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._ No JFB commentary on this verse....

3._Understand therefore this day. _He concludes from what has preceded that the Israelites would be too perverse, unless they acknowledge that their enemies were overcome by the hand of God; and, still more to heighten the miracle, he uses a similitude, comparing God to a fire, which consumes so many nations in an unwonted and incredible manner. It is as if he had said, that it could not be effected by human or ordinary means that so many and such warlike peoples could thus quickly perish. Elsewhere God is called “a consuming fire” in a different sense, that we may fear his wrath and power; but here Moses only means that the destruction of the Canaanitish nations was His wonderful work....

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 sufficiency of our own. It is for the wickedness of these nations that God drives them out. All whom God rejects, are rejected for their own wickedness; but none whom he accepts are accepted for their own righteousness. Thus boasting is for ever done away: see Ephesians 2:9; Ephesians 2:11; Ephesians 2:12....

SO SHALT THOU DRIVE THEM OUT, AND DESTROY THEM QUICKLY - This is not inconsistent with Deuteronomy 7:22, in which instant annihilation is not to be expected for the reasons assigned. Here Moses urges the people to trust in God’s covenanted aid; since He would then make no delay in so destroying the nations attacked by them as to put them into enjoyment of the promises, and in doing so as fast as was for the well-being of Israel itself....

EXPOSITION DISSUASIVES FROM SELF-RIGHTEOUSNESS. DEUTERONOMY 9:1 Israel might acknowledge that it was of God's free gift that they possessed the land of Canaan, and yet might flatter themselves by thinking it was because of their righteousness and goodness that the gift was bestowed. To guard against this, _Moses _tells them that not because of their righteousness would God go before them and drive out the mighty peoples that then occupied the land, but because of the wickedness of these peoples themselves were they to be extirpated (Deuteronomy 9:1). He further reminds them of their transgressions in the past, and how they thereby came under the Divine displeasure, and were saved

UNDERSTAND THEREFORE THIS DAY,.... Or be it known to you for your encouragement, and believe it: THAT THE LORD THY GOD [IS] HE WHICH GOETH OVER BEFORE THEE AS A CONSUMING FIRE: did not only go before them over the river Jordan, in a pillar of cloud and fire, to guide and direct them, and was a wall of fire around them to protect and defend them, but as a consuming fire, before which there is no standing, to destroy their enemies; see Deuteronomy 4:24, HE SHALL DESTROY THEM, AND HE SHALL BRING THEM DOWN BEFORE THY FACE; be they as great and as mighty, as large and as tall as they may, they will not be able to stand before the Lord, but will soon be made low, and be easily brought down to the earth by him, and to utter destruction; which would be done in a public and visible manner, so as that the hand of the Lord would be seen in it by the Israeli

5. WARNING AGAINST SELF-RIGHTEOUSNESS AND THEIR PREVIOUS FAILURES Chapter S 9:1-10:11 _ 1. The warning (Deuteronomy 9:1)_ 2. The failures of the past (Deuteronomy 9:7) 3. The intercession of Moses (Deuteronomy 9:25) 4. The results of the intercession (Deuteronomy 10:1) This chapter and the first eleven verses of the tenth are aimed against the spirit of self righteousness. First there is the warning. This is followed by their shameful history of the past, which showed that a boast of being righteous, or having any righteousness had to be positively excluded in their

DEUTERONOMY 9:1_ a_. Israel's victory over the Canaanites due to the wickedness of their foes and Yahweh's promise. Deuteronomy 9:6. stiffnecked: lit. hard, _i.e._ obstinate, of neck (Exodus 32:9). The figure is that of an animal which refuses to take the yoke. Deuteronomy 9:7_ a._ PROVOKEDST. TO WRATH: DEUTERONOMY 4:25 * where a Heb. verb of different meaning is similarly translated....

THE LORD THY GOD. Jehovah thy 'Elohim. App-4. CONSUMING FIRE. Figure of speech _Anthropopatheia._ App-6. SHALL DESTROY. Hebrew. _shamad,_ exterminate. AND DESTROY. Hebrew. _'abad,_ cause to perish. QUICKLY. See note on Deuteronomy 7:22. AS. according as. See Exodus 23:29; Exodus 23:30. Moab subdued (Judges 3:30); Midian subdued (Judges 8:28); Ammon subdued (Judges 11:33); Philistines subdued ...

_Know therefore_ See on Deuteronomy 7:9. _he which goeth over before thee_ Deuteronomy 31:3 (cp. Joshua 3:11). _a devouring fire_ Only here and Deuteronomy 4:24. _he shall destroy … and he he_emphatic. _bring them down before thee_ In D the verb is found only here: it is used also of the subjection of Israel's enemies in the deuteronomic Judges 3:30; Judges 4:23;...