Deuteronomy 7:2

and when the LORD your God has delivered them over to you to defeat them, then you must devote them to complete destruction. Make no treaty with them and show them no mercy.

Berean Standard Bible

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Study note

Setting — Moses addresses the Israelites on the plains of Moab as they prepare to cross the Jordan into Canaan. He delivers direct instructions regarding the seven nations they are about to displace.

The words — The text commands הַחֲרֵם (ha.cha.Rem) and תַּחֲרִים (ta.cha.Rim), both carrying the literal sense of devoting to complete destruction or placing under the ban.

The thread — The prohibition against covenants appears in Exodus 23:32 and Judges 2:2, while Deuteronomy 20:16 reiterates the command to leave no survivors in conquered cities.

Why it lands — The text explicitly forbids treaties and mercy toward the displaced nations, requiring the reader to enforce absolute separation without political compromise or humanitarian exception.

Drafted by a language model from the text, its original words and its cross-references, then checked against them. It can still be wrong: open the verse in the app to report it.

The Hebrew words

וּנְתָנָ֞םu./ne.ta.Na/mand/ he will deliver up/ them יְהוָ֧הYah.wehYahweh אֱלֹהֶ֛יךָ'e.lo.Hei./khaGod/ your לְפָנֶ֖יךָle./fa.Nei./kha<to>/ before/ you וְהִכִּיתָ֑םve./hi.ki.Ta/mand/ you will strike down/ them הַחֲרֵ֤םha.cha.Remcertainly <to totally destroy>תַּחֲרִים֙ta.cha.Rimyou will totally destroy אֹתָ֔ם'o.Ta/m<obj.>/ them לֹא־lo'-not תִכְרֹ֥תtikh.Rotyou will makeלָהֶ֛םla./Hemto <the>/ themבְּרִ֖יתbe.Rita covenant וְלֹ֥אve./Lo'and/ not תְחָנֵּֽם׃te.cha.Ne/myou will show favor to/ them

King James Version

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 shew mercy unto them:

Cross-references

Exodus 23:32 You shall make no covenant with them or with their gods.
Judges 2:2 and you are not to make a covenant with the people of this land, but you shall tear down their altars.’ Yet you have not obeyed My voice. What is this you have done?
Deuteronomy 20:16 However, in the cities of the nations that the LORD your God is giving you as an inheritance, you must not leave alive anything that breathes.
Leviticus 27:28 Nothing that a man sets apart to the LORD from all he owns—whether a man, an animal, or his inherited land—can be sold or redeemed; everything so devoted is most holy to the LORD.
Deuteronomy 23:14 For the LORD your God walks throughout your camp to protect you and deliver your enemies to you. Your camp must be holy, lest He see anything unclean among you and turn away from you.
Joshua 2:14 “Our lives for your lives!” the men agreed. “If you do not report our mission, we will show you kindness and faithfulness when the LORD gives us the land.”
Joshua 10:30 And the LORD also delivered that city and its king into the hand of Israel, and Joshua put all the people to the sword, leaving no survivors. And he did to the king of Libnah as he had done to the king of Jericho.
Joshua 11:11 The Israelites put everyone in Hazor to the sword, devoting them to destruction. Nothing that breathed remained, and Joshua burned down Hazor itself.
Genesis 14:20 and blessed be God Most High, who has delivered your enemies into your hand.” Then Abram gave Melchizedek a tenth of everything.
Exodus 34:12 Be careful not to make a treaty with the inhabitants of the land you are entering, lest they become a snare in your midst.