God’s Word Translation
Deuteronomy 9:3
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.
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
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. 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?” Realize 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. 4When the Lord your God expels these people in front of you, don’t say to yourselves, “Because we’ve been living right, the Lord brought us here to take possession of this land.” No, it’s because these nations are so wicked that the Lord is forcing them out of your way. 5It’s not because you’ve been living right or because you’re so honest that you’re entering to take possession of their land. It’s because these people are so wicked that the Lord your God is forcing them out of your way. It’s also because the Lord wants to confirm 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 9:6So understand this: It’s not because you’ve been living right that the Lord your God is giving you this good land to possess. You are impossible to deal with!
- Matthew 15:10Then he called the crowd and said to them, “Listen and try to understand!
- Mark 7:14Then he called the crowd again and said to them, “Listen to me, all of you, and try to understand!
- Ephesians 5:17So don’t be foolish, but understand what the Lord wants.
- Deuteronomy 1:30The Lord your God, who is going ahead of you, will fight for you as you saw him fight for you in Egypt
- Deuteronomy 20:4The Lord your God is going with you. He will fight for you against your enemies and give you victory.”
- Deuteronomy 31:3The Lord your God is the one who will cross the river ahead of you. He will destroy those nations as you arrive, and you will take possession of their land. Joshua will also cross the river ahead of you, as the Lord told you.
- Joshua 3:11Watch the ark of the promise of the Lord of the whole earth as it goes ahead of you into the Jordan River.
- Micah 2:13⌞The Lord⌟ will open the way and lead them. They will break out, go through the gate, and leave. Their king will travel in front of them. The Lord will lead the people.
- Revelation 19:11I saw heaven standing open. There was a white horse, and its rider is named Faithful and True. With integrity he judges and wages war.
- Deuteronomy 4:24The Lord your God is a raging fire, a God who does not tolerate rivals.
- Isaiah 27:4I am no longer angry. If only thorns and briars would confront me! I would fight them in battle and set all of them on fire.
- Isaiah 30:27The name of the Lord is going to come from far away. His anger is burning. His burden is heavy. His lips are filled with fury. His tongue is like a devouring flame.
- Isaiah 33:14The sinners in Zion are terrified. Trembling seizes the ungodly. Can any of us live through a fire that destroys? Can any of us live through a fire that burns forever?
- Nahum 1:5The mountains quake because of him. The hills melt. The earth draws back in his presence. The world and all who live in it draw back as well.
- 2 Thessalonians 1:8He will take revenge on those who refuse to acknowledge God and on those who refuse to respond to the Good News about 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
God’s Word Translation — © 1995 God’s Word to the Nations Bible Society
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