Christian Standard Bible
Deuteronomy 9:3
3But understand that today the Lord your God will cross over ahead of you as a consuming fire; he will devastate and subdue them before you. You will drive them out and destroy them swiftly, as the Lord has told you.
Deuteronomy 9:3 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)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.
- New International Version (NIV)But be assured today that the Lord your God is the one who goes across ahead of you like a devouring fire. He will destroy them; he will subdue them before you. And you will drive them out and annihilate them quickly, as the Lord has promised you.
- English Standard Version (ESV)Know therefore today that he who goes over before you as a consuming fire is the Lord your God. He will destroy them and subdue them before you. So you shall drive them out and make them perish quickly, as the Lord has promised you.
- New King James Version (NKJV)Therefore understand today that the Lord your God is He who goes over before you as a consuming fire. He will destroy them and bring them down before you; so you shall drive them out and destroy them quickly, as the Lord has said to you.
Context of Deuteronomy 9:3
1“Listen, Israel: Today you are about to cross the Jordan to enter and drive out nations greater and stronger than you, with large cities fortified to the heavens. 2The people are strong and tall, the descendants of the Anakim. You know about them and you have heard it said about them, ‘Who can stand up to the sons of Anak? ’ But understand that today the Lord your God will cross over ahead of you as a consuming fire; he will devastate and subdue them before you. You will drive them out and destroy them swiftly, as the Lord has told you. 4When the Lord your God drives them out before you, do not say to yourself, ‘The Lord brought me in to take possession of this land because of my righteousness.’ Instead, the Lord will drive out these nations before you because of their wickedness. 5You are not going to take possession of their land because of your righteousness or your integrity. Instead, the Lord your God will drive out these nations before you because of their wickedness, in order to fulfill the promise he swore to your ancestors Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.
Read all of Deuteronomy 9Deuteronomy 9:3 word by word
וְיָדַעְתָּ֣ הַיּ֗וֹם כִּי֩ יְהוָ֨ה אֱלֹהֶ֜יךָ הֽוּא־הָעֹבֵ֤ר לְפָנֶ֙יךָ֙ אֵ֣שׁ אֹֽכְלָ֔ה ה֧וּא יַשְׁמִידֵ֛ם וְה֥וּא יַכְנִיעֵ֖ם לְפָנֶ֑יךָ וְהֽוֹרַשְׁתָּ֤ם וְהַֽאַבַדְתָּם֙ מַהֵ֔ר כַּאֲשֶׁ֛ר דִּבֶּ֥ר יְהוָ֖ה לָֽךְ׃Read the interlinear
Words taken from the KJV.
- Understandיָדַעyâda‛ · to knowH3045
- therefore this dayיוֹםyôm · dayH3117
- that the Lordיְהֹוָהyehôvâh · LORDH3068
- thy Godאֱלֹהִים'ĕlôhîym · GodH430
- he which goeth overעָבַר‛âbar · to passH5674
- beforeפָּנֶהpânîym · face: beforeH6440
- a consumingאָכַל'âkal · to eatH398
- fireאֵשׁ'êsh · fireH784
- he shall destroyשָׁמַדshâmad · to destroyH8045
- them, and he shall bring them downכָּנַעkâna‛ · be humbleH3665
- so shalt thou drive them outיָרַשׁyârash yârêsh · to possess: takeH3423
- and destroyאָבַד'âbad · to perishH6
- them quicklyמַהֵרmahêr · quicklyH4118
- hath saidדָבַרdâbar · to speak: promiseH1696
Cross-references for Deuteronomy 9:3
- Deuteronomy 9:6Understand that the Lord your God is not giving you this good land to possess because of your righteousness, for you are a stiff-necked people.
- Matthew 15:10Summoning the crowd, he told them, “Listen and understand:
- Mark 7:14Summoning the crowd again, he told them, “Listen to me, all of you, and understand:
- Ephesians 5:17So don’t be foolish, but understand what the Lord’s will is.
- Deuteronomy 1:30The Lord your God who goes before you will fight for you, just as you saw him do for you in Egypt.
- Deuteronomy 20:4For the Lord your God is the one who goes with you to fight for you against your enemies to give you victory.’
- Deuteronomy 31:3The Lord your God is the one who will cross ahead of you. He will destroy these nations before you, and you will drive them out. Joshua is the one who will cross ahead of you, as the Lord has said.
- Joshua 3:11when the ark of the covenant of the Lord of the whole earth goes ahead of you into the Jordan.
- Micah 2:13One who breaks open the way will advance before them; they will break out, pass through the city gate, and leave by it. Their King will pass through before them, the Lord as their leader.
- Revelation 19:11Then I saw heaven opened, and there was a white horse. Its rider is called Faithful and True, and with justice he judges and makes war.
- Deuteronomy 4:24For the Lord your God is a consuming fire, a jealous God.
- Isaiah 27:4I am not angry. If only there were thorns and briers for me to battle, I would trample them and burn them to the ground.
- Isaiah 30:27Look! The name of the Lord is coming from far away, his anger burning and heavy with smoke. His lips are full of fury, and his tongue is like a consuming fire.
- Isaiah 33:14The sinners in Zion are afraid; trembling seizes the ungodly: “Who among us can dwell with a consuming fire? Who among us can dwell with ever-burning flames?”
- Nahum 1:5The mountains quake before him, and the hills melt; the earth trembles at his presence — the world and all who live in it.
- 2 Thessalonians 1:8when he takes vengeance with flaming fire on those who don’t know God and on those who don’t obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus.
Commentaries on Deuteronomy 9:3
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 3So 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.Read the comment
- Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 3The image of a consuming fire shows God fighting his enemies (see 1:30). God will not only use fire. He will be an unstoppable fire, consuming everything in his path. In the end, Israel will only need to walk in and occupy the conquered land.Read the comment
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 1-251. this day--means this time. The Israelites had reached the confines of the promised land, but were obliged, to their great mortification, to return. But now they certainly were to enter it. No obstacle could prevent their possession; neither the fortified defenses of the towns, nor the resistance of the gigantic inhabitants of whom they had received from the spies so formidable a description. cities great and fenced up to heaven--Oriental cities…Read the comment
Topics related to Deuteronomy 9:3
In the dictionaries
Commentaries on Deuteronomy 9
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
- Matthew Henry Concise Commentary
- Tyndale Open Study Notes
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary
- Rashi on Tanakh
- Calvin’s Commentaries
- Keil & Delitzsch Commentary
- John Wesley’s Notes
- Darby Translation Notes
- Geneva Bible Translation Notes
- Kingcomments
- Matthew Henry’s Complete Commentary
- Matthew Henry’s Modern English Commentary
- Scofield Reference Notes, 1917 Edition
- Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary
- EGW Writings
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