Deuteronomy 9:3-13

3 Know therefore this day, that the LORD your God is he who goes over before you as a devouring fire; he will destroy them, and he will bring them down before you: so shall you drive them out, and make them to perish quickly, as the LORD has spoken to you.

4 Don't speak in your heart, after that the LORD your God has thrust them out from before you, saying, For my righteousness the LORD has brought me in to possess this land; whereas for the wickedness of these nations the LORD does drive them out from before you.

5 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 the LORD your God does drive them out from before you, and that he may establish the word which the LORD swore to your fathers, to Avraham, to Yitzchak, and to Ya`akov.

6 Know therefore, that the LORD your God doesn't give you this good land to possess it for your righteousness; for you are a stiff-necked people.

7 Remember, don't forget, how you provoked the LORD your God to wrath in the wilderness: from the day that you went forth out of the land of Mitzrayim, until you came to this place, you have been rebellious against the LORD.

8 Also in Horev you provoked the LORD to wrath, and the LORD was angry with you to destroy you.

9 When I was gone up onto the mountain to receive the tables of stone, even the tables of the covenant which the LORD made with you, then I stayed on the mountain forty days and forty nights; I did neither eat bread nor drink water.

10 The LORD delivered to me the two tables of stone written with the finger of God; and on them [was written] according to all the words, which the LORD spoke with you on the mountain out of the midst of the fire in the day of the assembly.

11 It came to pass at the end of forty days and forty nights, that the LORD gave me the two tables of stone, even the tables of the covenant.

12 The LORD said to me, Arise, get you down quickly from hence; for your people whom you have brought forth out of Mitzrayim have corrupted themselves; they have quickly turned aside out of the way which I commanded them; they have made them a molten image.

13 Furthermore the LORD spoke to me, saying, I have seen this people, and, behold, it is a stiff-necked people:

Deuteronomy 9:3-13 Meaning and Commentary

INTRODUCTION TO DEUTERONOMY 9

In this chapter the Israelites are assured of the ejection of the Canaanites, though so great and mighty, to make room for them, De 9:1-3, and they are cautioned not to attribute this to their own righteousness, but to the wickedness of the nations which deserved to be so treated, and to the faithfulness of God in performing his promise made to their fathers, De 9:4-6, and that it might appear that it could not be owing to their righteousness, it is affirmed and proved that they had been a rebellious and provoking people from their coming out of Egypt to that time, as was evident from their idolatry at Horeb; a particular account of which is given, and of the displeasure of the Lord at it, De 9:7-21, and of their murmurings, with which they provoked the Lord at other places, De 9:22-24, and the chapter is closed with an account of the prayer of Moses for them at Horeb, to avert the wrath of God from them for their making and worshipping the golden calf, De 9:25-29.