Deuteronomy 9:27 kjv
Remember thy servants, Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob; look not unto the stubbornness of this people, nor to their wickedness, nor to their sin:
Deuteronomy 9:27 nkjv
Remember Your servants, Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob; do not look on the stubbornness of this people, or on their wickedness or their sin,
Deuteronomy 9:27 niv
Remember your servants Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. Overlook the stubbornness of this people, their wickedness and their sin.
Deuteronomy 9:27 esv
Remember your servants, Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. Do not regard the stubbornness of this people, or their wickedness or their sin,
Deuteronomy 9:27 nlt
Please overlook the stubbornness and the awful sin of these people, and remember instead your servants Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.
Deuteronomy 9 27 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Ex 32:13 | "Remember Abraham, Isaac, and Israel, your servants, to whom you swore by your own self..." | Moses appealing to the patriarchal covenant during intercession for the golden calf incident. |
| Ex 2:24 | "God heard their groaning, and God remembered his covenant with Abraham, with Isaac, and with Jacob." | God remembers His covenant and acts for His people's deliverance from slavery. |
| Psa 105:8-10 | "He remembers his covenant forever... the promise he made for a thousand generations... which he made with Abraham..." | God's eternal remembrance and faithfulness to the covenant promises. |
| Lk 1:72-73 | "...to show the mercy promised to our fathers and to remember his holy covenant, the oath that he swore to our father Abraham..." | Zechariah praises God for fulfilling His ancient covenant through Christ. |
| Gen 12:2-3 | "And I will make of you a great nation... and in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed." | The foundational promises of the Abrahamic covenant upon which Israel's existence rests. |
| Gen 15:18 | "On that day the LORD made a covenant with Abram..." | God's unilateral, unconditional covenant with Abraham, prior to human performance. |
| Lev 26:42 | "Then I will remember my covenant with Jacob, and I will remember my covenant with Isaac, and my covenant with Abraham..." | God's promise to remember the covenant even during Israel's punishment, leading to eventual restoration. |
| Num 14:18-20 | "The LORD is slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love, forgiving iniquity and transgression..." | Moses' similar appeal for God's mercy and forgiveness after the rebellion at Kadesh Barnea. |
| Ex 32:9 | "And the LORD said to Moses, 'I have seen this people, and behold, it is a stiff-necked people.' " | God's direct description of Israel's unyielding nature. |
| Ex 33:3 | "...for you are a stiff-necked people, lest I consume you on the way." | A reiteration of Israel's characteristic stubbornness. |
| Deut 31:27 | "For I know how rebellious and stubborn you are. Behold, even today while I am yet with you, you have been rebellious against the LORD..." | Moses directly acknowledges Israel's ingrained rebellion and stubbornness. |
| Neh 9:16-17 | "But they and our fathers acted proudly and stiffened their neck and did not obey your commandments..." | Historical acknowledgement of Israel's persistent stiff-necked rebellion. |
| Acts 7:51 | "You stiff-necked people, uncircumcised in heart and ears, you always resist the Holy Spirit." | Stephen's condemnation, linking the contemporary Jewish audience's stubbornness to that of their ancestors. |
| Deut 9:4-6 | "Do not say in your heart... 'It is because of my righteousness that the LORD has brought me in...' " | God makes it clear that Israel's possession of the land is not due to their merit. |
| Eze 36:22 | "Therefore say to the house of Israel, Thus says the Lord GOD: It is not for your sake, O house of Israel, that I am about to act..." | God emphasizes His actions are for His holy name's sake, not for Israel's righteousness. |
| Rom 5:8 | "but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us." | God's divine action for humanity's salvation precedes and is independent of human merit. |
| Eph 2:8-9 | "For by grace you have been saved through faith... not a result of works, so that no one may boast." | Salvation is a gift of God's grace, entirely unearned by human effort. |
| Rom 8:34 | "Who is to condemn? Christ Jesus is the one who died—more than that, who was raised—who is at the right hand of God, who indeed is interceding for us." | Christ as the ultimate intercessor, continually advocating for believers before God. |
| Heb 7:25 | "Consequently, he is able to save to the uttermost those who draw near to God through him, since he always lives to make intercession for them." | The enduring and perfect nature of Christ's priestly intercession. |
| 1 Tim 2:5 | "For there is one God, and there is one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus..." | Christ is the unique and singular mediator, connecting a holy God to sinful humanity. |
| Psa 78:38-39 | "Yet he, being compassionate, atoned for their iniquity and did not destroy them; he often restrained his anger and did not stir up all his wrath. He remembered that they were but flesh..." | God's frequent display of compassion and restraint, acknowledging human frailty. |
| Isa 48:9 | "For my name's sake I defer my anger; for the sake of my praise I restrain it for you..." | God's reason for restraining His anger is tied to His own glory and reputation. |
| Psa 103:8-10 | "The LORD is merciful and gracious, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love... He does not deal with us according to our sins..." | Describes God's character as abundant in mercy and reluctant to punish fully. |
Deuteronomy 9 verses
Deuteronomy 9 27 Meaning
Deuteronomy 9:27 encapsulates Moses' earnest plea to God, urging Him to recall His unconditional covenant promises made to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, and on that basis, to mercifully overlook the Israelites' chronic stubbornness, wickedness, and sin that warranted divine judgment. It underscores that God's preservation of His people is rooted in His unwavering faithfulness to His promises, not in their fleeting obedience or inherent righteousness.
Deuteronomy 9 27 Context
Deuteronomy chapter 9 serves as a crucial theological reminder to the new generation of Israelites on the brink of entering the Promised Land. Moses' discourse vehemently refutes any notion that their forthcoming success is due to their own righteousness (Deut 9:4-6), immediately proceeding to chronicle Israel's history of profound rebellion, specifically highlighting the egregious sin of the Golden Calf at Mount Horeb (Deut 9:6-21). This verse, Deuteronomy 9:27, is extracted from Moses' recounted intercession following that incident, emphasizing that Israel was spared from God's wrath not by their own merit, but solely through God's remembrance of His prior, unconditional covenant with their patriarchal ancestors and His mercy exercised through Moses' mediation.
Deuteronomy 9 27 Word analysis
- Remember (זְכֹר, zəḵōr): A strong imperative verb meaning "to recall," but more profoundly, "to act upon remembrance." When applied to God, it signifies His faithfulness to His past promises and intentions, leading Him to fulfill His word. It implies active engagement based on a commitment, not mere mental recollection.
- your servants (עֲבָדֶיךָ, ʿăvāḏeḵā): Refers to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. The term "servants" emphasizes their special, faithful relationship and devotion to God, presenting them as figures whose covenantal standing remains eternally significant to God.
- Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob: These are the three patriarchs with whom God established the foundational, unconditional covenants (Genesis 12, 15, 17, 26, 28) which formed the basis of Israel's existence and promise of land and nationhood. Their names represent the unbreakable bond God had with the covenant line, distinguishing them from the current generation's rebellion.
- Do not look on (אַל-תֵּפֶן, ʾal-têfen): A negative imperative, literally "do not turn towards" or "do not pay attention to." It is Moses' plea for God to set aside or not allow Israel's present sinfulness to be the prevailing factor in His judgment. It's an appeal for God to exercise merciful restraint by turning His divine gaze away from their immediate infractions, focusing instead on His long-term covenant obligations.
- the stubbornness (קְשִׁי, qəšî): Frequently translated "stiff-necked," it denotes a resistance to divine will, an obstinate refusal to submit or yield. This describes Israel's consistent posture of rebellion against God's commands and guidance, showing an unbending and defiant spirit.
- this people (הָעָם הַזֶּה, hāʿām hazzeh): A significant descriptive phrase Moses uses to refer to the generation in the wilderness, separating himself from their wickedness. It underscores their distinct rebellion in contrast to the patriarchs' faithfulness, marking them as problematic and rebellious.
- wickedness (רִשְׁעָה, rišʿâ): Signifies active ungodliness, injustice, or rebellion. It refers to a deep moral corruption and a defiant opposition to divine law and righteousness, not just incidental failure.
- or their sin (חַטָּאת, ḥaṭṭāʾṯ): A broad term for "missing the mark," moral failing, offense, or trespass. It encompasses both unintentional error and deliberate transgression, representing the totality of Israel's departure from God's perfect standard.
- Words-group Analysis:
- "Remember your servants, Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob": This opening clause functions as the pivotal appeal in Moses' prayer. It leverages God's absolute fidelity to His unilateral covenant established with the patriarchs. Moses argues that God's integrity and long-standing commitments, which transcend the Israelites' current failings, should dictate His response. This showcases an intercessor grounding his plea not in the recipient's merit, but in God's unchanging character and Word.
- "Do not look on the stubbornness of this people, or on their wickedness or their sin": This forms the antithetical parallel, presenting the compelling case for God's punitive justice. Moses effectively lists the multiple facets of Israel's deplorable state – obstinacy, active ungodliness, and pervasive transgression – and pleads for God to not consider these grounds for immediate destruction. The accumulation of terms vividly portrays the depth of Israel's rebellion, making the subsequent act of mercy appear all the more profound and undeserved.
Deuteronomy 9 27 Bonus section
Moses' prayer in Deut 9:26-29 is recognized by scholars as a powerful theological summary and reinterpretation of his earlier intercessions for Israel found in Exodus 32 and Numbers 14. In these appeals, Moses consistently anchors his arguments in God's reputation among the nations and His unwavering commitment to the Abrahamic covenant. The emphasis on God's remembrance of the patriarchs underscores the concept of "inherited grace" or covenantal faithfulness being extended across generations, serving as a powerful counter-narrative to Israel's chronic disobedience. This verse therefore highlights that the continued existence and blessings upon Israel are a testament to God's unconditional grace as first demonstrated to Abraham, prevailing over their conditional failures under the Mosaic Law. It sets a precedent for understanding salvation and redemption as being entirely by God's gracious initiation, despite humanity's unworthiness.
Deuteronomy 9 27 Commentary
Deuteronomy 9:27 encapsulates a foundational theological principle of the Bible: God's dealings with His people are ultimately rooted in His own character and covenant faithfulness, not their fluctuating righteousness. Moses, as mediator, intercedes not by denying Israel's profound guilt (as confessed by their "stubbornness, wickedness, and sin"), but by redirecting God's gaze from their demerits to His enduring promises to the patriarchs. This act of intercession beautifully foreshadows the saving work of Jesus Christ, the ultimate mediator (1 Tim 2:5) who intercedes for His people (Rom 8:34, Heb 7:25) not based on human works or merit, but on the perfect covenant established through His own blood. Moses' plea for God to "not look on" their sin illustrates divine forbearance, a choosing by God to overlook certain offenses in the short term, not in ignorance, but for a greater redemptive purpose aligned with His long-term covenant plan.