Focused Passage

Deuteronomy 7:17-24

A Holy People Set Apart: Election, Separation, and the Logic of Covenant Love

From the separation and destruction command (vv. 1-5) through the election ground that explains why (vv. 6-11), to the blessing that follows obedience (vv. 12-16), and finally to the fear rebuttal that addresses Israel's likely objection (vv. 17-26) — the chapter moves from command through rationale through promise through confidence-building.

Berean Standard Bible, Public Domain - Translation notes - Reference sources

17You may say in your heart, “These nations are greater than we are; how can we drive them out?”

18But do not be afraid of them. Be sure to remember what the LORD your God did to Pharaoh and all Egypt:

19the great trials that you saw, the signs and wonders, and the mighty hand and outstretched arm by which the LORD your God brought you out. The LORD your God will do the same to all the peoples you now fear.

20Moreover, the LORD your God will send the hornet against them until even the survivors hiding from you have perished.

21Do not be terrified by them, for the LORD your God, who is among you, is a great and awesome God.

22The LORD your God will drive out these nations before you little by little. You will not be enabled to eliminate them all at once, or the wild animals would multiply around you.

23But the LORD your God will give them over to you and throw them into great confusion, until they are destroyed.

24He will hand their kings over to you, and you will wipe out their names from under heaven. No one will be able to stand against you; you will annihilate them.

Study Helps

References and Original Words

Verse 17

Original words

vvvכִּ֤יH3588ConjunctionYou may sayתֹאמַר֙H559Verb - Qal - Imperfect - second person masculine singularin your heartבִּלְבָ֣בְךָ֔H3824Preposition-b | Noun - masculine singular construct | second person masculine singularTheseהָאֵ֖לֶּהH428Article | Pronoun - common pluralnationsהַגּוֹיִ֥םH1471Article | Noun - masculine pluralare greaterרַבִּ֛יםH7227Adjective - masculine pluralthan we areמִמֶּ֑נִּיH4480Preposition | first person common singularhowאֵיכָ֥הH349Interjectioncanאוּכַ֖לH3201Verb - Qal - Imperfect - first person common singularwe drive them outלְהוֹרִישָֽׁם׃H3423Preposition-l | Verb - Hifil - Infinitive construct | third person masculine plural
Verse 18

Original words

But do notלֹ֥אH3808Adverb - Negative particlebe afraidתִירָ֖אH3372Verb - Qal - Imperfect - second person masculine singularof themמֵהֶ֑םPreposition-m | Pronoun - third person masculine pluralBe sure to rememberזָכֹ֣רH2142Verb - Qal - Infinitive absolute. . .תִּזְכֹּ֗רH2142Verb - Qal - Imperfect - second person masculine singular-אֵ֤תH853Direct object markerwhatאֲשֶׁר־H834Pronoun - relativethe LORDיְהוָ֣הH3068Noun - proper - masculine singularyour Godאֱלֹהֶ֔יךָH430Noun - masculine plural construct | second person masculine singulardidעָשָׂה֙H6213Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person masculine singularto Pharaohלְפַרְעֹ֖הH6547Preposition-l | Noun - proper - masculine singularand allוּלְכָל־H3605Conjunctive waw, Preposition-l | Noun - masculine singular constructEgyptמִצְרָֽיִם׃H4714Noun - proper - feminine singular
Verse 19

Original words

the greatהַגְּדֹלֹ֜תH1419Article | Adjective - feminine pluraltrialsהַמַּסֹּ֨תH4531Article | Noun - feminine pluralthatאֲשֶׁר־H834Pronoun - relativeyouעֵינֶ֗יךָH5869Noun - cdc | second person masculine singularsawרָא֣וּH7200Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person common pluralthe signsוְהָאֹתֹ֤תH226Conjunctive waw, Article | Noun - common pluraland wondersוְהַמֹּֽפְתִים֙H4159Conjunctive waw, Article | Noun - masculine pluraland the mightyהַחֲזָקָה֙H2389Article | Adjective - feminine singularhandוְהַיָּ֤דH3027Conjunctive waw, Article | Noun - feminine singularand outstretchedהַנְּטוּיָ֔הH5186Article | Verb - Qal - QalPassParticiple - feminine singulararmוְהַזְּרֹ֣עַH2220Conjunctive waw, Article | Noun - feminine singularby whichאֲשֶׁ֥רH834Pronoun - relativethe LORDיְהוָ֣הH3068Noun - proper - masculine singularyour Godאֱלֹהֶ֑יךָH430Noun - masculine plural construct | second person masculine singularbrought you outהוֹצִֽאֲךָ֖H3318Verb - Hifil - Perfect - third person masculine singular | second person masculine singularThe LORDיְהוָ֤הH3068Noun - proper - masculine singularyour Godאֱלֹהֶ֙יךָ֙H430Noun - masculine plural construct | second person masculine singularwill doיַעֲשֶׂ֞הH6213Verb - Qal - Imperfect - third person masculine singularthe sameכֵּֽן־H3651Adverbto allלְכָל־H3605Preposition-l | Noun - masculine singular constructthe peoplesהָ֣עַמִּ֔יםH5971Article | Noun - masculine plural-אֲשֶׁר־H834Pronoun - relativeyouאַתָּ֥הH859Pronoun - second person masculine singularnow fearיָרֵ֖אH3373Adjective - masculine singular. . .מִפְּנֵיהֶֽם׃H6440Preposition-m | Noun - masculine plural construct | third person masculine plural
Verse 20

Original words

Moreoverוְגַם֙H1571Conjunctionthe LORDיְהוָ֥הH3068Noun - proper - masculine singularyour Godאֱלֹהֶ֖יךָH430Noun - masculine plural construct | second person masculine singularאֶת־אֶת־H853Direct object markerwill sendיְשַׁלַּ֛חH7971Verb - Piel - Imperfect - third person masculine singularthe hornetהַצִּרְעָ֔הH6880Article | Noun - feminine singularagainst themבָּ֑םPreposition | third person masculine pluraluntilעַד־H5704Prepositioneven the survivorsהַנִּשְׁאָרִ֛יםH7604Article | Verb - Nifal - Participle - masculine pluralhidingוְהַנִּסְתָּרִ֖יםH5641Conjunctive waw, Article | Verb - Nifal - Participle - masculine pluralfrom youמִפָּנֶֽיךָ׃H6440Preposition-m | Noun - common plural construct | second person masculine singularhave perishedאֲבֹ֗דH6Verb - Qal - Infinitive construct
Verse 21

Original words

Do notלֹ֥אH3808Adverb - Negative particlebe terrifiedתַעֲרֹ֖ץH6206Verb - Qal - Imperfect - second person masculine singularby themמִפְּנֵיהֶ֑םH6440Preposition-m | Noun - masculine plural construct | third person masculine pluralforכִּֽי־H3588Conjunctionthe LORDיְהוָ֤הH3068Noun - proper - masculine singularyour Godאֱלֹהֶ֙יךָ֙H430Noun - masculine plural construct | second person masculine singularwho [is] among youבְּקִרְבֶּ֔ךָH7130Preposition-b | Noun - masculine singular construct | second person masculine singular[is] a greatגָּד֖וֹלH1419Adjective - masculine singularand awesomeוְנוֹרָֽא׃H3372Conjunctive waw | Verb - Nifal - Participle - masculine singularGodאֵ֥לH410Noun - masculine singular
Verse 22

Original words

The LORDיְהוָ֨הH3068Noun - proper - masculine singularyour Godאֱלֹהֶ֜יךָH430Noun - masculine plural construct | second person masculine singular-אֶת־H853Direct object markerwill drive outוְנָשַׁל֩H5394Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Conjunctive perfect - third person masculine singulartheseהָאֵ֛לH411Article | Pronoun - common pluralnationsהַגּוֹיִ֥םH1471Article | Noun - masculine pluralbefore youמִפָּנֶ֖יךָH6440Preposition-m | Noun - common plural construct | second person masculine singularlittleמְעַ֣טH4592Adjective - masculine singularby littleמְעָ֑טH4592Adjective - masculine singularYou will notלֹ֤אH3808Adverb - Negative particlebe enabledתוּכַל֙H3201Verb - Qal - Imperfect - second person masculine singularto eliminate themכַּלֹּתָ֣םH3615Verb - Piel - Infinitive construct | third person masculine pluralall at onceמַהֵ֔רH4118Adverborפֶּן־H6435Conjunctionthe wildהַשָּׂדֶֽה׃H7704Article | Noun - masculine singularanimalsחַיַּ֥תH2416Noun - feminine singular constructwould multiplyתִּרְבֶּ֥הH7235Verb - Qal - Imperfect - third person feminine singulararound youעָלֶ֖יךָH5921Preposition | second person masculine singular
Verse 23

Original words

But the LORDיְהוָ֥הH3068Noun - proper - masculine singularyour Godאֱלֹהֶ֖יךָH430Noun - masculine plural construct | second person masculine singularwill give them overוּנְתָנָ֛םH5414Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Conjunctive perfect - third person masculine singular | third person masculine pluralto youלְפָנֶ֑יךָH6440Preposition-l | Noun - common plural construct | second person masculine singularand throw themוְהָמָם֙H2000Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Conjunctive perfect - third person masculine singular | third person masculine pluralinto greatגְדֹלָ֔הH1419Adjective - feminine singularconfusionמְהוּמָ֣הH4103Noun - feminine singularuntilעַ֖דH5704Prepositionthey are destroyedהִשָּׁמְדָֽם׃H8045Verb - Nifal - Infinitive construct | third person masculine plural
Verse 24

Original words

He will hand their kingsמַלְכֵיהֶם֙H4428Noun - masculine plural construct | third person masculine pluralover toוְנָתַ֤ןH5414Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Conjunctive perfect - third person masculine singularyouבְּיָדֶ֔ךָH3027Preposition-b | Noun - feminine singular construct | second person masculine singularand you will wipe outוְהַאֲבַדְתָּ֣H6Conjunctive waw | Verb - Hifil - Conjunctive perfect - second person masculine singular-אֶת־H853Direct object markertheir namesשְׁמָ֔םH8034Noun - masculine singular construct | third person masculine pluralfrom underמִתַּ֖חַתH8478Preposition-mheavenהַשָּׁמָ֑יִםH8064Article | Noun - masculine pluralNoלֹֽא־H3808Adverb - Negative particleoneאִישׁ֙H376Noun - masculine singularwill be able to standיִתְיַצֵּ֥בH3320Verb - Hitpael - Imperfect - third person masculine singularagainst youבְּפָנֶ֔יךָH6440Preposition-b | Noun - common plural construct | second person masculine singular. . .עַ֥דH5704Prepositionyou will annihilate themהִשְׁמִֽדְךָ֖H8045Verb - Hifil - Infinitive construct | second person masculine singular-אֹתָֽם׃H853Direct object marker | third person masculine plural

Berean Standard Bible (BSB): CC0 Public Domain Scripture text. Focused passages are drawn from the same reader contract as the full chapter. Reference sources explains external study-link sources.