English Standard Version
Deuteronomy 9:3
3Know 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.
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.
- 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.
- New Living Translation (NLT)But recognize today that the Lord your God is the one who will cross over ahead of you like a devouring fire to destroy them. He will subdue them so that you will quickly conquer them and drive them out, just as the Lord has promised.
Context of Deuteronomy 9:3
1"Hear, O Israel: you are to cross over the Jordan today, to go in to dispossess nations greater and mightier than you, cities great and fortified up to heaven, 2a people great and tall, the sons of the Anakim, whom you know, and of whom you have heard it said, 'Who can stand before the sons of Anak?' 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. 4"Do not say in your heart, after the Lord your God has thrust them out before you, 'It is because of my righteousness that the Lord has brought me in to possess this land,' whereas it is because of the wickedness of these nations that the Lord is driving them out before you. 5Not because of your righteousness or the uprightness of your heart are you going in to possess their land, but because of the wickedness of these nations the Lord your God is driving them out from before you, and that he may confirm the word that the Lord swore to your fathers, to Abraham, to Isaac, and to 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 9:6"Know, therefore, that the Lord your God is not giving you this good land to possess because of your righteousness, for you are a stubborn people.
- Matthew 15:10And he called the people to him and said to them, "Hear and understand:
- Mark 7:14And he called the people to him again and said to them, "Hear me, all of you, and understand:
- Ephesians 5:17Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the will of the Lord is.
- Deuteronomy 1:30The Lord your God who goes before you will himself fight for you, just as he did for you in Egypt before your eyes,
- Deuteronomy 20:4for the Lord your God is he who goes with you to fight for you against your enemies, to give you the victory.'
- Deuteronomy 31:3The Lord your God himself will go over before you. He will destroy these nations before you, so that you shall dispossess them, and Joshua will go over at your head, as the Lord has spoken.
- Joshua 3:11Behold, the ark of the covenant of the Lord of all the earth is passing over before you into the Jordan.
- Micah 2:13He who opens the breach goes up before them; they break through and pass the gate, going out by it. Their king passes on before them, the Lord at their head.
- Revelation 19:11Then I saw heaven opened, and behold, a white horse! The one sitting on it is called Faithful and True, and in righteousness he judges and makes war.
- Deuteronomy 4:24For the Lord your God is a consuming fire, a jealous God.
- Isaiah 27:4I have no wrath. Would that I had thorns and briers to battle! I would march against them, I would burn them up together.
- Isaiah 30:27Behold, the name of the Lord comes from afar, burning with his anger, and in thick rising smoke; his lips are full of fury, and his tongue is like a devouring fire;
- Isaiah 33:14The sinners in Zion are afraid; trembling has seized the godless: "Who among us can dwell with the consuming fire? Who among us can dwell with everlasting burnings?"
- Nahum 1:5The mountains quake before him; the hills melt; the earth heaves before him, the world and all who dwell in it.
- 2 Thessalonians 1:8in flaming fire, inflicting vengeance on those who do not know God and on those who do not 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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Commentaries