The Meaning of Deuteronomy 7:16 Explained

Deuteronomy 7:16

KJV: 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.

YLT: And thou hast consumed all the peoples whom Jehovah thy God is giving to thee; thine eye hath no pity on them, and thou dost not serve their gods, for a snare it is to thee.

Darby: And thou shalt consume all the peoples that Jehovah thy God will give up unto thee; thine eye shall not spare them, and thou shalt not serve their gods; for that would be a snare unto thee.

ASV: And thou shalt consume all the peoples that Jehovah thy God shall deliver unto thee; thine eye shall not pity them: neither shalt thou serve their gods; for that will be a snare unto thee.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

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. 

What does Deuteronomy 7:16 Mean?

Context Summary

Deuteronomy 7:12-26 - What The Lord Does For His People
The promises to obedience are enlarged upon with touching copiousness. Love, blessing, keeping, peace, multiplication, fruit and health lie along the narrow pathway entered by the strait gate of the Cross. However forbidding its entrance, it "leadeth unto life." May Christ secure in us this obedience which He, too, demands and achieves by His Spirit! John 14:15.
Whatever be the strength of the Amalekites and Hittites of the heart, let us not fear. We have been "reconciled by His death" and shall be "saved by His life," Romans 5:10. "Little by little" is the law of progressive sanctification. The Holy Spirit shows us the next portion to be taken and the enemies that resist our prayers. But as we advance, they are driven out, Isaiah 54:17.
We resemble what we admire. Let us set our affections above. To abhor the evil and pursue the good casts a glory on our face. Compare Deuteronomy 7:26; Psalms 115:8; 2 Corinthians 3:18. [source]

Chapter Summary: Deuteronomy 7

1  All communion with the nations is forbidden
5  for fear of idolatry,
6  for the holiness of the people,
9  for the nature of God in his mercy and justice,
17  and for the assuredness of victory which God will give over them

What do the individual words in Deuteronomy 7:16 mean?

And you shall destroy - all the peoples whom Yahweh your God delivers over to you no shall have pity your eye on them nor shall you serve their gods for a snare it [will be] to you -
וְאָכַלְתָּ֣ אֶת־ כָּל־ הָֽעַמִּ֗ים אֲשֶׁ֨ר יְהוָ֤ה אֱלֹהֶ֙יךָ֙ נֹתֵ֣ן לָ֔ךְ לֹא־ תָחֹ֥ס עֵֽינְךָ֖ עֲלֵיהֶ֑ם וְלֹ֤א תַעֲבֹד֙ אֱלֹ֣הֵיהֶ֔ם כִּֽי־ מוֹקֵ֥שׁ ה֖וּא לָֽךְ ס

וְאָכַלְתָּ֣  And  you  shall  destroy 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Conjunctive perfect, second person masculine singular
Root: אָכַל  
Sense: to eat, devour, burn up, feed.
אֶת־  - 
Parse: Direct object marker
Root: אֹות 
Sense: sign of the definite direct object, not translated in English but generally preceding and indicating the accusative.
הָֽעַמִּ֗ים  the  peoples 
Parse: Article, Noun, masculine plural
Root: עַם 
Sense: nation, people.
אֲשֶׁ֨ר  whom 
Parse: Pronoun, relative
Root: אֲשֶׁר 
Sense: (relative part.).
יְהוָ֤ה  Yahweh 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: יהוה 
Sense: the proper name of the one true God.
אֱלֹהֶ֙יךָ֙  your  God 
Parse: Noun, masculine plural construct, second person masculine singular
Root: אֱלֹהִים  
Sense: (plural).
נֹתֵ֣ן  delivers  over  to 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Participle, masculine singular
Root: יָתַן 
Sense: to give, put, set.
לֹא־  no 
Parse: Adverb, Negative particle
Root: הֲלֹא 
Sense: not, no.
תָחֹ֥ס  shall  have  pity 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Imperfect, third person feminine singular
Root: חוּס  
Sense: (Qal) to pity, have compassion, spare, look upon with compassion.
עֵֽינְךָ֖  your  eye 
Parse: Noun, common singular construct, second person masculine singular
Root: עֹונָה 
Sense: eye.
עֲלֵיהֶ֑ם  on  them 
Parse: Preposition, third person masculine plural
Root: עַל 
Sense: upon, on the ground of, according to, on account of, on behalf of, concerning, beside, in addition to, together with, beyond, above, over, by, on to, towards, to, against.
וְלֹ֤א  nor 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Adverb, Negative particle
Root: הֲלֹא 
Sense: not, no.
תַעֲבֹד֙  shall  you  serve 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Imperfect, second person masculine singular
Root: עָבַד  
Sense: to work, serve.
אֱלֹ֣הֵיהֶ֔ם  their  gods 
Parse: Noun, masculine plural construct, third person masculine plural
Root: אֱלֹהִים  
Sense: (plural).
מוֹקֵ֥שׁ  a  snare 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular
Root: מֹוקֵשׁ  
Sense: bait, lure, snare.
ה֖וּא  it  [will  be] 
Parse: Pronoun, third person masculine singular
Root: הוּא 
Sense: he, she, it.
לָֽךְ  to  you 
Parse: Preposition, second person masculine singular
ס  - 
Parse: Punctuation