Deuteronomy 9:5Not for your righteousness, or for the uprightness of your heart, do you go in to possess their land; but for the wickedness of these nations Yahweh your God does drive them out from before you, and that he may establish the word which Yahweh swore to your fathers, to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob.
The setting
Moses explains God's timing: Canaanites had 400 years to repent, now judgment comes...
The emotion here: sobered by the weight of divine justice and mercy
The original word
rish'ah (רִשְׁעָה) — active wickedness that has reached its full measure
Why it matters
Canaanite practices included child sacrifice to Molech in bronze furnaces
Read with care
What most readers miss in Deuteronomy 9:5
This is God's justice AND mercy—He waited 4 centuries before acting
Common misconceptionPeople see this as harsh toward Canaanites, missing that God waited 400 years and that Israel's selection was based on promise to Abraham, not their goodness.
The thread continues
Verses that echo Deuteronomy 9:5
Bible Genome reading
Deuteronomy 9:5 — Bible Genome reading
Emotional genome
Deuteronomy 9:5 comes from the book of Deuteronomy, written during the exodus period. These words are attributed to Moses. The dominant emotion in this verse is deciding, with a comfort power of 10% and a tone that is commanding. It belongs to the teaching genre of biblical literature. Key themes include humility, God's sovereignty. Notable phrases: Not for your righteousness; uprightness of your heart.
Emotionally similar
Verses that meet the same deciding
“"You shall have no other gods before me.”
— Deuteronomy 5:7
“"You shall not murder.”
— Exodus 20:13
“Whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and whoever humbles himself will be exalted.”
— Matthew 23:12
“For God didn't give us a spirit of fear, but of power, love, and self-control.”
— 2 Timothy 1:7
“But Peter said, "Silver and gold have I none, but what I have, that I give you. In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, get up and walk!"”
— Acts 3:6
Your reflection
What does Deuteronomy 9:5 mean to you, today?
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