Deuteronomy 9: Not because of your righteousness: the golden calf remembered
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What happens?
Moses tells Israel that Yahweh will go ahead of them like a fire and drive out nations stronger than they are, but not because Israel is righteous: it is because of the nations' wickedness and Yahweh's promise to their fathers. He reminds them how they made Yahweh angry in the wilderness, and at Horeb too, where they made a metal calf while he was on the mountain for forty days. He tells how he broke the tablets, destroyed the calf, and lay before Yahweh for forty days, praying for the people and for Aaron.
Who is speaking?
Moses speaks to Israel in the whole chapter. He quotes what people say about the Anakim in verse 2, what Israel must not say in verse 4, and what Yahweh said to him in verses 12 to 14 and at Kadesh Barnea in verse 23. In verses 26 to 29 he repeats his own prayer to Yahweh, and in verse 28 the words he feared the Egyptians would say. Yahweh's words here are Moses' report of what God said, so no verse is in gold. God's own words are printed in gold, and those verses are marked God speaks
1Hear, Israel! You are to pass over the Jordan today, to go in to dispossess nations greater and mightier than yourself, cities great and fortified up to the sky,
In plain English: Hear, Israel! Today you are about to cross the Jordan, to go in and drive out nations greater and stronger than you, with great cities fortified up to the sky (literally: in the heavens),
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2a people great and tall, the sons of the Anakim, whom you know, and of whom you have heard say, “Who can stand before the sons of Anak?”
In plain English: a people great and tall, the sons of the Anakim, whom you know, and about whom you have heard it said, "Who can stand against the sons of Anak?"
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3Know therefore today that Yahweh your God is he who goes over before you as a devouring fire. He will destroy them and he will bring them down before you. So you shall drive them out and make them perish quickly, as Yahweh has spoken to you.
In plain English: So know today that Yahweh your God is the one who goes across ahead of you as a consuming fire. He will destroy them and bring them down in front of you. So you will drive them out and make them perish quickly, as Yahweh has told you.
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4Don’t say in your heart, after Yahweh your God has thrust them out from before you, “For my righteousness Yahweh has brought me in to possess this land;” because Yahweh drives them out before you because of the wickedness of these nations.
In plain English: After Yahweh your God has driven them out in front of you, do not say in your heart, "Yahweh has brought me in to possess this land because of my righteousness." It is because of the wickedness of these nations that Yahweh is driving them out in front of you.
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5Not for your righteousness or for the uprightness of your heart do you go in to possess their land; but for the wickedness of these nations Yahweh your God does drive them out from before you, and that he may establish the word which Yahweh swore to your fathers, to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob.
In plain English: You are not going in to possess their land because of your righteousness or the uprightness of your heart. Yahweh your God is driving them out in front of you because of the wickedness of these nations, and to keep (literally: make stand) the word that Yahweh swore to your fathers, to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob.
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6Know therefore that Yahweh your God doesn’t give you this good land to possess for your righteousness, for you are a stiff-necked people.
In plain English: So know that Yahweh your God is not giving you this good land to possess because of your righteousness, for you are a stubborn (literally: stiff-necked) people.
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7Remember, and don’t forget, how you provoked Yahweh your God to wrath in the wilderness. From the day that you left the land of Egypt until you came to this place, you have been rebellious against Yahweh.
In plain English: Remember, and do not forget, how you made Yahweh your God angry in the wilderness. From the day you left the land of Egypt until you came to this place, you have been rebelling against Yahweh.
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8Also in Horeb you provoked Yahweh to wrath, and Yahweh was angry with you to destroy you.
In plain English: At Horeb, too, you made Yahweh angry, and Yahweh was angry enough with you to destroy you.
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9When I had gone up onto the mountain to receive the stone tablets, even the tablets of the covenant which Yahweh made with you, then I stayed on the mountain forty days and forty nights. I neither ate bread nor drank water.
In plain English: When I went up the mountain to receive the stone tablets, the tablets of the covenant that Yahweh made with you, I stayed on the mountain forty days and forty nights. I did not eat bread or drink water.
Good to know: tells of the first forty days and forty nights on the mountain, without saying that Moses fasted. says he did not eat bread or drink water during the second forty days. Here Moses says he did not eat or drink the first time too, and in again.
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10Yahweh delivered to me the two stone tablets written with God’s finger. On them were all the words which Yahweh spoke with you on the mountain out of the middle of the fire in the day of the assembly.
In plain English: Yahweh gave me the two stone tablets, written with God's finger. On them were all the words that Yahweh spoke with you on the mountain out of the middle of the fire, on the day of the assembly.
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11It came to pass at the end of forty days and forty nights that Yahweh gave me the two stone tablets, even the tablets of the covenant.
In plain English: At the end of the forty days and forty nights, Yahweh gave me the two stone tablets, the tablets of the covenant.
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12Yahweh said to me, “Arise, get down quickly from here; for your people whom you have brought out of Egypt have corrupted themselves. They have quickly turned away from the way which I commanded them. They have made a molten image for themselves!”
In plain English: Yahweh said to me, "Get up and go down from here quickly, because your people whom you brought out of Egypt have acted corruptly. They have quickly turned aside from the way I commanded them. They have made themselves a metal image (this Bible: molten image)!"
Good to know: Moses repeats what Yahweh said to him in to , with a few differences. In Yahweh also says the people worshiped the calf, sacrificed to it, and called it their gods. In Yahweh says he will "blot out their name from under the sky" and make of Moses "a nation mightier and greater than they"; says "consume them" and "a great nation". Here they are Moses' words telling what God said, so they are not in gold.
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13Furthermore Yahweh spoke to me, saying, “I have seen these people, and behold, they are a stiff-necked people.
In plain English: Yahweh also said to me, "I have seen this people, and look, they are a stubborn (literally: stiff-necked) people.
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14Leave me alone, that I may destroy them, and blot out their name from under the sky; and I will make of you a nation mightier and greater than they.”
In plain English: Leave me alone, so that I may destroy them and wipe out their name from under the sky. And I will make of you a nation stronger and greater than they are."
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15So I turned and came down from the mountain, and the mountain was burning with fire. The two tablets of the covenant were in my two hands.
In plain English: So I turned and came down from the mountain while the mountain was burning with fire. The two tablets of the covenant were in my two hands.
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16I looked, and behold, you had sinned against Yahweh your God. You had made yourselves a molded calf. You had quickly turned away from the way which Yahweh had commanded you.
In plain English: I looked, and saw that you had sinned against Yahweh your God. You had made yourselves a metal calf (this Bible: molded calf). You had quickly turned aside from the way Yahweh had commanded you.
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17I took hold of the two tablets, and threw them out of my two hands, and broke them before your eyes.
In plain English: I took hold of the two tablets, threw them out of my two hands, and broke them before your eyes.
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18I fell down before Yahweh, as at the first, forty days and forty nights. I neither ate bread nor drank water, because of all your sin which you sinned, in doing that which was evil in Yahweh’s sight, to provoke him to anger.
In plain English: I fell down before Yahweh, as at the first, forty days and forty nights. I did not eat bread or drink water, because of all the sin you had committed in doing what was evil in Yahweh's eyes, to make him angry.
Good to know: In Exodus, Moses pleads for the people on the mountain before he goes down ( to ), and goes back up to Yahweh the next day ( to ). Here Moses tells of falling down before Yahweh for forty days after he broke the tablets. The text does not explain how the two accounts fit together.
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19For I was afraid of the anger and hot displeasure with which Yahweh was angry against you to destroy you. But Yahweh listened to me that time also.
In plain English: For I was afraid of the anger and the fury with which Yahweh was angry against you, to destroy you. But Yahweh listened to me that time also.
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20Yahweh was angry enough with Aaron to destroy him. I prayed for Aaron also at the same time.
In plain English: Yahweh was very angry with Aaron, enough to destroy him. At that same time I prayed for Aaron too.
Good to know: Exodus 32 does not say that Yahweh was angry with Aaron or that Moses prayed for him. There Moses asks Aaron what the people did to him (), and the chapter ends by saying the calf was the one "which Aaron made" ().
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21I took your sin, the calf which you had made, and burned it with fire, and crushed it, grinding it very small, until it was as fine as dust. I threw its dust into the brook that descended out of the mountain.
In plain English: I took your sin, the calf you had made, and burned it with fire. I crushed it, grinding it well, until it was as fine as dust, and I threw its dust into the stream (literally: wadi) that came down from the mountain.
Good to know: and tell the same story. There Moses sees the calf and the dancing as he comes near the camp, and breaks the tablets at the foot of the mountain. He burns the calf, grinds it to powder, scatters it on the water, and makes the people drink it. Here Moses says he threw its dust into the stream that came down from the mountain.
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22At Taberah, at Massah, and at Kibroth Hattaavah you provoked Yahweh to wrath.
In plain English: At Taberah, at Massah, and at Kibroth Hattaavah, you made Yahweh angry.
Good to know: Each place is named for what happened there: Taberah in , Massah in , and Kibroth Hattaavah in .
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23When Yahweh sent you from Kadesh Barnea, saying, “Go up and possess the land which I have given you,” you rebelled against the commandment of Yahweh your God, and you didn’t believe him or listen to his voice.
In plain English: When Yahweh sent you from Kadesh Barnea, saying, "Go up and possess the land that I have given you," you rebelled against the command (literally: the mouth) of Yahweh your God. You did not believe him or listen to his voice.
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24You have been rebellious against Yahweh from the day that I knew you.
In plain English: You have been rebelling against Yahweh from the day I knew you.
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25So I fell down before Yahweh the forty days and forty nights that I fell down, because Yahweh had said he would destroy you.
In plain English: So I fell down before Yahweh the forty days and forty nights that I lay there, because Yahweh had said he would destroy you.
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26I prayed to Yahweh, and said, “Lord Yahweh, don’t destroy your people and your inheritance that you have redeemed through your greatness, that you have brought out of Egypt with a mighty hand.
In plain English: I prayed to Yahweh and said, "Lord Yahweh, do not destroy your people, your inheritance, whom you set free (this Bible: redeemed) by your greatness and brought out of Egypt with a mighty hand.
Good to know: Moses' prayer here is close to his prayer in to : Yahweh brought his people out with a mighty hand, what the Egyptians would say, and "Remember" Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob (there called Israel).
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27Remember your servants, Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. Don’t look at the stubbornness of this people, nor at their wickedness, nor at their sin,
In plain English: Remember your servants, Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. Do not look at the stubbornness of this people, or at their wickedness, or at their sin,
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28lest the land you brought us out from say, ‘Because Yahweh was not able to bring them into the land which he promised to them, and because he hated them, he has brought them out to kill them in the wilderness.’
In plain English: or the land you brought us out of may say, 'Yahweh was not able to bring them into the land he promised them, and because he hated them, he has brought them out to kill them in the wilderness.'
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29Yet they are your people and your inheritance, which you brought out by your great power and by your outstretched arm.”
In plain English: Yet they are your people and your inheritance, whom you brought out by your great power and by your outstretched arm."
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