Deuteronomy 9:4
in Deuteronomy 9When the LORD your God has driven them out before you, do not say in your heart, “Because of my righteousness the LORD has brought me in to possess this land.” Rather, the LORD is driving out these nations before you because of their wickedness.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
Speak not thou in thy heart, after that Jehovah thy God hath thrust them out from before thee, saying, For my righteousness Jehovah hath brought me in to possess this land; whereas for the wickedness of these nations Jehovah doth drive them out from before thee.
KJV
Speak not thou in thine heart, after that the Lord thy God hath cast them out from before thee, saying, For my righteousness the Lord hath brought me in to possess this land: but for the wickedness of these nations the Lord doth drive them out from before thee.
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This verse in Deuteronomy 9
Commentary
6 notes on this verseI ask, what could be said more clearly against that pernicious opinion and presumption of ours, by which we want to attribute everything that we do to our free will and to our own effort? "Do not say in your heart, when the Lord your God has destroyed them in your sight: Because of my righteousness the Lord has led me in to possess this land." Did he not express himself clearly to those whose souls' eyes are open and whose ears hear?
This site's exposition
do not say in your heart
on Deuteronomy 9:4-5
Twice in two verses the text forbids the thought that the land is wages, "do not say in your heart". Two reasons replace it, the wickedness of these nations and the oath to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob.
The record, by era
The Puritans and the Awakening3 voices
); never think it is for thy righteousness or the uprightness of thy heart, that it is in consideration either of thy good conversation or of they good disposition,"
quarantine:debris (2026-07-29) — leading-punctuation+unbalanced-parens+odd-straight-quotes
Speak not thou in thine heart,....
To make it evident that they had no reason to boast of their own righteousness, he mentions their faults, shows Israel their transgressions, and the house of Jacob their sins.
The Nineteenth Century1 voice
A commentator
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown1802–1910
Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)
proposed
It was not for the sake of the Israelites, but for His own sake, for the promise made to their pious ancestors, and in furtherance of high and comprehensive purposes of good to the world, that God was about to give them a grant of Canaan.
The words behind it
22 Hebrew wordsEvery Hebrew word of this verse in the order it stands, with what it means and the door to its own study. The last column counts the times a word stands in the whole Bible: the rarer the word, the more the places it appears belong together.
| Hebrew | Sound | Meaning | Word study | In the Bible |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| אַל־ | ʾal- | may not | H408 → | 724 times |
| תֹּאמַ֣ר | tomar | you say | H559 → | 5305 times |
| בִּלְבָבְךָ֗ | bilvavekha | in heart your | H3824 → | 252 times |
| בַּהֲדֹ֣ף | bahadof | when drives out | H1920 → | |
| יְהוָה֩ | yahweh | Yahweh | H3068 → | 6520 times |
| אֱלֹהֶ֨יךָ | ʾeloheikha | God your | H430 → | 2601 times |
| אֹתָ֥ם׀ | ʾotam | <obj.> them | H853 → | 10935 times |
| מִלְּפָנֶיךָ֮ | milefaneikha | from to before you | H6440 → | 2123 times |
| לֵאמֹר֒ | lemor | <to> saying | H559 → | 5305 times |
| בְּצִדְקָתִי֙ | betzidkati | in righteousness my | H6666 → | 157 times |
| הֱבִיאַ֣נִי | heviani | he has brought me | H935 → | 2568 times |
| יְהוָ֔ה | yahweh | Yahweh | H3068 → | 6520 times |
| לָרֶ֖שֶׁת | lareshet | to take possession of | H3423 → | 231 times |
| אֶת־ | ʾet- | <obj.> | H853 → | 10935 times |
| הָאָ֣רֶץ | haaretz | the land | H776 → | 2504 times |
| הַזֹּ֑את | hazot | <the> this | H2063 → | 603 times |
| וּבְרִשְׁעַת֙ | uverishat | and in [the] wickedness of | H7564 → | 15 times |
| הַגּוֹיִ֣ם | hagoyim | the nations | H1471 → | 561 times |
| הָאֵ֔לֶּה | haeleh | <the> these | H428 → | 746 times |
| יְהוָ֖ה | yahweh | Yahweh | H3068 → | 6520 times |
| מוֹרִישָׁ֥ם | morisham | [is] dispossessing them | H3423 → | 231 times |
| מִפָּנֶֽיךָ׃ | mipaneikha | from before you | H6440 → | 2123 times |
אַל־may not
ʾal-H408 →724 times
תֹּאמַ֣רyou say
tomarH559 →5305 times
בִּלְבָבְךָ֗in heart your
bilvavekhaH3824 →252 times
בַּהֲדֹ֣ףwhen drives out
bahadofH1920 →
יְהוָה֩Yahweh
yahwehH3068 →6520 times
אֱלֹהֶ֨יךָGod your
ʾeloheikhaH430 →2601 times
אֹתָ֥ם׀<obj.> them
ʾotamH853 →10935 times
מִלְּפָנֶיךָ֮from to before you
milefaneikhaH6440 →2123 times
לֵאמֹר֒<to> saying
lemorH559 →5305 times
בְּצִדְקָתִי֙in righteousness my
betzidkatiH6666 →157 times
הֱבִיאַ֣נִיhe has brought me
hevianiH935 →2568 times
יְהוָ֔הYahweh
yahwehH3068 →6520 times
לָרֶ֖שֶׁתto take possession of
lareshetH3423 →231 times
אֶת־<obj.>
ʾet-H853 →10935 times
הָאָ֣רֶץthe land
haaretzH776 →2504 times
הַזֹּ֑את<the> this
hazotH2063 →603 times
וּבְרִשְׁעַת֙and in [the] wickedness of
uverishatH7564 →15 times
הַגּוֹיִ֣םthe nations
hagoyimH1471 →561 times
הָאֵ֔לֶּה<the> these
haelehH428 →746 times
יְהוָ֖הYahweh
yahwehH3068 →6520 times
מוֹרִישָׁ֥ם[is] dispossessing them
morishamH3423 →231 times
מִפָּנֶֽיךָ׃from before you
mipaneikhaH6440 →2123 times
A shaded row is a word that stands 400 times or fewer in the Bible.
The walk
8 stopsEach card is a verse this one points to, and under it the verses that one points to in turn. Where several paths arrive at the same place, that place is listed first: the text keeps returning to it.
Through
2 Timothy 1:9He has saved us and called us to a holy calling, not because of our works, but by His own purpose and by the grace He granted us in Christ Jesus before time began.
it leads to
- Ephesians 2:8–9
For it is by grace you have been saved through faith, and this not from yourselves; it is the gift of God,
- Titus 3:4–5
But when the kindness of God our Savior and His love for mankind appeared,
- Ephesians 1:3–4
Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly realms.
- Romans 11:5–6
In the same way, at the present time there is a remnant chosen by grace.
- Romans 16:25
Now to Him who is able to strengthen you by my gospel and by the proclamation of Jesus Christ, according to the revelation of the mystery concealed for ages past
- Ephesians 2:8–9
Through
1 Corinthians 4:7For who makes you so superior? What do you have that you did not receive? And if you did receive it, why do you boast as though you did not?
it leads to
- John 3:27
John replied, “A man can receive only what is given him from heaven.
- 1 Peter 4:10
As good stewards of the manifold grace of God, each of you should use whatever gift he has received to serve one another.
- James 1:17
Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, with whom there is no change or shifting shadow.
- John 3:27
Where this verse is studied
On this page
Studies5
On this verse
About Deuteronomy

This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; Jamieson, Fausset & Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible; John Cassian, CONFERENCE 5.15.3-4; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763) and Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible.
