Deuteronomy 7:8
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The incredible truth here is that Israel's redemption wasn't triggered by anything they did, but by God's prior love and faithfulness to His promises made long before to their ancestors. This wasn't a reward for merit, but an outpouring of God's steadfast love and commitment, acting with immense power to bring them out of slavery.
but it is because the LORD loves you and is keeping the oath that he swore to your fathers, that the LORD has brought you out with a mighty hand and redeemed you from the house of slavery, from the hand of Pharaoh king of Egypt.
English Standard Version (ESV)
Moses is explaining why God chose Israel and delivered them from slavery in Egypt. He's emphasizing that this monumental act wasn't because of Israel's own merit or greatness, but solely because of God's deep, unconditional love for them and His faithfulness to the promises He made to their ancestors, Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. This act of redemption sets the stage for God's ongoing relationship with them.
Why did God choose Israel? Was it something they did? This verse cuts through any idea that our merit earns God's favor.
This verse makes it crystal clear: God's actions toward Israel, specifically the Exodus, weren't motivated by Israel's goodness or deserving actions. It was because God loved them. This is a profound truth about God's character – His love is the initiator. It's not a response to something we've done, but a deep, unmerited affection that stems from His own being. As the commentaries highlight, God's love is gratuitous, an act of His own good pleasure, not dependent on any inherent worth in the object of His love. This is the bedrock of our relationship with Him.
God’s love isn’t just a fleeting feeling; it’s cemented by an unbreakable oath. What does this mean for us?
The second reason given for the Exodus is God's faithfulness to an oath sworn to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. This isn't just a historical detail; it reveals God as a covenant-keeper. He binds Himself to His promises, demonstrating His reliability and trustworthiness. This oath serves as a tangible expression of His steadfast love, passed down through generations. It means that God’s plans and purposes are not arbitrary but rooted in His ancient commitments. His mighty acts of deliverance are proof that He honors His word, ensuring His people are brought out of bondage and into the freedom He intends.
The Exodus was a dramatic rescue. What does the language of 'mighty hand' and 'redeemed' tell us about God’s power and purpose?
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The verse vividly describes God's intervention: 'with a mighty hand and redeemed you.' This imagery speaks of overwhelming power and decisive action. 'Mighty hand' portrays God actively and forcefully intervening, exerting His sovereign authority to liberate His people. 'Redeemed' carries the sense of buying back, ransoming from slavery. God didn’t just nudge Pharaoh; He broke the chains with irresistible force. This redemption was not just from physical slavery but from the grip of Pharaoh, symbolizing freedom from oppression and bondage. It’s a powerful picture of God’s ability to deliver us from whatever holds us captive.
Understand the original words
šebûʿâ · Hebrew Noun
A solemn promise or pledge, often made before God, binding the promiser to a course of action. Biblical oaths are irrevocable and form the basis of divine reliability.
pādâ · Hebrew Verb
To buy back or liberate from bondage through the payment of a price or by power. It signifies God's intervention to rescue His people from slavery or judgment.
This passage directly relates to the redemption from Egypt, mirroring the 'mighty hand' and 'redeemed' language, showing the action of God in delivering His people.
Hebrews 12:26This New Testament passage speaks of God shaking the heavens and the earth, referring back to the mighty acts of God at Sinai, which directly connect to the 'mighty hand' that brought Israel out of Egypt.
Galatians 3:17This verse explicitly connects God's covenant and oath made to Abraham with the subsequent law given 430 years later, underscoring the foundational importance of the oath sworn to the fathers mentioned in Deuteronomy.
Hosea 11:1This prophetic passage uses similar language of God calling His son out of Egypt, reflecting the deep familial love and divine initiative inherent in the exodus narrative described in Deuteronomy.
gillDeuteronomy 7:8: "But because the LORD loved you, and because he would keep the oath which he had sworn unto your fathers, hath the LORD brought you out with a mighty hand, and redeemed you out of the house of bondmen, from the hand of Pharaoh king of Egypt."
But because the Lord loved you,.... With an unmerited love; he loved them, because he loved them; that is, because he would love them; his love was not owing to any goodness in them, or done by them, or any love in them to him, but to his…
clarkeDeuteronomy 7:8: "But because the LORD loved you, and because he would keep the oath which he had sworn unto your fathers, hath the LORD brought you out with a mighty hand, and redeemed you out of the house of bondmen, from the hand of Pharaoh king of Egypt."
But because the Lord loved you - It was no good in them that induced God to choose them at this time to be his peculiar people: he had his reasons, but these sprang from his infinite goodness. He intended to make a full discovery of his go…
The incredible truth here is that Israel's redemption wasn't triggered by anything they did, but by God's prior love and faithfulness to His promises made long before to their ancestors. This wasn't a reward for merit, but an outpouring of God's steadfast love and commitment, acting with immense power to bring them out of slavery.
Moses is explaining why God chose Israel and delivered them from slavery in Egypt. He's emphasizing that this monumental act wasn't because of Israel's own merit or greatness, but solely because of God's deep, unconditional love for them and His faithfulness to the promises He made to their ancestors, Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. This act of redemption sets the stage for God's ongoing relationship with them.
Moses is explaining why God chose Israel and delivered them from slavery in Egypt. He's emphasizing that this monumental act wasn't because of Israel's own merit or greatness, but solely because of God's deep, unconditional love for them and His faithfulness to the promises He made to their ancestors, Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. This act of redemption sets the stage for God's ongoing relationship with them.
"but it is because the LORD loves you and is keeping the oath that he swore to your fathers, that the LORD has brought you out with a mighty hand and redeemed you from the house of slavery, from the hand of Pharaoh king of Egypt." — The incredible truth here is that Israel's redemption wasn't triggered by anything they did, but by God's prior love and faithfulness to His promises made long before to their ancestors. This wasn'…
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Last reviewed October 2026
