Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of Deuteronomy 9:6
Understand therefore, that the LORD thy God giveth thee not this good land to possess it for thy righteousness; for thou [art] a stiffnecked people.
6. Know therefore ] See on Deu 7:9: the verse begins by giving the conclusion of the previous proof, but adds also another
for thou art a stiffnecked people ] Apparently first used of Israel (in connection with the golden calf) in J, Exo 33:3; Exo 34:9 (Exo 32:9; Exo 33:5 are editorial); then here and Deu 9:13: cp. Deu 10:16, Deu 31:27. Cp. Isa 48:4: thou art obstinate, thy neck is an iron sinew: the figure is of an animal refusing to turn in the direction his rider desires.
Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges
Rebellious and perverse, and so destitute of all pretence of righteousness; such were the people, but there were divers particular persons amongst them truly righteous and holy, and yet even their righteousness is denied to be the procuring cause of this land.
Fuente: English Annotations on the Holy Bible by Matthew Poole
Understand therefore that the Lord thy God giveth thee not this good land to possess it for thy righteousness,…. This is again repeated to impress it upon their minds, that it was not for any goodness of theirs, but as a gift of divine goodness to them, that they were put into the possession of the good land, which greatly exceeded any merits of theirs, and was entirely owing to the kindness of God to them, and not to any righteousness of theirs; and this he frequently inculcates, that they might have a thorough understanding of it. And so the doctrines of justification by the righteousness of Christ, and not man’s, and of salvation by the grace of God, and not the works of men, are points of knowledge and understanding; and to lead men into an acquaintance with them is the general design of the Gospel; and he cannot be reckoned an understanding man, but ignorant of God and his righteousness, of the law and the spirituality of it, of Christ and the way of salvation by him, of the Spirit and of spiritual things, of the Gospel and its doctrines, nor can he be wise unto salvation, who expects to get to heaven by his own works of righteousness; and it might be added, that he is ignorant of himself, of his state and condition, of his sinfulness and vileness, and of the nature of his best works; as the Israelites in a good measure seemed to be, whose conviction is laboured in the following part of this chapter:
for thou art a stiffnecked people; refractory and unruly, like an heifer unaccustomed to the yoke, that draws back from it, and wriggles its neck out of it; so untoward and perverse were this people, and disobedient to the commands of God; wherefore there was no show of reason that they were put into the possession of Canaan for their righteousness; and to make it appear that they were such a people as here described, several instances are given.
Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible
(6) Understand therefore.Literally, and thou knowest. Three times the formula occurs in these verses. The children of Anak thou knowest; and thou knowest the Lord thy God; and (thirdly) thou knowest thyself too.
A stiffnecked people.The metaphor seems to be taken from a camel or other beast of burden, who hardens his neck, and will not bend it for the driver.
Fuente: Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers (Old and New Testaments)
Ver. 6. Understand, therefore, thatnotfor thy righteousness Moses repeats three times, in this and the foregoing verse, the same thing; because he well knew the heart of man so prone to vanity, and the character of the Israelites so self-prepossessed. Nothing was more important than to convince them that God gave them not the land of Canaan for their own righteousness or piety, or for any merit which was in them; so far from it, they are declared to be a very refractory and obstinate people. See Exo 32:9. But God, of his favour and wisdom, dispenses different privileges to different states and nations: to some riches; to some empire; to some arts and knowledge; to others a purer form of worship; and deals with all of them most equitably, according to the use or abuse they make of their respective talents and opportunities. Houbigant well observes, that Moses here addresses the Israelites in the same manner as St. Paul does the Jews in his Epistle to the Romans; each of them pursuing the same thread of argument.
REFLECTIONS.With awakening calls to attention, after some pause, Moses renews his discourse. They were shortly to pass over Jordan, and to enter into the land of Canaan, fortified indeed with the greatest art, and defended by the most mighty warriors. But the greater their strength, the more conspicuous would be the power of God in the certain victory to which he led them. They must beware hereupon, not to ascribe their conquests to their own deserts, for they were a stiff-necked people, but to the wickedness of the people on whom God would, by them, execute vengeance, and to the promise made to their fathers, wherein God would have his faithfulness appear. Note; (1.) The greater our enemies are, the more shall the power of God be magnified in our salvation. (2.) The people of God can never have too mean an opinion of themselves, nor too high a one of the riches of God’s grace. When we come to the possession of eternal glory, every saint will with delight cast down his crown before the throne of Jesus, and own that all the praise and glory are due to him alone. (3.) God will find instruments to execute his wrath upon a devoted people. Though he bear long, he will not bear always. (4.) However long God’s promises may seem delayed, he is faithful, and we shall see them fulfilled at the last. They who patiently wait shall see the salvation of our God.
Fuente: Commentary on the Holy Bible by Thomas Coke
Deu 9:6 Understand therefore, that the LORD thy God giveth thee not this good land to possess it for thy righteousness; for thou [art] a stiffnecked people.
Ver. 6. Understand therefore. ] We are wondrous apt to wind ourselves into the fool’s paradise of a sublime dotage, upon our own worth and righteousness; otherwise, what need so many words here to one and the same purpose? The Scripture doth not use to kill flies with beetles, to cleave straws with wedges of iron, to spend many words where is no need.
Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
Understand: Deu 9:3, Deu 9:4, Eze 20:44
giveth thee: Moses repeats this a third time, that, if it were possible, he might root out of the Israelites the opinion of their own deserts, before God rooted out the Canaanites from their country.
a stiffnecked: Deu 9:13, Deu 10:16, Deu 31:27, Exo 32:9, Exo 33:3, Exo 34:9, 2Ch 30:8, 2Ch 36:13, Psa 78:8, Isa 48:3, Isa 48:4, Eze 2:4, Zec 7:11, Zec 7:12, Act 7:51, Rom 5:20, Rom 5:21
Reciprocal: Deu 2:29 – into the land Deu 9:24 – General Neh 9:16 – dealt Mar 10:5 – For Eph 2:4 – his
Fuente: The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
GRACE, NOT MERIT
Understand therefore, that the Lord thy God giveth thee not this good land to possess it for thy righteousness; for thou art a stiffnecked people.
Deu 9:6
I. The address of Moses is very different from the addresses of most captains of armies under similar circumstances. (1) He makes no attempt to underrate the power of the enemies with whom the Israelites had to contend. He begins his address by telling the people that they are that day to pass over Jordan, to go in and possess nations greater and mightier than themselves. The reason for his giving such information was that the design of God was not merely to conquer the Canaanites, but to educate Israel, to teach them that by Gods power weakness may be made strength, and the mighty vanquished by the feeble. (2) Moses assures the people in plain language that no righteousness of theirs had gained them the land. They might be ready enough to admit that it was not their own courage or their own bodily strength, but they might still be disposed to think that they had deserved Gods favour, that if they had not been deserving of the victory, God would not have given it to them. Self-flattery is easy, and therefore Moses very wisely and decidedly protested once for all against such a view of Gods doings.
II. The principle of spiritual life with ourselves is precisely that which Moses laid down as the principle of national life for the Israelites. God gives us the land of promise for no righteousness of our own. Everything depends on Gods mercy, Gods will, Gods purpose; the certainty of victory depends, not upon any feelings, or experiences, or conflicts of ours, but upon the ever-present help of the almighty God.
Bishop Harvey Goodwin.
Illustration
(1) Moses would live over again the eventful years since he and their fathers had left Egypt, and bring vividly before the minds of the later generation the great events which thronged these forty years. Thus he spoke to them in the plains of Moab, and recounted the more important incidents in their history from the time of the breaking up from Horeb, until they arrived in the plain over against Jericho. In these burning words we hear the tender voice of a loving father and a great master, who is at once jealous for the honour of Jehovah, and anxious for the welfare of Israel. Here, as always, but here in a special manner, he is the mediator between Israel and Jehovah. He urges them by every possible motive to cleave to the God who brought them out of the land of Egypt.
(2) Moses set himself anew to convince the people that it was not on account of any worthiness in them that God was prepared to do such great things, in driving out their enemies before them. Let God go before you, and drive out your inward foesnot for your worthiness, but for His great mercy. Boasting is for ever excluded from all share, whether in our justification or sanctification.
(3) The bane of all high spiritual experience is pride. It is the foe to be feared above all other. It creates in us an unconscious feeling and attitude of superiority. Our joy in Jesus, and our victories are too real to be denied; but pride attributes them to our diligence, prayer, earnestness, etc., and this is deadly to soul-health. Yet all the while we deem ourselves both humble and spiritual!
Fuente: Church Pulpit Commentary
9:6 Understand therefore, that the LORD thy God giveth thee not this good land to possess it for thy righteousness; for thou [art] a {e} stiffnecked people.
(e) Like stubborn oxen who will not endure their masters yoke.