Deuteronomy8
World English Bible · Public Domain
1You shall observe to do all the commandments which I command you today, that you may live, and multiply, and go in and possess the land which Yahweh swore to your fathers.
2You shall remember all the way which Yahweh your God has led you these forty years in the wilderness, that he might humble you, to test you, to know what was in your heart, whether you would keep his commandments or not.
3He humbled you, allowed you to be hungry, and fed you with manna, which you didn’t know, neither did your fathers know, that he might teach you that man does not live by bread only, but man lives by every word that proceeds out of Yahweh’s mouth.
4Your clothing didn’t grow old on you, neither did your foot swell, these forty years.
5You shall consider in your heart that as a man disciplines his son, so Yahweh your God disciplines you.
6You shall keep the commandments of Yahweh your God, to walk in his ways, and to fear him.
7For Yahweh your God brings you into a good land, a land of brooks of water, of springs, and underground water flowing into valleys and hills;
8a land of wheat, barley, vines, fig trees, and pomegranates; a land of olive trees and honey;
9a land in which you shall eat bread without scarcity, you shall not lack anything in it; a land whose stones are iron, and out of whose hills you may dig copper.
10You shall eat and be full, and you shall bless Yahweh your God for the good land which he has given you.
11Beware lest you forget Yahweh your God, in not keeping his commandments, his ordinances, and his statutes, which I command you today;
12lest, when you have eaten and are full, and have built fine houses and lived in them;
13and when your herds and your flocks multiply, and your silver and your gold is multiplied, and all that you have is multiplied;
14then your heart might be lifted up, and you forget Yahweh your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage;
15who led you through the great and terrible wilderness, with venomous snakes and scorpions, and thirsty ground where there was no water; who poured water for you out of the rock of flint;
16who fed you in the wilderness with manna, which your fathers didn’t know, that he might humble you, and that he might prove you, to do you good at your latter end;
17and lest you say in your heart, “My power and the might of my hand has gotten me this wealth.”
18But you shall remember Yahweh your God, for it is he who gives you power to get wealth, that he may establish his covenant which he swore to your fathers, as it is today.
19It shall be, if you shall forget Yahweh your God, and walk after other gods, and serve them and worship them, I testify against you today that you shall surely perish.
20As the nations that Yahweh makes to perish before you, so you shall perish, because you wouldn’t listen to Yahweh your God’s voice.
Study Guide
Public-domain commentary and original-language notes for Deuteronomy 8.
Chapter Summary
In this chapter: Exhortations and cautions, enforced by the Lord's former dealings with Israel, and his promises. (1–9). Exhortations and cautions further enforced. (10–20).
vv1-9
Obedience must be, 1. Careful, observe to do; 2. Universal, to do all the commandments; and 3. From a good principle, with a regard to God as the Lord, and their God, and with a holy fear of him. To engage them to this obedience. Moses directs them to look back. It is good to remember all the ways, both of God's providence and grace, by which he has led us through this wilderness, that we may cheerfully serve him and trust in him. They must remember the straits they were sometimes brought into, for mortifying their pride, and manifesting their perverseness; to prove them, that they and others might know all that was in their heart, and that all might see that God chose them, not for any thing in them which might recommend them to his favour. They must remember the miraculous supplies of food and raiment granted them. Let none of God's children distrust their Father, nor take any sinful course for the supply of their necessities. Some way or other, God will provide for them in the way of duty and honest diligence, and verily they shall be fed. It may be applied spiritually; the word of God is the food of the soul. Christ is the word of God; by him we live. They must also remember the rebukes they had been under, and not without need. This use we should make of all our afflictions; by them let us be quickened to our duty. Moses also directs them to look forward to Canaan. Look which way we will, both to look back and to look forward, to Canaan. Look which way we will, both to look back and to look forward will furnish us with arguments for obedience. Moses saw in that land a type of the better country. The gospel church is the New Testament Canaan, watered with the Spirit in his gifts and graces, planted with trees of righteousness, bearing fruits of righteousness. Heaven is the good land, in which nothing is wanting, and where is fulness of joy.
vv10-20
Moses directs to the duty of a prosperous condition. Let them always remember their Benefactor. In everything we must give thanks. Moses arms them against the temptations of a prosperous condition. When men possess large estates, or are engaged in profitable business, they find the temptation to pride, forgetfulness of God, and carnal-mindedness, very strong; and they are anxious and troubled about many things. In this the believing poor have the advantage; they more easily perceive their supplies coming from the Lord in answer to the prayer of faith; and, strange as it may seem, they find less difficulty in simply trusting him for daily bread. They taste a sweetness therein, which is generally unknown to the rich, while they are also freed from many of their temptations. Forget not God's former dealings with thee. Here is the great secret of Divine Providence. Infinite wisdom and goodness are the source of all the changes and trials believers experience. Israel had many bitter trials, but it was “to do them good.” Pride is natural to the human heart. Would one suppose that such a people, after their slavery at the brick-kilns, should need the thorns of the wilderness to humble them? But such is man! And they were proved that they might be humbled. None of us live a single week without giving proofs of our weakness, folly, and depravity. To broken-hearted souls alone the Saviour is precious indeed. Nothing can render the most suitable outward and inward trials effectual, but the power of the Spirit of God. See here how God's giving and our getting are reconciled, and apply it to spiritual wealth. All God's gifts are in pursuance of his promises. Moses repeats the warning he had often given of the fatal consequences of forsaking God. Those who follow others in sin, will follow them to destruction. If we do as sinners do, we must expect to fare as sinners fare.
Key Words
כֹּל: properly, the whole; hence, all, any or every (in the singular only, but often in a plural sense)
מִצְוָה: a command, whether human or divine (collectively, the Law)
צָוָה: (intensively) to constitute, enjoin
יוֹם: a day (as the warm hours), whether literal (from sunrise to sunset, or from one sunset to the next), or figurative (a space of time defined by an associated term), (often used adverb)
שָׁמַר: properly, to hedge about (as with thorns), i.e. guard; generally, to protect, attend to, etc.
עָשָׂה: to do or make, in the broadest sense and widest application
חָיָה: to live, whether literally or figuratively; causatively, to revive
רָבָה: to increase (in whatever respect)
בּוֹא: to go or come (in a wide variety of applications)
יָרַשׁ: to occupy (by driving out previous tenants, and possessing in their place); by implication, to seize, to rob, to inherit; also to expel, to impoverish, to ruin
Cross References
Deuteronomy 8Jesus directly quotes this verse during His wilderness temptation to repel the devil's suggestion.
Supported by Matthew Henry, Matthew Poole, JFB
Luke's account of Jesus quoting this verse during His wilderness temptation to show dependence on God.
Supported by Matthew Henry, Matthew Poole, JFB
Parallel repetition of the miraculous preservation of their clothes and shoes during the forty years.
Supported by JFB
A direct New Testament expansion on the fatherly discipline of God mentioned in verse 5.
Supported by Matthew Poole
The original account of the giving of the manna, which they and their fathers knew not.
Supported by JFB
Direct historical and prophetic parallel of Israel becoming full, heart-lifted, and forgetting God.
Supported by Matthew Poole
New Testament parallel warning against self-attribution of gifts, matching "mine hand hath gotten me wealth."
Supported by Matthew Poole
Nehemiah's post-exilic confession echoing the miracle of clothes not wearing out and feet not swelling.
Supported by Matthew Henry
Contrasts the watered nature of Canaan with Egypt, expanding on the description of the good land.
Supported by John Calvin
The historical bringing forth of water out of the rock of flint during wilderness travels.
Supported by Matthew Henry, Matthew Poole
Warns Israel against claiming their own righteousness or strength secured their success.
Supported by Matthew Poole
The danger of being full and denying God, saying, "Who is the Lord?"
Supported by Matthew Henry
Identifies the wilderness rock that yielded water as a type of Christ.
Supported by Matthew Henry
Nebuchadnezzar exemplifies the wicked self-reliance warned against: "by the might of my power."
Supported by Matthew Henry