Deuteronomy 8:18

8:18 You must remember the Lord your God, for he is the one who gives ability to get wealth; if you do this he will confirm his covenant that he made by oath to your ancestors, ¹  even as he has to this day.

Deuteronomy 9:5

9:5 It is not because of your righteousness, or even your inner uprightness, ²  that you have come here to possess their land. Instead, because of the wickedness of these nations the Lord your God is driving them out ahead of you in order to confirm the promise he ³  made on oath to your ancestors, ⁴  to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.

Deuteronomy 29:13

29:13 Today he will affirm that you are his people and that he is your God, ⁵  just as he promised you and as he swore by oath to your ancestors ⁶  Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.

¹ tc Smr and Lucian add “Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob,” the standard way of rendering this almost stereotypical formula (cf. Deut 1:8; 6:10; 9:5, 27; 29:13; 30:20; 34:4). The MT’s harder reading presumptively argues for its originality, however.

² tn Heb “uprightness of your heart” (so NASB, NRSV). The Hebrew word צְדָקָה (tsÿdaqah, “righteousness”), though essentially synonymous here with יֹשֶׁר (yosher, “uprightness”), carries the idea of conformity to an objective standard. The term יֹשֶׁר has more to do with an inner, moral quality (cf. NAB, NIV “integrity”). Neither, however, was grounds for the Lord’s favor. As he states in both vv. 4-5, the main reason he allowed Israel to take this land was the sinfulness of the Canaanites who lived there (cf. Gen 15:16).

³ tn Heb “the Lord.” See note on “he” in 9:3.

⁴ tn Heb “fathers.”

³ tn Heb “in order to establish you today to him for a people and he will be to you for God.” Verses 10-13 are one long sentence in Hebrew. The translation divides this into two sentences for stylistic reasons.

⁴ tn Heb “fathers” (also in v. 25).