The Bible — World English Bible
Deuteronomy 8
In brief
In Deuteronomy 8, Moses speaks to the people on the verge of entering the promised land. He asks them to remember the forty years in the wilderness, where God humbled them, tested them and fed them with manna to teach them that man does not live by bread only, but by every word that proceeds out of the mouth of the Lord. He then describes the good land awaiting them, and warns: in abundance, do not forget the Lord or tell yourselves that your own strength produced this wealth. It is he who gives power to get wealth.
The chapter in 4 parts
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.
Key verses
You 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.
God led his people into the wilderness to humble and test them, to know what was in their heart. The wilderness reveals what is inside as much as it shapes.
He 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.
Man does not live by bread only, but by every word that proceeds out of the mouth of the Lord. Jesus will quote this verse to the tempter, in the wilderness (Matthew 4:4).
You shall consider in your heart that as a man disciplines his son, so Yahweh your God disciplines you.
God disciplines his people as a man disciplines his son. The verse presents the trial as a father's training, not the whim of a tormentor.
Beware lest you forget Yahweh your God, in not keeping his commandments, his ordinances, and his statutes, which I command you today; lest, when you have eaten and are full, and have built fine houses and lived in them; and when your herds and your flocks multiply, and your silver and your gold is multiplied, and all that you have is multiplied; then 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;
When abundance, fine houses and herds come, the danger is that the heart grows proud and forgets the Lord. The text warns that pride is often born of comfort.
and lest you say in your heart, “My power and the might of my hand has gotten me this wealth.” But 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.
The thought that my power and the might of my hand have gotten me this wealth is one Moses corrects. It is God who gives the power to get wealth, to confirm his covenant.
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What the sermons say
Frequently asked questions about Deuteronomy 8
What does it mean that man does not live by bread only?
Deuteronomy 8:3 explains that God fed his people with manna to teach them that life does not depend only on material food but on every word of God. Jesus quotes this verse in the wilderness to answer temptation in Matthew 4:4.
Why did God test his people in the wilderness?
The text gives the reason: to humble and test them, to know what was in their heart, and then to do them good (verses 2 and 16). Moses compares this trial to a father's correction of his child. The aim is to teach dependence on God, not to destroy.
What is the danger described in verses 11 to 18?
In abundance, the people risk forgetting God and believing that their own strength produced their wealth. Moses reminds them that it is God who gives the power to get wealth. The text calls for gratitude and memory, two remedies against pride.
Articles quoting Deuteronomy 8
- 20 Bible Verses for Thanksgiving: Gratitude for the Table and the Heart
- 20 Bible Verses About Money
- Joshua 1:9: Be Strong and Courageous, God Is with You
- Matthew 6: Daily Bread and Daily Forgiveness
- Joshua 5: God Prepares You Before Sending You into Battle
- Luke 24: Recognizing Jesus When He Breaks the Bread
World English Bible translation — public domain.