Deuteronomy 9:5
Not for thy righteousness, or for the uprightness of thine heart, dost thou go to possess their land: but for the wickedness of these nations the Lord thy God doth drive them out from before thee, and that he may perform the word which the Lord sware unto thy fathers, Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.
Cross-references
Deuteronomy 9:4 is the immediate predecessor stating the same point — not Israel's righteousness but nations' wickedness.
Deuteronomy 7:8 ties God's actions to his love and oath to the fathers — the dual motivation echoed here.
Deuteronomy 11:23 promises the driving out of nations — the same action explained here.
Deuteronomy 11:9 recalls the land promise sworn to the fathers — the same covenant motivation here.
Deuteronomy 4:37 highlights God's love for the fathers and choosing their offspring — the same love underlies the promised land here.
Titus 3:5 explicitly states salvation not by works but by mercy, directly echoing the 'not by your righteousness' emphasis here.
Genesis 12:7 records God's promise to give the land to Abraham's offspring — the very oath Deuteronomy 9:5 refers to.
In Exodus 32:13, Moses appeals to the same oath to the patriarchs, showing God's faithfulness despite Israel's sin.
Genesis 28:13 reiterates the land promise to Jacob, completing the chain of oath references in Deuteronomy 9:5.
Genesis 26:4 extends the land promise to Isaac, part of the patriarchal oath Deuteronomy 9:5 cites as the reason for possession.
Genesis 17:8 gives the covenant sign and land promise to Abraham — the oath that Deuteronomy 9:5 says God is fulfilling.
Genesis 15:7 affirms God's promise to give Canaan to Abraham — the specific oath referenced in Deuteronomy 9:5.
Genesis 13:15 repeats the land promise to Abraham, confirming the oath that motivates Israel's possession here.
Exodus 34:11 records God's promise to drive out these nations — the same action here attributed to their wickedness and the covenant.
Leviticus 20:23 says God detested the nations for their practices — here their wickedness is the explicit reason for driving them out.
Nehemiah 9:8 explicitly recounts the covenant with Abraham to give the land—fulfilling the very oath Deut 9:5 says God is confirming.
Psalm 105:42 declares God remembered His holy promise to Abraham—the same reason Deut 9:5 gives for Israel’s possession of the land.
Ezekiel 36:22 directly echoes 'not for your sake'—God acts for His name, not Israel’s righteousness, exactly as Deut 9:5 teaches.
Ezekiel 36:32 repeats 'not for your sake' and adds shame—reinforcing Deut 9:5’s point that God’s action is not based on Israel’s merit.
Ephesians 2:4 grounds salvation in God’s mercy and love, not works—a NT parallel to Deut 9:5’s rejection of human righteousness as the basis.
In Ezekiel 20:14, God spares Israel for His name's sake rather than their righteousness, a similar motive to the oath in Deuteronomy 9:5.
Judges 11:24 asserts the Lord dispossessed nations for Israel — a later application of the driving out theme.