Deuteronomy 9:1

“Hear, O Israel, etc.] A pause being made after the delivery of the preceding discourse; or perhaps what follows might be delivered at another time, at some little distance; and which being of moment and importance to the glory of God, and that Israel might have a true notion of their duty, they are called upon to listen with attention to what was now about to be said: thou art to pass over Jordan this day; not precisely that very day, but in a short time after this; for it was on the first day of the eleventh month that Moses began the repetition of the laws he was now going on with, (<050103>Deuteronomy 1:3), and it was not until the tenth day of the first month of the next year that the…”

“MOSES DISSUADES THEM FROM THE OPINION OF THEIR OWN RIGHTEOUSNESS. (Deu. 9:1-25) this day--means this time. The Israelites had reached the confines of the promised land, but were obliged, to their great mortification, to return. But now they certainly were to enter it. No obstacle could prevent their possession; neither the fortified defenses of the towns, nor the resistance of the gigantic inhabitants of whom they had received from the spies so formidable a description. cities great and fenced up to heaven--Oriental cities generally cover a much greater space than those in Europe; for the houses often stand apart with gardens and fields intervening. They are almost all surrounded with walls…”

“The lesson of this chapter is exactly that of Ephesians 2:8, “By grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God: not of works, lest any man should boast.” In referring to their various rebellions, Moses here, as elsewhere, has regard not so much for the order of time as to that of subject. (Compare Deuteronomy 1:9-15 note.) Such reasons as convenience and fitness to his argument sufficiently explain the variations observable when the statements of this chapter are minutely compared with those of Exo. 32–34. In these variations we have simply such treatment of facts as is usual and warrantable between parties personally acquainted with the matters. return…”

“Hear, O Israel - This seems to be a new discourse, delivered at some distance of time from the former, probably on the next sabbath - day. This day - That is, shortly, within a little time, the word day being often put for time. Nations - That is, the land of those nations. Mightier than thyself - This he adds, that they might not trust to their own strength, but rely upon God's help for the destroying them, and, after the work was done, might ascribe the glory of it to God alone, and not to themselves. Deuteronomy 9:2”

“9:1 walls that reach to the sky: This figurative language emphasizes the impossibility of breaching these walls by human effort alone (Num 13:28). If Israel were to enjoy success, God must lead the way and fight the battle (Deut 9:5).”

“to pass: Deu 3:18, Deu 11:31, Deu 27:2; Jos 1:11, Jos 3:6, Jos 3:14, Jos 3:16, Jos 4:5, Jos 4:19 this day: The Hebrew hyyom, "this day," frequently denotes, as here, this time. They had come, 38 years before this, nearly to the verge of the promised land, but were not permitted, because of their unbelief and rebellion, at that day or time, to enter; but this time they shall certainly pass over. This was spoken in the eleventh month of the fortieth year of their journeying; and it was on the first month of the following year they passed over, and during this interval Moses died. nations: Deu 4:38, Deu 7:1, Deu 11:23 cities: Deu 1:28; Num 13:22, Num 13:28-33 Deuteronomy 9:2”

“Deu 9:1-3 Warning against a conceit of righteousness, with the occasion for the warning. As the Israelites were now about to cross over the Jordan ("this day," to indicate that the time was close at hand), to take possession of nations that were superior to them in size and strength (the tribes of Canaan mentioned in Deu 7:1), and great fortified cities reaching to the heavens (cf. Deu 1:28), namely, the great and tall nation of the Enakites ( Deu 1:28), before which, as was well known, no one could stand (התיצּב, as in Deu 7:24); and as they also knew that Jehovah their God was going before them to destroy and humble these nations, they were not to say in their heart, when this was done,…”