The Meaning of Deuteronomy 9:3 Explained

Deuteronomy 9:3

KJV: Understand therefore this day, that the LORD thy God is he which goeth over before thee; as a consuming fire he shall destroy them, and he shall bring them down before thy face: so shalt thou drive them out, and destroy them quickly, as the LORD hath said unto thee.

YLT: and thou hast known to-day, that Jehovah thy God is He who is passing over before thee -- a fire consuming; He doth destroy them, and He doth humble them before thee, and thou hast dispossessed them, and destroyed them hastily, as Jehovah hath spoken to thee.

Darby: Know then this day, that Jehovah thy God is he that goeth over before thee, a consuming fire; he will destroy them, and he will cast them down before thee, and thou shalt dispossess them and cause them to perish quickly, as Jehovah hath said unto thee.

ASV: Know therefore this day, that Jehovah thy God is he who goeth over before thee as a devouring fire; he will destroy them, and he will bring them down before thee: so shalt thou drive them out, and make them to perish quickly, as Jehovah hath spoken unto thee.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

Understand  therefore this day,  that the LORD  thy God  [is] he which goeth over  before  thee; [as] a consuming  fire  he shall destroy  them, and he shall bring them down  before thy face:  so shalt thou drive them out,  and destroy  them quickly,  as the LORD  hath said  unto thee. 

What does Deuteronomy 9:3 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 9:3 mean?

therefore understand today that Yahweh your God [is] He who goes over before you [as] a fire consuming He will destroy them and He bring them down before you so you shall drive them out and destroy them quickly as has said to you
וְיָדַעְתָּ֣ הַיּ֗וֹם כִּי֩ יְהוָ֨ה אֱלֹהֶ֜יךָ הֽוּא־ הָעֹבֵ֤ר לְפָנֶ֙יךָ֙ אֵ֣שׁ אֹֽכְלָ֔ה ה֧וּא יַשְׁמִידֵ֛ם וְה֥וּא יַכְנִיעֵ֖ם לְפָנֶ֑יךָ וְהֽוֹרַשְׁתָּ֤ם וְהַֽאַבַדְתָּם֙‪‬ מַהֵ֔ר כַּאֲשֶׁ֛ר דִּבֶּ֥ר לָֽךְ

וְיָדַעְתָּ֣  therefore  understand 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Conjunctive perfect, second person masculine singular
Root: דָּעָה 
Sense: to know.
הַיּ֗וֹם  today 
Parse: Article, Noun, masculine singular
Root: יׄום 
Sense: day, time, year.
כִּי֩  that 
Parse: Conjunction
Root: כִּי 
Sense: that, for, because, when, as though, as, because that, but, then, certainly, except, surely, since.
יְהוָ֨ה  Yahweh 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: יהוה 
Sense: the proper name of the one true God.
אֱלֹהֶ֜יךָ  your  God 
Parse: Noun, masculine plural construct, second person masculine singular
Root: אֱלֹהִים  
Sense: (plural).
הֽוּא־  [is]  He 
Parse: Pronoun, third person masculine singular
Root: הוּא 
Sense: he, she, it.
הָעֹבֵ֤ר  who  goes  over 
Parse: Article, Verb, Qal, Participle, masculine singular
Root: עָבַר 
Sense: to pass over or by or through, alienate, bring, carry, do away, take, take away, transgress.
לְפָנֶ֙יךָ֙  before  you 
Parse: Preposition-l, Noun, common plural construct, second person masculine singular
Root: לִפְנֵי 
Sense: face.
אֵ֣שׁ  [as]  a  fire 
Parse: Noun, common singular
Root: אֵשׁ  
Sense: fire.
אֹֽכְלָ֔ה  consuming 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Participle, feminine singular
Root: אָכַל  
Sense: to eat, devour, burn up, feed.
יַשְׁמִידֵ֛ם  will  destroy  them 
Parse: Verb, Hifil, Imperfect, third person masculine singular, third person masculine plural
Root: שָׁמַד  
Sense: to destroy, exterminate, be destroyed, be exterminated.
וְה֥וּא  and  He 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Pronoun, third person masculine singular
Root: הוּא 
Sense: he, she, it.
יַכְנִיעֵ֖ם  bring  them  down 
Parse: Verb, Hifil, Imperfect, third person masculine singular, third person masculine plural
Root: כָּנַע  
Sense: to be humble, be humbled, be subdued, be brought down, be low, be under, be brought into subjection.
לְפָנֶ֑יךָ  before  you 
Parse: Preposition-l, Noun, common plural construct, second person masculine singular
Root: לִפְנֵי 
Sense: face.
וְהֽוֹרַשְׁתָּ֤ם  so  you  shall  drive  them  out 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Hifil, Conjunctive perfect, second person masculine singular, third person masculine plural
Root: יָרַשׁ  
Sense: to seize, dispossess, take possession off, inherit, disinherit, occupy, impoverish, be an heir.
וְהַֽאַבַדְתָּם֙‪‬  and  destroy  them 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Hifil, Conjunctive perfect, second person masculine singular, third person masculine plural
Root: אָבַד  
Sense: perish, vanish, go astray, be destroyed.
מַהֵ֔ר  quickly 
Parse: Adverb
Root: מַהֵר  
Sense: hurrying, speedy, swift, hastening adv.
דִּבֶּ֥ר  has  said 
Parse: Verb, Piel, Perfect, third person masculine singular
Root: דָּבַר 
Sense: to speak, declare, converse, command, promise, warn, threaten, sing.
לָֽךְ  to  you 
Parse: Preposition, second person masculine singular