Devarim 9:7

7 Remember, and forget not, how thou provokedst Hashem Eloheicha to wrath in the midbar; from the yom that thou didst depart out of Eretz Mitzrayim, until ye came unto this place, ye have been rebellious against Hashem.

Devarim 9:7 Meaning and Commentary

Deuteronomy 9:7

Remember, and forget not how thou provokedst the Lord thy God
to wrath in the wilderness
Aben Ezra remarks that this was after they journeyed from Horeb; but before they came thither, even as soon as, they were in the wilderness, they provoked the Lord, as by their murmuring for water at Marah, when they had been but three days in the wilderness; and for bread in the wilderness of Sin, and for water again at Rephidim; all which were before they came to Horeb or Sinai, and which agrees with what follows:

from the day that thou didst depart out of the land of Egypt until ye
came unto this place, ye have been rebellious against the Lord;
though they had such a series of mercies, yet their life was a continued course of rebellion against the Lord: which is a sad character of them indeed, and given by one that thoroughly knew them, was an eyewitness of facts, and had a hearty respect for them too, and cannot be thought to exaggerate things; so that they were far from being righteous persons in themselves, nor was there any reason to conclude it was for their righteousness the land of Canaan was given them.

Devarim 9:7 In-Context

5 Not for thy tzedakah, or for the yosher (uprightness) of thine lev, dost thou go to possess their land; but for the wickedness of these Goyim Hashem Eloheicha doth drive them out from before thee, and that He may perform the word which Hashem swore unto Avoteicha, Avraham, Yitzchak, and Ya’akov.

6 Understand therefore, that Hashem Eloheicha giveth thee not this ha’aretz hatovah to possess it for thy tzedakah; for thou art an Am Kesheh Oref (a stiffnecked people).

7 Remember, and forget not, how thou provokedst Hashem Eloheicha to wrath in the midbar; from the yom that thou didst depart out of Eretz Mitzrayim, until ye came unto this place, ye have been rebellious against Hashem.

8 Also in Chorev ye provoked Hashem to wrath, so that Hashem was angry with you to have destroyed you.

9 When I was gone up into the mount to receive the luchot ha’avanim, even the luchot HaBrit which Hashem cut with you, then I abode in the mount arba’im yom and arba’im lailah; I neither did eat lechem nor drink mayim;