可援为先例；这不足以使那些不给 quarter 的野蛮律法合法化。无论这方法当神亲自命定时，在那献祭宰杀焚烧众多牲畜的安排之下何等相宜，如今一切赎罪之祭既已在基督宝血所成就的大挽回祭里得以完全并被取代，人血也许比从前更为宝贵了，那最有权柄的人也不可挥霍它。[2.] 他们在此被承认比以色列更大更强。他们长久扎根于这片以色列人作客旅前来之地；他们人数更多，有身量更魁梧、更精通战术的人；然而这一切都不能拦阻他们被赶出在以色列面前。以色列仇敌的力量，更显大以色列神的大能，他必胜过他们。
（2）他吩咐他们尽他们的本分。你要把他们击杀，并且灭绝净尽（申 7:2）。神若把他们赶出，以色列就不可把他们收纳——哪怕是作佃户、作进贡者、作仆人也不可。不可与他们立任何的约，不可怜恤他们。这严厉是命定的，[1.] 为要惩罚他们和他们的列祖素来所犯的罪恶。亚摩利人的罪孽如今已经满盈；那罪孽填满的时间越久，到末了降罚时便越发严厉。[2.] 为要防止他们若被存留必将对神的以色列人所造成的祸害。这些可憎之民不可与圣洁的种类混杂，免得他们败坏他们。宁可这一切性命从地上丧失，胜过宗教和对神的真敬拜在以色列中丧失。这样，我们也当对付那害我们灵魂的私欲；神已经借着那应许把他们交在我们手中——罪必不能作你们的主——除非我们自己有过失；我们不可与他们立约，也不可怜恤他们，倒要治死他们，把他们钉在十字架上，完全除灭。
2\. 他们不可与那逃脱刀剑的人结亲（申 7:3、4）。迦南人的家世古老，其中有些大概被称为尊贵的，这可能是以色列人的试探，尤其是他们支派中名声较小的那些人，想要与这些人结亲，以抬高血统；又因他们对那地的熟悉可能有助于他们改良那地：但宗教和对神的敬畏必须胜过这一切的考虑。与他们通婚之所以不合法，是因它很危险；正是这一件事给旧世界带来致命的后果（创 6:2），在现今的世界中也有成千上万的人因与不信宗教不敬虔之人通婚而败坏；因为在混合的婚姻中，惧怕善者被引诱偏离的理由，多于盼望恶者被挽回的希望。后来所发生的事证明了这警告的合理性：他们必使你儿子转离不跟从我。 所罗门为此愚妄付了惨重的代价。我们在拉 9:1-10:44、尼 13:1-31 中看见为这娶外邦女子之罪的国家性悔改，以及改革上所尽的谨慎；又有新约的告诫，不要与不信的同负一轭（林后 6:14）。那些在选择配偶上至少不留在合理宗教宣认范围之内的人，不能指望得着合宜的帮助。迦勒底文译本在此加添（作为申 7:3 的理由）：凡与拜偶像者通婚的，实际上就是与他们的偶像通婚。
3\. 他们要毁坏他们拜偶像的一切遗物（申 7:5）。他们的祭坛和柱像，他们的木偶和雕刻的偶像，都要毁掉，既出于对偶像崇拜圣洁的愤恨，又为要防止传染。这命令从前也赐过（出 23:24，34:13）。神的百姓出于敬虔的热心，在这事上作过许多善工（代下 31:1），善王约西亚也如此行（代下 34:3、7）；可与行邪术之书的焚烧（徒 19:19）相比。
II\. 此处有极好的理由来加强这告诫。
1\. 神拣选这百姓归他自己（申 7:6）。神与以色列之间所立的约和所建立的相交，正如他与世上任何别的百姓之间所没有的。他们岂可借拜偶像羞辱那如此尊荣他们的？岂可轻忽那如此向他们表明慈爱的？岂可在神如此抬举他们超过万民、使他们高过众民之时，把自己与别的百姓同列？神既收纳他们特作自己的子民，又没有收纳别民，他们岂不也当收纳神特作自己的神，而不可以有别的神吗？
2\. 这拣选之恩典的白白性。（1）他们身上没有任何东西可以推荐他们、使他们配得这恩。人民众多，乃君王之尊（箴 14:28）。但他们的数目微不足道；他们下埃及时不过七十人；虽在那里大增，仍有许多别的国民比他们更多：你们在万民中是最少的（申 7:7）。耶路撒冷他尔根的作者在此对犹太民族恭维过分了，他读作：你们在心灵上谦卑，在万民之上温良；恰正相反：他们倒是硬着颈项、性情在万民之上最坏的。（2）神把这事的理由完全归给自己（申 7:8）。[1.] 他爱你们，因为他愿意爱你们。 父啊，是的，因为你的美意本是如此。凡神所爱的，他都白白地爱（何 14:4）。灭亡的人是因自己的功劳灭亡，但得救的人都是出于特权。[2.] 他作了他的工，因为他要守他的话。"他领你们出埃及，是履行向你们列祖所起的誓。" 他们身上没有任何东西、他们所作的任何事，能作或能作成使神欠他们的债；但他已经使自己欠了自己应许的债，这应许他要不顾他们的不配而履行。
3\. 他们被纳入其中的约的条款；简言之就是：他们怎样待神，神也必怎样待他们。他们必确实发现他，（1）向他的朋友施恩（申 7:9）。"耶和华你的神不像万民的神——那些幻想的产物，可以作放荡诗歌的题材，却不是认真敬虔的合适对象；不，他是神，实在是神，独一的神，是信实的神，不仅能成就他自己的应许，也能满足敬拜者一切正当的期望，他必守约施慈爱"——即"按约施慈爱给那些爱他守他诫命的人"（我们若不郑重看待他的诫命，就徒然假装爱他）；"这事"（此处为解释第二诫中的应许而加添）"不仅临到成千的人，也临到成千的世代——那泉源何等不竭，水流何等恒常！"（2）向他的仇敌施行公义：他报应那些恨他的人（申 7:10）。注意，[1.] 故意犯罪的人就是恨恶神的人；因为肉体之心就是与他为仇。拜偶像的人尤其如此，因为他们与他的对手联盟。[2.] 恨恶神的人不能害他，却必败坏自己。他必当面报应他们，不顾他们和他们一切无能的恶意。他的箭被称为对面射向他们脸面的（诗 21:12）。或者，他必把那些审判加在他们身上，使他们自己看出这是对他们拜偶像的公正刑罚。参伯 21:19，他报应他，他必知道。 报应似乎迟延，却并不 slack。恶人和罪人必在世上受报（箴 11:31）。我不能不引耶路撒冷他尔根对此处的注释，因为它表明犹太教会关于来世的信仰：他向恨他的人，在这世界把他们的善工赏赐报应给他们，为要在来世灭绝他们。
¹² 你们果然听从这些典章，谨守遵行，耶和华你神就必照他向你列祖所起的誓，向你守约施慈爱。 ¹³ 他必爱你，赐福与你，使你人数增多；也必在他向你列祖起誓应许给你的地上，赐福与你身所生的、地所产的，并你的五谷、新酒和油，以及牛犊、羊羔。 ¹⁴ 你必在万民之上蒙福；你们无论男女，没有不能生育的；连你们的牲畜也没有不能生育的。 ¹⁵ 耶和华必使一切的病症离开你；你所知道埃及各样恶疾，他不加在你身上，只加在一切恨你的人身上。 ¹⁶ 耶和华你神所要交给你的一切人，你要把他们灭绝净尽；你眼不可顾惜他们；你也不可事奉他们的神，因这必成为你的网罗。 ¹⁷ 你若心里说：这些国的民比我更多，我怎能赶出他们呢？ ¹⁸ 你不要惧怕他们，只要牢牢记念耶和华你神向法老和埃及全地所行的事； ¹⁹ 就是你亲眼所看见的大试验、神迹、奇事，和耶和华你神领你出来所用的大能的手并伸出来的膀臂；耶和华你神必照样待你所惧怕的一切人民。 ²⁰ 并且耶和华你神必打发黄蜂到他们中间，直到那剩下而躲藏的人从你面前灭亡。 ²¹ 你不要因他们惊恐；因为耶和华你神在你们中间，是大而可畏的神。 ²² 耶和华你神必将这些国的民，从你面前渐渐赶出；你不可把他们速速灭尽，恐怕野地的兽多起来害你。 ²³ 耶和华你神必将他们交给你，大大的扰乱他们，直到他们灭绝； ²⁴ 又要将他们的君王交在你手中；你就使他们的名从天下消灭。必无一人能在你面前站立得住，直到你将他们灭绝了。 ²⁵ 他们神雕刻的偶像，你们要用火焚烧；其上的金银你不可贪图，也不可收取，免得你因此陷入网罗；因为这原是耶和华你神所憎恶的。 ²⁶ 可憎的物，你不可带进家去；恐怕你与那物一样成了当灭绝的；你要十分厌恶、十分憎嫌，因为这是当毁灭之物。
此处，I\. 防备偶像崇拜、防备与拜偶像者相通的告诫，在此重申：你要把百姓灭尽，不可事奉他们的神（申 7:16）。我们若以与行那黑暗之工的人相交为乐，就有与他们所行之工相通的危险。此处又重申要毁坏偶像的命令（申 7:25、26）。外邦人所敬拜的偶像，在神看来是可憎的，所以在他们眼中也当如此：凡真心爱神的，必恨他所恨的。请看这事如何向他们力陈：你要十分厌恶它，十分憎嫌它；我们必须对罪——就是耶和华所恨恶的可憎之事——怀着这样圣洁的愤慨。他们不可为满足自己的贪心而留下偶像：其上的金银你不可贪图，也不可因它被毁而觉可惜。亚干因把当灭之物归己使用而付了惨重的代价。他们也不可为满足自己的好奇心而留下它："你也不可带进家去，挂作装饰，或留作古董。不，要把它送到火里去，那才是它最适合的去处。" 这告诫给了两个理由：——1. 免得你因此陷入网罗（申 7:25），即"免得你在不知不觉中被吸引去喜欢它、爱慕它，去想象它、尊敬它。"2. 免得你与那物一样成了当灭绝的（申 7:26）。造偶像的人被说成像偶像一样，迟钝无知；此处又说他们在更坏的意义上像偶像，被神咒诅、命定灭亡。把这两个理由并比，就当留意：凡能使我们陷入网罗的，也必使我们落在咒诅之下。
II\. 他们若顺服，神必向他们施恩的应许，在此用极动人的丰富流畅的话语加以扩充，这暗示宗教既是神的渴望，也是我们自己的利益所在。在此向他们作出一切可能的保证：
1\. 他们若真诚努力尽自己在约中的本分，神必成就他的本分。他必向……守……他向你列祖所起的誓……的慈爱（申 7:12）。我们若在本分上恒常，便不能质疑神怜悯的恒常。
2\. 他们若爱神、事奉神，将自己和自己所有的献给他，他必爱他们、赐福与他们、使他们大大增多（申 7:13、14）。他们还能求什么使自己在世上更快乐呢？（1）"他必爱你。" 他先爱我们（约一 4:10）；我们若以儿女的本分回报他的爱，那么也只有那么，我们才能指望他爱的延续（约 14:21）。（2）"他必以爱的记号赐福与你，过于万民。" 他们若以独特的事奉使自己有别于邻舍，神也必以独特的福分使他们尊贵过于邻舍。（3）"他必使你增多。" 增多是古时为使世人遍满地面而赐的福，一次两次（创 1:28，9:1），此处为要使迦南——那独成一小世界的地——得着人口。他们 families 的增多和牲畜的增多都蒙应许：他们既不致有产业而无后嗣，也不致有后嗣而无产业，却要因多有儿女，又为他们预备了丰足的供应和分而得着完全的满足。
3\. 他们若保守自己免受埃及偶像崇拜的玷污，神必使他们脱离埃及的疾病（申 7:15）。这话似乎不仅指他们借以被救出来的那些埃及的灾，也是指他们记得在埃及人中盛行的别种国家性流行的疾病（如我们所说的），神曾借那病因他们的国罪惩罚他们。疾病是神的仆役；它们去他所差遣的地方，行他所吩咐的事。因此，治死我们灵魂的罪，对我们身体的健康是有益的。
4\. 他们若肯剪除当灭之国，他们就必剪除他们，无人能在他们面前站立得住。他们在这事上的本分本身就是他们的益处：耶和华你神所要交给你的一切人，你要把他们灭尽——这是诫命（申 7:16）；耶和华你神必将他们交给你，又要大大扰乱他们，直到他们灭绝——这是应许（申 7:23）。照样，我们受命不可容罪掌权，不可放纵自己，也不可纵容它，倒要恨恶它、与它相争；这样，神就应许罪必不能作你们的主（罗 6:12、14），我们却要超过得胜者。迦南征服的艰难和不确定曾是他们祖宗的绊脚石，所以摩西在此针对那些最易使他们灰心的事勉励他们，吩咐他们不要惧怕他们（申 7:18），又再次（申 7:21）。（1）不要因仇敌的人数和力量而灰心：不要心里说：他们比我更多，我怎能赶出他们呢？（申 7:17）。我们易于以为最众多的必得胜：然而为要使以色列抵挡这试探，摩西提醒他们法老和埃及全军的灭亡（申 7:18、19）。他们已经看见神借以领他们出埃及的大试验（或神迹，如迦勒底文所读的），就是那些奇事神迹——为要领他们进迦南——由此他们容易推断神能赶出迦南人（他们虽可畏，却没有像埃及人对以色列那样有利；那作了更大的，也必作更小的），又必赶出他们，否则他领以色列出埃及对他们就不是恩慈。那开了头的，必完工。所以你要牢牢记念这事（申 7:18）。神的话和神的作为，当被我们用来作为信心和顺服的助力时，便是善被记念的。当我们需用时而能随手取用的，便是善被珍藏的。（2）不要因自己军队的软弱和不足而灰心；因为神必差遣黄蜂——有人读作胡蜂——作援军（申 7:20），可能比寻常的更大，它们要如此惊吓并搅扰他们的仇敌（也许对许多人还是致命的），以致他们最众多的军队在以色列面前成为易得之猎物。神用苍蝇击打埃及人，却用黄蜂击打迦南人。那不因别人所受较轻之审判受警戒的，必在自己身上受更大的。但以色列的大鼓励乃是：神在他们中间，是大而可畏的神（申 7:21）。神若为我们，神若与我们同在，我们就不必惧怕任何受造之物的能力可以敌挡我们。（3）不要因自己军兵的进展缓慢而灰心，也不可因迦南人若头一年不被驱逐就永不能被制伏而心里这样想；不，他们必渐渐被赶出，不是一下子（申 7:22）。注意：我们不可因教会的拯救和仇敌的毁灭不是立即成就的，就以为永不能成就。神必按自己的方法和时间作自己的工，我们可以确信那总是最好的。这样，败坏也渐渐从信徒心中被驱逐出去。成圣之工是逐渐进行的；但那审判至终必成为完全的得胜。此处所给的理由（如从前出 23:29、30）是：恐怕野地的兽多起来害你。 神已经把地赐给人；所以宁可让迦南人有所剩下，为要保守占有权，直到以色列人数增多足以遍满这地，也不要这地成为龙的住处、旷野的走兽的院宇（赛 34:13、14）。然而神本可以防止兽所带来的祸患（利 26:6）。但骄傲和无忧，以及那些定居兴盛所常见的效果——别的罪——乃是比田野的兽更危险的仇敌，它们就易于在他们中间增多。参士 3:1、4。
bản gốc tiếng anh
A Caution Against Idolatry (1451 BC)
¹ When the LORD thy God shall bring thee into the land whither thou goest to possess it, and hath cast out many nations before thee, the Hittites, and the Girgashites, and the Amorites, and the Canaanites, and the Perizzites, and the Hivites, and the Jebusites, seven nations greater and mightier than thou;
² 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 show mercy unto them:
³ Neither shalt thou make marriages with them; thy daughter thou shalt not give unto his son, nor his daughter shalt thou take unto thy son.
⁴ For they will turn away thy son from following me, that they may serve other gods: so will the anger of the LORD be kindled against you, and destroy thee suddenly.
⁵ But thus shall ye deal with them; ye shall destroy their altars, and break down their images, and cut down their groves, and burn their graven images with fire.
⁶ For thou art a holy people unto the LORD thy God: the LORD thy God hath chosen thee to be a special people unto himself, above all people that are upon the face of the earth.
⁷ The LORD did not set his love upon you, nor choose you, because ye were more in number than any people; for ye were the fewest of all people:
⁸ But because the LORD loved you, and because he would keep the oath which he had sworn unto your fathers, hath the LORD brought you out with a mighty hand, and redeemed you out of the house of bondmen, from the hand of Pharaoh king of Egypt.
⁹ Know therefore that the LORD thy God, he is God, the faithful God, which keepeth covenant and mercy with them that love him and keep his commandments to a thousand generations;
¹⁰ And repayeth them that hate him to their face, to destroy them: he will not be slack to him that hateth him, he will repay him to his face.
¹¹ Thou shalt therefore keep the commandments, and the statutes, and the judgments, which I command thee this day, to do them.
Here is, I. A very strict caution against all friendship and fellowship with idols and idolaters. Those that are taken into communion with God must have no communication with the unfruitful works of darkness. These things they are charged about for the preventing of this snare now before them.
1. They must show them no mercy, De 7:1,2. Bloody work is here appointed them, and yet it is God's work, and good work, and in its time and place needful, acceptable, and honourable.
(1.) God here engages to do his part. It is spoken of as a thing taken for granted that God would bring them into the land of promise, that he would cast out the nations before them, who were the present occupants of that land; no room was left to doubt of that. His power is irresistible, and therefore he can do it; his promise is inviolable, and therefore he will do it. Now, [1.] These devoted nations are here named and numbered (De 7:1), seven in all, and seven to one are great odds. They are specified, that Israel might know the bounds and limits of their commission: hitherto their severity must come, but no further; nor must they, under colour of this commission, kill all that came in their way; no, here must its waves be stayed. The confining of this commission to the nations here mentioned plainly intimates that after-ages were not to draw this into a precedent; this will not serve to justify those barbarous laws which give no quarter. How agreeable soever this method might be, when God himself prescribed it, to that dispensation under which such multitudes of beasts were killed and burned in sacrifice, now that all sacrifices of atonement are perfected in, and superseded by, the great propitiation made by the blood of Christ, human blood has become perhaps more precious than it was, and those that have most power yet must not be prodigal of it. [2.] They are here owned to be greater and mightier than Israel. They had been long rooted in this land, to which Israel came strangers; they were more numerous, had men much more bulky and more expert in war than Israel had; yet all this shall not prevent their being cast out before Israel. The strength of Israel's enemies magnifies the power of Israel's God, who will certainly be too hard for them.
(2.) He engages them to do their part. Thou shalt smite them, and utterly destroy them, De 7:2. If God cast them out, Israel must not take them in, no, not as tenants, nor tributaries, nor servants. Not covenant of any kind must be made with them, no mercy must be shown them. This severity was appointed, [1.] By way of punishment for the wickedness they and their fathers had been guilty of. The iniquity of the Amorites was now full, and the longer it had been in the filling the sorer was the vengeance when it came at last. [2.] In order to prevent the mischiefs they would do to God's Israel if they were left alive. The people of these abominations must not be mingled with the holy seed, lest they corrupt them. Better that all these lives should be lost from the earth than that religion and the true worship of God should be lost in Israel. Thus we must deal with our lusts that was against our souls; God has delivered them into our hands by that promise, Sin shall not have dominion over you, unless it be your own faults; let not us them make covenants with them, nor show them any mercy, but mortify and crucify them, and utterly destroy them.
2. They must make no marriages with those of them that escaped the sword, De 7:3,4. The families of the Canaanites were ancient, and it is probable that some of them were called honourable, which might be a temptation to the Israelites, especially those of them that were of least note in their tribes, to court an alliance with them, to ennoble their blood; and the rather because their acquaintance with the country might be serviceable to them in the improvement of it: but religion, and the fear of God, must overrule all these considerations. To intermarry with them was therefore unlawful, because it was dangerous; this very thing had proved of fatal consequence to the old world (Ge 6:2), and thousands in the world that now is have been undone by irreligious ungodly marriages; for there is more ground of fear in mixed marriages that the good will be perverted than of hope that the bad will be converted. The event proved the reasonableness of this warning: They will turn away thy son from following me. Solomon paid dearly for his folly herein. We find a national repentance for this sin of marrying strange wives, and care taken to reform (Ezr 9:1-10:44, Ne 13:1-31), and a New-Testament caution not to be unequally yoked with unbelievers, 2Co 6:14. Those that in choosing yokefellows keep not at least within the bounds of a justifiable profession of religion cannot promise themselves helps meet for them. One of the Chaldee paraphrases adds here, as a reason of this command (De 7:3), For he that marries with idolaters does in effect marry with their idols.
3. They must destroy all the relics of their idolatry, De 7:5. Their altars and pillars, their groves and graven images, all must be destroyed, both in a holy indignation against idolatry and to prevent infection. This command was given before, Ex 23:24,34:13. A great deal of good work of this kind was done by the people, in their pious zeal (2Ch 31:1), and by good Josiah (2Ch 34:3,7), and with this may be compared the burning of the conjuring books, Ac 19:19.
II. Here are very good reasons to enforce this caution.
1. The choice which God had made of this people for his own, De 7:6. There was such a covenant and communion established between God and Israel as was not between him and any other people in the world. Shall they by their idolatries dishonour him who had thus honoured them? Shall they slight him who had thus testified his kindness for them? Shall they put themselves upon the level with other people, when God had thus dignified and advanced them above all people? Had God taken them to be a special people to him, and no other but them, and will not they take God to be a special God to them, and no other but him?
2. The freeness of that grace which made this choice. (1.) There was nothing in them to recommend or entitle them to this favour. In multitude of the people is the king's honour, Pr 14:28. But their number was inconsiderable; they were only seventy souls when they went down into Egypt, and, though greatly increased there, yet there were many other nations more numerous: You were the fewest of all people, De 7:7. The author of the Jerusalem Targum passes too great a compliment upon his nation in his reading this, You were humble in spirit, and meek above all people; quite contrary: they were rather stiff-necked and ill-natured above all people. (2.) God fetched the reason of it purely from himself, De 7:8. [1.] He loved you because he would love you. Even so, Father, because it seemed good in thy eyes. All that God loves he loves freely, Hos 14:4. Those that perish perish by their own merits, but all that are saved are saved by prerogative. [2.] He has done his work because he would keep his word. "He has brought you out of Egypt in pursuance of the oath sworn to your fathers." Nothing in them, or done by them, did or could make God a debtor to them; but he had made himself a debtor to his own promise, which he would perform notwithstanding their unworthiness.
3. The tenour of the covenant into which they were taken; it was in short this, That as they were to God so God would be to them. They should certainly find him, (1.) Kind to his friends, De 7:9. "The Lord thy God is not like the gods of the nations, the creatures of fancy, subjects fit enough for loose poetry, but no proper objects of serious devotion; no, he is God, God indeed, God alone, the faithful God, able and ready not only to fulfil his own promises, but to answer all the just expectations of his worshippers, and he will certainly keep covenant and mercy," that is, "show mercy according to covenant, to those that love him and keep his commandments" (and in vain do we pretend to love him if we do not make conscience of his commandments); "and this" (as is here added for the explication of the promise in the second commandment) "not only to thousands of persons, but to thousands of generations—so inexhaustible is the fountain, so constant are the streams!" (2.) Just to his enemies: He repays those that hate him, De 7:10. Note, [1.] Wilful sinners are haters of God; for the carnal mind is enmity against him. Idolaters are so in a special manner, for they are in league with his rivals. [2.] Those that hate God cannot hurt him, but certainly ruin themselves. He will repay them to their face, in defiance of them and all their impotent malice. His arrows are said to be made ready against the face of them, Ps 21:12. Or, He will bring those judgments upon them which shall appear to themselves to be the just punishment of their idolatry. Compare Job 21:19, He rewardeth him, and he shall know it. Though vengeance seem to be slow, yet it is not slack. The wicked and sinner shall be recompensed in the earth, Pr 11:31. I cannot pass the gloss of the Jerusalem Targum upon this place, because it speaks the faith of the Jewish church concerning a future state: He recompenses to those that hate him the reward of their good works in this world, that he may destroy them in the world to come.
¹² Wherefore it shall come to pass, if ye hearken to these judgments, and keep, and do them, that the LORD thy God shall keep unto thee the covenant and the mercy which he sware unto thy fathers:
¹³ And he will love thee, and bless thee, and multiply thee: he will also bless the fruit of thy womb, and the fruit of thy land, thy corn, and thy wine, and thine oil, the increase of thy kine, and the flocks of thy sheep, in the land which he sware unto thy fathers to give thee.
¹⁴ Thou shalt be blessed above all people: there shall not be male or female barren among you, or among your cattle.
¹⁵ And the LORD will take away from thee all sickness, and will put none of the evil diseases of Egypt, which thou knowest, upon thee; but will lay them upon all them that hate thee.
¹⁶ And thou shalt consume all the people which the LORD thy God shall deliver thee; thine eye shall have no pity upon them: neither shalt thou serve their gods; for that will be a snare unto thee.
¹⁷ If thou shalt say in thine heart, These nations are more than I; how can I dispossess them?
¹⁸ Thou shalt not be afraid of them: but shalt well remember what the LORD thy God did unto Pharaoh, and unto all Egypt;
¹⁹ The great temptations which thine eyes saw, and the signs, and the wonders, and the mighty hand, and the stretched out arm, whereby the LORD thy God brought thee out: so shall the LORD thy God do unto all the people of whom thou art afraid.
²⁰ Moreover the LORD thy God will send the hornet among them, until they that are left, and hide themselves from thee, be destroyed.
²¹ Thou shalt not be affrighted at them: for the LORD thy God is among you, a mighty God and terrible.
²² And the LORD thy God will put out those nations before thee by little and little: thou mayest not consume them at once, lest the beasts of the field increase upon thee.
²³ But the LORD thy God shall deliver them unto thee, and shall destroy them with a mighty destruction, until they be destroyed.
²⁴ And he shall deliver their kings into thine hand, and thou shalt destroy their name from under heaven: there shall no man be able to stand before thee, until thou have destroyed them.
²⁵ The graven images of their gods shall ye burn with fire: thou shalt not desire the silver or gold that is on them, nor take it unto thee, lest thou be snared therein: for it is an abomination to the LORD thy God.
²⁶ Neither shalt thou bring an abomination into thine house, lest thou be a cursed thing like it: but thou shalt utterly detest it, and thou shalt utterly abhor it; for it is a cursed thing.
Here, I. The caution against idolatry is repeated, and against communion with idolaters: "Thou shalt consume the people, and not serve their gods." De 7:16. We are in danger of having fellowship with the works of darkness if we take pleasure in fellowship with those that do those works. Here is also a repetition of the charge to destroy the images, De 7:25,26. The idols which the heathen had worshipped were an abomination to God, and therefore must be so to them: all that truly love God hates what he hates. Observe how this is urged upon them: Thou shalt utterly detest it, and thou shalt utterly abhor it; such a holy indignation as this must we conceive against sin, that abominable thing which the Lord hates. They must not retain the images to gratify their covetousness: Thou shalt not desire the silver nor gold that is on them, nor think it a pity to have that destroyed. Achan paid dearly for converting that to his own use which was an anathema. Nor must they retain them to gratify their curiosity: "Neither shalt thou bring it into thy house, to be hung up as an ornament, or preserved as a monument of antiquity. No, to the fire with it, that is the fittest place for it." Two reasons are given for this caution:—1. Lest thou be snared therein (De 7:25), that is, "Lest thou be drawn, ere thou art aware, to like it and love it, to fancy it and pay respect to it" 2. Lest thou be a cursed thing like it, De 7:26. Those that make images are said to be like the, stupid and senseless; here they are said to be in a worse sense like them, accursed of God and devoted to destruction. Compare these two reasons together, and observe that whatever brings us into a snare brings us under a curse.
II. The promise of God's favour to them, if they would be obedient, is enlarged upon with a most affecting copiousness and fluency of expression, which intimates how much it is both God's desire and our own interest that we be religious. All possible assurance is here given them,
1. That, if they would sincerely endeavour to do their part of the covenant, God would certainly perform his part. He shall keep the mercy which he swore to thy fathers, De 7:12. Let us be constant in our duty, and we cannot question the constancy of God's mercy.
2. That if they would love God and serve him, and devote themselves and theirs to him, he would love them, and bless them, and multiply them greatly, De 7:13,14. What could they desire more to make them happy? (1.) "He will love thee." He began in love to us (1Jo 4:10), and, if we return his love in filial duty, then, and then only, we may expect the continuance of it, Joh 14:21. (2.) "He will bless thee with the tokens of his love above all people." If they would distinguish themselves from their neighbours by singular services, God would dignify them above their neighbours by singular blessings. (3.) "He will multiply thee." Increase was the ancient blessing for the peopling of the world, once and again (Ge 1:28,9:1), and here for the peopling of Canaan, that little world by itself. The increase both of their families and of their stock is promised: they should neither have estates without heirs nor heirs without estates, but should have the complete satisfaction of having many children and plentiful provisions and portions for them.
3. That, if they would keep themselves pure from the idolatries of Egypt, God would keep them clear from the diseases of Egypt, De 7:15. It seems to refer not only to those plagues of Egypt by the force of which they were delivered, but to some other epidemical country disease (as we call it), which they remembered the prevalency of among the Egyptians, and by which God had chastised them for their national sins. Diseases are God's servants; they go where he sends them, and do what he bids them. It is therefore good for the health of our bodies to mortify the sin of our souls.
4. That, if they would cut off the devoted nations, they should cut them off, and none should be able to stand before them. Their duty in this matter would itself be their advantage: Thou shalt consume all the people which the Lord thy God shall deliver thee—this is the precept (De 7:16); and the Lord thy God shall deliver them unto thee, and shall destroy them—this is the promise, De 7:23. Thus we are commanded not to let sin reign, not to indulge ourselves in it nor give countenance to it, but to hate it and strive against it; and then God has promised that sin shall not have dominion over us (Ro 6:12,14), but that we shall be more than conquerors over it. The difficulty and doubtfulness of the conquest of Canaan having been a stone of stumbling to their fathers, Moses here animates them against those things which were most likely to discourage them, bidding them not to be afraid of them, De 7:18, and again, De 7:21. (1.) Let them not be disheartened by the number and strength of their enemies: Say not, They are more than I, how can I dispossess them? De 7:17. We are apt to think that the most numerous must needs be victorious: but, to fortify Israel against this temptation, Moses reminds them of the destruction of Pharaoh and all the power of Egypt, De 7:18,19. They had seen the great temptations, or miracles (so the Chaldee reads it), the signs and wonders, wherewith God had brought them out of Egypt, in order to his bringing them into Canaan, and thence might easily infer that God could dispossess the Canaanites (who, though formidable enough, had not such advantages against Israel as the Egyptians had; he that had done the greater could do the less), and that he would dispossess them, otherwise his bringing Israel out of Egypt had been no kindness to them. He that begun would finish. Thou shalt therefore well remember this, De 7:18. The word and works of God are well remembered when they are improved as helps to our faith and obedience. That is well laid up which is ready to us when we have occasion to use it. (2.) Let them not be disheartened by the weakness and deficiency of their own forces; for God will send them in auxiliary troops of hornets, or wasps, as some read it (De 7:20), probably larger than ordinary, which would so terrify and molest their enemies (and perhaps be the death of many to them) that their most numerous armies would become an easy prey to Israel. God plagued the Egyptians with flies, but the Canaanites with hornets. Those who take not warning by less judgments on others may expect greater on themselves. But the great encouragement of Israel was that they had God among them, a mighty God and terrible, De 7:21. And if God be for us, if God be with us, we need not fear the power of any creature against us. (3.) Let them not be disheartened by the slow progress of their arms, nor think that the Canaanites would never be subdued if they were not expelled the first year; no, they must be put out by little and little, and not all at once, De 7:22. Note, We must not think that, because the deliverance of the church and the destruction of its enemies are not effected immediately, therefore they will never be effected. God will do his own work in his own method and time, and we may be sure that they are always the best. Thus corruption is driven out of the hearts of believers by little and little. The work of sanctification is carried on gradually; but that judgment will at length be brought forth into a complete victory. The reason here given (as before, Ex 23:29,30) is, Lest the beast of the field increase upon thee. The earth God has given to the children of men; and therefore there shall rather be a remainder of Canaanites to keep possession till Israel become numerous enough to replenish it than that it should be a habitation of dragons, and a court for the wild beasts of the desert, Isa 34:13,14. Yet God could have prevented this mischief from the beasts, Le 26:6. But pride and security, and other sins that are the common effects of a settled prosperity, were enemies more dangerous than the beasts of the field, and these would be apt to increase upon them. See Jdg 3:1,4.
摩西在本章劝勉以色列人：I. 总括而言，当守神的诫命（申8:11,12）。II. 具体而言，为要达成此目的，当自洁，远避与一切拜偶像者相交。1. 他们必须将那当灭的七族尽行毁灭，不可顾惜他们，也不可与他们立约（申8:1,2,16,24）。2. 他们绝不可与其中余剩之人通婚（申8:3,4）。3. 他们必须毁坏并除灭他们的祭坛与偶像，甚至不可将其上的金银据为己用（申8:5,25,26）。为要加强这一吩咐，他指出他们有责任如此行，(1.) 按本分而言。当思想：[1.] 他们蒙神拣选（申8:6）。[2.] 拣选的缘由（申8:7,8）。[3.] 他们与神所立的条款（申8:9,10）。(2.) 按益处而言。此处应许：[1.] 总括而言，他们若肯事奉神，神必赐福使他们兴盛（申8:12-15）。[2.] 具体而言，他们若肯赶出那些国民、免得其成为他们的诱惑，神也必为他们赶出那些国民、免得其成为他们的烦扰（申8:17-26等）。