Deuteronomy 9

1. Hear Israel thou shalt pass over the Jordan this day [that is soon shortly within over a short while] that thou mayst go in to inherit nations that are greater and stronger than thyself [that is the land of the nation that are &c. for those nations are to be destroyed according to Gods command] cities that are great and fenced up to heaven [see above chapter 1 on verse 28.]

2. A great and tall people children of Enakim [as above chapter 1 on verse 28 and 2.10, 11] whom thou knowest and whom thou hast heard saying who can stand before the children of Enak? [A common proverb at that time when those giants flourished.]

3. Thou shalt them know this day that the LORD thy God is he who goes over before thy face and consuming fire [see above chapter 4 on verse 24] he shall destroy them and he shall cast them down before thy face and thy shalt drive them out of possession and thou shalt drive them out of possession and shall destroy them quickly according to the LORD hath spoken unto thee.

4. Now when the LORD thy God shall have cast them out before thy face then speak not in thine heart [see above chapter 7 on verse 17] saying for my righteousness the LORD hath brought me in to inherit this land for the wickedness of these nations the LORD doth drive them out of possession before thy face.

5. Not for thy righteousness nor for the uprightness of thine heart thou doest go in to inherit their land [for as if the LORD should say thou hast no righteousness of thine own but rather the contrary see verse 6,7 &c. a like phrase unto this an apostle useth Titus 3:5 and elsewhere often in relating the causes of mans salvation that is of our deliverance and possession of the heavenly Canaan when he saith not by works of the righteousness which we have done &c.] but for the wickedness of these nations the Lord thy God doth drive them out of possession before thy face and to ratify the word which the LORD thy God swear unto thy fathers Abraham Isaac and Jacob.

6. Know then that the LORD thy God doth give thee this good land to inherit it for thy righteousness for thou art a stiff-necked people [see Exodus 32:9]

7. Remember forget not that thou didst greatly provoke the LORD thy God to anger in the wilderness from that day that thou comest forth from Egypt until ye came unto this place ye have been rebellious against the Lord.

8. For [this ensuing relation serveth for proof of the 5 and 6 verse where Moses affirmed that God would not bring them in the land of Canaan for their own righteousness] at Horeb ye provoked the Lord to wrath so that he was angry with ye to destroy ye.

9. When I was gone up into the mount to receive the table of stone the tables of the covenant [that is upon which the ten commandments were written which contained the covenant of Gods law so verse 10 &c.] which the Lord had made [see genesis 15 on verse 18] with ye then I abode on the mountain forty days and forty nights I did neither eat bread nor drink water [that is I took no sustenance neither drink nor meat so verse 18 and 1 Kings 13:8,9,13 Kings 6.22.]

10. and the Lord gave me two tables of stones written with the finger of God that is with the fingers see the spiritual meaning hereof 2 Corinthians 3:3 7 and compare Jeremiah 31:33] and on them [to wit as written] according to all the works which the Lord had spoken with you on the mount of the midst of fire in the day of assemble [when Israel stood below at the foot of the mountain to hear Gods commandments.]

11. So it came to pass at the end of forty day and forty nights when the Lord gave me two tables’ o stones and tables of the covenant.

12. That is the Lord said to me arise so quickly down hence for thy people which thou hast brought forth out of Egypt have corrupted it [or have corrupted themselves see exodus 32.7] they are quickly turned aside out o the way [see Genesis 18 on verse 19which I have commanded them and they have made them an molten image.

13. Moreover the Lord spake unto me saying I have seen these people and behold it is a stiff-necked people see Exodus 32:9 and 33.3 and 34.9 below chapter 10.16 and 31.7 2Kings 17.14.]

14. Let me alone [as if the Lord should say trouble say trouble me no more in the interceding for the stiff-necked people see Moses intercession Exodus 32:11,12 &c. and 34.9 and below verse 26 &c.] that I may destroy them and blot out their name from under heaven and I will make thee a mightier and greater nation then this is.

15. Then I turned and came down from the mount now the mount burned with fire and the two tables of the covenant were both in mine hands.

16. And I looked and behold ye had sinned against the LORD your God ye had made ye a molten calf ye had turned aside quickly out the way which the Lord had commanded ye.

17. Then I took hold of the two tables of stones and cast them out of both mines hands and break them before your eyes.

18. And I cast me down before the face of the Lord as at the first [I did again as I had done before] forty days and forty nights I did neither eat bread nor drink water for all sin which ye had sinned doing that which is evil in the eyes of the Lord [that is that which displeased him] to provoke him anger.

19. For I was afraid because of the anger indignation wherewith the Lord was exceeding angry against you to destroy you but the Lord hearkened unto me at that time also.

20. Also the Lord was exceeding angry against you to destroy him but I prayed for Aaron also at that same time.

21. But I took your sin [that is as the following words shew the molten calf wherewith ye had committed the abominable sin of idolatry compare Isaiah 27:9 Hosiah 10.8 Amos 8:14] the calf ye had made and burnt it with fire grinding it very small until it was thinned to dust and I cast the dust thereof into the brook that runneth down from the mount [to loath and detest this abomination in the highest measure and to drown all remembrance thereof in the deep see hereof further Exodus 32 on verse 20 and compare 2 Kings 23 on verse 12.]

22. Also ye angered the Lord exceedingly at Thabera [that is burning why this place was called see Numbers 11:2, 3] and at Massa [that is temptation see exodus 17.7 and Kibroth-Taava that is graves of lust see Numbers 11:34.]

23. furthermore when the Lord sent ye out of the Kades-Barnea saying go up an dinherit that land which I have given ye then ye were rebellious against the mouth [that is the command] of the Lord your God and believed him not [see above chapter 1 on verse 32] and were not obedient unto his voice.

24. Ye were rebellious against the Lord from the day that I knew ye [that is converse with you and had dealing with ye according to my calling.]

25. And I cast me down before the face of the Lord those forty days and forty nights wherein I cast me down because the Lord had said that he would destroy ye.

26. And I prayed unto the Lord and said Lord, LORD destroys not thy people and thine inheritance which thou hast redeemed by thy greatness [that is majesty and great power see below chapter 11.2] which thou hast brought forth out of Egypt by a strong hand.

27. Remember thy servant Abraham Isaac and Jacob [that is remembering thy covenant which thou hast made with them] look not unto the stubbornness of these people nor to their wickedness to their sin.

28. Lest the land whence thou broughtest us out say [Heb. Lest they say the land whence &c. that is lest the inhabitants of the land whence &c. say namely the Egyptians as exodus 32.22] because the Lord was not able to bring them into the land whereof he had spoken unto them he had brought them out to slay them in the wilderness [compare above chapter 1.27.]

29. Yet they were thy people and thine inheritance which thou broughtest out by the great power and by thy stretched out arm.