Deuteronomy 9:5 · Bible study
Deuteronomy 9:5 Commentary: Grace, Wickedness, and Covenant Faithfulness
Hebrew · 9 what the commentators say
Meaning in one sentence
Explore Deuteronomy 9:5: Israel's entry into Canaan depends not on their righteousness but on Canaan's wickedness and God's covenant promises.
Research Summary
- Meaning: Israel possesses Canaan not because of their own ethical merit but because of Canaan’s sin and God’s faithfulness to the patriarchal covenant.
- Key words: righteousness (צדקה), uprightness (ישר), wickedness (רשעה), dispossess/inherit (ירש), swear (שבע).
- Main debate: None on this verse; the debate lies in how God’s justice and grace relate in the larger narrative.
- Theological theme: Divine grace versus human self-righteousness; covenant faithfulness as the ground of blessing.
- Best use: Preaching on grace; teaching against works-righteousness; understanding Old Testament theology of the land.
Translation Comparison
BSB Berean Standard Bible 2020
It 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.
WEB World English Bible 2000
Not for your righteousness or for the uprightness of your heart do you go in to possess their land; but for the wickedness of these nations Yahweh your God does drive them out from before you, and that he may establish the word which Yahweh swore to your fathers, to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob.
KJV King James Version 1769
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.
ASV American Standard Version 1901
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.
YLT Young's Literal Translation 1898
not for thy righteousness, and for the uprightness of thy heart, art thou going in to possess their land; but for the wickedness of these nations is Jehovah thy God dispossessing them from before thee; and in order to establish the word which Jehovah hath sworn to thy fathers, to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob;
Darby Darby Bible 1890
Not for thy righteousness, or for the uprightness of thy heart, dost thou enter in to possess their land, but for the wickedness of these nations doth Jehovah thy God dispossess them from before thee, and that he may perform the word which Jehovah swore unto thy fathers, to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob.
Douay-Rheims Douay-Rheims Bible 1899
For it is not for thy justices, and the uprightness of thy heart that thou shalt go in to possess their lands: but because they have done wickedly, they are destroyed at thy coming in: and that the Lord might accomplish his word, which he promised by oath to thy fathers Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.
Translations in other languages (10 available)
No por tu justicia, ni por la rectitud de tu corazón entras á poseer la tierra de ellos; mas por la impiedad de estas gentes Jehová tu Dios las echa de delante de ti, y por confirmar la palabra que Jehová juró á tus padres Abraham, Isaac, y Jacob.
Não por tua justiça, nem pela retidão de teu coração entras a possuir a terra deles; mas pela impiedade destas nações o SENHOR teu Deus as expulsa de diante de ti, e para confirmar a palavra que o SENHOR jurou a teus pais Abraão, Isaque, e Jacó.
Non, ce n’ est point à cause de ta justice et de la droiture de ton cœur que tu entres en possession de leur pays; mais c’ est à cause de la méchanceté de ces nations que l’ Éternel, ton Dieu, les chasse devant toi, et c’ est pour confirmer la parole que l’ Éternel a jurée à tes pères, à Abraham, à Isaac et à Jacob.
Denn du kommst nicht herein, ihr Land einzunehmen, um deiner Gerechtigkeit und deines aufrichtigen Herzens willen; sondern der HERR, dein Gott, vertreibt diese Heiden um ihres gottlosen Wesens willen, daß er das Wort halte, das der HERR geschworen hat deinen Vätern Abraham, Isaak und Jakob.
Niet om uw gerechtigheid, noch om de oprechtheid uws harten, komt gij er henen in, om hun land te erven; maar om de goddeloosheid dezer volken, verdrijft hen de HEERE, uw God, voor uw aangezicht uit de bezitting: en om het woord te bevestigen, dat de HEERE, uw God, aan uw vaderen, Abraham, Izak en Jakob, gezworen heeft.
No, tu non entri in possesso del loro paese a motivo della tua giustizia, né a motivo della rettitudine del tuo cuore; ma l’Eterno, il tuo Dio, sta per cacciare quelle nazioni d’innanzi a te per la loro malvagità e per mantenere la parola giurata ai tuoi padri, ad Abrahamo, a Isacco e a Giacobbe.
Nie dla sprawiedliwości twojej, ani dla prostości serca twego ty wnijdziesz, abyś posiadł ziemię ich; ale dla niezbożności narodów tych Pan, Bóg twój, wypędza ich przed twarzą twoją, i aby utwierdził Pan słowo, które przysiągł ojcom twoim Abrahamowi, Izaakowi, i Jakóbowi.
не за праведность твою и не за правоту сердца твоего идешь ты наследовать землю их, но за нечестие [и беззакония] народов сих Господь, Бог твой, изгоняет их от лица твоего, и дабы исполнить слово, которым клялся Господь отцам твоим Аврааму, Исааку и Иакову;
你 進去 得 他們的地，並不是 因你的義，也不是因你心 裡正直，乃是因 這些 國民 的惡，耶和華─你的 神 將他們從你面前 趕出去，又因 耶和華 要堅定 他向你列祖 亞伯拉罕、以撒、雅各 起誓 所應許的 話。
Not for your righteousness or because your hearts are upright are you going in to take their land; but because of the evil-doing of these nations the Lord your God is driving them out from before you, and to give effect to his oath to your fathers, Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.
Verse in Context
Original Language (Biblical Hebrew)
Old Testament · Biblical Hebrew · Deuteronomy 9:5
Source: STEPBible TAGNT/TEHB (CC-BY 4.0). Click or tap a morphology code to see the full parsing.
Scholars' Consensus
Commentators universally agree that Deuteronomy 9:5 flatly denies Israel's merit as the reason for possessing the land. Calvin argues that God ‘would have the punishment inflicted upon these nations awaken the Israelites to fear, and thus that they should attribute nothing to themselves.’ Gill notes that the verse excludes ‘external righteousness before men’ and ‘inward sincerity of the heart’ alike, cutting off any claim of human worthiness. Clarke adds that the Canaanites were cut off for their own wickedness, and Israel was grafted in only because they were less wicked and because God chose to begin his work of salvation. Wesley states that the exclusion of merit for an earthly Canaan applies even more strongly to the kingdom of glory. The negative is absolute: not because of your righteousness, not because of uprightness of heart.
How settled is the interpretation?
Interpretive difficulty: Low
What is clear: God's actions in giving the land to Israel are not based on Israel's moral merit but on the sin of the Canaanites and on God's faithfulness to his promises to the patriarchs.
What Scholars Agree and Debate
| Topic | Agreed | Debated |
|---|---|---|
| Reason for dispossession of Canaanites | Both sides agree that the primary stated reason is the wickedness of the nations, not Israel’s righteousness. | Some traditions emphasize that God’s judgment on Canaan is central to his justice; others stress that the dispossession serves to grant Israel a place for covenant life, highlighting grace. |
| Role of human righteousness in covenant blessings | All agree that Deuteronomy 9:5 excludes personal righteousness as the basis for receiving the land. | Reformed traditions (Calvin, Gill) use this to argue that merit has no place in salvation; Wesleyan traditions focus on the priority of grace while still affirming a role for holy living in maintaining covenant relationship. |
| Covenant fulfillment and obedience | Both agree that God’s promise to the patriarchs is the ultimate ground for the gift of the land. | Some stress that Israel’s continued possession depends on obedience (context of Deuteronomy), while others emphasize that the promise itself is irrevocable; the tension is resolved differently across traditions. |
Historical & Cultural Context
Deuteronomy is Moses' final address to Israel on the plains of Moab, just before they cross the Jordan. In chapter 9, he warns against the pride that could follow military victory. The surrounding nations, Canaanites, Amorites, Hittites, and others, had filled up the measure of their sin over centuries. Leviticus 18 and Deuteronomy 12 describe child sacrifice, ritual prostitution, and other practices that made the land morally toxic. God’s judgment on them was not arbitrary but a response to their persistent rebellion.
Moses uses the Hebrew verb yarash (to dispossess, to inherit) twice in this verse, emphasizing that the land is changing hands. The prepositional phrase ‘from before you’ (mippaneykha) pictures God themselves driving the nations out. The phrase ‘the word which Yahweh swore’ points back to the patriarchs: Abraham, Isaac, Jacob. God had promised the land to Abraham nearly four hundred years before the exodus (Genesis 12:7, 13:15, 15:7, 17:8, 28:13). That oath was unconditional; it rested entirely on God’s faithfulness. Calvin remarks that this covenant was made ‘almost four centuries before they were born,’ so the benefit could not spring from Israel’s own merit.
The immediate context (verses 4, 6) shows Moses repeating a threefold denial: ‘Do not say in your heart, “For my righteousness Yahweh has brought me in to possess this land.”’ The entire passage is designed to purge any notion that Israel’s own goodness earned them the land.
Textual Notes
The consulted sources note two minor textual variants. The Cambridge Bible reports that some Septuagint manuscripts and the Samaritan Pentateuch omit the phrase “thy God” (אֱלֹהֶיךָ) in the clause “Yahweh your God does drive them out.” Additionally, the same witnesses read “which he sware” rather than “which Yahweh sware” at the end of the verse. Neither variant changes the meaning of the passage. The overall text is well established.
Reception History
This verse has been a touchstone in the Christian doctrine of grace. John Calvin used it to argue that the inheritance of Canaan, and by extension the heavenly inheritance, is founded on God’s free mercy, not human works. Matthew Henry and John Wesley echoed this, with Wesley stating that if Israel did not deserve an earthly Canaan, they certainly could not merit the kingdom of glory. In the Reformation era, the verse was cited against any form of works-righteousness. More recently, it has informed discussions of divine judgment and mercy in missionary contexts, where the pattern of dispossession and gift is seen as a paradigm for how God deals with sin and fulfills promises. The verse also appears in lectionary readings that pair Old Testament history with New Testament teaching on justification, linking God's covenant faithfulness to Abraham with the gospel.
Preaching This Verse
Three-point outline
- God’s judgment is just. The nations are expelled for their own wickedness, not merely to clear land for Israel. Sin has real consequences, and God’s patience has limits.
- Israel’s possession is gracious. The land is a gift, not a wage. Every Israelite who crossed the Jordan did so by mercy, not merit.
- God keeps his word. The driving motive is covenant faithfulness. God swore to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, and he will not abandon that promise.
Five-point outline
- The self-righteous heart: ‘I deserved this.’
- The sobering diagnosis: you are stiff-necked (v. 6).
- The righteous reason: the wickedness of the nations.
- The gracious reason: God’s promise to the fathers.
- The humbling conclusion: understand that it is not for your righteousness.
Illustration hooks
- A teenager receives a full scholarship to a university. It is not because of high grades; it is because the previous scholarship winner was disqualified for misconduct, and the donor wants to honor a promise made to the student’s family. The student’s part is simply to accept the gift.
- A family moves into a foreclosed home. They did not earn the house through their own savings; the previous owners lost it through financial irresponsibility, and a relative’s will made the house available to them. Their possession is grace built on judgment and covenant.
- A patient is placed high on an organ transplant list. The reason is not the patient’s stellar medical history; it is the severity of need and the donor’s compassionate decision. The patient receives life through another’s gift, not personal merit.
Questions your congregation is asking
- If my salvation is not because of my righteousness, does my obedience still matter?
- Why does God allow wicked nations to flourish for so long before judging them?
- How can I avoid the subtle drift into thinking God blesses me because I deserve it?
Leading a Discussion
This verse strips away every pretension that we deserve what God gives. In a small group, read Deuteronomy 9:4, 6 aloud, then work through these questions together. The goal is not guilt but honest gratitude.
Discussion questions
- What reasons does Moses list for Israel not receiving the land? What reasons does he list for why they do receive it?
- The Hebrew word for “wickedness” (rish‘ah) is the direct opposite of “righteousness.” How does this contrast sharpen the meaning of the verse?
- Why does Moses mention the oath to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob? What does that add to the explanation?
- In what situations are you most tempted to think God blesses you because of your goodness?
- The verse says God drives out the nations “from before you.” What does that word picture tell us about God’s role in our lives today?
- How does understanding God’s judgment on the Canaanites help us make sense of suffering or evil in the world?
- If our standing before God is not based on our righteousness, what is the proper response to his gifts?
Word Study
The key original-language words in this verse. Select any word for its full lexicon entry — meaning, every occurrence in Scripture, and related words.
Cross-References
Source: Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (TSK, public domain)
| Genesis 12:7 | Yahweh appeared to Abram and said, “I will give this land to your offspring.” He built an altar there to Yahweh, who had appeared to him. |
| Genesis 13:15 | for I will give all the land which you see to you and to your offspring forever. |
| Genesis 15:7 | He said to Abram, “I am Yahweh who brought you out of Ur of the Chaldees, to give you this land to inherit it.” |
| Genesis 17:8 | I will give to you, and to your offspring after you, the land where you are traveling, all the land of Canaan, for an everlasting possession. I will be their God.” |
| Genesis 26:4 | I will multiply your offspring as the stars of the sky, and will give all these lands to your offspring. In your offspring all the nations of the earth will be blessed, |
| Genesis 28:13 | Behold, Yahweh stood above it, and said, “I am Yahweh, the God of Abraham your father, and the God of Isaac. I will give the land you lie on to you and to your offspring. |
| Exodus 32:13 | Remember Abraham, Isaac, and Israel, your servants, to whom you swore by your own self, and said to them, ‘I will multiply your offspring as the stars of the sky, and all this land that I have spoken of I will give to your offspring, and they shall inherit it forever.’” |
| Ezekiel 20:14 | But I worked for my name’s sake, that it should not be profaned in the sight of the nations, in whose sight I brought them out. |
Interlinear and lexical data from STEPBible (CC BY 4.0). Cross-reference data from OpenBible.info (CC BY 4.0). Commentaries are public domain.
For personal reflection
Read the devotional page — prayer, application, and "for families"
What the Commentators Say
9 public-domain commentaries, condensed into plain language.
Adam Clarke's Commentary Methodist/Wesleyan 1826
Clarke stresses that God did not remove the Canaanites by arbitrary decree but for their own wickedness. The Israelites received the land not as a reward but because they were less wicked and because God chose to begin His work of salvation. He warns against pride, noting that Israel was later cut off for the same sin.
Calvin's Commentaries Reformed 1564
Calvin stresses that God punished the Canaanites not to reward Israel’s merits but to teach them fear and to show that the covenant with Abraham was sheer grace. He adds that the people were naturally stubborn, like oxen that shake off the yoke, so they could never have earned God’s favor. For Calvin, this earthly inheritance proves that every blessing comes from mercy alone.
Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges Anglican 1880
This commentator stresses that the wickedness of these nations means more than religious rebellion; it includes outright immorality and ethical corruption in their practices. The key point is that God will keep His covenant purely because of His own faithfulness, not because the people have earned or deserve it.
Geneva Bible Notes Reformed 1599
The Geneva note stresses a double reason Israel did not earn the land by their own righteousness. God dispossessed those nations because of their wickedness, and He kept the promise He swore to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. Israel's entrance rests entirely on the nations' sin and God's covenant faithfulness.
Gill's Exposition of the Bible Baptist 1748
Gill stresses that Israel entered Canaan not because of any righteousness in them, whether outward obedience or inward sincerity. The sole reasons were the wickedness of the dispossessed nations and God's promise to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. He draws a parallel: spiritual salvation likewise depends on God's covenant and Christ's work, never on human merit.
Keil & Delitzsch OT Commentary Protestant 1876
Keil-Delitzsch stresses that Israel must not credit their own righteousness for receiving Canaan. The land comes solely because of God's sworn promise to the patriarchs and the Canaanites' wickedness. Moses mentions uprightness of heart to show that outward works are not true righteousness; the gift rests on grace alone, not Israel's merit.
Lange's Commentary Reformed 1857
Lange highlights two distinct forms of pride at work in this chapter: the gross self-exaltation of trusting one's own strength, and the more refined pride of self-righteousness that imagines God rewards personal merit. He notes Moses deliberately quotes the spies' fearful words about the Anakim as an ironic contrast to the real danger—Israel's own stiff-necked heart.
Matthew Henry's Commentary Reformed/Presbyterian 1710
Matthew Henry warns that Israel must not credit their own righteousness for their victories. God gives them the land because of the Canaanites' wickedness and to keep His promise to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, not because Israel deserves it. They are a stiff-necked people, as Moses reminds them.
Wesley's Explanatory Notes Methodist/Wesleyan 1754
Wesley stresses that the gift of the land was not earned by any human righteousness, neither an upright heart nor a holy life, which are the very things God most values. This completely excludes all human merit. If they did not deserve an earthly Canaan, they could never merit the kingdom of glory.