Deuteronomy 26 9

Deuteronomy 26:9 kjv

And he hath brought us into this place, and hath given us this land, even a land that floweth with milk and honey.

Deuteronomy 26:9 nkjv

He has brought us to this place and has given us this land, "a land flowing with milk and honey";

Deuteronomy 26:9 niv

He brought us to this place and gave us this land, a land flowing with milk and honey;

Deuteronomy 26:9 esv

And he brought us into this place and gave us this land, a land flowing with milk and honey.

Deuteronomy 26:9 nlt

He brought us to this place and gave us this land flowing with milk and honey!

Deuteronomy 26 verses

Deuteronomy 26 9 Meaning

Deuteronomy 26:9 is a core statement of gratitude and historical remembrance made by an Israelite farmer offering firstfruits. It affirms God's faithfulness in fulfilling His covenant promise by actively bringing His people into the Promised Land and graciously bestowing it upon them, characterizing it as a place of extraordinary abundance and divine blessing. The verse succinctly encapsulates God's redemptive journey for Israel, from their former bondage to their blessed inheritance.

Deuteronomy 26 9 Context

Deuteronomy chapter 26 deals with the sacred rituals and confessions to be observed upon entering and settling in the Promised Land. Specifically, verses 1-11 describe the ceremony of presenting the firstfruits of the harvest. This ceremony requires each Israelite farmer, when bringing their initial produce to the central sanctuary, to make a profound public declaration. The declaration recounts God's faithful redemptive history with Israel, starting from their humble origins as "a wandering Aramean" (Deut 26:5), through their oppression in Egypt, God's miraculous deliverance by His mighty hand (Deut 26:8), and finally, their triumphant arrival and possession of the bountiful land. Deuteronomy 26:9 serves as the climax of this historical recitation, stating the ultimate fulfillment of God's promises in providing them with their current prosperous inheritance. It is a confession of complete dependence on and gratitude to God for all their blessings, reminding them that the land and its abundance are not earned but divinely bestowed.

Deuteronomy 26 9 Word Analysis

• And hath brought us (וַיְבִאֵנוּ, vay'vi'enu): This phrase highlights God's direct, purposeful, and active involvement. It underscores that Israel's arrival in the Promised Land was not a result of human endeavor or military strength, but entirely by divine leading and power. This contrasts sharply with the Exodus journey where God also "brought them out" of Egypt (e.g., Exod 3:8), completing the historical redemptive movement. It implies God as the guide and initiator.

• into this place (הַמָּקוֹם הַזֶּה, hammaqom hazzeh): Refers directly to the specific geographic territory of Canaan, the land promised to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. The demonstrative "this" emphasizes its tangible reality and the direct fulfillment of an ancient promise, indicating their immediate, present experience of divine faithfulness.

• and hath given us (וַיִּתֶּן־לָנוּ, vayitten-lanu): This emphasizes the nature of the land's possession as an unconditional, gracious gift (נתן, natan - "to give"). It explicitly rejects any idea that Israel earned the land through merit or power, solidifying the concept of an inheritance bestowed by covenant-keeping God. This polemically differentiates Yahweh from pagan deities, whose favor was often seen as something earned or appeased.

• this land (אֶת־הָאָרֶץ הַזֹּאת, et-ha'aretz hazzot): The repetition of "this" and "land" reinforces the specific and tangible nature of God's provision. It's the same physical land "flowing with milk and honey," establishing it as the direct fulfillment of ancient prophecies and covenant promises.

• even a land flowing (אֶרֶץ זָבַת, eretz zavat): The term "flowing" (zavat) denotes a land brimming with natural abundance, to the point of overflowing. It's a picturesque description, vivid and immediate, suggesting a natural richness that spontaneously yields produce. This signifies the exceptional fertility and blessing placed upon the land by God.

• with milk and honey (חָלָב וּדְבַשׁ, chalav u'devash):

  • Milk (chalav): Symbolizes the thriving of livestock (cattle, sheep, goats) indicative of lush pastures and abundant dairy products. It points to agricultural prosperity, sustainable living, and animal husbandry.
  • Honey (devash): Traditionally refers to wild honey (from bees in trees or rocks) or fruit syrup (especially from dates, grapes, or figs). It symbolizes the sweetness, delight, and natural bounty of fruit trees and wild flora.
  • Together, "milk and honey" form an idiom describing extreme fertility, wealth, and natural pleasantness, suggesting that God provided a land requiring minimal human effort to be productive due to its inherent richness and divine blessing. It stands as a consistent biblical motif for a land blessed by God's provision, a stark contrast to the barren wilderness they had left and the enslavement in Egypt. This imagery also served as an implicit polemic against surrounding pagan cults that sought to ensure fertility through ritual practices, asserting Yahweh alone as the source of true abundance.

• Words-group analysis:

  • "And hath brought us... and hath given us...": This parallel structure highlights God's dual and continuous redemptive action. He both actively guided their journey and generously provided the ultimate inheritance. This progression underscores divine initiative from deliverance to provision.
  • "into this place... this land": The slight variation in phrasing ("place" then "land") further emphasizes the full reality of the promise being manifested. They didn't just arrive at a spot, but received the promised territory.
  • "a land flowing with milk and honey": This poetic phrase is a theological and physical description of God's covenant blessing made tangible. It's not just a place, but a bountiful place, indicating the extent of divine generosity and fidelity to His promises. This specific descriptor frequently recurs in the Pentateuch, reinforcing its iconic status as the archetype of God's ideal provision for His people.

Deuteronomy 26 9 Bonus section

• The declaration in Deut 26:5-10, of which verse 9 is a part, functions as a foundational creed for Israel, articulating their national identity in relation to God's redemptive acts.
• The phrase "flowing with milk and honey" contrasts starkly with the Egyptian context of forced labor, harsh conditions, and dependency on the Nile's predictable floods for sustenance. Canaan's rain-fed fertility demonstrated God's superior provision over the gods associated with the Nile or human labor.
• This verse underpins the concept that true ownership and security in the land derive from God's gift and ongoing blessing, rather than military conquest alone. The military victories were means used by God, but the ultimate grantor was Yahweh.
• The personal confession ("hath brought us", "given us") within a communal ritual makes each individual Israelite participant actively recount and own their shared national history with God.

Deuteronomy 26 9 Commentary

Deuteronomy 26:9 encapsulates the Israelites' profound confession of God's unfailing faithfulness and provision. In the context of the firstfruits offering, it serves as a public theological statement affirming that the abundance enjoyed from the land is solely a result of God's gracious and powerful actions, not their own merit or effort. The sequence—God "brought us" and God "given us"—highlights the active, leading, and bestowing nature of Yahweh. The descriptor "a land flowing with milk and honey" is not mere poetic flourish; it is a theological symbol of consummate blessing and the tangible fulfillment of generations of covenant promises. This annual declaration ensures that subsequent generations remember their humble origins, the arduous journey, and most importantly, God's singular role in establishing them in a prosperous inheritance. This ritual thus counters pride, cultivates perpetual gratitude, and reinforces their identity as a people wholly dependent on and blessed by their sovereign God. It provides a foundational pattern of worship where the giving of thanks for physical blessings is inseparable from a profound spiritual confession of God's redemptive history.