The Meaning of Deuteronomy 9:6 Explained

Deuteronomy 9:6

KJV: 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.

YLT: and thou hast known, that not for thy righteousness is Jehovah thy God giving to thee this good land to possess it, for a people stiff of neck thou art.

Darby: Know therefore that Jehovah thy God doth not give thee this good land to possess it for thy righteousness; for thou art a stiff-necked people.

ASV: Know therefore, that Jehovah thy God giveth thee not this good land to possess it for thy righteousness; for thou art a stiffnecked people.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

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. 

What does Deuteronomy 9:6 Mean?

Context Summary

Deuteronomy 9:1-14 - Offending The Righteous God
Who can read this chapter without emotion and admiration for its sublime eloquence! It is one of the most striking and moving chapters in this book!
Moses sets himself to convince the people that they must not suppose that their easy entrance to Canaan was due to conspicuous virtue, but rather to God's covenant with their fathers, and also to the sinful practices of the Canaanites. Compare Deuteronomy 9:5 with Genesis 15:16. The contagion of these sins might have infected and poisoned humanity; therefore they had to be extirpated. Whatever we enjoy is due, not to our merit, but to the infinite grace of God in Jesus Christ, 1 Corinthians 15:10.
Ah, my soul, ponder this, for this is true of thee also! All thy past has been filled with failure and rebellion. If thou art still used for God's service, and art credited with a good name among His people, remember the reason is in the sovereign grace of Jehovah!
"A debtor to mercy alone,
Of covenant mercy I sing." [source]

Chapter Summary: Deuteronomy 9

1  Moses dissuades them from the opinion of their own righteousness
7  Moses reminds them of the golden calf

What do the individual words in Deuteronomy 9:6 mean?

Therefore understand that not because of your righteousness Yahweh your God is giving you - land good this to possess for a people Stiff necked you [are]
וְיָדַעְתָּ֗ כִּ֠י לֹ֤א בְצִדְקָֽתְךָ֙ יְהוָ֣ה אֱ֠לֹהֶיךָ נֹתֵ֨ן לְךָ֜ אֶת־ הָאָ֧רֶץ הַטּוֹבָ֛ה הַזֹּ֖את לְרִשְׁתָּ֑הּ כִּ֥י עַם־ קְשֵׁה־ עֹ֖רֶף אָֽתָּה

וְיָדַעְתָּ֗  Therefore  understand 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Conjunctive perfect, second person masculine singular
Root: דָּעָה 
Sense: to know.
כִּ֠י  that 
Parse: Conjunction
Root: כִּי 
Sense: that, for, because, when, as though, as, because that, but, then, certainly, except, surely, since.
בְצִדְקָֽתְךָ֙  because  of  your  righteousness 
Parse: Preposition-b, Noun, feminine singular construct, second person masculine singular
Root: צְדָקָה  
Sense: justice, righteousness.
יְהוָ֣ה  Yahweh 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: יהוה 
Sense: the proper name of the one true God.
אֱ֠לֹהֶיךָ  your  God 
Parse: Noun, masculine plural construct, second person masculine singular
Root: אֱלֹהִים  
Sense: (plural).
נֹתֵ֨ן  is  giving 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Participle, masculine singular
Root: יָתַן 
Sense: to give, put, set.
אֶת־  - 
Parse: Direct object marker
Root: אֹות 
Sense: sign of the definite direct object, not translated in English but generally preceding and indicating the accusative.
הָאָ֧רֶץ  land 
Parse: Article, Noun, feminine singular
Root: אֶרֶץ  
Sense: land, earth.
הַטּוֹבָ֛ה  good 
Parse: Article, Adjective, feminine singular
Root: טָבַב 
Sense: good, pleasant, agreeable.
הַזֹּ֖את  this 
Parse: Article, Pronoun, feminine singular
Root: זׄאת  
Sense: this, this one, here, which, this … that, the one … the other, such.
לְרִשְׁתָּ֑הּ  to  possess 
Parse: Preposition-l, Verb, Qal, Infinitive construct, third person feminine singular
Root: יָרַשׁ  
Sense: to seize, dispossess, take possession off, inherit, disinherit, occupy, impoverish, be an heir.
עַם־  a  people 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular
Root: עַם 
Sense: nation, people.
קְשֵׁה־  Stiff 
Parse: Adjective, masculine singular construct
Root: קָשֶׁה  
Sense: hard, cruel, severe, obstinate.
עֹ֖רֶף  necked 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular
Root: עֹרֶף  
Sense: neck, back of the neck, back.
אָֽתָּה  you  [are] 
Parse: Pronoun, second person masculine singular
Root: אַתְּ 
Sense: you (second pers.