Deuteronomy 28:7

Deu 28:7 The LORD shall cause thine enemies that rise up against thee to be smitten before thy face: they shall come out against thee one way, and flee before thee seven ways.

Ver. 7. The Lord shall cause thine enemies.] Mr Fox observes, {a} that in King Edward VI’s time, the English put to flight their enemies in Musselburgh field, the selfsame day and hour wherein the reformation enjoined by parliament was put in execution at London, by burning of idolatrous images. Such a dependence hath our success upon our obedience.

And flee before thee seven ways.] In the forementioned fight many so strained themselves in their race that they fell down breathless and dead, whereby they seemed in running from their deaths to run to it: two thousand, lying all day as dead, got away in the night. The Irish were so galled or scared with the English ordinance, that they had neither good hearts to go forward, nor good liking to stand still, nor good assurance to run away, saith the historian. {b}

{a} Act. and Mon.

{b} Life of Ed. VI., by Sir J. Heywood.

John Trapp, A Commentary or Exposition upon All the Books of the Old and New Testament (1647–1656) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

28:7 In the Bible, the number seven generally conveys fullness or completion. Here, the number indicates that Israel’s enemies would be completely removed from the land (see study note on Deut 2:34).

Tyndale Open Study Notes — © Tyndale Open Resources, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0. Text via the HelloAO Bible API.

Meaning, many ways.

Geneva Bible (1599) marginal notes — public domain. Text via Bolls.life.

flee before thee seven ways--that is, in various directions, as always happens in a rout.

Jamieson, Fausset & Brown — Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API.

Verse 7. The Lord shall cause thine enemies, &c.] This is a promise of security from foreign invasion, or total discomfiture of the invaders, should they enter the land. They shall come against thee one way - in the firmest and most united manner. And flee seven ways - shall be utterly broken, confounded, and finally routed.

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible (1810–1826) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.

(7) And flee before thee seven ways.—“So is the custom of them that are terrified, to flee, scattering in every direction” (Rashi). See the story of the flight of the Midianites (Jdg_7:21-22), and of the Syrians (2Ki_7:7).

A Bible Commentary for English Readers, edited by Charles John Ellicott (1878–1897) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

7. smitten before thee] See Deu_1:42.

The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges (gen. ed. J. J. S. Perowne; Cambridge University Press, 1878–1918) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

The Lord shall command the blessing upon thee in thy storehouses,.... Barns, granaries, and cellar, where their corn, wine, and oil, were laid up; by preserving the corn from being devoured by vermin, and the casks of wine and oil from bursting and running out:

and in all thou settest thine hand unto; in all their manufactures, occupations, and trades, in which they were employed, and in the culture of their vines, olives, and other fruit trees:

and he shall bless thee in the land which the Lord thy God giveth thee; with health and long life in it, and with an abundance of all good things, it being a land flowing with milk and honey.

John Gill's Exposition of the Whole Bible (1746–1763) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API.

Down. Hebrew, "dead." Septuagint, "bruised to pieces," ver. 25. (Calmet) --- Seven. This denotes the confusion and hurry with which the enemy shall endeavour to escape. (Menochius)

George Leo Haydock (1774–1849), Haydock's Catholic Family Bible and Commentary, 1859 edition — public domain. Excludes Psalms (Douay-Rheims chapter numbering differs from Protestant) and Deuterocanonical books (Catholic canon only).

i.e. Many ways, as is usual when an army is totally overthrown and dissipated.

Matthew Poole's English Annotations on the Holy Bible (1683–1685) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.

7-14. The Lord shall cause thine enemies… to be smitten — In these verses the speaker describes the effect of the blessings upon the nation in all the various circumstances in which it may be placed.

Come out against thee one way, and flee… seven ways — That is, thy enemies will come against thee in solid, compact array, but will be discomfited and routed, so that they will flee in every direction.

The head, and not the tail — An expression implying excellence and superiority. Comp. Isa_9:15.

Daniel D. Whedon (gen. ed.), Commentary on the Old and New Testaments (1874–1909) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

General Information:

Moses speaks to the Israelites as if they were one man, so the words "you" and "your" here are singular. (See: Forms of You)

cause your enemies who rise up against you to be struck down before you

This can be stated in active form. AT: "cause you to defeat the armies that attack you" (See: Active or Passive)

but will flee before you seven ways

"but they will run away from you in seven directions"

seven ways

This is an idiom. The actual number could be more or less than seven. AT: "in many different directions" (See: Idiom)

Yahweh will command the blessing to come on you in your barns

Moses describes Yahweh blessing the Israelites as if Yahweh were commanding a person to attack them by surprise. AT: "When Yahweh blesses you, you will be surprised by how much grain you have in your barns" (See: Metaphor and Personification)

in all that you put your hand to

This is an idiom. AT: "in everything you do" (See: Idiom)

translationWords

adversary

raise

command

bless

hand

unfoldingWord translationNotes — © Distant Shores Media and the Door43 World Missions Community, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0. Source: git.door43.org/Door43/en_tn.

ובשבעה דרכים ינוסו לפניך AND THEY SHALL RUN AWAY BEFORE THEE SEVEN WAYS — Such is the manner of all who flee out of fear: they scatter in every direction.

Rashi on the Tanakh — English translations: “The Judaica Press complete Tanach with Rashi, translated by A. J. Rosenberg” (CC BY 4.0); “Pentateuch with Rashi's commentary by M. Rosenbaum and A.M. Silbermann, 1929-1934” (public domain); “The Metsudah Tanach series, Lakewood, N.J” (CC BY 4.0); and “The Book of Joshua, Metsudah Publications, 1997” (CC BY 4.0). Text via Sefaria.