Exodus 23:23-24
“When my angel goes before you and brings you to the Amorites and the Hittites and the Perizzites and the Canaanites, the Hivites and the Jebusites, and I blot them out, you shall not bow down to their gods nor serve them, nor do as they do, but you shall utterly overthrow them and break their pillars in pieces.
English Standard Version (ESV)
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This verse makes it sound like God is going to utterly destroy every single person from these nations, but the Hebrew word used for "cut them off" actually implies removing them as a distinct people or nation, not necessarily exterminating them all. This means some individuals could still survive, perhaps becoming absorbed into Israel or fleeing, leaving room for God's grace even in judgment.
This verse comes amidst God's instructions to the Israelites as they prepare to enter and conquer the land of Canaan. God is assuring them that He will personally lead them into this promised land and actively drive out the existing inhabitants, listing the various peoples who currently occupy it. The passage emphasizes God's power and commitment to fulfilling His promises, even as it sets the stage for the difficult task of confronting and displacing these nations.
Who is this powerful Angel sent by God to lead Israel? And how does this divine guidance shape their journey into the Promised Land?
The verse speaks of 'my Angel' going before Israel. This isn't just any angel; it's a divine representative, a manifestation of God's presence and power. Many Bible scholars understand this 'Angel of the LORD' to be a pre-incarnate appearance of Jesus Christ Himself.
God's Personal Presence
This Angel is God's promise to be with them, not just guiding them from afar, but actively going ahead to secure their path. It signifies God’s direct involvement in their conquest, ensuring their success.
More Than Just Protection
This Angel doesn't just protect; the text says He will 'bring you in.' This means facilitating their entry into the land, overcoming the obstacles, and establishing them there. It’s a promise of active participation in their victory.
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Why does God command Israel to destroy these nations? Is it pure annihilation, or something more nuanced?
The verse lists six specific nations: Amorites, Hittites, Perizzites, Canaanites, Hivites, and Jebusites. While sometimes seven are listed (with the Girgashites), the point here is the thoroughness of the divine judgment.
Not Total Extermination
It's crucial to understand that 'cut them off' doesn't necessarily mean every single individual was killed. Commentaries suggest it primarily means 'cut them down' or 'remove them as a nation.' Their organized societies, their idolatrous worship, and their political structures were to be dismantled.
A Warning Against Idolatry
God's command was rooted in preventing Israel from adopting the corrupt and immoral practices of these nations. Allowing them to remain as independent entities worshipping false gods would have been a constant spiritual danger to His chosen people.
Room for the Repentant
While the nations as a whole faced judgment, historical accounts (like David's interaction with Hittites and Jebusites) suggest that individuals who abandoned their gods and embraced the LORD could be integrated. The focus was on eradicating idolatry, not necessarily every single person.
Understand the original words
mal'ak · Hebrew Noun
A supernatural messenger sent by God to act on His behalf; in this context, it refers to a divine figure possessing the authority of God Himself.
'avad · Hebrew Verb
Religious worship or total devotion to God; it implies the work of a servant or a life lived in accordance with divine will.
shachah · Hebrew Verb
An act of prostration or religious submission to a deity, indicating reverence, worship, or acknowledgement of authority.
This passage reiterates the promise that God's presence, in the form of the Ark of the Covenant, would go before the Israelites, dispossessing the very same Canaanite nations mentioned in Exodus 23:23.
Deuteronomy 7:1This verse directly follows the command to drive out the nations, reinforcing the idea that God would indeed 'drive them out before you' as promised in Exodus, emphasizing the divine agency in the conquest.
1 Corinthians 10:9Paul identifies the 'Angel' who went before Israel in the wilderness as Christ, connecting the divine leadership and protection in the Exodus event to Jesus' ongoing guidance for believers.
Exodus 33:2This verse speaks of God sending an angel before Moses and the people, echoing the promise in Exodus 23:23 and highlighting the continuous theme of God's personal guidance and provision for His people.
Psalm 44:2-3This psalm reflects on God's powerful hand in driving out nations to establish Israel in the Promised Land, directly referencing the success of the conquest that began with the promise in Exodus 23:23.
pooleExodus 23:23: "For mine Angel shall go before thee, and bring thee in unto the Amorites, and the Hittites, and the Perizzites, and the Canaanites, and the Hivites, and the Jebusites: and I will cut them off."
No text from Poole on this verse.
pulpitExodus 23:23: "For mine Angel shall go before thee, and bring thee in unto the Amorites, and the Hittites, and the Perizzites, and the Canaanites, and the Hivites, and the Jebusites: and I will cut them off."
Verse 23. - The Amorites, and the Hittites, etc. The nations of Canaan proper, to whom the Gergashites are sometimes added. See the comment on 2 Samuel 3:8. I will cut them off. Or "cut them down," i.e., destroy them from being any longer nations, but not exterminate them, as is generally…
This verse makes it sound like God is going to utterly destroy every single person from these nations, but the Hebrew word used for "cut them off" actually implies removing them as a distinct people or nation, not necessarily exterminating them all. This means some individuals could still survive, perhaps becoming absorbed into Israel or fleeing, leaving room for God's grace even in judgment.
This verse comes amidst God's instructions to the Israelites as they prepare to enter and conquer the land of Canaan. God is assuring them that He will personally lead them into this promised land and actively drive out the existing inhabitants, listing the various peoples who currently occupy it. The passage emphasizes God's power and commitment to fulfilling His promises, even as it sets the stage for the difficult task of confronting and displacing these nations.
This verse comes amidst God's instructions to the Israelites as they prepare to enter and conquer the land of Canaan. God is assuring them that He will personally lead them into this promised land and actively drive out the existing inhabitants, listing the various peoples who currently occupy it. The passage emphasizes God's power and commitment to fulfilling His promises, even as it sets the stage for the difficult task of confronting and displacing these nations.
"“When my angel goes before you and brings you to the Amorites and the Hittites and the Perizzites and the Canaanites, the Hivites and the Jebusites, and I blot them out, you shall not bow down to their gods nor serve them, nor do as they d…" — This verse makes it sound like God is going to utterly destroy every single person from these nations, but the Hebrew word used for "cut them off" actually implies removing them as a distinct people…
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