Deuteronomy 7

God commands the Israelites to be completely set apart from the nations they are about to conquer. Moses orders them to destroy all the pagan inhabitants of Canaan, to make no treaties with them, and to not intermarry with them. He explains that Israel was chosen not because of their numbers but because God loved them and swore an oath to their fathers. This separation is necessary to prevent the Israelites from being lured into idolatry and losing their covenant identity.