The Meaning of Deuteronomy 9:14 Explained

Deuteronomy 9:14

KJV: Let me alone, that I may destroy them, and blot out their name from under heaven: and I will make of thee a nation mightier and greater than they.

YLT: desist from Me, and I destroy them, and blot out their name from under the heavens, and I make thee become a nation more mighty and numerous than it.

Darby: Let me alone, that I may destroy them, and blot out their name from under heaven; and I will make of thee a nation mightier and greater than they.

ASV: let me alone, that I may destroy them, and blot out their name from under heaven; and I will make of thee a nation mightier and greater than they.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

Let me alone,  that I may destroy  them, and blot out  their name  from under heaven:  and I will make  of  thee a nation  mightier  and greater  than they. 

What does Deuteronomy 9:14 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 9:14 mean?

Let alone Me that I may destroy them and blot out - their name from under heaven and I will make of you a nation mightier and greater than they
הֶ֤רֶף מִמֶּ֙נִּי֙ וְאַשְׁמִידֵ֔ם וְאֶמְחֶ֣ה אֶת־ שְׁמָ֔ם מִתַּ֖חַת הַשָּׁמָ֑יִם וְאֶֽעֱשֶׂה֙ אֽוֹתְךָ֔ לְגוֹי־ עָצ֥וּם וָרָ֖ב מִמֶּֽנּוּ

הֶ֤רֶף  Let  alone 
Parse: Verb, Hifil, Imperative, masculine singular
Root: רָפָה  
Sense: to sink, relax, sink down, let drop, be disheartened.
מִמֶּ֙נִּי֙  Me 
Parse: Preposition, first person common singular
Root: מִן 
Sense: from, out of, on account of, off, on the side of, since, above, than, so that not, more than.
וְאַשְׁמִידֵ֔ם  that  I  may  destroy  them 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Hifil, Conjunctive imperfect Cohortative if contextual, first person common singular, third person masculine plural
Root: שָׁמַד  
Sense: to destroy, exterminate, be destroyed, be exterminated.
וְאֶמְחֶ֣ה  and  blot  out 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Conjunctive imperfect Cohortative if contextual, first person common singular
Root: מָחָא 
Sense: to wipe, wipe out.
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.
שְׁמָ֔ם  their  name 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct, third person masculine plural
Root: שֵׁם  
Sense: name.
מִתַּ֖חַת  from  under 
Parse: Preposition-m
Root: מִתְחָה 
Sense: the under part, beneath, instead of, as, for, for the sake of, flat, unto, where, whereas.
הַשָּׁמָ֑יִם  heaven 
Parse: Article, Noun, masculine plural
Root: שָׁמַיִם  
Sense: heaven, heavens, sky.
וְאֶֽעֱשֶׂה֙  and  I  will  make 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Conjunctive imperfect, first person common singular
Root: עָשָׂה 
Sense: to do, fashion, accomplish, make.
אֽוֹתְךָ֔  of  you 
Parse: Preposition, second person masculine singular
Root: אֵת 
Sense: with, near, together with.
לְגוֹי־  a  nation 
Parse: Preposition-l, Noun, masculine singular
Root: גֹּוי 
Sense: nation, people.
עָצ֥וּם  mightier 
Parse: Adjective, masculine singular
Root: עָצוּם  
Sense: mighty, vast, numerous.
וָרָ֖ב  and  greater 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Adjective, masculine singular
Root: רַב 
Sense: much, many, great.
מִמֶּֽנּוּ  than  they 
Parse: Preposition, third 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.