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7 โ[1] ** ืืจืืคืชื ืืช ืืืืืืื, "and you will pursue your enemies."** Why does the Torah have to give the Israelites this assurance **after** having assured them of dwelling securely and no one frightening them? The assurances which preceded this verse related to Israel feeling secure from surrounding nations. The latter would neither cause death nor destruction. Now the Torah speaks about relations between Israel and the nations with Israel as the aggressor. The Torah assures Israel that the promise of safety from invasion does not mean that it ties Israel's hands versus its neighbours. The Torah therefore speaks of the Israelites **pursuing** their enemies. This reinforces the previous assurances. Even though Israel may have started a pre-emptive campaign against its enemies, G'd assures them of success. They will return to their country not having to fear retaliation. If the Torah called the opponents of Israel "enemies," this was not because they invaded the country but because they are enemies of the Lord. The wicked people amongst the Gentiles are always referred to as both G'd's enemies and hence our enemies. It is a law of nature that the Gentile nations hate us.
โ[2] **ืื ืคืื ืืคื ืืื ืืืจื. "and they will fall before you by the sword."** The unusual ืืืจื instead of ืืืจื, by the sword, is a hyperbole. The way the enemies will fall before the Jewish armies will be similar to their falling by the sword. A moral-ethical approach to these words conjures up the deeds of the Hasmoneans. The historian Josephus describes seeing an angel of the Lord drawing his sword against the enemy. When the Torah speaks here of ืื ืคืื, they will fall, it may refer to the thrusts of the sword by the angel.
Version: Or Hachayim, trans. Eliyahu Munk
Source: http://www.urimpublications.com/or-hachayim-commentary-on-the-torah-5-vols.html
License: CC-BY