“A blessing on you when you go out, and a blessing on you when you come in. Adonai will cause your enemies attacking you to be defeated before you; they will advance on you one way and flee before you seven ways.”-Deuteronomy 28:6
In verse 6 of Deuteronomy 28 we’re told that “one’s coming in and going out” will be blessed.
What in the heck does that phrase mean?
This is a Hebrew idiom that refers to the military action of entering into enemy territory, doing battle and then departing from that territory.
Literally, it just means to go in and go out.
But idiomatically speaking, it means to go out to wage war, achieve victory and then return home all in one piece safe and sound.
It’s easy to see how this is connected to verse 7 which describes how HASHEM will go ahead before the army of Israel to defeat the enemy before the battle even begins.
This idea is expressed by describing that the enemy soldiers gathered against Israel will arrive on a single road organized into one nice marching column but in panic will end up running for the hills in “7 different directions”.
The number 7 here is NOT to be taken literally.
The 7 here is being used symbolically and means “in every way possible”.
Also, isn’t it kind of uncanny that the verse that explains how Israel’s enemy will up fleeing in 7 directions also happens to be verse 7 in this chapter?
Anyway, I’m done.
Leave a Reply