God’s Word Translation
Deuteronomy 9:1
1Listen, Israel, you’re about to cross the Jordan River. You’ll be forcing out nations that are larger and stronger than you, with big cities that have sky-high walls.
Deuteronomy 9:1 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)Hear, O Israel: Thou art to pass over Jordan this day, to go in to possess nations greater and mightier than thyself, cities great and fenced up to heaven,
- New International Version (NIV)Hear, Israel: You are now about to cross the Jordan to go in and dispossess nations greater and stronger than you, with large cities that have walls up to the sky.
- English Standard Version (ESV)"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,
- New King James Version (NKJV)“Hear, O Israel: You are to cross over the Jordan today, and go in to dispossess nations greater and mightier than yourself, cities great and fortified up to heaven,
Context of Deuteronomy 9:1
Listen, Israel, you’re about to cross the Jordan River. You’ll be forcing out nations that are larger and stronger than you, with big cities that have sky-high walls. 2Their people are tall and strong. They’re descendants of Anak. You know all about them. You’ve also heard it said, “Who can oppose the descendants of Anak?” 3Realize today that the Lord your God is the one who is going ahead of you like a raging fire. He will wipe them out and will use you to crush their power. You will take possession of their land and will quickly destroy them as the Lord promised you.
Read all of Deuteronomy 9Deuteronomy 9:1 word by word
שְׁמַ֣ע יִשְׂרָאֵ֗ל אַתָּ֨ה עֹבֵ֤ר הַיּוֹם֙ אֶת־הַיַּרְדֵּ֔ן לָבֹא֙ לָרֶ֣שֶׁת גּוֹיִ֔ם גְּדֹלִ֥ים וַעֲצֻמִ֖ים מִמֶּ֑ךָּ עָרִ֛ים גְּדֹלֹ֥ת וּבְצֻרֹ֖ת בַּשָּׁמָֽיִם׃Read the interlinear
Words taken from the KJV.
- Hearשָׁמַעshâma‛ · to hear: hearH8085
- O Israelיִשְׂרָאֵלyiώrâ'êl · IsraelH3478
- to pass overעָבַר‛âbar · to passH5674
- Jordanיַרְדֵּןyardên · JordanH3383
- this dayיוֹםyôm · dayH3117
- to go inבּוֹאbô' · to come (in): comeH935
- to possessיָרַשׁyârash yârêsh · to possess: takeH3423
- nationsגּוֹיgôy gôy · nationH1471
- greaterגָּדוֹלgâdôl gâdôl · great: largeH1419
- and mightierעָצוּם‛âtsûm ‛âtsûm · mightyH6099
- than thyself, citiesעִיר‛îyr ‛âr ‛âyar · cityH5892
- and fenced upבָּצַרbâtsar · to gather/restrain/fortifyH1219
- to heavenשָׁמַיִםshâmayim shâmeh · heavenH8064
Cross-references for Deuteronomy 9:1
- Deuteronomy 3:18I gave the tribes of Reuben and Gad and half of the tribe of Manasseh this command: “The Lord your God has given you this land so that you can take possession of it. All your soldiers must be ready for battle when they cross ⌞the Jordan River⌟ ahead of the other Israelites.
- Deuteronomy 11:31You’re about to cross the Jordan River to enter and take possession of the land the Lord your God is giving you. When you take possession of it and live there,
- Deuteronomy 27:2“The day you cross the Jordan River and enter the land that the Lord your God is giving you, set up some large stones and cover them with plaster.
- Joshua 1:11“Go through the camp. Tell the people, ‘Get your supplies ready. In three days you will cross the Jordan River to take possession of the land the Lord your God is going to give you.’ ”
- Joshua 3:6Joshua also told the priests, “Take the ark of the promise, and go ahead of the people.” They did as they were told.
- Joshua 4:5He said to them, “Go to the middle of the Jordan River in front of the ark of the Lord your God. Each man must take a stone on his shoulder, one for each tribe of Israel.
- Deuteronomy 4:38He forced nations greater and stronger than you out of your way to bring you into their land and give it to you. This land is your own possession today.
- Deuteronomy 7:1The Lord your God will bring you to the land you’re about to enter and take possession of. He will force many nations out of your way: the Hittites, Girgashites, Amorites, Canaanites, Perizzites, Hivites, and Jebusites—seven nations larger and more powerful than you.
- Deuteronomy 11:23Then the Lord will force all these people out of your way. Then you will take possession of ⌞the land belonging to⌟ people taller and stronger than you.
- Deuteronomy 1:28Where are we going anyway? Our own men have discouraged us by saying, ‘The people there are taller and stronger than we are. The cities are big with sky-high walls! We even saw the people of Anak there.’ ”
- Numbers 13:22They went through the Negev and came to Hebron, where Ahiman, Sheshai, and Talmai lived. They are descendants of Anak. (Hebron was built seven years before Zoan in Egypt.)
Commentaries on Deuteronomy 9:1
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 1Thou art to pass over Jordan this day - היום haiyom, this time; they had come thirty-eight years before this nearly to the verge of the promised land, but were not permitted at that day or time to pass over, because of their rebellions; but this time they shall certainly pass over. This was spoken about the eleventh month of the fortieth year of their journeying, and it was on the first month of the following year they passed over; and during this interim…Read the comment
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 1The lesson of this chapter is exactly that of Ephesians 2:8, “By grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God: not of works, lest any man should boast.” In referring to their various rebellions, Moses here, as elsewhere, has regard not so much for the order of time as to that of subject. (Compare Deuteronomy 1:9-15 note.) Such reasons as convenience and fitness to his argument sufficiently explain the variations…Read the comment
- Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 1The Israelites not to think their success came by their own worthiness. (1-6) Moses reminds the Israelites of their rebellions. (7-29) Verses 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…Read the comment
- Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 1fortified to the heavens: This phrase shows that humans cannot break through these walls by themselves (Numbers 13:28). For Israel to succeed, God must guide them and fight for them (Deuteronomy 9:5).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 9:1
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
God’s Word Translation — © 1995 God’s Word to the Nations Bible Society
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