Saadia's Tafsir on Devarim 7 (Parashat Vaetchanan)

Devarim 7:1

כִּי יְבִיאֲךָ יְהוָה אֱלֹהֶיךָ אֶל-הָאָרֶץ אֲשֶׁר-אַתָּה בָא-שָׁמָּה לְרִשְׁתָּהּ וְנָשַׁל גּוֹיִם-רַבִּים מִפָּנֶיךָ הַחִתִּי וְהַגִּרְגָּשִׁי וְהָאֱמֹרִי וְהַכְּנַעֲנִי וְהַפְּרִזִּי וְהַחִוִּי וְהַיְבוּסִי--שִׁבְעָה גוֹיִם רַבִּים וַעֲצוּמִים מִמֶּךָּ

. . . . . . .

And when God your Lord brings you into the land which you are entering to possess it, and shatters many nations from before you — the Hittites and the Girgashites and the Amorites and the Canaanites and the Perizzites and the Hivites and the Jebusites, seven nations more numerous and stronger than you —

Devarim 7:2

וּנְתָנָם יְהוָה אֱלֹהֶיךָ לְפָנֶיךָ--וְהִכִּיתָם הַחֲרֵם תַּחֲרִים אֹתָם לֹא-תִכְרֹת לָהֶם בְּרִית וְלֹא תְחָנֵּם

. . .

God your Lord will deliver them into your hands, so kill them, and destroy them utterly; and do not make a covenant with them, and do not show compassion upon them.

Devarim 7:3

וְלֹא תִתְחַתֵּן בָּם בִּתְּךָ לֹא-תִתֵּן לִבְנוֹ וּבִתּוֹ לֹא-תִקַּח לִבְנֶךָ

. .

And do not intermarry with them: do not give your daughter to his son, and do not take his daughter for your son.

Devarim 7:4

כִּי-יָסִיר אֶת-בִּנְךָ מֵאַחֲרַי וְעָבְדוּ אֱלֹהִים אֲחֵרִים וְחָרָה אַף-יְהוָה בָּכֶם וְהִשְׁמִידְךָ מַהֵר

. . .

For they will turn your son away from obedience to Me, and they will serve other objects of worship; and the anger of God will grow fierce against you, and He will destroy you swiftly.

Devarim 7:5

כִּי-אִם-כֹּה תַעֲשׂוּ לָהֶם--מִזְבְּחֹתֵיהֶם תִּתֹּצוּ וּמַצֵּבֹתָם תְּשַׁבֵּרוּ וַאֲשֵׁירֵהֶם תְּגַדֵּעוּן וּפְסִילֵיהֶם תִּשְׂרְפוּן בָּאֵשׁ

. . .

Rather, thus shall you do to them: their altars demolish, and their pillars shatter, and their sacred poles cut down, and their carved idols burn with fire.

Devarim 7:6

כִּי עַם קָדוֹשׁ אַתָּה לַיהוָה אֱלֹהֶיךָ בְּךָ בָּחַר יְהוָה אֱלֹהֶיךָ לִהְיוֹת לוֹ לְעַם סְגֻלָּה מִכֹּל הָעַמִּים אֲשֶׁר עַל-פְּנֵי הָאֲדָמָה

. . . .

For you are a people consecrated to God your Lord, and He chose you to be for Him a special nation from among all the peoples who are upon the face of the earth.

Devarim 7:7

לֹא מֵרֻבְּכֶם מִכָּל-הָעַמִּים חָשַׁק יְהוָה בָּכֶם--וַיִּבְחַר בָּכֶם כִּי-אַתֶּם הַמְעַט מִכָּל-הָעַמִּים

. .

It was not because of your being more numerous than all the nations that God selected and chose you — rather, you are the fewest of them all together.

Devarim 7:8

כִּי מֵאַהֲבַת יְהוָה אֶתְכֶם וּמִשָּׁמְרוֹ אֶת-הַשְּׁבֻעָה אֲשֶׁר נִשְׁבַּע לַאֲבֹתֵיכֶם הוֹצִיא יְהוָה אֶתְכֶם בְּיָד חֲזָקָה וַיִּפְדְּךָ מִבֵּית עֲבָדִים מִיַּד פַּרְעֹה מֶלֶךְ-מִצְרָיִם

. . . .

But, from God's love for you, and from His keeping for you the oath which He swore to your fathers, God brought you out with a mighty hand, and redeemed you from the house of bondage, from the hand of Pharaoh king of Egypt.

Devarim 7:9

וְיָדַעְתָּ כִּי-יְהוָה אֱלֹהֶיךָ הוּא הָאֱלֹהִים הָאֵל הַנֶּאֱמָן--שֹׁמֵר הַבְּרִית וְהַחֶסֶד לְאֹהֲבָיו וּלְשֹׁמְרֵי מִצְו‍ֹתָו לְאֶלֶף דּוֹר

. . . . .

Know, then, that God your Lord — He is the God, the Capable, the Faithful, who keeps the covenant and the kindness for those who love Him and keep His commandments, unto a thousand generations,

Devarim 7:10

וּמְשַׁלֵּם לְשֹׂנְאָיו אֶל-פָּנָיו לְהַאֲבִידוֹ לֹא יְאַחֵר לְשֹׂנְאוֹ אֶל-פָּנָיו יְשַׁלֶּם-לוֹ

. . .

and who requites His enemy in His presence, to destroy him; He will not delay anything for him — rather, in his presence He requites him.

Devarim 7:11

וְשָׁמַרְתָּ אֶת-הַמִּצְוָה וְאֶת-הַחֻקִּים וְאֶת-הַמִּשְׁפָּטִים אֲשֶׁר אָנֹכִי מְצַוְּךָ הַיּוֹם--לַעֲשׂוֹתָם

. .

And keep the commandments and the statutes and the ordinances which I am commanding you today, and act by them.

Devarim 7:12

וְהָיָה עֵקֶב תִּשְׁמְעוּן אֵת הַמִּשְׁפָּטִים הָאֵלֶּה וּשְׁמַרְתֶּם וַעֲשִׂיתֶם אֹתָם--וְשָׁמַר יְהוָה אֱלֹהֶיךָ לְךָ אֶת-הַבְּרִית וְאֶת-הַחֶסֶד אֲשֶׁר נִשְׁבַּע לַאֲבֹתֶיךָ

. . . .

And it shall be, as recompense for your heeding these ordinances and keeping them and acting by them, that God your Lord will keep for you the covenant and the grace which He swore to your fathers.

Devarim 7:13

וַאֲהֵבְךָ וּבֵרַכְךָ וְהִרְבֶּךָ וּבֵרַךְ פְּרִי-בִטְנְךָ וּפְרִי-אַדְמָתֶךָ דְּגָנְךָ וְתִירֹשְׁךָ וְיִצְהָרֶךָ שְׁגַר-אֲלָפֶיךָ וְעַשְׁתְּרֹת צֹאנֶךָ עַל הָאֲדָמָה אֲשֶׁר-נִשְׁבַּע לַאֲבֹתֶיךָ לָתֶת לָךְ

. . . . . .

And He will love you, and bless you, and multiply you; and He will bless your fruit and the fruit of your land — your grain and your juice and your oil, the offspring of your cattle and the increase of your flock — in the land which He swore to your fathers to give you.

Devarim 7:14

בָּרוּךְ תִּהְיֶה מִכָּל-הָעַמִּים לֹא-יִהְיֶה בְךָ עָקָר וַעֲקָרָה וּבִבְהֶמְתֶּךָ

.

And you shall be blessed above all nations; there shall remain among you neither barren man nor barren woman, nor among your beasts.

Devarim 7:15

וְהֵסִיר יְהוָה מִמְּךָ כָּל-חֹלִי וְכָל-מַדְוֵי מִצְרַיִם הָרָעִים אֲשֶׁר יָדַעְתָּ לֹא יְשִׂימָם בָּךְ וּנְתָנָם בְּכָל-שֹׂנְאֶיךָ

. . .

And God will remove from you every illness, and all the evil afflictions of Egypt which you know — He will not bring any of them upon you, but will bring them upon those who hate you.

Devarim 7:16

וְאָכַלְתָּ אֶת-כָּל-הָעַמִּים אֲשֶׁר יְהוָה אֱלֹהֶיךָ נֹתֵן לָךְ--לֹא-תָחוֹס עֵינְךָ עֲלֵיהֶם וְלֹא תַעֲבֹד אֶת-אֱלֹהֵיהֶם כִּי-מוֹקֵשׁ הוּא לָךְ

. . . .

And you shall destroy all the peoples whom God your Lord gives you; do not show compassion upon them, and do not serve their objects of worship, for they would become a noose for you.

Devarim 7:17

כִּי תֹאמַר בִּלְבָבְךָ רַבִּים הַגּוֹיִם הָאֵלֶּה מִמֶּנִּי אֵיכָה אוּכַל לְהוֹרִישָׁם

. .

If you say to yourself: 'These nations are more numerous than I — how can I manage to gnaw them away?'

Devarim 7:18

לֹא תִירָא מֵהֶם זָכֹר תִּזְכֹּר אֵת אֲשֶׁר-עָשָׂה יְהוָה אֱלֹהֶיךָ לְפַרְעֹה וּלְכָל-מִצְרָיִם

. .

do not fear them; rather, remember what God your Lord did to Pharaoh and to the rest of the Egyptians:

Devarim 7:19

הַמַּסֹּת הַגְּדֹלֹת אֲשֶׁר-רָאוּ עֵינֶיךָ וְהָאֹתֹת וְהַמֹּפְתִים וְהַיָּד הַחֲזָקָה וְהַזְּרֹעַ הַנְּטוּיָה אֲשֶׁר הוֹצִאֲךָ יְהוָה אֱלֹהֶיךָ כֵּן-יַעֲשֶׂה יְהוָה אֱלֹהֶיךָ לְכָל-הָעַמִּים אֲשֶׁר-אַתָּה יָרֵא מִפְּנֵיהֶם

. . . .

the great signs which your eyes saw, and the wonders and the proofs and the mighty hand and the outstretched arm — just as God your Lord brought you out, so He will do to all the nations whom you fear.

Devarim 7:20

וְגַם אֶת-הַצִּרְעָה יְשַׁלַּח יְהוָה אֱלֹהֶיךָ בָּם עַד-אֲבֹד הַנִּשְׁאָרִים וְהַנִּסְתָּרִים--מִפָּנֶיךָ

. .

And He will send the plague among them, until those remaining and those hidden from before you are destroyed.

Devarim 7:21

לֹא תַעֲרֹץ מִפְּנֵיהֶם כִּי-יְהוָה אֱלֹהֶיךָ בְּקִרְבֶּךָ אֵל גָּדוֹל וְנוֹרָא

. .

Do not be in dread of them, for the light of God your Lord is in your midst — the Capable, the great, the awe-inspiring.

Devarim 7:22

וְנָשַׁל יְהוָה אֱלֹהֶיךָ אֶת-הַגּוֹיִם הָאֵל מִפָּנֶיךָ--מְעַט מְעָט לֹא תוּכַל כַּלֹּתָם מַהֵר פֶּן-תִּרְבֶּה עָלֶיךָ חַיַּת הַשָּׂדֶה

. . .

And He will shatter those nations from before you little by little, since you cannot manage to destroy them quickly, lest the wild creatures of the wilderness multiply upon you.

Devarim 7:23

וּנְתָנָם יְהוָה אֱלֹהֶיךָ לְפָנֶיךָ וְהָמָם מְהוּמָה גְדֹלָה עַד הִשָּׁמְדָם

. ]] .

But when God your Lord delivers them into your hand, He will throw them into great confusion until they are destroyed.

Devarim 7:24

וְנָתַן מַלְכֵיהֶם בְּיָדֶךָ וְהַאֲבַדְתָּ אֶת-שְׁמָם מִתַּחַת הַשָּׁמָיִם לֹא-יִתְיַצֵּב אִישׁ בְּפָנֶיךָ עַד הִשְׁמִדְךָ אֹתָם

. . . .

And He will deliver their kings into your hand, and you shall blot out their names from under the sky; no man shall stand before you until you have destroyed them.

Devarim 7:25

פְּסִילֵי אֱלֹהֵיהֶם תִּשְׂרְפוּן בָּאֵשׁ לֹא-תַחְמֹד כֶּסֶף וְזָהָב עֲלֵיהֶם וְלָקַחְתָּ לָךְ--פֶּן תִּוָּקֵשׁ בּוֹ כִּי תוֹעֲבַת יְהוָה אֱלֹהֶיךָ הוּא

. . .

And burn the carved idols of their objects of worship with fire; and do not covet any of the silver and gold that is upon them so as to take it for yourself, lest you be ensnared by it — for it is something abhorrent to God your Lord.

Devarim 7:26

וְלֹא-תָבִיא תוֹעֵבָה אֶל-בֵּיתֶךָ וְהָיִיתָ חֵרֶם כָּמֹהוּ שַׁקֵּץ תְּשַׁקְּצֶנּוּ וְתַעֵב תְּתַעֲבֶנּוּ כִּי-חֵרֶם הוּא

. . .

And do not bring what God abhors into your house, lest you become doomed like it; rather, utterly abominate it and utterly abhor it, for it is doomed.