Deuteronomy 7:16
And you shall consume all the peoples that the LORD your God will give over to you. Your eye shall not pity them, neither shall you serve their gods, for that would be a snare to you.
English Standard Version (ESV)
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The phrase "your eye shall not pity them" is more than just a command for ruthlessness; it highlights how easily empathy can become a dangerous weakness when dealing with influences that threaten your core values. The verse warns that misplaced pity for these groups would lead Israel to adopt their destructive practices, showing how protecting our spiritual integrity sometimes requires firm boundaries, not sentimentality.
God is instructing the Israelites on how to handle the nations they will encounter as they enter the Promised Land. This passage follows God's promise of blessing for obedience and is part of a larger command to utterly destroy the Canaanites and their religious practices. The commands here are strict: no pity, no serving their gods, and complete annihilation of their people and worship, because these things would be a dangerous trap for Israel.
Understand the original words
akal · Hebrew Verb
To devour, destroy, or annihilate; used here in the context of divine judgment upon the idolatrous nations of Canaan.
Yahweh · Hebrew Proper Noun
The sovereign, covenant-keeping God of Israel, who reveals Himself to His people through His actions and His Word.
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elohim · Hebrew Noun
Divine objects of worship, often associated with the surrounding cultures' pantheons, which God forbids His people from worshiping.
moqesh · Hebrew Noun
A trap or enticement that leads someone into sin, spiritual ruin, or destruction.
This passage echoes the warning in Deuteronomy, directly stating that the Canaanites should not be allowed to live in the land, lest their gods become a snare and lead Israel astray.
Judges 2:3This verse shows the tragic fulfillment of the warning, describing how the nations left among Israel became snares, causing them to worship idols.
1 Corinthians 15:33This New Testament passage offers a spiritual parallel, cautioning that 'bad company corrupts good character,' which directly relates to the idea of foreign practices becoming a spiritual snare.
Joshua 23:13This passage serves as a prophetic confirmation of the warning given in Deuteronomy, with Joshua reminding Israel that if they do not drive out the nations, they will remain as 'thorns in your eyes and in your sides' and will be a snare.
Romans 6:12-13This New Testament passage speaks about actively resisting the 'sinful nature' and presenting oneself to God, which resonates with the active and resolute rejection of corrupting influences commanded in Deuteronomy.
cambridgeDeuteronomy 7:16: "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."
16 . consume ] Lit. eat up , a common figure, JE, Numbers 22:4 . shall deliver ] See on Deuteronomy 7:2 . The rest of the v . Steuern. takes as an addition, because the theme of Deuteronomy 7:12-16 is what Jehovah does; and this, a warning for Israel, breaks the course of the thought.…
calvinDeuteronomy 7:16-26: "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."
The great temptations which thine eyes saw, and the signs, and the wonders, and the mighty hand, and the stretched out arm, whereby the LORD thy God brought thee out; so shall the LORD thy God do unto all the people of whom thou art afraid.
Probationum magnarum quas videru…
The phrase "your eye shall not pity them" is more than just a command for ruthlessness; it highlights how easily empathy can become a dangerous weakness when dealing with influences that threaten your core values. The verse warns that misplaced pity for these groups would lead Israel to adopt their destructive practices, showing how protecting our spiritual integrity sometimes requires firm boundaries, not sentimentality.
God is instructing the Israelites on how to handle the nations they will encounter as they enter the Promised Land. This passage follows God's promise of blessing for obedience and is part of a larger command to utterly destroy the Canaanites and their religious practices. The commands here are strict: no pity, no serving their gods, and complete annihilation of their people and worship, because these things would be a dangerous trap for Israel.
God is instructing the Israelites on how to handle the nations they will encounter as they enter the Promised Land. This passage follows God's promise of blessing for obedience and is part of a larger command to utterly destroy the Canaanites and their religious practices. The commands here are strict: no pity, no serving their gods, and complete annihilation of their people and worship, because these things would be a dangerous trap for Israel.
"And you shall consume all the peoples that the LORD your God will give over to you. Your eye shall not pity them, neither shall you serve their gods, for that would be a snare to you." — The phrase "your eye shall not pity them" is more than just a command for ruthlessness; it highlights how easily empathy can become a dangerous weakness when dealing with influences that threaten you…
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