Deuteronomy 9:28 kjv
Lest the land whence thou broughtest us out say, Because the LORD was not able to bring them into the land which he promised them, and because he hated them, he hath brought them out to slay them in the wilderness.
Deuteronomy 9:28 nkjv
lest the land from which You brought us should say, "Because the LORD was not able to bring them to the land which He promised them, and because He hated them, He has brought them out to kill them in the wilderness."
Deuteronomy 9:28 niv
Otherwise, the country from which you brought us will say, 'Because the LORD was not able to take them into the land he had promised them, and because he hated them, he brought them out to put them to death in the wilderness.'
Deuteronomy 9:28 esv
lest the land from which you brought us say, "Because the LORD was not able to bring them into the land that he promised them, and because he hated them, he has brought them out to put them to death in the wilderness."
Deuteronomy 9:28 nlt
If you destroy these people, the Egyptians will say, "The Israelites died because the LORD wasn't able to bring them to the land he had promised to give them." Or they might say, "He destroyed them because he hated them; he deliberately took them into the wilderness to slaughter them."
Deuteronomy 9 28 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference (Short Note) |
|---|---|---|
| Exod 32:12 | "Wherefore should the Egyptians speak, and say, For mischief did he bring them out... | Moses' intercession appealing to God's name with Egyptians |
| Num 14:15 | "Now if thou shalt kill all this people as one man, then the nations... will speak, saying," | Nations would perceive God as unable to fulfill promise |
| Num 14:16 | "Because the LORD was not able to bring this people into the land..." | Direct echo of Dt 9:28, God's inability as perceived |
| Ps 106:23 | "Therefore he said that he would destroy them, had not Moses his chosen stood before him in the breach..." | Moses' mediatorial role preventing destruction |
| Isa 48:9 | "For my name’s sake will I defer mine anger..." | God acts for the sake of His own reputation and glory |
| Ezek 36:20 | "And when they entered unto the heathen... they profaned my holy name..." | How Israel's condition impacts God's name among nations |
| Ezek 36:23 | "And I will sanctify my great name... and the heathen shall know that I am the LORD..." | God's ultimate purpose is His name being known and glorified |
| Rom 2:24 | "For the name of God is blasphemed among the Gentiles through you..." | NT affirmation of how believers' actions affect God's name |
| Gen 12:7 | "Unto thy seed will I give this land..." | The foundational promise of the land to Abraham |
| Num 23:19 | "God is not a man, that he should lie; neither the son of man, that he should repent..." | God's unchangeable faithfulness to His promises |
| Ps 89:34 | "My covenant will I not break, nor alter the thing that is gone out of my lips." | Assurance of God's covenant loyalty and truthfulness |
| Heb 10:23 | "Let us hold fast the profession of our faith without wavering; for he is faithful that promised;" | NT affirmation of God's faithfulness to promises |
| Tit 1:2 | "In hope of eternal life, which God, that cannot lie, promised before the world began;" | God is characterized by truthfulness and inability to lie |
| Deut 7:7 | "The LORD did not set his love upon you... But because the LORD loved you..." | God's choice and leading of Israel is rooted in His love |
| Jer 31:3 | "Yea, I have loved thee with an everlasting love: therefore with lovingkindness have I drawn thee." | God's enduring and steadfast love for His people |
| Rom 5:8 | "But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us." | Divine love revealed in salvation, not destruction |
| Eph 2:4 | "But God, who is rich in mercy, for his great love wherewith he loved us..." | God's rich mercy and great love towards sinful humanity |
| Exod 3:8 | "And I am come down to deliver them out of the hand of the Egyptians, and to bring them up out of that land unto a good land..." | God's purpose for the Exodus was leading to the land |
| Jer 32:17 | "Ah Lord GOD! behold, thou hast made the heaven and the earth by thy great power and stretched out arm, and there is nothing too hard for thee:" | Affirmation of God's limitless power and ability |
| Lk 1:37 | "For with God nothing shall be impossible." | Divine omnipotence in the New Testament |
| Ps 79:9 | "Help us, O God of our salvation, for the glory of thy name..." | A plea for salvation for God's name sake |
| 1 Tim 2:5 | "For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus;" | Christ as the ultimate mediator, foreshadowed by Moses |
Deuteronomy 9 verses
Deuteronomy 9 28 Meaning
Deuteronomy 9:28 is part of Moses' earnest intercession on behalf of the Israelites, recalling a past rebellion, specifically the Golden Calf incident. Moses' argument is centered on God's reputation among the nations. He fears that if God were to destroy Israel in the wilderness, the surrounding peoples, especially Egypt from where Israel was miraculously delivered, would misinterpret this act. They would conclude either that the LORD lacked the power to fulfill His promise to bring His people into the promised land or that He acted out of malice, having brought them out only to destroy them. Thus, Moses appeals to God's honor and the perception of His might and benevolent character to avert their destruction.
Deuteronomy 9 28 Context
Deuteronomy chapter 9 forms a critical part of Moses' second great address to Israel, given just before their entry into the Promised Land. In this discourse, Moses emphasizes that their upcoming conquest of Canaan is not due to their own righteousness or merit, but solely by the LORD's power and grace (Deut 9:4-6). To reinforce this point, Moses reminds them of their history of stubbornness and rebellion (Deut 9:7-24), focusing particularly on the idolatry of the Golden Calf (Exod 32), which directly precedes the intercession cited in verses 25-29. Deuteronomy 9:28 is part of Moses' impassioned plea to God during that specific crisis, highlighting his role as a mediator and emphasizing God's concern for His divine reputation among the nations. The verse reveals a fundamental theological principle: God's dealings with His people have implications for how His character and power are perceived by those outside the covenant community.
Deuteronomy 9 28 Word analysis
- Lest (פֶּן - pen): This Hebrew particle expresses a negative purpose or fear. It highlights Moses' profound concern about a potential catastrophic outcome and its damaging effect on God's reputation. It's a strategic rhetorical tool in Moses' intercession.
- the land whence thou broughtest us out (הָאָרֶץ אֲשֶׁר הוֹצֵאתָנוּ מִשָּׁם - ha'aretz asher hotzetaanu misham): This refers specifically to Egypt. Egypt had witnessed the mighty Exodus and the plagues, so its opinion on Israel's ultimate fate carried significant weight. This phrasing serves as a powerful reminder to God of His dramatic acts of liberation and how they were observed globally.
- say (יֹאמְרוּ - yomru): This suggests not just a private thought but a public accusation or widespread pronouncement. The nations would "speak" and thus potentially "blaspheme" the name of the LORD. The concern is about an observable, spoken defamation.
- Because the LORD (יְהוָה - YHWH) was not able (מִבִּלְתִּי יְכֹלֶת - mibilti yekholet) to bring them into the land which he promised them:
- Not able (yekholet): This word fundamentally questions God's omnipotence and power. The claim would imply a limitation to God's strength, portraying Him as weak or a god whose might ran out. Such an accusation would directly challenge the unique power of YHWH demonstrated in the Exodus.
- Promised them: This emphasizes God's covenant faithfulness. The land was a core component of God's solemn promise to Abraham and his descendants, so not fulfilling it would portray God as untrustworthy or fickle.
- and because he hated them (וּמִבְּשִׂנְאָתוֹ אוֹתָם - umibishnato otam):
- Hated (sinah): This attributes malice or ill-will to God's character. Such an accusation contradicts God's steadfast love (חסד - hesed) and His choice of Israel (אהב - ahav), which was based on love and not on Israel's merit. It would suggest God's original saving act was not born of love but some darker intention, a stark polemic against God's revealed nature.
- he hath brought them out to slay them in the wilderness (לַהֲמִיתָם - lahamitam): This implies that the entire Exodus, God's mighty act of salvation, was nothing but a cruel deception or a monumental failure resulting in mass death. This completely twists the purpose of divine deliverance from life and covenant fulfillment to destruction.
Word-groups by word-groups analysis:
- "Lest the land... say": This highlights the central concern for divine honor and global perception. God's reputation is intrinsically linked to His people's destiny and is visible to the world. Moses appeals to God's commitment to His own glorious name.
- "Because the LORD was not able to bring them... and because he hated them": This is the core accusation Moses fears from the nations. It's a two-pronged attack on God's attributes: first, His power (omnipotence), suggesting inability to complete what He started; second, His character (love/goodness), suggesting malicious intent rather than covenant faithfulness. These claims fundamentally undermine the uniqueness and supremacy of YHWH as revealed in Israel's history.
- "He hath brought them out to slay them in the wilderness": This phrase paints a terrifying counter-narrative to the Exodus. The Exodus was about freedom and life in the Promised Land. This false accusation reinterprets it as a premeditated act of death, an absolute perversion of God's redemptive purpose and His initial glorious deliverance.
Deuteronomy 9 28 Bonus section
- Theological Sophistication: This verse demonstrates a remarkable theological depth concerning God's self-revelation. Moses articulates a concept that would resonate through the prophetic literature and into the New Testament: God's name, or His revealed character, is paramount, and He acts to defend it from distortion.
- God's Jealousy for His Name: The "land" (Egypt and other nations) saying this would be a profanation of God's holy name (cf. Ezek 36:20-23). This provides insight into God's "jealousy" – a zeal for His exclusive glory and truth to be recognized and untarnished.
- Ancient Near Eastern Context: In the ancient Near East, the strength of a deity was often judged by the fate of its associated people or kingdom. If YHWH, who displayed immense power in bringing Israel out of Egypt, were to then destroy them, it would legitimize the belief that He was either less powerful than Egypt's gods or inherently capricious. Moses cleverly uses this common understanding to argue for divine consistency and renown.
Deuteronomy 9 28 Commentary
Deuteronomy 9:28 encapsulates a profound theological truth about the LORD's character and the implications of His covenant with Israel. Moses' powerful intercession is not based on Israel's worthiness, but strategically appeals to God's ultimate concern for His own glory and name among the nations. The feared accusations—that God was either unable or hateful—directly attack two fundamental aspects of God's self-revelation: His omnipotent power to deliver and His benevolent love as a covenant-keeping God. Moses understood that Israel's failure and subsequent destruction would not merely be an internal punishment but a visible testimony to the surrounding world, inviting their polytheistic perceptions of divine weakness or malevolence to be attributed to the one true God. This verse therefore underscores the public, international dimension of God's redemptive work. It teaches that God acts, in part, to preserve His honor, ensuring that His power and character are correctly perceived by humanity.