Deuteronomy 7:22
in Deuteronomy 7The LORD your God will drive out these nations before you little by little. You will not be enabled to eliminate them all at once, or the wild animals would multiply around you.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
And Jehovah thy God will cast out those nations before thee by little and little: thou mayest not consume them at once, lest the beasts of the field increase upon thee.
KJV
And the Lord thy God will put out those nations before thee by little and little: thou mayest not consume them at once, lest the beasts of the field increase upon thee.
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This verse in Deuteronomy 7
Commentary
6 notes on this versePut out those nations - by little and little - The Israelites were not as yet sufficiently numerous to fill the whole land occupied by the seven nations mentioned Deu 7:1. And as wild and ferocious animals might be expected to multiply where either there are no inhabitants, or the place is but thinly peopled, therefore God tells them that, though at present, by force of arms, they might be able to expel them, it would be impolitic so to do, lest the beasts of the field should multiply upon them.
This site's exposition
these nations before you little by little
on Deuteronomy 7:22-23
The slow pace has a reason drawn from the ground itself, "the wild animals would multiply around you", and Exodus 23:29-30 gives the same reason. Judges 2:20-23 gives another for the nations left in the land, that God left them to test Israel.
The record, by era
The Puritans and the Awakening2 voices
And the Lord thy God will put out those nations before thee by little and little,....
God will do his own work in his own method and time, and we may be sure that they are always the best. Thus corruption is driven out of the hearts of believers by little and little. The work of sanctification is carried on gradually; but that judgment will at length be brought forth into a complete victory.
The Nineteenth Century2 voices
A commentator
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown1802–1910
Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)
proposed
lest the beasts of the field increase upon thee--(See on Ex 23:29). The omnipotence of their Almighty Ruler could have given them possession of the promised land at once.
quarantine:debris (2026-07-29) — starts-lowercase
A commentator
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown1802–1910
Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)
proposed
That people accordingly were truly happy as a nation, and found every promise which the faithful God made to them amply fulfilled, so long as they adhered to that obedience which was required of them.
The words behind it
18 Hebrew wordsEvery Hebrew word of this verse in the order it stands, with what it means and the door to its own study. The last column counts the times a word stands in the whole Bible: the rarer the word, the more the places it appears belong together.
| Hebrew | Sound | Meaning | Word study | In the Bible |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| וְנָשַׁל֩ | venashal | and he will clear away | H5394 → | 7 times |
| יְהוָ֨ה | yahweh | Yahweh | H3068 → | 6520 times |
| אֱלֹהֶ֜יךָ | ʾeloheikha | God your | H430 → | 2601 times |
| אֶת־ | ʾet- | <obj.> | H853 → | 10935 times |
| הַגּוֹיִ֥ם | hagoyim | the nations | H1471 → | 561 times |
| הָאֵ֛ל | hael | <the> these | H411 → | 9 times |
| מִפָּנֶ֖יךָ | mipaneikha | from before you | H6440 → | 2123 times |
| מְעַ֣ט | meat | little | H4592 → | 101 times |
| מְעָ֑ט | meat | little | H4592 → | 101 times |
| לֹ֤א | lo' | not | H3808 → | 5168 times |
| תוּכַל֙ | tukhal | you will be able | H3201 → | 194 times |
| כַּלֹּתָ֣ם | kalotam | to make an end of them | H3615 → | 208 times |
| מַהֵ֔ר | maher | quickly | H4118 → | 14 times |
| פֶּן־ | pen- | lest | H6435 → | 133 times |
| תִּרְבֶּ֥ה | tirbeh | it should increase | H7235 → | 227 times |
| עָלֶ֖יךָ | ʾaleikha | with you | H5921 → | 5755 times |
| חַיַּ֥ת | chaiyat | [the] animal[s] of | H2416 → | 498 times |
| הַשָּׂדֶֽה׃ | hasadeh | the field | H7704 → | 334 times |
וְנָשַׁל֩and he will clear away
venashalH5394 →7 times
יְהוָ֨הYahweh
yahwehH3068 →6520 times
אֱלֹהֶ֜יךָGod your
ʾeloheikhaH430 →2601 times
אֶת־<obj.>
ʾet-H853 →10935 times
הַגּוֹיִ֥םthe nations
hagoyimH1471 →561 times
הָאֵ֛ל<the> these
haelH411 →9 times
מִפָּנֶ֖יךָfrom before you
mipaneikhaH6440 →2123 times
מְעַ֣טlittle
meatH4592 →101 times
מְעָ֑טlittle
meatH4592 →101 times
לֹ֤אnot
lo'H3808 →5168 times
תוּכַל֙you will be able
tukhalH3201 →194 times
כַּלֹּתָ֣םto make an end of them
kalotamH3615 →208 times
מַהֵ֔רquickly
maherH4118 →14 times
פֶּן־lest
pen-H6435 →133 times
תִּרְבֶּ֥הit should increase
tirbehH7235 →227 times
עָלֶ֖יךָwith you
ʾaleikhaH5921 →5755 times
חַיַּ֥ת[the] animal[s] of
chaiyatH2416 →498 times
הַשָּׂדֶֽה׃the field
hasadehH7704 →334 times
A shaded row is a word that stands 400 times or fewer in the Bible.
The walk
5 stopsEach card is a verse this one points to, and under it the verses that one points to in turn. Where several paths arrive at the same place, that place is listed first: the text keeps returning to it.
Through
Joshua 15:63But the descendants of Judah could not drive out the Jebusites living in Jerusalem. So to this day the Jebusites live there among the descendants of Judah.
it leads to
- Judges 1:21
The Benjamites, however, failed to drive out the Jebusites living in Jerusalem. So to this day the Jebusites live there among the Benjamites.
- Judges 1:8
Then the men of Judah fought against Jerusalem and captured it. They put the city to the sword and set it on fire.
- 2 Samuel 5:6–9
Now the king and his men marched to Jerusalem against the Jebusites who inhabited the land. The Jebusites said to David: “You will never get in here. Even the blind and lame can repel…
- 1 Chronicles 11:4–8
Then David and all the Israelites marched to Jerusalem (that is, Jebus), where the Jebusites inhabited the land.
- Romans 7:14–21
We know that the law is spiritual; but I am unspiritual, sold as a slave to sin.
- Judges 1:21
Where this verse is studied
On this page
Studies8
On this verse
About Deuteronomy

This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; Jamieson, Fausset & Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763); Keil and Delitzsch, Biblical Commentary on the Old Testament: The Pentateuch and Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible.
