The Meaning of Deuteronomy 7:2 Explained

Deuteronomy 7:2

KJV: 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:

YLT: and Jehovah thy God hath given them before thee, and thou hast smitten them -- thou dost utterly devote them -- thou dost not make with them a covenant, nor dost thou favour them.

Darby: and when Jehovah thy God shall give them up before thee and thou shalt smite them, then shalt thou utterly destroy them: thou shalt make no covenant with them, nor shew mercy unto them.

ASV: and when Jehovah thy God shall deliver them up before thee, and thou shalt smite them; then thou shalt utterly destroy them: thou shalt make no covenant with them, nor show mercy unto them;

KJV Reverse Interlinear

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: 

What does Deuteronomy 7:2 Mean?

Context Summary

Deuteronomy 7:1-11 - No Compromise With Idolatry
The great Lawgiver had His eye constantly on the coming generation. It is good when the children are so arrested by our religious life, that they come to ask us to tell them the reasons that account for it. Seek to live so purely and devoutly, and yet so attractively, that the young people around will be compelled to inquire after your secret, Luke 11:1.
We are not only to teach the children, but to guard them against forming friendships and making marriage alliances with those who might divert them from God. In the New Testament, Christians are forbidden to marry except "in the Lord," and equally stringent are prohibitions against worldly intercourse, 1 Corinthians 7:39; 2 Corinthians 6:14.
God can break the seven-fold power of sin in the heart of those who are absolutely given over to Him and are willing to surrender their evil ways. This is pledged to us by His fidelity and love, Deuteronomy 7:8-9. [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 7:2 mean?

And when delivers them Yahweh your God over to you and you shall conquer them utterly [and] destroy them no You shall make with them covenant nor show mercy to them
וּנְתָנָ֞ם יְהוָ֧ה אֱלֹהֶ֛יךָ לְפָנֶ֖יךָ וְהִכִּיתָ֑ם הַחֲרֵ֤ם תַּחֲרִים֙ אֹתָ֔ם לֹא־ תִכְרֹ֥ת לָהֶ֛ם בְּרִ֖ית וְלֹ֥א תְחָנֵּֽם

וּנְתָנָ֞ם  And  when  delivers  them 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Conjunctive perfect, third person masculine singular, third person masculine plural
Root: יָתַן 
Sense: to give, put, set.
יְהוָ֧ה  Yahweh 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: יהוה 
Sense: the proper name of the one true God.
אֱלֹהֶ֛יךָ  your  God 
Parse: Noun, masculine plural construct, second person masculine singular
Root: אֱלֹהִים  
Sense: (plural).
לְפָנֶ֖יךָ  over  to  you 
Parse: Preposition-l, Noun, common plural construct, second person masculine singular
Root: לִפְנֵי 
Sense: face.
וְהִכִּיתָ֑ם  and  you  shall  conquer  them 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Hifil, Conjunctive perfect, second person masculine singular, third person masculine plural
Root: נָכָה  
Sense: to strike, smite, hit, beat, slay, kill.
הַחֲרֵ֤ם  utterly 
Parse: Verb, Hifil, Infinitive absolute
Root: חָרַם 
Sense: to ban, devote, destroy utterly, completely destroy, dedicate for destruction, exterminate.
תַּחֲרִים֙  [and]  destroy 
Parse: Verb, Hifil, Imperfect, second person masculine singular
Root: חָרַם 
Sense: to ban, devote, destroy utterly, completely destroy, dedicate for destruction, exterminate.
לֹא־  no 
Parse: Adverb, Negative particle
Root: הֲלֹא 
Sense: not, no.
תִכְרֹ֥ת  You  shall  make 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Imperfect, second person masculine singular
Root: כָּרַת  
Sense: to cut, cut off, cut down, cut off a body part, cut out, eliminate, kill, cut a covenant.
לָהֶ֛ם  with  them 
Parse: Preposition, third person masculine plural
בְּרִ֖ית  covenant 
Parse: Noun, feminine singular
Root: בְּרִית  
Sense: covenant, alliance, pledge.
וְלֹ֥א  nor 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Adverb, Negative particle
Root: הֲלֹא 
Sense: not, no.
תְחָנֵּֽם  show  mercy  to  them 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Imperfect, second person masculine singular, third person masculine plural
Root: חָנַן 
Sense: to be gracious, show favour, pity.