The Meaning of Deuteronomy 9:1 Explained

Deuteronomy 9:1

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,

YLT: 'Hear, Israel, thou art passing over to-day the Jordan, to go in to possess nations greater and mightier than thyself; cities great and fenced in the heavens;

Darby: Hear, Israel! Thou art to pass over the Jordan this day, to enter in to possess nations greater and mightier than thou, cities great and walled up to heaven,

ASV: Hear, O Israel: thou art to pass over the Jordan this day, to go in to dispossess nations greater and mightier than thyself, cities great and fortified up to heaven,

KJV Reverse Interlinear

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, 

What does Deuteronomy 9:1 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 9:1 mean?

Hear Israel You [are] to cross over today - the Jordan and go in to dispossess nations greater and mightier than yourself cities great and fortified up to heaven
שְׁמַ֣ע ! יִשְׂרָאֵ֗ל אַתָּ֨ה עֹבֵ֤ר הַיּוֹם֙ אֶת־ הַיַּרְדֵּ֔ן לָבֹא֙ לָרֶ֣שֶׁת גּוֹיִ֔ם גְּדֹלִ֥ים וַעֲצֻמִ֖ים מִמֶּ֑ךָּ עָרִ֛ים גְּדֹלֹ֥ת וּבְצֻרֹ֖ת בַּשָּׁמָֽיִם

שְׁמַ֣ע  Hear 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Imperative, masculine singular
Root: שָׁמַע 
Sense: to hear, listen to, obey.
! יִשְׂרָאֵ֗ל  Israel 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: יִשְׂרָאֵל  
Sense: the second name for Jacob given to him by God after his wrestling with the angel at Peniel.
עֹבֵ֤ר  [are]  to  cross  over 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Participle, masculine singular
Root: עָבַר 
Sense: to pass over or by or through, alienate, bring, carry, do away, take, take away, transgress.
הַיּוֹם֙  today 
Parse: Article, Noun, masculine singular
Root: יׄום 
Sense: day, time, year.
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.
הַיַּרְדֵּ֔ן  the  Jordan 
Parse: Article, Proper Noun, feminine singular
Root: יַרְדֵּן  
Sense: the river of Palestine running from the roots of Anti-Lebanon to the Dead Sea a distance of approx 200 miles (320 km).
לָבֹא֙  and  go  in 
Parse: Preposition-l, Verb, Qal, Infinitive construct
Root: בֹּוא 
Sense: to go in, enter, come, go, come in.
לָרֶ֣שֶׁת  to  dispossess 
Parse: Preposition-l, Verb, Qal, Infinitive construct
Root: יָרַשׁ  
Sense: to seize, dispossess, take possession off, inherit, disinherit, occupy, impoverish, be an heir.
גּוֹיִ֔ם  nations 
Parse: Noun, masculine plural
Root: גֹּוי 
Sense: nation, people.
גְּדֹלִ֥ים  greater 
Parse: Adjective, masculine plural
Root: גָּבֹול 
Sense: great.
וַעֲצֻמִ֖ים  and  mightier 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Adjective, masculine plural
Root: עָצוּם  
Sense: mighty, vast, numerous.
מִמֶּ֑ךָּ  than  yourself 
Parse: Preposition, second person masculine singular
Root: מִן 
Sense: from, out of, on account of, off, on the side of, since, above, than, so that not, more than.
עָרִ֛ים  cities 
Parse: Noun, feminine plural
Root: עִיר 
Sense: excitement, anguish.
גְּדֹלֹ֥ת  great 
Parse: Adjective, feminine plural
Root: גָּבֹול 
Sense: great.
וּבְצֻרֹ֖ת  and  fortified  up 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Adjective, feminine plural
Root: בָּצַר 
Sense: to gather, restrain, fence, fortify, make inaccessible, enclose.
בַּשָּׁמָֽיִם  to  heaven 
Parse: Preposition-b, Article, Noun, masculine plural
Root: שָׁמַיִם  
Sense: heaven, heavens, sky.