John Calvin Commentary Deuteronomy 9:4

"Speak not thou in thy heart, after that Jehovah thy God hath thrust them out from before thee, saying, For my righteousness Jehovah hath brought me in to possess this land; whereas for the wickedness of these nations Jehovah doth drive them out from before thee." — Deuteronomy 9:4 (ASV)

Speak not thou in thine heart. He now more plainly warns the people not to exalt themselves in proud and foolish boasting. If they had not been naturally so depraved and malignant, it would have been sufficient to point out God’s grace in a single word; but he could not induce them to gratitude except by correcting and destroying their pride. He therefore takes away this stumbling block, so that God’s generosity might be conspicuous among them.

“To speak in the heart” is equivalent to reflecting or conceiving an opinion. Therefore, Moses not only reproves the boasting of the lips, but also that hidden arrogance with which men are puffed up when they take to themselves the praise that is due to God. Moreover, he not only prohibits them from ascribing it to their own valor that they had routed their enemies and gained possession of the land, but also from imagining that this was the just recompense of their merits.

For God is not less defrauded of His glory when men oppose their righteousness to His liberality, than when they boast that whatever blessings they have are obtained by their own industry. To make this clearer, I will repeat it: Moses does not forbid the people from thinking that they had themselves acquired the land without God’s aid; indeed, he takes it for granted that they themselves will acknowledge that it was by God’s help that they were victorious. However, he is not content with this limited gratitude unless they at the same time acknowledge that they had deserved nothing of the kind, and therefore that it was a mere and gratuitous act of His bounty.

The reason given in the second clause does not appear sufficiently²⁴⁸ conclusive, namely, that the nations were driven out on account of their own wickedness. For it might have been that what God took away from these wicked reprobates He transferred to those who were more worthy. But it appears to be an indirect admonition that the Israelites should compare themselves with these nations, because it was evidently to be gathered by them from this,²⁴⁹ that they had not acquired this foreign land, from which the former inhabitants had been ejected, by their own righteousness. And this is still more clearly expressed in the two next verses.

²⁴⁸ De prime face. — Fr.

²⁴⁹ “Pour ce que, se cognoissans povres et miserables, ils devoyent aisement conclurre,” etc.; because, knowing themselves to be poor and miserable, they might easily conclude, etc. — Fr.