Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of 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 swore unto thy fathers, Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.
5. 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 (Deu 25:1; Exo 2:13 (J), Deu 23:1; Deu 23:7 (E), see note; Isa 5:23); so wickedness in Deu 25:2. Both adj. and noun are largely used especially in later writings of all in opposition to Jehovah and His people; but the terms also cover a wider ethical range, Eze 18:27; Eze 33:19, etc. Here, therefore, the wickedness of these, nations will primarily mean their refusal to acknowledge the true God, but implicitly the immorality and ethical uncleanness of their rites: to which recent excavations at Gezer and elsewhere bear testimony. See what is said on abomination Deu 7:25: here it is clearer that more than ritual unrighteousness is intended.
thy God ] Sam. and LXX B omit.
establish the word, etc.] See on Deu 8:18: establish the covenant, etc. It is true that the people must fulfil their side of the covenant by obedience to its laws without which they shall not receive these material blessings in the land; but God made the covenant out of His own free will, Deu 7:7, and will keep it because of His faithfulness, Deu 7:9, and not because of any merit of the people.
which the Lord sware ] Sam. and LXX B etc.: which he sware.
Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges
Verse 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 let it be remembered that this land was originally their own, and that the present possessors had no legal right to it.
Fuente: Adam Clarke’s Commentary and Critical Notes on the Bible
Neither for thy upright heart, nor holy life, which are the two things which God above all things regards, 1Ch 29:17; Psa 15:1,2; and consequently he excludes all merit. And surely they who did not deserve this earthly Canaan, could not merit the kingdom of glory. That he may perform the word which he sware; to show my faithfulness in accomplishing that promise which I graciously made and confirmed with my oath. By which words it is implied, that this land was not given to them for the righteousness of their fathers, though they were righteous and holy persons, and much less for their own righteousness, which they had not, as it follows.
Fuente: English Annotations on the Holy Bible by Matthew Poole
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 Lord thy God doth drive them out from before thee; which is repeated, that it might be taken notice of as the true reason of the Lord’s dealing with them in such severity; and which because it would be now doing, when the Israelites passed over Jordan, and went in to possess the land, it is expressed in the present tense, “doth drive”, the work being not yet finished; sin was the cause of their ejection out of their land, and another thing was the reason of the Israelites possessing it, and not their righteousness next expressed:
and that he may perform the word which the Lord sware unto thy fathers, Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob; it was to fulfil his covenant, and make good his word of promise to their fathers, and not on account of any righteousness of theirs; and the salvation of the Lord’s people in a spiritual sense, and their enjoyment of the heavenly Canaan, are owing to the gracious purposes and promises of God, and to his covenant engagements, as well as to the undertakings, obedience, and righteousness of his Son, and not to any righteousness of theirs.
Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible
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 some other source. But he still further represses their pride, by reproaching them with being “stiff-necked;” for it would have been too absurd to imagine that God, whom they had not ceased to provoke with their sins, was under obligation to them, as if they had duly discharged their duty. This metaphor is taken from oxen, which are useless until they are accustomed to bend their necks; it is then the same as saying that they were not only unsubmissive, but that in their obstinacy they shook off the yoke. By his impressing on them, for the third time, that the Israelites had not deserved the land by their righteousness, we learn that nothing is more difficult than for men to strip themselves of their blind arrogance, whereby they detract some portion of the praise from God’s mercies. Now, if in regard to an earthly inheritance God so greatly exalts His mercy, what must we think of the heavenly inheritance? (250) He would have it attributed to Himself alone, that the children of Israel possess the land of Canaan; how much less, then, will He tolerate the obtrusion of men’s merits in order to the acquisition of heaven? Nor is there anything in the pretense of the Papists that they attribute the first place to God’s bounty; because He claims altogether for Himself what they would share with Him. But if any object that this was only said to His ancient people, I reply, that we are no better than they. Let each retire into himself, (251) and he will not excuse the hardness of his neck. But they who are regenerated by God’s Spirit, know that they are not naturally formed unto obedience; and thus that it is only mercy which makes them to differ from the worst of men.
(250) L’heritage celeste, et permanent. — Fr.
(251) Pour se bien examiner. — Fr.
Fuente: Calvin’s Complete Commentary
(5) Not for thy righteousness . . . dost thou go.The pronoun is emphatic. There is no reason why thou of all others shouldest be thus honoured.
Fuente: Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers (Old and New Testaments)
Not. Compare Tit 3:5. Rom 11:6. 2Ti 1:9.
thy fathers. All three named in connection with the oath.
Fuente: Companion Bible Notes, Appendices and Graphics
Not for: Though the Canaanites were expelled for their wickedness, it does not follow, that the Israelites were established in their room on account of any distinguished virtue, or because they deserved it. On many occasions, it may be seen in the history of the world, that God punishes the wicked by the instrumentality of other men, who are as wicked as themselves. Not the Israelites’ righteousness, but the wickedness of the inhabitants, and the promise of God to their fathers, was the cause of their obtaining Canaan. Tit 3:5
that he may: Gen 12:7, Gen 13:15, Gen 15:7, Gen 17:8, Gen 26:4, Gen 28:13, Exo 32:13, Eze 20:14, Mic 7:20, Luk 1:54, Luk 1:55, Act 3:25, Act 13:32, Act 13:33, Rom 11:28, Rom 15:8
Reciprocal: Gen 19:29 – that God Exo 34:11 – I drive Lev 20:23 – therefore Deu 4:37 – because Deu 7:8 – because Deu 9:4 – Speak not Deu 11:9 – sware Deu 11:23 – General Jdg 11:24 – whomsoever 1Sa 12:22 – it hath 2Sa 7:21 – thy word’s 1Ki 11:13 – for David Neh 9:8 – madest Psa 105:42 – Abraham Eze 36:22 – General Eze 36:32 – for your Act 13:17 – God Eph 2:4 – his Heb 11:8 – which
Fuente: The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
Deu 9:5. Not for thy righteousness Neither for thy upright heart nor holy life, the two things which God, above all others, regards. Here, therefore, all merit in them is excluded: and they are given to know that, although the Canaanites were expelled for their national wickedness, they were not settled in their room for their righteousness. And surely they, who did not deserve this earthly Canaan, could not merit the kingdom of glory. To perform the word To show my faithfulness in accomplishing that promise which I graciously made and confirmed with my oath.