Deuteronomy 9:4

Pride Grace Justice

² The people are strong and tall, the descendants of the Anakim. You know about them, and you have heard it said, “Who can stand up to the sons of Anak?”

³ But understand that today the LORD your God goes across ahead of you as a consuming fire; He will destroy them and subdue them before you. And you will drive them out and annihilate them swiftly, as the LORD has promised you.

When the LORD your God has driven them out before you, do not say in your heart, “Because of my righteousness the LORD has brought me in to possess this land.” Rather, the LORD is driving out these nations before you because of their wickedness.

⁵ It is not because of your righteousness or uprightness of heart that you are going in to possess their land, but it is because of their wickedness that the LORD your God is driving out these nations before you, to keep the promise He swore to your fathers, to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.

⁶ Understand, then, that it is not because of your righteousness that the LORD your God is giving you this good land to possess, for you are a stiff-necked people.

Do read the surrounding verses too, because the context often says more than a single verse.

Compare

BSB: When the LORD your God has driven them out before you, do not say in your heart, “Because of my righteousness the LORD has brought me in to possess this land.” Rather, the LORD is driving out these nations before you because of their wickedness.
KJV: Speak not thou in thine heart, after that the LORD thy God hath cast them out from before thee, saying, For my righteousness the LORD hath brought me in to possess this land: but for the wickedness of these nations the LORD doth drive them out from before thee.
WEB: Don’t say in your heart, after the LORD your God has thrust them out from before you, “For my righteousness the LORD has brought me in to possess this land;” because the LORD drives them out before you because of the wickedness of these nations.
ASV: Speak not thou in thy heart, after that Jehovah thy God hath thrust them out from before thee, saying, For my righteousness Jehovah hath brought me in to possess this land; whereas for the wickedness of these nations Jehovah doth drive them out from before thee.
DARBY: Thou shalt not say in thy heart, when Jehovah thy God thrusteth them out from before thee, saying, For my righteousness Jehovah hath brought me in to possess this land; but for the wickedness of these nations doth Jehovah dispossess them from before thee.
BLB: Do not speak in your heart, after YHWH your God has cast them out before you, saying, “Because of my righteousness YHWH has brought me in to possess this land.” For the wickedness of these nations, YHWH is driving them out from before you.

ÅB: Når nå Herren din Gud driver dem ut for deg, må du ikke tenke som så: Det er for min rettferdighets skyld Herren har ført meg inn i dette land og latt meg få det til eiendom. Nei, det er for disse hedningers ugudelighets skyld Herren driver dem ut for deg.
OTB: Når Herren din Gud har drevet dem ut foran deg, si ikke i ditt hjerte: ‘Det er på grunn av min rettferdighet at Herren har ført meg inn for å ta dette landet i eie.’ Snarere, det er på grunn av ugudeligheten til disse nasjonene at Herren driver dem ut foran deg.
B1930: Når nu Herren din Gud driver dem ut for dig, må du ikke tenke som så: Det er for min rettferdighets skyld Herren har ført mig inn i dette land og latt mig få det til eiendom. Nei, det er for disse hedningers ugudelighets skyld Herren driver dem ut for dig.

Study notes (Tyndale)

Original text and word study

Cross references

Deuteronomy 8:17
You might say in your heart, “The power and strength of my hands have made this wealth for me.”
Read in context
2 Timothy 1:9
He has saved us and called us to a holy calling, not because of our works, but by His own purpose and by the grace He granted us in Christ Jesus before time began.
Read in context
Deuteronomy 9:5
It is not because of your righteousness or uprightness of heart that you are going in to possess their land, but it is because of their wickedness that the LORD your God is driving out these nations before you, to keep the promise He swore to your fathers, to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.
Read in context
Deuteronomy 18:9–14
When you enter the land that the LORD your God is giving you, do not imitate the detestable ways of the nations there.
Read in context
Leviticus 18:24–30
Do not defile yourselves by any of these practices, for by all these things the nations I am driving out before you have defiled themselves.
Read in context
1 Corinthians 4:7
For who makes you so superior? What do you have that you did not receive? And if you did receive it, why do you boast as though you did not?
Read in context
Titus 3:3–5
For at one time we too were foolish, disobedient, misled, and enslaved to all sorts of desires and pleasures—living in malice and envy, being hated and hating one another.
Read in context
Genesis 15:16
In the fourth generation your descendants will return here, for the iniquity of the Amorites is not yet complete.”
Read in context