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._ No JFB commentary on these verses....

5._Not for thy righteousness. _First of all, he would have the punishment inflicted upon these nations awaken the Israelites to fear, and thus that they should attribute nothing to themselves; because it was God’s design not to reward their merits, but to shew the severity of His judgment. Secondly, he confirms this by two arguments; viz., because God thus had performed what He promised Abraham; (which promise, as has been already seen, was founded on mere grace;) and, again, because the people itself was naturally perverse and rebellious. Hence, it sufficiently appears that there was no room for merits, since by them God’s covenant would have been nullified, nor, if there were, could any such be found in so depraved and contumacious a nation. And besides, God had made His covenant with Abraham almost four centuries before they were born. Hence it follows that this benefit proceeded from...

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....

Verse Deuteronomy 9:5. _FOR THE WICKEDNESS OF THESE NATIONS_] So then it was not by any _sovereign_ act of God that these people were cast out, but for their _wickedness_; they had transgressed the law of their Creator; they had resisted his Spirit, and could no longer be tolerated. The Israelites were to possess their land, not because _they_ deserved it, but first, because they were _less_ wicked than the others; and secondly, because God thus chose to _begin_ the great work of his salvation among men. Thus then the _Canaanites were_ _cut off_, and the _Israelites were grafted in_; and the _Israelites_, because of their wickedness, were afterwards _cut off_ and the _Gentiles grafted in_. Let the latter not be high-minded, but fear; _if God spared not the natural branches, take heed lest he spare_ _not thee_. But l...

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

NOT FOR THY RIGHTEOUSNESS, OR FOR THE UPRIGHTNESS OF THINE HEART,.... Neither for their external righteousness before men, or their outward conformity to the law, nor for the inward sincerity of their hearts, and their upright intentions in doing good, in which they were defective: DOST THOU GO TO POSSESS THEIR LAND; this is repeated, and enlarged on, and explained, that this notion might be entirely removed from them, and not entertained by them; similar to which is that of men, who fancy that their sincere obedience, though imperfect, will be accepted of God instead of a perfect one, on account of which they shall be justified and saved; but by the deeds of the law no flesh living can be justified in the sight of God, nor by any works of righteousness done by the best of men, and in the best manner they are capable of, will any be saved; BUT FOR THE WICKEDNESS OF THOSE NATIONS THE LO...

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....

NOT. Compare Titus 3:5. Rom 11:6. 2 Timothy 1:9. THY FATHERS. All three named in connection with the oath....

_dost thou go in to possess_ Characteristic of the Sg. passages. _the wickedness of these nations wickedness_the direct opposite of _righteousness_; in disputes as to justice the _wicked_is the man who is in the wrong (Deuteronomy 25:1; Exodus 2:13 (J), Deuteronomy 23:1; Deuteronomy 23:7 (E), see note; Isaiah 5:23); so wickedness in Deuteronomy 25:2. Both adj. and noun are largely used especially in later writings of all in opposition