Deuteronomy 9:1
in Deuteronomy 9Hear, O Israel: Today you are about to cross the Jordan to go in and dispossess nations greater and stronger than you, with large cities fortified to the heavens.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
Hear, O Israel: thou art to pass over the Jordan this day, to go in to dispossess nations greater and mightier than thyself, cities great and fortified up to heaven,
KJV
Hear, O Israel: Thou art to pass over Jordan this day, to go in to possess nations greater and mightier than thyself, cities great and fenced up to heaven,
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This verse in Deuteronomy 9
Commentary
9 notes on this verseA commentator
Albert Barnes1798–1870
Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869)
The lesson of this chapter is exactly that of Eph 2:8, “By grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God: not of works, lest any man should boast.” In referring to their various rebellions, Moses here, as elsewhere, has regard not so much for the order of time as to that of subject. (Compare Deu 1:9-15 note.) Such reasons as convenience and fitness to his argument sufficiently explain the variations observable when the statements of this chapter are minutely compared with those of Exo. 32–
This site's exposition
Hear, O Israel: Today you are about to cross
on Deuteronomy 9:1-3
The "large cities fortified to the heavens" and the "descendants of the Anakim" give back the spies' report of Numbers 13:28 and 13:33. Verse 3 draws the opposite conclusion: the "consuming fire" of 4:24 goes across the Jordan ahead of them.
The record, by era
The Reformation1 voice
The design of Moses, then, was to shew that the Israelites, for no merit of their own, but by the signal bounty of God, would be heirs of the land of Canaan; and that this entirely flowed from the covenant and their gratuitous adoption; in order that, on their part, they should persevere in the faithful observation of the covenant, and so should be the more disposed to honor Him.
The Puritans and the Awakening4 voices
), Hear, O Israel, intimates that this was a new discourse, delivered at some distance of time after the former, probably the next sabbath day. Moses represents to the people the formidable strength of the enemies which they were now to encounter,
quarantine:debris (2026-07-29) — leading-punctuation+unbalanced-parens
Hear, O Israel,....
But, should they besiege them, they would find their cities well fortified, according as the art of fortification then was; should they engage them in the field, they would find the people great and tall, of whom common fame had reported that there was no standing before them,
He cautions them not to attribute their successes to their own merit, but to God's justice, which was engaged against their enemies, and his faithfulness, which was engaged to their fathers,
2 more voices on this verse
The Nineteenth Century2 voices
A commentator
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown1802–1910
Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)
proposed
this day--means this time. The Israelites had reached the confines of the promised land, but were obliged, to their great mortification, to return. But now they certainly were to enter it.
quarantine:debris (2026-07-29) — starts-lowercase
Thou art to pass over Jordan this day - היום haiyom, this time; they had come thirty-eight years before this nearly to the verge of the promised land, but were not permitted at that day or time to pass over, because of their rebellions; but this time they shall certainly pass over. This was spoken about the eleventh month of the fortieth year of their journeying, and it was on the first month of the following year they passed over; and during this interim Moses died.
The words behind it
17 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| שְׁמַ֣ע | shema' | hear | H8085 → | 1159 times |
| יִשְׂרָאֵ֗ל | yisrael | O Israel | H3478 → | 2507 times |
| אַתָּ֨ה | ʾatah | you | H859 → | 1094 times |
| עֹבֵ֤ר | ʾover | [are] about to pass over | H5674 → | 556 times |
| הַיּוֹם֙ | haiyom | this day | H3117 → | 2304 times |
| אֶת־ | ʾet- | <obj.> | H853 → | 10935 times |
| הַיַּרְדֵּ֔ן | haiyarden | the Jordan | H3383 → | 182 times |
| לָבֹא֙ | lavo' | to go | H935 → | 2568 times |
| לָרֶ֣שֶׁת | lareshet | to dispossess | H3423 → | 231 times |
| גּוֹיִ֔ם | goyim | nations | H1471 → | 561 times |
| גְּדֹלִ֥ים | gedolim | great | H1419 → | 526 times |
| וַעֲצֻמִ֖ים | vaatzumim | and mighty | H6099 → | 31 times |
| מִמֶּ֑ךָּ | mimeka | more than you | H4480 → | 1188 times |
| עָרִ֛ים | ʾarim | cities | H5892 → | 1090 times |
| גְּדֹלֹ֥ת | gedolot | large | H1419 → | 526 times |
| וּבְצֻרֹ֖ת | uvetzurot | and fortified | H1219 → | 37 times |
| בַּשָּׁמָֽיִם׃ | bashamayim | in the heavens | H8064 → | 421 times |
שְׁמַ֣עhear
shema'H8085 →1159 times
יִשְׂרָאֵ֗לO Israel
yisraelH3478 →2507 times
אַתָּ֨הyou
ʾatahH859 →1094 times
עֹבֵ֤ר[are] about to pass over
ʾoverH5674 →556 times
הַיּוֹם֙this day
haiyomH3117 →2304 times
אֶת־<obj.>
ʾet-H853 →10935 times
הַיַּרְדֵּ֔ןthe Jordan
haiyardenH3383 →182 times
לָבֹא֙to go
lavo'H935 →2568 times
לָרֶ֣שֶׁתto dispossess
lareshetH3423 →231 times
גּוֹיִ֔םnations
goyimH1471 →561 times
גְּדֹלִ֥יםgreat
gedolimH1419 →526 times
וַעֲצֻמִ֖יםand mighty
vaatzumimH6099 →31 times
מִמֶּ֑ךָּmore than you
mimekaH4480 →1188 times
עָרִ֛יםcities
ʾarimH5892 →1090 times
גְּדֹלֹ֥תlarge
gedolotH1419 →526 times
וּבְצֻרֹ֖תand fortified
uvetzurotH1219 →37 times
בַּשָּׁמָֽיִם׃in the heavens
bashamayimH8064 →421 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
Deuteronomy 11:23then the LORD will drive out all these nations before you, and you will dispossess nations greater and stronger than you.
it leads to
- Deuteronomy 4:38
to 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.
Reached by 2 separate paths from here.
- Deuteronomy 4:38
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.
- 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 11:31For you are about to cross the Jordan to enter and possess the land that the LORD your God is giving you. When you take possession of it and settle in it,
it leads to
- Joshua 1:11
“Go through the camp and tell the people, ‘Prepare your provisions, for within three days you will cross the Jordan to go in and take possession of the land that the LORD your God…
- Joshua 1:11
Through
Deuteronomy 1:28Where can we go? Our brothers have made our hearts melt, saying: ‘The people are larger and taller than we are; the cities are large, with walls up to the heavens. We even saw…
it leads to
- Deuteronomy 9:1–2
Hear, O Israel: Today you are about to cross the Jordan to go in and dispossess nations greater and stronger than you, with large cities fortified to the heavens.
- Numbers 13:28–33
Nevertheless, the people living in the land are strong, and the cities are large and fortified. We even saw the descendants of Anak there.
- Deuteronomy 9:1–2
Where this verse is studied
About Deuteronomy
This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; Albert Barnes, Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869); Albert Barnes, Notes on the Old Testament; Jamieson, Fausset & Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible; John Calvin, Commentaries; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763) and Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible.