Deuteronomy 4:38
in Deuteronomy 4to drive out before you nations greater and mightier than you, and to bring you into their land and give it to you for your inheritance, as it is this day.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
to drive out nations from before thee greater and mightier than thou, to bring thee in, to give thee their land for an inheritance, as at this day.
KJV
To drive out nations from before thee greater and mightier than thou art, to bring thee in, to give thee their land for an inheritance, as it is this day.
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This verse in Deuteronomy 4
Commentary
5 notes on this verseThis site's exposition
He let you hear His voice from heaven
on Deuteronomy 4:36-38
Verse 37 dates the choice to the patriarchs: "Because He loved your fathers, He chose their descendants after them." The generation delivered did not earn it.
This site's exposition
nations greater and mightier than you
The closing words, as it is this day, point to the land already taken from Sihon and Og, a first instalment of the promise. Matthew Henry observes that the Egyptians and the Canaanites alike had to give way to Israel.
The record, by era
The Church Fathers1 voice
If we rightly understand the matter, this is the statement of Moses at the beginning of his book: "In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth." For this is the beginning of all creation; to this beginning the end and consummation of all things must be recalled, in order that this heaven and this earth may be the habitation and resting place of the pious. So all the holy ones and the meek obtain an inheritance in that land, since this is the teaching of the Law and the Prophets and the Gospels.
The Puritans and the Awakening2 voices
To drive out nations from before thee, greater and mightier than thou art,....
Egyptians and Canaanites must both be sacrificed to Israel's honour and interest. Those that stand in Israel's light, in Israel's way, shall find it is at their peril. (7.) He urges God's righteous appearance against them sometimes for their sins.
The words behind it
14 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| לְהוֹרִ֗ישׁ | lehorish | to dispossess | H3423 → | 231 times |
| גּוֹיִ֛ם | goyim | nations | H1471 → | 561 times |
| גְּדֹלִ֧ים | gedolim | great | H1419 → | 526 times |
| וַעֲצֻמִ֛ים | vaatzumim | and mighty | H6099 → | 31 times |
| מִמְּךָ֖ | mimekha | more than you | H4480 → | 1188 times |
| מִפָּנֶ֑יךָ | mipaneikha | from before you | H6440 → | 2123 times |
| לַהֲבִֽיאֲךָ֗ | lahaviakha | to bring in you | H935 → | 2568 times |
| לָֽתֶת־ | latet- | to give | H5414 → | 2011 times |
| לְךָ֧ | lekha | to you | ||
| אֶת־ | ʾet- | <obj.> | H853 → | 10935 times |
| אַרְצָ֛ם | ʾartzam | land their | H776 → | 2504 times |
| נַחֲלָ֖ה | nachalah | an inheritance | H5159 → | 222 times |
| כַּיּ֥וֹם | kaiyom | as the day | H3117 → | 2304 times |
| הַזֶּֽה׃ | hazeh | <the> this | H2088 → | 1180 times |
לְהוֹרִ֗ישׁto dispossess
lehorishH3423 →231 times
גּוֹיִ֛םnations
goyimH1471 →561 times
גְּדֹלִ֧יםgreat
gedolimH1419 →526 times
וַעֲצֻמִ֛יםand mighty
vaatzumimH6099 →31 times
מִמְּךָ֖more than you
mimekhaH4480 →1188 times
מִפָּנֶ֑יךָfrom before you
mipaneikhaH6440 →2123 times
לַהֲבִֽיאֲךָ֗to bring in you
lahaviakhaH935 →2568 times
לָֽתֶת־to give
latet-H5414 →2011 times
לְךָ֧to you
lekha
אֶת־<obj.>
ʾet-H853 →10935 times
אַרְצָ֛םland their
ʾartzamH776 →2504 times
נַחֲלָ֖הan inheritance
nachalahH5159 →222 times
כַּיּ֥וֹםas the day
kaiyomH3117 →2304 times
הַזֶּֽה׃<the> this
hazehH2088 →1180 times
A shaded row is a word that stands 400 times or fewer in the Bible.
The walk
7 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
Deuteronomy 7:1When the LORD your God brings you into the land that you are entering to possess, and He drives out before you many nations—the Hittites, Girgashites, Amorites, Canaanites, Perizzites, Hivites, and Jebusites, seven nations…
it leads to
- Deuteronomy 31:3
The LORD your God Himself will cross over ahead of you. He will destroy these nations before you, and you will dispossess them. Joshua will cross ahead of you, as the LORD has said.
- Acts 13:19
And having vanquished seven nations in Canaan, He gave their land to His people as an inheritance.
- Exodus 33:2
And I will send an angel before you, and I will drive out the Canaanites, Amorites, Hittites, Perizzites, Hivites, and Jebusites.
- Psalms 44:2–3
With Your hand You drove out the nations and planted our fathers there; You crushed the peoples and cast them out.
- Genesis 15:18–21
On that day the LORD made a covenant with Abram, saying, “To your descendants I have given this land—from the river of Egypt to the great River Euphrates—
- Deuteronomy 31:3
Through
Deuteronomy 2:31Then the LORD said to me, “See, I have begun to deliver Sihon and his land over to you. Now begin to conquer and possess his land.”
it leads to
- Deuteronomy 1:8
See, I have placed the land before you. Enter and possess the land that the LORD swore He would give to your fathers Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, and to their descendants after them.”
- Deuteronomy 2:24
“Arise, set out, and cross the Arnon Valley. See, I have delivered into your hand Sihon the Amorite, king of Heshbon, and his land. Begin to take possession of it and engage him in…
- Deuteronomy 1:8
Where this verse is studied
About Deuteronomy
This page draws on Albert Barnes, Notes on the Old Testament; John Calvin, Commentary on the Four Last Books of Moses Arranged in the Form of a Harmony; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763); Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible and Origen of Alexandria, ON FIRST PRINCIPLES 3.6.8.