Deuteronomy 9 26

Deuteronomy 9:26 kjv

I prayed therefore unto the LORD, and said, O Lord GOD, destroy not thy people and thine inheritance, which thou hast redeemed through thy greatness, which thou hast brought forth out of Egypt with a mighty hand.

Deuteronomy 9:26 nkjv

Therefore I prayed to the LORD, and said: 'O Lord GOD, do not destroy Your people and Your inheritance whom You have redeemed through Your greatness, whom You have brought out of Egypt with a mighty hand.

Deuteronomy 9:26 niv

I prayed to the LORD and said, "Sovereign LORD, do not destroy your people, your own inheritance that you redeemed by your great power and brought out of Egypt with a mighty hand.

Deuteronomy 9:26 esv

And I prayed to the LORD, 'O Lord GOD, do not destroy your people and your heritage, whom you have redeemed through your greatness, whom you have brought out of Egypt with a mighty hand.

Deuteronomy 9:26 nlt

I prayed to the LORD and said, 'O Sovereign LORD, do not destroy them. They are your own people. They are your special possession, whom you redeemed from Egypt by your mighty power and your strong hand.

Deuteronomy 9 verses

Deuteronomy 9 26 Meaning

Deuteronomy 9:26 presents Moses' intercessory prayer on behalf of the Israelites following their grave sin with the Golden Calf. In this plea, Moses appeals to God not to destroy His people, emphasizing Israel's identity as God's treasured possession, redeemed and powerfully delivered from Egyptian bondage solely by His greatness and strength, not by their own merit. The verse underscores God's faithfulness to His covenant and His profound commitment to His chosen heritage, even in the face of profound human rebellion.

Deuteronomy 9 26 Context

Deuteronomy chapter 9 serves as a stark reminder to Israel that their inheritance of the land of Canaan is not due to their own righteousness or strength, but solely by God's grace and His purpose to dispossess the wicked inhabitants. To underscore this, Moses recounts pivotal moments of Israel's rebellious history, especially the episode of the Golden Calf (Exodus 32-34) immediately after they received the Law at Mount Horeb. Deuteronomy 9:26 is part of Moses' personal recollection of his fervent intercession during that severe crisis. It frames Israel's redemption as an unearned gift and highlights God's covenant faithfulness despite His people's persistent disobedience. This historical account prepares the new generation about to enter Canaan to maintain humility and cling to God's grace, not their own merits.

Deuteronomy 9 26 Word analysis

• "And I prayed": Hebrew 'ētḥannan. Signifies a deeply earnest, imploring prayer, highlighting Moses' passionate posture of intercession and mediation on behalf of a sinful nation.
• "unto the LORD": Refers to YHWH, the covenant name of God, emphasizing His relational and faithful character in the divine-human covenant. Moses appeals to the very nature of the God who binds Himself to His people.
• "O Lord GOD": Hebrew 'Adonai YHWH. Combines the reverential title of master/sovereign ruler with the covenant name, addressing God in His supreme authority and covenant fidelity. It underscores total submission and trust in His divine power and promises.
• "destroy not": A plea for divine mercy and the suspension of a deserved judgment, appealing to God's forbearance and long-suffering character. It implies God's potential to destroy, yet appeals to His covenant commitment.
• "thy people": Hebrew 'amməḵā. Emphasizes the established, intimate, and possessive relationship God has with Israel. It reminds God of His self-identified connection to this nation.
• "thine heritage": Hebrew naḥalātekā. Denotes Israel as God's special possession, His chosen inheritance or allotment. This strengthens the appeal, as it calls upon God's investment in His own reputation and property. Israel's identity is intrinsically linked to God's sovereign choice.
• "which thou hast redeemed": Hebrew pādîṯā. To buy back, ransom, or deliver from bondage. This term points to the profound act of salvation from slavery in Egypt as a unilateral divine initiative, wholly dependent on God's power and will, not Israel's worth.
• "through thy greatness": Hebrew bəgaḏleḵā. Highlights God's inherent majesty, might, and magnificent character. It signifies that the Exodus deliverance was a demonstration of His immense, overwhelming power and honor.
• "which thou hast brought forth out of Egypt": A specific historical reference to the foundational event of Israel's national existence and redemption, the Exodus. It grounds Moses' appeal in God's demonstrable acts of power.
• "with a mighty hand": Hebrew bəyāḏ ḥăzaqāh. A common idiom denoting overwhelming, irresistible divine power and forceful intervention. It underscores that Israel's deliverance was not achieved by human effort but by an awe-inspiring display of God's supernatural strength.

Words-group by words-group analysis

• "And I prayed unto the LORD, and said, O Lord GOD": Establishes Moses' mediatorial role and the solemn, reverential nature of his petition addressed directly to God as the sovereign covenant Lord.
• "destroy not thy people and thine heritage": This phrase presents the core plea, emphasizing God's intimate relationship with Israel as both His direct "people" and His valuable "heritage." The appeal leverages God's proprietorship, suggesting that destroying them would dishonor His own name and nullify His prior investment.
• "which thou hast redeemed through thy greatness, which thou hast brought forth out of Egypt with a mighty hand": These parallel clauses define the basis of Moses' appeal. It is not Israel's righteousness, but God's past, powerful, and gracious acts of redemption performed by His own greatness and mighty hand that forms the reason for continued preservation. This anchors God's present mercy in His established pattern of acting powerfully on Israel's behalf. It refutes any notion of Israel's deservingness.

Deuteronomy 9 26 Bonus section

• Moses' prayer highlights the ongoing tension in divine-human covenant relationships: God's justice demanding accountability versus His mercy stemming from His nature and past promises.
• The phrase "destroy not thy people and thine heritage" contains a theological tension. If God destroyed them, He would, in a sense, be undoing His own work and forfeiting His "inheritance." This subtly appeals to God's divine reputation among the nations, aligning with Moses' earlier intercessions in Exodus.
• This verse stands as a profound testament to the power and necessity of intercessory prayer, demonstrating how the mediator's plea, grounded in God's revealed character and actions, can avert divine wrath and secure continued grace. It teaches reliance not on self, but wholly on the Redeemer.
• The reference to "greatness" (gadel) and "mighty hand" (yad chazaqa) speaks to the awesome scale of God's redemptive work, emphasizing His transcendence and sovereign power over all creation and historical circumstances.

Deuteronomy 9 26 Commentary

Deuteronomy 9:26 profoundly illustrates the dynamics of divine grace and intercessory prayer. Moses' plea is rooted in God's character and past actions, not in any merit of the Israelites, who had repeatedly demonstrated stubborn rebellion. The argument Moses puts forth is twofold: first, that Israel is God's own people and heritage, making their destruction a matter tied to His own honor and prior commitment. Second, he reminds God of the extraordinary lengths He went to redeem them from Egypt, acts that showcased His overwhelming greatness and mighty power. This appeal hinges on the unchanging nature of God's fidelity and His steadfast love (hesed), which endures beyond human failings. Moses functions as a prototype of Christ, standing in the breach between a righteous God and a sinful people, pleading for mercy based on God's self-revelation. It underscores that God's salvation and preservation are fundamentally about His faithfulness and grace, not human worthiness.