Deuteronomy 9 · Verse 4

Deuteronomy 9:4

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.
Deuteronomy 9:4, King James Version

Deuteronomy 9:4 in other translations

BSBWhen 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.
WEBDon’t say in your heart, after the LORD your God has thrust them out from before you, “For my righteousness the LORD has brought me in to possess this land;” because the LORD drives them out before you because of the wickedness of these nations.
ASVSpeak 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.
YLT‘Thou dost not speak in thy heart (in Jehovah thy God's driving them away from before thee), saying, For my righteousness hath Jehovah brought me in to possess this land, seeing for the wickedness of these nations is Jehovah dispossessing them from thy presence;
DARBYThou shalt not say in thy heart, when Jehovah thy God thrusteth them out from before thee, saying, For my righteousness Jehovah hath brought me in to possess this land; but for the wickedness of these nations doth Jehovah dispossess them from before thee.
BBEAnd after the Lord has sent them in flight from before you, say not in your heart, Because of my righteousness the Lord has given me this land; when it is because of their evil-doing that the Lord is driving these nations out before you.
WebsterSpeak not thou in thy 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.

What does Deuteronomy 9:4 mean?

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown on Deuteronomy 9:4-6
4-6. Speak not thou in thine heart, ... saying, For my righteousness the Lord hath brought me in to possess this land--Moses takes special care to guard his countrymen against the vanity of supposing that their own merits had procured them the distinguished privilege. The Canaanites were a hopelessly corrupt race, and deserved extermination; but history relates many remarkable instances in which God punished corrupt and guilty nations by the instrumentality of other people as bad as themselves. 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. 7. Remember, and forget not, how thou provokedst the Lord--To dislodge from their minds any presumptuous idea of their own righteousness, Moses rehearses their acts of disobedience and rebellion committed so frequently, and in circumstances of the most awful and impressive solemnity, that they had forfeited all claims to the favor of God. The candor and boldness with which he gave, and the patient submission with which the people bore, his recital of charges so discreditable to their national character, has often been appealed to as among the many evidences of the truth of this history.

Robert Jamieson, A. R. Fausset & David Brown, 1871 · public domain

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary on Deuteronomy 9:1-6

Moses represents the strength of the enemies they were now to encounter. This was to drive them to God, and engage their hope in him. He assures them of victory, by the presence of God with them. He cautions them not to have the least thought of their own righteousness, as if that procured this favour at God's hand. In Christ we have both righteousness and strength; in Him we must glory, not in ourselves, nor in any…

Read the full comment on Deuteronomy 9:1-6 →

Deuteronomy 9:4 in the original Hebrew

Word-by-word with transliteration, English gloss and Strong's number. Tap a number for the full definition and every place the word is used.

אַל\־'al-may notH408
תֹּאמַ֣רto.Maryou sayH559
בִּלְבָבְךָ֗bil.va.ve.Khain heart yourH3824
בַּהֲדֹ֣ףba.ha.Dofwhen drives outH1920
יְהוָה֩Yah.wehYahwehH3068
אֱלֹהֶ֨יךָ'e.lo.Hei.khaGod yourH430
אֹתָ֥ם\׀'o.Tam<obj.> themH853
מִלְּפָנֶיךָ֮mi.le.fa.nei.Khafrom to before youH6440
לֵאמֹר֒le.Mor<to> sayingH559
בְּצִדְקָתִי֙be.tzid.ka.Tiin righteousness myH6666
הֱבִיאַ֣נִיhe.vi.'A.nihe has brought meH935
יְהוָ֔הYah.wehYahwehH3068
לָרֶ֖שֶׁתla.Re.shetto take possession ofH3423
אֶת\־'et-<obj.>H853
הָאָ֣רֶץha.'A.retzthe landH776
הַזֹּ֑אתha.Zot<the> thisH2063
וּבְרִשְׁעַת֙u.ve.rish.'Atand in [the] wickedness ofH7564
הַגּוֹיִ֣םha.go.Yimthe nationsH1471
הָאֵ֔לֶּהha.'E.leh<the> theseH428
יְהוָ֖הYah.wehYahwehH3068
מוֹרִישָׁ֥םmo.ri.Sham[is] dispossessing themH3423
מִפָּנֶֽיךָ\׃mi.pa.Nei.khafrom before youH6440

Source: STEPBible TAHOT/TAGNT (Tyndale House, CC BY 4.0).

Cross references for Deuteronomy 9:4

  • Deuteronomy 8:17

    And thou say in thine heart, My power and the might of mine hand hath gotten me this wealth.

  • 2 Timothy 1:9

    Who hath saved us, and called us with an holy calling, not according to our works, but according to his own purpose and grace, which was given us in Christ Jesus before the world began,

  • Deuteronomy 9:5

    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.

  • Deuteronomy 18:9-14

    When thou art come into the land which the Lord thy God giveth thee, thou shalt not learn to do after the abominations of those nations. There shall not be found among you any one that maketh his son or his daughter to pass through the fire, or that useth divination, or an observer of times, or an enchanter, or a witch, Or a charmer, or a consulter with familiar spirits, or a wizard, or a necromancer. For all that do these things are an abomination unto the Lord: and because of these abominations the Lord thy God doth drive them out from before thee. …

  • Leviticus 18:24-30

    Defile not ye yourselves in any of these things: for in all these the nations are defiled which I cast out before you: And the land is defiled: therefore I do visit the iniquity thereof upon it, and the land itself vomiteth out her inhabitants. Ye shall therefore keep my statutes and my judgments, and shall not commit any of these abominations; neither any of your own nation, nor any stranger that sojourneth among you: (For all these abominations have the men of the land done, which were before you, and the land is defiled;) …

  • 1 Corinthians 4:7

    For who maketh thee to differ from another? and what hast thou that thou didst not receive? now if thou didst receive it, why dost thou glory, as if thou hadst not received it?

  • Titus 3:3-5

    For we ourselves also were sometimes foolish, disobedient, deceived, serving divers lusts and pleasures, living in malice and envy, hateful, and hating one another. But after that the kindness and love of God our Saviour toward man appeared, Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost;

  • Genesis 15:16

    But in the fourth generation they shall come hither again: for the iniquity of the Amorites is not yet full.

  • Deuteronomy 12:31

    Thou shalt not do so unto the Lord thy God: for every abomination to the Lord, which he hateth, have they done unto their gods; for even their sons and their daughters they have burnt in the fire to their gods.

  • Deuteronomy 7:7-8

    The Lord did not set his love upon you, nor choose you, because ye were more in number than any people; for ye were the fewest of all people: But because the Lord loved you, and because he would keep the oath which he had sworn unto your fathers, hath the Lord brought you out with a mighty hand, and redeemed you out of the house of bondmen, from the hand of Pharaoh king of Egypt.

  • Romans 11:6

    And if by grace, then is it no more of works: otherwise grace is no more grace. But if it be of works, then is it no more grace: otherwise work is no more work.

  • Ezekiel 36:32

    Not for your sakes do I this, saith the Lord God, be it known unto you: be ashamed and confounded for your own ways, O house of Israel.

Ranked by reader votes · OpenBible.info cross references (CC BY).

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
Speak not.
5; 7:7,8; 8:17; Eze 36:22,32; Ro 11:6,20; 1Co 4:4,7; Eph 2:4,5
2Ti 1:9; Tit 3:3-5
for the wickedness.
12:31; 18:12; Ge 15:16; Le 18:24,25

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (Samuel Bagster, c. 1836) · public domain

Context

  • Deuteronomy 9:3

    Understand therefore this day, that the Lord thy God is he which goeth over before thee; as a consuming fire he shall destroy them, and he shall bring them down before thy face: so shalt thou drive them out, and destroy them quickly, as the Lord hath said unto thee.

  • Deuteronomy 9:4

    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.

  • Deuteronomy 9:5

    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.

Read all of Deuteronomy 9

Deuteronomy 9:4 in other languages

Spanish
Reina-Valera 1909
No discurras en tu corazón cuando Jehová tu Dios los habrá echado de delante de ti, diciendo: Por mi justicia me ha metido Jehová á poseer esta tierra; pues por la impiedad de estas gentes Jehová las echa de delante de ti.
French
Bible J.N. Darby 1885
Ne parle pas en ton cœur, quand l’ Éternel, ton Dieu, les aura chassés de devant toi, disant: C’est à cause de ma justice que l’ Éternel m’a fait entrer pour posséder ce pays. Mais c’est à cause de la méchanceté de ces nations que l’ Éternel les dépossède devant toi.
German
Elberfelder 1871
Sprich nicht in deinem Herzen, wenn Jehova, dein Gott, sie vor dir ausstößt: Um meiner Gerechtigkeit willen hat Jehova mich hierher gebracht, um dieses Land in Besitz zu nehmen; denn um der Gesetzlosigkeit dieser Nationen willen treibt Jehova sie vor dir aus.
Latin
Clementine Vulgate
ne dicas in corde tuo, cum deleverit eos Dominus Deus tuus in conspectu tuo: Propter justitiam meam introduxit me Dominus ut terram hanc possiderem, cum propter impietates suas istæ deletæ sint nationes.