The Meaning of Deuteronomy 9:19 Explained

Deuteronomy 9:19

KJV: For I was afraid of the anger and hot displeasure, wherewith the LORD was wroth against you to destroy you. But the LORD hearkened unto me at that time also.

YLT: 'For I have been afraid because of the anger and the fury with which Jehovah hath been wroth against you, to destroy you; and Jehovah doth hearken unto me also at this time.

Darby: For I was afraid of the anger and fury wherewith Jehovah was wroth against you to destroy you. And Jehovah listened unto me also at that time.

ASV: For I was afraid of the anger and hot displeasure, wherewith Jehovah was wroth against you to destroy you. But Jehovah hearkened unto me that time also.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

For I was afraid  of  the anger  and hot displeasure,  wherewith the LORD  was wroth  against you to destroy  you. But the LORD  hearkened  unto me at that time  also. 

What does Deuteronomy 9:19 Mean?

Context Summary

Deuteronomy 9:15-29 - Moses' Intercession For A Rebellious People
During the remainder of this chapter Moses continues to remind the people of their rebellions. It is well, when we are tempted to self-adulation, to listen to that faithful monitor, conscience, recording our evil past. We are apt to forget our many provocations of God, especially when the smart of the rod is over. But we have all had our Horebs, Taberahs, Marahs, Kibroth-hataavahs and Kadesh-barneas, 1 Corinthians 10:11.
Again and again would the people have been destroyed, if human justice had decided their case. But Moses, the mediator, knew the holy love of God's heart; and expressed it in his prayers on their behalf. See Deuteronomy 9:18; Deuteronomy 9:20; Deuteronomy 9:25-29. We are reminded of Him who ever liveth to make intercession for us within the veil, Hebrews 6:20; Hebrews 7:26-27; Hebrews 9:24. Let us imitate Moses in his life of intercessions; and mark well his arguments that we may use them for ourselves and others. [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 9:19 mean?

For I was afraid of the anger and hot displeasure with which was angry Yahweh with you to destroy you but listened Yahweh to me also at time that
כִּ֣י יָגֹ֗רְתִּי מִפְּנֵ֤י הָאַף֙ וְהַ֣חֵמָ֔ה אֲשֶׁ֨ר קָצַ֧ף יְהוָ֛ה עֲלֵיכֶ֖ם לְהַשְׁמִ֣יד אֶתְכֶ֑ם וַיִּשְׁמַ֤ע יְהוָה֙ אֵלַ֔י גַּ֖ם בַּפַּ֥עַם הַהִֽוא

יָגֹ֗רְתִּי  I  was  afraid 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Perfect, first person common singular
Root: יָגֹר  
Sense: (Qal) to fear, dread, be afraid.
הָאַף֙  the  anger 
Parse: Article, Noun, masculine singular
Root: אַף 
Sense: nostril, nose, face.
וְהַ֣חֵמָ֔ה  and  hot  displeasure 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Article, Noun, feminine singular
Root: חֵמָא 
Sense: heat, rage, hot displeasure, indignation, anger, wrath, poison, bottles.
אֲשֶׁ֨ר  with  which 
Parse: Pronoun, relative
Root: אֲשֶׁר 
Sense: (relative part.).
קָצַ֧ף  was  angry 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Perfect, third person masculine singular
Root: קָצַף  
Sense: to be displeased, be angry, fret oneself, be wroth.
יְהוָ֛ה  Yahweh 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: יהוה 
Sense: the proper name of the one true God.
עֲלֵיכֶ֖ם  with  you 
Parse: Preposition, second person masculine plural
Root: עַל 
Sense: upon, on the ground of, according to, on account of, on behalf of, concerning, beside, in addition to, together with, beyond, above, over, by, on to, towards, to, against.
לְהַשְׁמִ֣יד  to  destroy 
Parse: Preposition-l, Verb, Hifil, Infinitive construct
Root: שָׁמַד  
Sense: to destroy, exterminate, be destroyed, be exterminated.
וַיִּשְׁמַ֤ע  but  listened 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Consecutive imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: שָׁמַע 
Sense: to hear, listen to, obey.
יְהוָה֙  Yahweh 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: יהוה 
Sense: the proper name of the one true God.
אֵלַ֔י  to  me 
Parse: Preposition, first person common singular
Root: אֶל  
Sense: to, toward, unto (of motion).
גַּ֖ם  also 
Parse: Conjunction
Root: גַּם  
Sense: also, even, indeed, moreover, yea.
בַּפַּ֥עַם  at  time 
Parse: Preposition-b, Article, Noun, feminine singular
Root: פַּעַם  
Sense: stroke, beat, foot, step, anvil, occurrence.
הַהִֽוא  that 
Parse: Article, Pronoun, third person feminine singular
Root: הוּא 
Sense: he, she, it.