Exodus 23:27-28
I will send my terror before you and will throw into confusion all the people against whom you shall come, and I will make all your enemies turn their backs to you. And I will send hornets before you, which shall drive out the Hivites, the Canaanites, and the Hittites from before you.
English Standard Version (ESV)
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God's promise here isn't just about military might; it's about instilling a paralyzing dread in the enemy's hearts. This "fear" He sends is a divine panic, so profound it incapacitates them, making them flee even before the battle truly begins.
This promise comes as God is detailing the terms of His covenant with Israel as they stand on the cusp of entering the Promised Land. Following instructions on how to treat their enemies and the land itself, God assures them that their conquest won't solely depend on their own might. He pledges to sow terror and confusion among the nations already inhabiting Canaan, ensuring their enemies will flee rather than fight, clearing the way for Israel's possession.
Ever felt a chilling dread that just 'happened'? God uses more than just armies; He wields fear itself as a weapon.
God's promise to send His 'fear' before the Israelites wasn't just about making enemies scared; it was about instilling a paralyzing terror.
A Panic from Above
This 'fear' was a supernatural panic, a profound dread that would incapacitate the enemy before a single Israelite arrow was even loosed. It was God's direct intervention, making the land's inhabitants tremble at the very thought of facing His people. Think of it as divine psychological warfare, where God manipulates the emotional and mental state of your opponents.
More Than Just Being Scared
This wasn't merely a feeling of apprehension. It was a confusion and disarray that rendered them incapable of effective resistance. Their courage would evaporate, their plans would crumble, and their resolve would shatter. God could use this 'fear' to ensure victory, not through brute force alone, but through undermining the enemy's will to fight.
What does it really mean for an enemy to 'turn their backs' on you?
The promise that God would 'make all thine enemies turn their backs to thee' signifies more than just a tactical retreat; it speaks of utter, undeniable defeat.
The Ultimate Sign of Cowardice
Turning one's back in battle is the ultimate admission of defeat and shame. It means they are no longer fighting, no longer resisting, but are in full flight, often in disarray. It’s the opposite of standing firm and courageous.
God's Guarantee of Conquest
This wasn't conditional on Israel's perfection, but a direct assurance from God that He would ensure their enemies would be routed. While later disobedience would prolong the conquest, this promise laid the foundation for God's power to deliver complete victory. It’s a picture of God ensuring that your enemies will ultimately have no ability to stand against you.
Understand the original words
emah · Hebrew Noun
A profound sense of fear or dread, often divinely induced to overwhelm God's enemies and clear a path for His people.
hamam · Hebrew Verb
A state of disorder or panic, frequently used to describe the psychological and military defeat God brings upon the enemies of Israel.
tsirah · Hebrew Noun
Insects, specifically wasps or hornets, often used metaphorically or literally in Scripture as agents of divine judgment or removal of enemies from the Promised Land.
garash · Hebrew Verb
To clear out, cast out, or drive away; used in the context of God's sovereign removal of the inhabitants of Canaan to make room for Israel.
This passage shows Rahab recounting how the fear of Israel had fallen upon the Canaanites, causing their hearts to melt, directly echoing the promise in Exodus 23:27.
Deuteronomy 2:25God promises to make the nations under heaven hear the report of Israel and tremble, fulfilling the principle of sending fear before them as stated in Exodus 23:27.
Psalm 18:39David recounts God's enablement to pursue and overcome enemies, making them turn their backs and be trodden down, which is a direct fulfillment of the promise in Exodus 23:27.
Isaiah 10:24-25The prophet reassures God's people that He will cease His stroke and remove the oppressor, implying a future victory where the enemies will not stand but be driven away, mirroring the outcome promised in Exodus 23:27.
bensonExodus 23:27: "I will send my fear before thee, and will destroy all the people to whom thou shalt come, and I will make all thine enemies turn their backs unto thee."
Exodus 23:27-28 . I will send my fear before thee — And they that fear will soon flee: I will strike a terror into the inhabitants of Canaan, which shall facilitate the conquest of them, Joel 2:9-10 . I will send hornets before thee — Thus Joshua observes, ( Joshua 24:12 ,) that the Amorites were driven out, not by the sword and…
pooleExodus 23:27: "I will send my fear before thee, and will destroy all the people to whom thou shalt come, and I will make all thine enemies turn their backs unto thee."
My fear, i.e. a great terror, or a terror wrought by me. See Exodus 33:2 Joshua 24:12
God's promise here isn't just about military might; it's about instilling a paralyzing dread in the enemy's hearts. This "fear" He sends is a divine panic, so profound it incapacitates them, making them flee even before the battle truly begins.
This promise comes as God is detailing the terms of His covenant with Israel as they stand on the cusp of entering the Promised Land. Following instructions on how to treat their enemies and the land itself, God assures them that their conquest won't solely depend on their own might. He pledges to sow terror and confusion among the nations already inhabiting Canaan, ensuring their enemies will flee rather than fight, clearing the way for Israel's possession.
This promise comes as God is detailing the terms of His covenant with Israel as they stand on the cusp of entering the Promised Land. Following instructions on how to treat their enemies and the land itself, God assures them that their conquest won't solely depend on their own might. He pledges to sow terror and confusion among the nations already inhabiting Canaan, ensuring their enemies will flee rather than fight, clearing the way for Israel's possession.
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"I will send my terror before you and will throw into confusion all the people against whom you shall come, and I will make all your enemies turn their backs to you. And I will send hornets before you, which shall drive out the Hivites, the…" — God's promise here isn't just about military might; it's about instilling a paralyzing dread in the enemy's hearts. This "fear" He sends is a divine panic, so profound it incapacitates them, making t…
