Deuteronomy 7 · Verse 22

Deuteronomy 7:22

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.
Deuteronomy 7:22, King James Version

Deuteronomy 7:22 in other translations

BSBThe 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.
WEBThe LORD your God will cast out those nations before you little by little. You may not consume them at once, lest the animals of the field increase on you.
ASVAnd 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.
YLT‘And Jehovah thy God hath cast out these nations from thy presence little by little, (thou art not able to consume them hastily, lest the beast of the field multiply against thee),
DARBYAnd Jehovah thy God will cast out those nations from before thee by little and little; thou shalt not be able to make an end of them at once, lest the beasts of the field increase upon thee.
BBEThe Lord your God will send out the nations before you little by little; they are not to be rooted out quickly, for fear that the beasts of the field may be increased overmuch against you.
WebsterAnd the LORD thy God will drive 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.

What does Deuteronomy 7:22 mean?

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown on Deuteronomy 7:11-26

11-26. Thou shalt therefore keep the commandments, and the statutes, and the judgments, which I command thee this day--In the covenant into which God entered with Israel, He promised to bestow upon them a variety of blessings so long as they continued obedient to Him as their heavenly King. He pledged His veracity that His infinite perfections would be exerted for this purpose, as well as for delivering them from…

Read the full comment on Deuteronomy 7:11-26 →

Adam Clarke's Commentary
Verse 22 Put 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.

Adam Clarke, 1831 · public domain

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary on Deuteronomy 7:12-26

We are in danger of having fellowship with the works of darkness if we take pleasure in fellowship with those who do such works. Whatever brings us into a snare, brings us under a curse. Let us be constant to our duty, and we cannot question the constancy of God's mercy. Diseases are God's servants; they go where he sends them, and do what he bids them. It is therefore good for the health of our bodies, thoroughly…

Read the full comment on Deuteronomy 7:12-26 →

Deuteronomy 7:22 in the original Hebrew

Word-by-word with transliteration, English gloss and Strong's number. Tap a number for the full definition and every place the word is used.

וְנָשַׁל֩ve.na.Shaland he will clear awayH5394
יְהוָ֨הYah.wehYahwehH3068
אֱלֹהֶ֜יךָ'e.lo.Hei.khaGod yourH430
אֶת\־'et-<obj.>H853
הַגּוֹיִ֥םha.go.Yimthe nationsH1471
הָאֵ֛לha.'El<the> theseH411
מִפָּנֶ֖יךָmi.pa.Nei.khafrom before youH6440
מְעַ֣טme.'AtlittleH4592
מְעָ֑טme.'AtlittleH4592
לֹ֤אlo'notH3808
תוּכַל֙tu.Khalyou will be ableH3201
כַּלֹּתָ֣םka.lo.Tamto make an end of themH3615
מַהֵ֔רma.HerquicklyH4118
פֶּן\־pen-lestH6435
תִּרְבֶּ֥הtir.Behit should increaseH7235
עָלֶ֖יךָ'a.Lei.khawith youH5921
חַיַּ֥תchai.Yat[the] animal[s] ofH2416
הַשָּׂדֶֽה\׃ha.sa.Dehthe fieldH7704

Source: STEPBible TAHOT/TAGNT (Tyndale House, CC BY 4.0).

Cross references for Deuteronomy 7:22

  • Exodus 23:29-30

    I will not drive them out from before thee in one year; lest the land become desolate, and the beast of the field multiply against thee. By little and little I will drive them out from before thee, until thou be increased, and inherit the land.

  • Joshua 15:63

    As for the Jebusites the inhabitants of Jerusalem, the children of Judah could not drive them out: but the Jebusites dwell with the children of Judah at Jerusalem unto this day.

Ranked by reader votes · OpenBible.info cross references (CC BY).

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
put out. Heb. pluck off. thou mayest.As the Israelites were not yet sufficiently numerous to fill the whole land occupied by these nations; and as wild and ferocious animals might be expected to multiply where the place was but thinly peopled, therefore God informs them that their extermination from before them should be gradual. Haynes says, "The approaching to Cana, at the close of the day, as we did, is at once terrifying and dangerous. The surrounding country swarms with wild beasts, such as tigers, leopards, jackals, etc., whose cries and howling, I doubt not, would strike the boldest traveller, who had not been frequently in a like situation, with the deepest sense of horror."
Ex 23:29,30; Jos 15:63

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (Samuel Bagster, c. 1836) · public domain

Context

  • Deuteronomy 7:21

    Thou shalt not be affrighted at them: for the Lord thy God is among you, a mighty God and terrible.

  • Deuteronomy 7:22

    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.

  • Deuteronomy 7:23

    But the Lord thy God shall deliver them unto thee, and shall destroy them with a mighty destruction, until they be destroyed.

Read all of Deuteronomy 7

Deuteronomy 7:22 in other languages

Spanish
Reina-Valera 1909		Y Jehová tu Dios echará á estas gentes de delante de ti poco á poco: no las podrás acabar luego, porque las bestias del campo no se aumenten contra ti.
French
Bible J.N. Darby 1885		Et l’ Éternel, ton Dieu, chassera ces nations de devant toi peu à peu. Tu ne pourras pas les détruire tout aussitôt, de peur que les bêtes des champs ne se multiplient contre toi.
German
Elberfelder 1871		Und Jehova, dein Gott, wird diese Nationen nach und nach vor dir austreiben; du wirst sie nicht eilends vernichten können, damit nicht das Wild des Feldes sich wider dich mehre.
Latin
Clementine Vulgate		ipse consumet nationes has in conspectu tuo paulatim atque per partes. Non poteris eas delere pariter: ne forte multiplicentur contra te bestiæ terræ.