Deuteronomy 7:17

THE MESSAGE

You're going to think to yourselves, "Oh! We're outnumbered ten to one by these nations! We'll never even make a dent in them!" But I'm telling you, Don't be afraid. Remember, yes, remember in detail what God , your God, did to Pharaoh and all Egypt. Remember the great contests to which you were eyewitnesses: the miracle-signs, the wonders, God 's mighty hand as he stretched out his arm and took you out of there. God , your God, is going to do the same thing to these people you're now so afraid of.

Parallel Translations

Hebrew Names Version
If you shall say in your heart, These nations are more than I; how can I dispossess them?

King James Version
If thou shalt say in thine heart, These nations are more than I; how can I dispossess them?

Lexham English Bible
"If you think in your heart, ‘These nations are more numerous than I, so how can I dispossess them?'

English Standard Version
"If you say in your heart, ‘These nations are greater than I. How can I dispossess them?'

New Century Version
You might say to yourselves, "Because these nations are stronger than we are, we can't force them out."

New English Translation
If you think, "These nations are more numerous than I—how can I dispossess them?"

Amplified Bible
"If you say in your heart, 'These nations are greater than I am; how can I dispossess them?'

New American Standard Bible
"If you say in your heart, 'These nations are greater than I; how can I dispossess them?'

Geneva Bible (1587)
If thou say in thine heart, These nations are moe then I, how can I cast them out?

Legacy Standard Bible
"If you should say in your heart, ‘These nations are more numerous than I; how can I dispossess them?'

Contemporary English Version
You may be thinking, "How can we destroy these nations? They are more powerful than we are."

Complete Jewish Bible
If you think to yourselves, ‘These nations outnumber us; how can we dispossess them?'

Darby Translation
If thou shouldest say in thy heart, These nations are greater than I; how can I dispossess them?

Easy-to-Read Version
"Don't say in your heart, ‘These nations are stronger than we are. How can we force them out?'

George Lamsa Translation
If you shall say in your heart, These nations are greater than I; how will I be able to destroy them?

Good News Translation
"Do not tell yourselves that these peoples outnumber you and that you cannot drive them out.

Christian Standard Bible®
“If you say to yourself, ‘These nations are greater than I; how can I drive them out?’

Literal Translation
If you shall say in your heart, These nations are more plentiful than I; how can I throw them out?

Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
Yf thou shalt saye in thyne hert: These nacios are mo then I, how ca I dryue them out?

American Standard Version
If thou shalt say in thy heart, These nations are more than I; how can I dispossess them?

Bible in Basic English
If you say in your hearts, These nations are greater in number than we are: how are we to take their land from them?

Bishop's Bible (1568)
If thou say in thine heart: these nations are mo then I, howe can I cast them out?

JPS Old Testament (1917)
If thou shalt say in thy heart: 'These nations are more than I; how can I dispossess them?'

King James Version (1611)
If thou shalt say in thine heart, These nations are moe then I, howe can I dispossesse them?

Brenton's Septuagint (LXX)
But if thou shouldest say in thine heart, This nation is greater than I, how shall I be able to destroy them utterly?

English Revised Version
If thou shalt say in thine heart, These nations are more than I; how can I dispossess them?

Berean Standard Bible
You may say in your heart, "These nations are greater than we are; how can we drive them out?"

Wycliffe Bible (1395)
If thou seist in thin herte, These folkis ben mo than Y, hou may Y do awei hem?

Young's Literal Translation
`When thou sayest in thine heart, These nations [are] more numerous than I, how am I able to dispossess them? --

Update Bible Version
If you shall say in your heart, These nations are more than I; how can I dispossess them?

Webster's Bible Translation
If thou shalt say in thy heart, These nations [are] more than I, how can I dispossess them?

World English Bible
If you shall say in your heart, These nations are more than I; how can I dispossess them?

New King James Version
"If you should say in your heart, "These nations are greater than I; how can I dispossess them?'--

New Living Translation
Perhaps you will think to yourselves, ‘How can we ever conquer these nations that are so much more powerful than we are?'

New Life Bible
"You may say in your heart, ‘These nations are stronger than I. How can I drive them out?'

New Revised Standard
If you say to yourself, "These nations are more numerous than I; how can I dispossess them?"

J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
Although thou mightest say in thy heart: More in number, are these nations than I, - how can, I dispossess them?

Douay-Rheims Bible
If thou say in thy heart: These nations are more than I, how shall I be able to destroy them?

Revised Standard Version
"If you say in your heart, 'These nations are greater than I; how can I dispossess them?'

New American Standard Bible (1995)
"If you should say in your heart, 'These nations are greater than I; how can I dispossess them?'

Contextual Overview

¹²And this is what will happen: When you, on your part, will obey these directives, keeping and following them, God , on his part, will keep the covenant of loyal love that he made with your ancestors: He will love you, he will bless you, he will increase you. He will bless the babies from your womb and the harvest of grain, new wine, and oil from your fields; he'll bless the calves from your herds and lambs from your flocks in the country he promised your ancestors that he'd give you. You'll be blessed beyond all other peoples: no sterility or barrenness in you or your animals. God will get rid of all sickness. And all the evil afflictions you experienced in Egypt he'll put not on you but on those who hate you. You'll make mincemeat of all the peoples that God , your God, hands over to you. Don't feel sorry for them. And don't worship their gods—they'll trap you for sure. You're going to think to yourselves, "Oh! We're outnumbered ten to one by these nations! We'll never even make a dent in them!" But I'm telling you, Don't be afraid. Remember, yes, remember in detail what God , your God, did to Pharaoh and all Egypt. Remember the great contests to which you were eyewitnesses: the miracle-signs, the wonders, God 's mighty hand as he stretched out his arm and took you out of there. God , your God, is going to do the same thing to these people you're now so afraid of. And to top it off, the Hornet. God will unleash the Hornet on them until every survivor-in-hiding is dead. So don't be intimidated by them. God , your God, is among you— God majestic, God awesome. God , your God, will get rid of these nations, bit by bit. You won't be permitted to wipe them out all at once lest the wild animals take over and overwhelm you. But God , your God, will move them out of your way—he'll throw them into a huge panic until there's nothing left of them. He'll turn their kings over to you and you'll remove all trace of them under Heaven. Not one person will be able to stand up to you; you'll put an end to them all. Make sure you set fire to their carved gods. Don't get greedy for the veneer of silver and gold on them and take it for yourselves—you'll get trapped by it for sure. God hates it; it's an abomination to God , your God. And don't dare bring one of these abominations home or you'll end up just like it, burned up as a holy destruction. No: It is forbidden! Hate it. Abominate it. Destroy it and preserve God 's holiness. ¹⁴ When God , your God, brings you into the country that you are about to enter and take over, he will clear out the superpowers that were there before you: the Hittite, the Girgashite, the Amorite, the Canaanite, the Perizzite, the Hivite, and the Jebusite. Those seven nations are all bigger and stronger than you are. God , your God, will turn them over to you and you will conquer them. You must completely destroy them, offering them up as a holy destruction to God . Don't make a treaty with them. Don't let them off in any way. Don't marry them: Don't give your daughters to their sons and don't take their daughters for your sons—before you know it they'd involve you in worshiping their gods, and God would explode in anger, putting a quick end to you. Here's what you are to do: Tear apart their altars stone by stone, smash their phallic pillars, chop down their sex-and-religion Asherah groves, set fire to their carved god-images. Do this because you are a people set apart as holy to God , your God. God , your God, chose you out of all the people on Earth for himself as a cherished, personal treasure. God wasn't attracted to you and didn't choose you because you were big and important—the fact is, there was almost nothing to you. He did it out of sheer love, keeping the promise he made to your ancestors. God stepped in and mightily bought you back out of that world of slavery, freed you from the iron grip of Pharaoh king of Egypt. Know this: God , your God, is God indeed, a God you can depend upon. He keeps his covenant of loyal love with those who love him and observe his commandments for a thousand generations. But he also pays back those who hate him, pays them the wages of death; he isn't slow to pay them off—those who hate him, he pays right on time. So keep the command and the rules and regulations that I command you today. Do them. And this is what will happen: When you, on your part, will obey these directives, keeping and following them, God , on his part, will keep the covenant of loyal love that he made with your ancestors: He will love you, he will bless you, he will increase you. He will bless the babies from your womb and the harvest of grain, new wine, and oil from your fields; he'll bless the calves from your herds and lambs from your flocks in the country he promised your ancestors that he'd give you. You'll be blessed beyond all other peoples: no sterility or barrenness in you or your animals. God will get rid of all sickness. And all the evil afflictions you experienced in Egypt he'll put not on you but on those who hate you. You'll make mincemeat of all the peoples that God , your God, hands over to you. Don't feel sorry for them. And don't worship their gods—they'll trap you for sure. You're going to think to yourselves, "Oh! We're outnumbered ten to one by these nations! We'll never even make a dent in them!" But I'm telling you, Don't be afraid. Remember, yes, remember in detail what God , your God, did to Pharaoh and all Egypt. Remember the great contests to which you were eyewitnesses: the miracle-signs, the wonders, God 's mighty hand as he stretched out his arm and took you out of there. God , your God, is going to do the same thing to these people you're now so afraid of. And to top it off, the Hornet. God will unleash the Hornet on them until every survivor-in-hiding is dead. So don't be intimidated by them. God , your God, is among you— God majestic, God awesome. God , your God, will get rid of these nations, bit by bit. You won't be permitted to wipe them out all at once lest the wild animals take over and overwhelm you. But God , your God, will move them out of your way—he'll throw them into a huge panic until there's nothing left of them. He'll turn their kings over to you and you'll remove all trace of them under Heaven. Not one person will be able to stand up to you; you'll put an end to them all. Make sure you set fire to their carved gods. Don't get greedy for the veneer of silver and gold on them and take it for yourselves—you'll get trapped by it for sure. God hates it; it's an abomination to God , your God. And don't dare bring one of these abominations home or you'll end up just like it, burned up as a holy destruction. No: It is forbidden! Hate it. Abominate it. Destroy it and preserve God 's holiness. ¹⁵ When God , your God, brings you into the country that you are about to enter and take over, he will clear out the superpowers that were there before you: the Hittite, the Girgashite, the Amorite, the Canaanite, the Perizzite, the Hivite, and the Jebusite. Those seven nations are all bigger and stronger than you are. God , your God, will turn them over to you and you will conquer them. You must completely destroy them, offering them up as a holy destruction to God . Don't make a treaty with them. Don't let them off in any way. Don't marry them: Don't give your daughters to their sons and don't take their daughters for your sons—before you know it they'd involve you in worshiping their gods, and God would explode in anger, putting a quick end to you. Here's what you are to do: Tear apart their altars stone by stone, smash their phallic pillars, chop down their sex-and-religion Asherah groves, set fire to their carved god-images. Do this because you are a people set apart as holy to God , your God. God , your God, chose you out of all the people on Earth for himself as a cherished, personal treasure. God wasn't attracted to you and didn't choose you because you were big and important—the fact is, there was almost nothing to you. He did it out of sheer love, keeping the promise he made to your ancestors. God stepped in and mightily bought you back out of that world of slavery, freed you from the iron grip of Pharaoh king of Egypt. Know this: God , your God, is God indeed, a God you can depend upon. He keeps his covenant of loyal love with those who love him and observe his commandments for a thousand generations. But he also pays back those who hate him, pays them the wages of death; he isn't slow to pay them off—those who hate him, he pays right on time. So keep the command and the rules and regulations that I command you today. Do them. And this is what will happen: When you, on your part, will obey these directives, keeping and following them, God , on his part, will keep the covenant of loyal love that he made with your ancestors: He will love you, he will bless you, he will increase you. He will bless the babies from your womb and the harvest of grain, new wine, and oil from your fields; he'll bless the calves from your herds and lambs from your flocks in the country he promised your ancestors that he'd give you. You'll be blessed beyond all other peoples: no sterility or barrenness in you or your animals. God will get rid of all sickness. And all the evil afflictions you experienced in Egypt he'll put not on you but on those who hate you. ¹⁶ You'll make mincemeat of all the peoples that God , your God, hands over to you. Don't feel sorry for them. And don't worship their gods—they'll trap you for sure. ¹⁷You're going to think to yourselves, "Oh! We're outnumbered ten to one by these nations! We'll never even make a dent in them!" But I'm telling you, Don't be afraid. Remember, yes, remember in detail what God , your God, did to Pharaoh and all Egypt. Remember the great contests to which you were eyewitnesses: the miracle-signs, the wonders, God 's mighty hand as he stretched out his arm and took you out of there. God , your God, is going to do the same thing to these people you're now so afraid of. ²⁰ And to top it off, the Hornet. God will unleash the Hornet on them until every survivor-in-hiding is dead. ²¹So don't be intimidated by them. God , your God, is among you— God majestic, God awesome. God , your God, will get rid of these nations, bit by bit. You won't be permitted to wipe them out all at once lest the wild animals take over and overwhelm you. But God , your God, will move them out of your way—he'll throw them into a huge panic until there's nothing left of them. He'll turn their kings over to you and you'll remove all trace of them under Heaven. Not one person will be able to stand up to you; you'll put an end to them all. ²⁵Make sure you set fire to their carved gods. Don't get greedy for the veneer of silver and gold on them and take it for yourselves—you'll get trapped by it for sure. God hates it; it's an abomination to God , your God. And don't dare bring one of these abominations home or you'll end up just like it, burned up as a holy destruction. No: It is forbidden! Hate it. Abominate it. Destroy it and preserve God 's holiness.

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

thou shalt: Deuteronomy 8:17, Deuteronomy 15:9, Deuteronomy 18:21, Isaiah 14:13, Isaiah 47:8, Isaiah 49:21, Jeremiah 13:22, Luke 9:47

These nations: Numbers 13:32, Numbers 33:53, Joshua 17:16-18

Gill's Notes on the Bible

If thou shall say in thine heart,.... Should have secret thoughts arise in the heart, misgivings of heart, fears and doubts there, which, though not outwardly expressed, might be inwardly retained:

these nations are more than I; seven to one, and perhaps anyone of them as powerful as Israel:

how can I dispossess them? of the land they inherit, and take possession of it.