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.
You are not going in to take their land because you are righteous or because your heart is upright. Instead, the LORD your God is driving these nations out ahead of you because of their wickedness, and so that he can keep the promise he made to your ancestors Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.
God is reminding Israel that they're receiving the Promised Land not because they deserve it, but because of God's faithfulness to his promises and because of the other nations' sins.
📚 Historical Context
Moses spoke these words to the Israelites as they prepared to enter the Promised Land after 40 years in the wilderness. He was warning them against pride and self-righteousness, reminding them that God's gift of the land was based on his covenant promises to their forefathers, not their own merit. The Canaanite nations they would displace had engaged in practices like child sacrifice and other behaviors that God found detestable.
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