דברים, פרק י״א, פסוק כ״ג

The promise of inheriting the land rests on a deep partnership between the spiritual actions of the Israelites and the miraculous intervention of God. Military and settlement success does not rely on human strength alone, but rather on a mutual agreement between God and His people. The primary approach among commentators is that if the Israelites fulfill their duties—keeping the Commandments out of love and clinging to God's traits—then God will fulfill His part by personally driving the nations out of the land [רש״י, מזרחי, גור אריה, ביאור יש״ר].

The purpose of this inheritance is to provide the Israelites with a secure place where they can support themselves comfortably and without hardship, leaving them completely free to focus on doing God's will [ספורנו]. Furthermore, because God Himself removes the nations, rather than relying on human armies, the conquest becomes an absolute and eternal inheritance instead of a standard military acquisition [צפנת פענח].

The process of expanding the borders is designed to occur in stages. Initially, God will drive out the seven local nations living within the original borders. Only afterward does the promise extend to conquering larger, more distant nations, expanding the settlement beyond its original core [העמק דבר, מלבי״ם, רבנו בחיי]. This specific order is critical. King David, for example, was criticized for conquering distant territories before completing the conquest of the land itself. Because he acted out of sequence, his campaigns were considered a private conquest, and those distant areas never achieved the full level of holiness required by the Torah for agricultural laws like tithes and the Sabbatical year [רבנו בחיי].

During these battles, the removal of enemies applies broadly. It includes not only the local inhabitants but also any allied nations that travel from other lands to fight against Israel; God will drive away anyone who stands against them. However, the Israelites will only take actual possession of the territories belonging to the local nations [תורה תמימה].

The realistic power dynamics between the armies are openly acknowledged. While the Israelites are formidable warriors compared to most of the world, the Amorites and the inhabitants of Canaan are even stronger. The strength of these opposing nations is specifically highlighted to emphasize the sheer magnitude of the miracle and the absolute necessity of divine guidance. Without God's direct help, the Israelites would never be able to defeat nations that are physically stronger than they are [רש״י, דברי דוד, צפנת פענח].