Deuteronomy 9:1

1 "Hear, O Israel: Thou art to pass over the Jordan this day to go in to possess nations greater and mightier than thyself, cities great and fortified up to heaven,

Deuteronomy 9:1 Meaning and Commentary

Deuteronomy 9:1

Hear, O Israel
A pause being made after the delivery of the preceding discourse; or perhaps what follows might be delivered at another time, at some little distance; and which being of moment and importance to the glory of God, and that Israel might have a true notion of their duty, they are called upon to listen with attention to what was now about to be said:

thou art to pass over Jordan this day;
not precisely that very day, but in a short time after this; for it was on the first day of the eleventh month that Moses began the repetition of the laws he was now going on with, ( Deuteronomy 1:3 ) , and it was not until the tenth day of the first month of the next year that the people passed over Jordan, ( Joshua 4:19 ) which was about two months after this:

to go in and possess nations greater and mightier than thyself;
the seven nations named ( Deuteronomy 7:1 ) where the same characters are given of them:

cities great and fenced up to heaven;
as they were said to be by the spies, ( Deuteronomy 1:28 ) , and were no doubt both large and strongly fortified, and not to be easily taken by the Israelites, had not the Lord been with them, ( Deuteronomy 9:3 ) .

Deuteronomy 9:1 In-Context

1 "Hear, O Israel: Thou art to pass over the Jordan this day to go in to possess nations greater and mightier than thyself, cities great and fortified up to heaven,

2 a people great and tall, the children of the Anakim, whom thou knowest and of whom thou hast heard say, `Who can stand before the children of Anak!'

3 Understand therefore this day that the LORD thy God is He who 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.

4 Speak not thou in thine heart, after 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.

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 swore unto thy fathers, Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.