Deuteronomy 9:5
in Deuteronomy 9It is not because of your righteousness or uprightness of heart that you are going in to possess their land, but it is because of their wickedness that the LORD your God is driving out these nations before you, to keep the promise He swore to your fathers, to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
Not for thy righteousness, or for the uprightness of thy heart, dost thou go in to possess their land; but for the wickedness of these nations Jehovah thy God doth drive them out from before thee, and that he may establish the word which Jehovah sware unto thy fathers, to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob.
KJV
Not for thy righteousness, or for the uprightness of thine heart, dost thou go to possess their land: but for the wickedness of these nations the Lord thy God doth drive them out from before thee, and that he may perform the word which the Lord sware unto thy fathers, Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.
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This verse in Deuteronomy 9
Commentary
7 notes on this verseFor the wickedness of these nations - So then it was not by any sovereign act of God that these people were cast out, but for their wickedness; they had transgressed the law of their Creator; they had resisted his Spirit, and could no longer be tolerated. The Israelites were to possess their land, not because they deserved it, but first, because they were less wicked than the others; and secondly, because God thus chose to begin the great work of his salvation among men.
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.
This site's exposition
uprightness of heart
The verse adds uprightness of heart to righteousness, so conduct and inward disposition are both ruled out as the ground. Matthew Henry reads the pair this way at verse 4.
The record, by era
The Puritans and the Awakening3 voices
Not for thy righteousness, or for the uprightness of 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.
He will be honoured in the performance of his promise to those that are in covenant with him: God swore to the patriarchs, who loved him and left all to follow him, that he would give this land to their seed; and therefore he would keep that promised mercy for thousands of those that loved him and kept his commandments; he would not suffer his promise to fail.
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
28 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| לֹ֣א | lo' | not | H3808 → | 5168 times |
| בְצִדְקָתְךָ֗ | vetzidkatecha | in righteousness your | H6666 → | 157 times |
| וּבְיֹ֙שֶׁר֙ | uveyosher | and in [the] uprightness of | H3476 → | |
| לְבָ֣בְךָ֔ | levavekha | heart your | H3824 → | 252 times |
| אַתָּ֥ה | ʾatah | you | H859 → | 1094 times |
| בָ֖א | va' | [are] about to go | H935 → | 2568 times |
| לָרֶ֣שֶׁת | lareshet | to take possession of | H3423 → | 231 times |
| אֶת־ | ʾet- | <obj.> | H853 → | 10935 times |
| אַרְצָ֑ם | ʾartzam | land their | H776 → | 2504 times |
| כִּ֞י | ki | for | H3588 → | 4482 times |
| בְּרִשְׁעַ֣ת׀ | berishat | in [the] wickedness of | H7564 → | 15 times |
| הַגּוֹיִ֣ם | hagoyim | the nations | H1471 → | 561 times |
| הָאֵ֗לֶּה | haeleh | <the> these | H428 → | 746 times |
| יְהוָ֤ה | yahweh | Yahweh | H3068 → | 6520 times |
| אֱלֹהֶ֙יךָ֙ | ʾeloheikha | God your | H430 → | 2601 times |
| מוֹרִישָׁ֣ם | morisham | [is] dispossessing them | H3423 → | 231 times |
| מִפָּנֶ֔יךָ | mipaneikha | from before you | H6440 → | 2123 times |
| וּלְמַ֜עַן | ulemaan | and so as | H4616 → | 272 times |
| הָקִ֣ים | hakim | to carry out | H6965 → | 628 times |
| אֶת־ | ʾet- | <obj.> | H853 → | 10935 times |
| הַדָּבָ֗ר | hadavar | the word | H1697 → | 1440 times |
| אֲשֶׁ֨ר | ʾasher | which | H834 → | 5497 times |
| נִשְׁבַּ֤ע | nishba' | he swore | H7650 → | 186 times |
| יְהוָה֙ | yahweh | Yahweh | H3068 → | 6520 times |
| לַאֲבֹתֶ֔יךָ | laavoteikha | to ancestors your | H1 → | 1212 times |
| לְאַבְרָהָ֥ם | leavraham | to Abraham | H85 → | 175 times |
| לְיִצְחָ֖ק | leyitzchak | to Isaac | H3327 → | 108 times |
| וּֽלְיַעֲקֹֽב׃ | uleyaako | and to Jacob | H3290 → | 350 times |
לֹ֣אnot
lo'H3808 →5168 times
בְצִדְקָתְךָ֗in righteousness your
vetzidkatechaH6666 →157 times
וּבְיֹ֙שֶׁר֙and in [the] uprightness of
uveyosherH3476 →
לְבָ֣בְךָ֔heart your
levavekhaH3824 →252 times
אַתָּ֥הyou
ʾatahH859 →1094 times
בָ֖א[are] about to go
va'H935 →2568 times
לָרֶ֣שֶׁתto take possession of
lareshetH3423 →231 times
אֶת־<obj.>
ʾet-H853 →10935 times
אַרְצָ֑םland their
ʾartzamH776 →2504 times
כִּ֞יfor
kiH3588 →4482 times
בְּרִשְׁעַ֣ת׀in [the] wickedness of
berishatH7564 →15 times
הַגּוֹיִ֣םthe nations
hagoyimH1471 →561 times
הָאֵ֗לֶּה<the> these
haelehH428 →746 times
יְהוָ֤הYahweh
yahwehH3068 →6520 times
אֱלֹהֶ֙יךָ֙God your
ʾeloheikhaH430 →2601 times
מוֹרִישָׁ֣ם[is] dispossessing them
morishamH3423 →231 times
מִפָּנֶ֔יךָfrom before you
mipaneikhaH6440 →2123 times
וּלְמַ֜עַןand so as
ulemaanH4616 →272 times
הָקִ֣יםto carry out
hakimH6965 →628 times
אֶת־<obj.>
ʾet-H853 →10935 times
הַדָּבָ֗רthe word
hadavarH1697 →1440 times
אֲשֶׁ֨רwhich
ʾasherH834 →5497 times
נִשְׁבַּ֤עhe swore
nishba'H7650 →186 times
יְהוָה֙Yahweh
yahwehH3068 →6520 times
לַאֲבֹתֶ֔יךָto ancestors your
laavoteikhaH1 →1212 times
לְאַבְרָהָ֥םto Abraham
leavrahamH85 →175 times
לְיִצְחָ֖קto Isaac
leyitzchakH3327 →108 times
וּֽלְיַעֲקֹֽב׃and to Jacob
uleyaakoH3290 →350 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
Titus 3:5He saved us, not by the righteous deeds we had done, but according to His mercy, through the washing of new birth and renewal by the Holy Spirit.
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,
- 2 Timothy 1:9
He 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.
- 1 Corinthians 6:11
And that is what some of you were. But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified, in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God.
- 1 Peter 3:21
And this water symbolizes the baptism that now saves you also—not the removal of dirt from the body, but the pledge of a clear conscience toward God—through the resurrection of Jesus Christ,
- 1 Peter 1:3
Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! By His great mercy He has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead,
- Ephesians 2:8–9
Through
Genesis 17:8And to you and your descendants I will give the land where you are residing—all the land of Canaan—as an eternal possession; and I will be their God.”
it leads to
- Genesis 12:7
Then the LORD appeared to Abram and said, “I will give this land to your offspring.” So Abram built an altar there to the LORD, who had appeared to him.
Reached by 2 separate paths from here.
- Leviticus 26:12
I will walk among you and be your God, and you will be My people.
- Genesis 12:7
Through
Genesis 13:15for all the land that you see, I will give to you and your offspring forever.
it leads to
- 2 Chronicles 20:7
Our God, did You not drive out the inhabitants of this land before Your people Israel and give it forever to the descendants of Abraham Your friend?
- 2 Chronicles 20:7
Where this verse is studied
On this page
Studies5
On this verse
About Deuteronomy

Who and where
3 names in this verse with a page on the site.
- PersonPatriarchsAbrahamCalled out of Ur, the father of all who believe, justified by faith, and the friend of God through whose seed all nations are bles…
- PersonPatriarchsIsaacThe son of promise and of laughter — bound on Moriah, the quiet inheritor of the covenant.
- PersonPatriarchsJacobThe heel-grasping supplanter reshaped at Peniel into 'Israel, he who strives with God' — father of the twelve tribes.
This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; Jamieson, Fausset & Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763) and Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible.
