And I will send hornets before thee, which shall drive out the Hivite, the Canaanite, and the Hittite, from before thee.
God arms even insects against His enemies to show His people how entirely He favors them. The hornet alone would suffice to rout their foes without the sword; yet He drives them out gradually lest the land fall to wild beasts and prove more troublesome than the Canaanites themselves.
AI summary
God sends His angel, likely the Son of God Himself, to guide Israel through wilderness and enemy country alike. He demands obedience to this messenger; your part is not to murmur or test Him, but to keep His precepts and hear His voice, and He will be enemy to your enemies and bring you safely to the land prepared.
AI summary
Commenting on Exodus 23:20-33
The inhabitants were driven out little by little, kept partly to preserve the cities from ruin and partly to test Israel's faith, much as our corruptions remain after conversion to exercise our graces and bind us to God's grace rather than our own strength.
AI summary