Deuteronomy 6:19 kjv
To cast out all thine enemies from before thee, as the LORD hath spoken.
Deuteronomy 6:19 nkjv
to cast out all your enemies from before you, as the LORD has spoken.
Deuteronomy 6:19 niv
thrusting out all your enemies before you, as the LORD said.
Deuteronomy 6:19 esv
by thrusting out all your enemies from before you, as the LORD has promised.
Deuteronomy 6:19 nlt
You will drive out all the enemies living in the land, just as the LORD said you would.
Deuteronomy 6 19 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Gen 12:7 | "To your offspring I will give this land." | God promises the land to Abraham's descendants. |
| Exod 23:27-30 | "I will send my terror ahead of you... little by little I will drive them." | God promises to drive out enemies gradually. |
| Num 33:53 | "you shall dispossess the inhabitants of the land and dwell in it." | Command to take possession of the land. |
| Deut 7:1 | "the LORD your God brings you into the land... he will drive out many nations" | God leads and conquers for them. |
| Deut 9:3 | "the LORD your God is he who goes over before you... he will destroy them." | God precedes them in battle for victory. |
| Deut 31:3 | "The LORD your God will cross over before you. He will destroy these nations" | Reinforces God's leading in conquest. |
| Josh 1:3 | "Every place that the sole of your foot will tread upon I have given to you" | God grants them full possession of the land. |
| Josh 1:5 | "No man shall be able to stand before you all the days of your life." | God guarantees victory and security. |
| Josh 11:23 | "So Joshua took the whole land, according to all that the LORD had spoken" | God's promise fulfilled in land conquest. |
| Josh 21:43-45 | "Not one word of all the good promises that the LORD had made... failed." | God's absolute faithfulness to His promises. |
| Josh 23:5 | "The LORD your God himself will push them out from before you..." | Emphasizes God's active role in dispossessing. |
| 2 Sam 7:25 | "And now, O LORD God, confirm forever the word that you have spoken..." | Trust in God's unchanging word. |
| Ps 44:2-3 | "by your hand you drove out the nations... it was not their own arm that saved them" | Acknowledges God's power in past victories. |
| Ps 89:34 | "I will not violate my covenant or alter the word that went out from my lips." | God's promises are steadfast and unchangeable. |
| Isa 55:11 | "so shall my word be that goes out from my mouth; it shall not return to me empty" | God's word has guaranteed efficacy. |
| Matt 28:18 | "All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me." | Christ's ultimate authority over all enemies. |
| Col 2:15 | "He disarmed the rulers and authorities and put them to open shame..." | Christ's triumph over spiritual enemies. |
| Heb 2:14-15 | "he too shared in their humanity so that by his death he might break the power" | Christ conquered death and its fear. |
| Eph 6:10-12 | "For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers..." | Shift to spiritual enemies in New Covenant. |
| 1 Pet 5:8-9 | "Your adversary the devil prowls around... Resist him, firm in your faith." | Command to resist the spiritual enemy. |
| 1 John 5:4 | "For everyone who has been born of God overcomes the world." | Believers' victory over the world through faith. |
| Rev 12:11 | "And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony" | Victory over Satan by Christ's work and witness. |
Deuteronomy 6 verses
Deuteronomy 6 19 Meaning
This verse states that God will enable Israel to fully drive out and dispossess all their enemies from the land before them. It firmly roots this promised victory and complete expulsion of adversaries in the unwavering certainty of God's own prior declarations and pledges. It signifies the divine assurance of complete dominion over their hostile neighbors in the Promised Land.
Deuteronomy 6 19 Context
Deuteronomy chapter 6 forms a pivotal part of Moses' second major address to Israel on the plains of Moab, just before they are to enter the Promised Land. This section strongly emphasizes the "Shema" (Deut 6:4-9), which calls for absolute love and devotion to the one God, YHWH. The surrounding verses impress upon Israel the vital importance of remembering God and His commands amidst the coming prosperity in the fertile land, warning them against forgetting Him, intermarrying with the native inhabitants, or adopting their pagan practices. Verse 19 is directly linked to the preceding verses (Deut 6:10-18), which urge Israel to fear the LORD, serve Him alone, and do "what is right and good in the sight of the LORD" so that "it may go well with you and that you may go in and take possession of the good land that the LORD swore to your fathers." Thus, Deut 6:19 serves as a foundational promise, assuring them of God's active partnership in securing their inheritance if they remain faithful. Historically, this assurance was crucial as Israel faced the formidable, entrenched Canaanite nations.
Deuteronomy 6 19 Word analysis
- to drive out (לָהֲרִישׁ lahărīsh, from ירש yarash): This Hebrew verb carries the dual meaning of "to dispossess" or "to expel" someone from their land, and also "to inherit" or "to take possession" of that land. It signifies a complete replacement – not merely pushing out the previous occupants but actively moving in and claiming the territory as their rightful inheritance. This highlights God's role in enabling Israel to acquire the land, fulfilling His promise of an inheritance.
- all your enemies (כָּל־אֹיְבֶיךָ kol-ôyevēy): The word "all" signifies completeness; no foe would be left unconquered if Israel remained obedient. This refers primarily to the Canaanite nations occupying the land (e.g., Hittites, Amorites, Canaanites). The assurance of defeating "all" enemies provided comfort and courage to a nation about to face seemingly overwhelming odds.
- from before you (מִפָּנֶיךָ mippāneyka): Literally "from your face," or "from your presence." This implies a direct, visible, and comprehensive expulsion, as if God Himself is clearing the way directly in front of them. It emphasizes God's active, preceding role in the conquest, making a clear path for Israel's advance and settlement.
- just as the LORD has spoken (כַּאֲשֶׁר דִּבֶּר יְהוָה ka’ăshĕr dibbēr YHWH): This phrase underscores the absolute reliability and authority of God's (YHWH) Word. It affirms that the promise of victory and possession is not speculative but an assured reality based on God's unwavering faithfulness to His covenant declarations made throughout their history, particularly to their forefathers (Abraham, Isaac, Jacob) and through Moses. The Hebrew verb dabar denotes a strong declaration or decree, ensuring its fulfillment.
- "to drive out all your enemies from before you": This phrase succinctly captures the divine promise of military success and territorial acquisition. It indicates God's active participation in their conquest, where He clears the path and enables Israel to effectively occupy the land designated for them. This speaks to God's omnipotence in overcoming any obstacle for His covenant people.
- "just as the LORD has spoken": This functions as the ultimate guarantee and bedrock of the entire promise. It points to God's integrity and consistency. What God declares, He is utterly committed to bring to pass. This reinforces the principle that God's past word is a blueprint for future action, instilling confidence and reliance on His divine pledge above human strength or circumstance.
Deuteronomy 6 19 Bonus section
The promise of God "driving out" enemies for Israel, as declared in this verse, is an integral part of covenant theology. It highlights that while God's ultimate promise of the land was unconditional to Abraham (based on God's character), the experience of fully possessing and living peacefully in that land was often conditioned upon Israel's continued obedience to the Mosaic Covenant. This verse explicitly connects their current and future well-being and success in driving out the nations to the fact that God has "spoken" it, reaffirming that His promises are not hollow. It implicitly served as a polemic against the Canaanite gods, who were powerless to secure their people's land against the might of YHWH. The absolute nature of God's word here prefigures the ultimate fulfillment in the person of Jesus Christ, whose single "word" or work (His crucifixion and resurrection) secured a decisive victory over the spiritual enemies of humanity – sin, death, and the devil – leading believers to their spiritual inheritance.
Deuteronomy 6 19 Commentary
Deuteronomy 6:19 encapsulates a profound theological truth: God is faithful to His word and capable of fulfilling His covenant promises. For Israel, this verse was a powerful affirmation that their challenging mission to conquer Canaan was already guaranteed by divine decree, contingent upon their obedience. It taught them to place their trust not in their own strength or military strategy, but in the omnipotence and unwavering reliability of God who had "spoken." The expulsion of "all your enemies" was not merely a military feat, but a demonstration of God's justice against pagan wickedness and His faithfulness to His covenant with Abraham, giving his descendants the land. Spiritually, this verse echoes God's continuing commitment to believers in Christ. Just as He drove out physical enemies for Israel to inherit their land, so He empowers believers to overcome spiritual "enemies" – sin, temptation, and the devil – enabling them to inherit eternal life and live a life of spiritual victory by relying on His assured promises, sealed by the cross and resurrection.