Deuteronomy 8

1 You must carefully follow [obey, heed] every commandment [instruction, law] I am giving you today [at this present time], so that you may live [have life, thrive] and multiply [increase, abound], and enter [go in, take possession] and possess [occupy, inherit] the land [country, territory] that the LORD [Yehovah, the supreme God] swore [made an oath, promised] to give your fathers [ancestors, forefathers]. word study 2 Remember [to recall, to mark] that these forty years the LORD [Yehovah, the supreme God] your God [Elohim, the one true God] led you all the way [through every experience, in every circumstance] in the wilderness [a desert, a place of testing], so that He might humble [to make low, to afflict] you and test [to prove, to try] you in order to know [to ascertain, to learn] what was in your heart [the innermost part of your being, your mind and emotions], whether or not [if, under any condition] you would keep [to obey, to guard] His commandments [laws, divine instructions]. word study 3 He humbled [afflicted, brought low] you, and in your hunger [physical need, emptiness] He gave you manna [a supernatural food, bread from heaven] to eat, which neither you nor your fathers had known [experienced, understood], so that you might understand [know, perceive] that man does not live on bread [physical sustenance, daily provision] alone [exclusively, solely], but on every word [spoken command, divine utterance] that comes from the mouth [lips, voice] of the LORD [Yehovah, the covenant God]. word study 4 Your [garment, apparel, or mantle] clothing did not [become old, decay, or wear out, balah] wear out and your [foot, as a symbol of journey or walk] feet did not swell [blister, or become inflamed, batseqah] during these forty [forty, a significant period of time] years. word study 5 So know [consider, understand, be aware] in your heart [mind, will, emotions] that just as a man [father, parent] disciplines [chastens, trains, corrects] his son [child, descendant], so the LORD [Yehovah, the Lord God] your God [Elohim, the supreme God] disciplines [chastens, teaches, punishes] you. word study 6 Therefore you shall keep [obey, guard, and protect] the commandments [laws, instructions, and precepts] of the LORD [Yehovah, The covenant Name of God] your God [Elohim, the supreme God], walking [to live, to conduct your life] in His ways [paths, journey, and manner of life] and fearing [revering, standing in awe of] Him [with reverence and respect]. word study 7 For the LORD [Yehovah, the covenant God] your God [Elohim, the supreme deity] is bringing you into a good [pleasant, prosperous] land, a land of brooks [rivers of water, streams] and fountains [springs, sources of water] and springs [depths, underground water] that flow through the valleys [lowlands, plains] and hills [mountains, highlands]; word study 8 a land [of great fertility and abundance] of wheat [grain, staple food], barley [a type of grain], vines [a grapevine], fig trees [and their fruit, a common food source], and pomegranates [a fruit or tree, used as an ornament]; a land [of rich resources] of olive oil [a valuable commodity] and honey [a sweet and valuable food]; word study 9 a land [of promise, where you will lack nothing] where you will eat [bread, spiritual nourishment] food without scarcity [or want, or famine], where you will [not be in need, not lack] lack nothing; a land [of abundance, rich in resources] whose rocks [stones, foundation] are iron [strong, unyielding] and whose hills [mountains, high places] are ready to be mined [dug, hewed] for copper [bronze, a valuable resource]. word study 10 When you eat [and devour, consume] and are satisfied [filled to the full, content], you are to bless [praise, honor] the LORD [Yehovah] your God [Elohim, the supreme Creator] for the good [pleasant, beneficial] land [earth, territory] that He has given [provided, bestowed] you. word study 11 Be careful [take heed, beware] not to forget [become oblivious to, neglect] the LORD [Yehovah, The covenant Name of God] your God [Elohim, the supreme God] by failing to keep [disobeying, neglecting] His commandments [laws, decrees] and ordinances [statutes, regulations] and statutes [precepts, rules], which I am giving [commanding, instructing] you this day [at this time, today]. word study 12 Otherwise, when you eat [and are filled, devour] and are satisfied [to fulfill your desire, have enough], when you build [establish, construct] fine [pleasant, good] houses [dwelling places, homes] in which to dwell [live, reside, sit], word study 13 and when your herds [cattle, domesticated oxen] and flocks [sheep or goats, a group of animals] grow large [increase, multiply] and your silver [money, wealth] and gold [a valuable metal, treasure] increase [multiply, accumulate] and all [everything, every possession] that you have [possess, own] is multiplied [grown, increased, abundant], word study 14 then your heart [innermost being, mind, and emotions] will become proud [lifted up, exalted in pride], and you will forget [be oblivious to, mislay] the LORD [Yehovah, The covenant Name of God] your God [Elohim, the supreme God] who brought you out [led you forth, came out with you] of the land [country, territory] of Egypt [a country in northeastern Africa], out of the house [dwelling place, place of bondage] of slavery [servants, bondage]. word study 15 He led you through the vast [immense, great] and terrifying [fearful, dreadful] wilderness [desert, open field] with its venomous [poisonous, fiery] snakes [serpents, burning serpents] and scorpions, a thirsty [parched, dry] and waterless [without water, barren] land [ground, earth]. He brought you water [liquid refreshment, source of life] from the rock [boulder, hard stone] of flint [hard, unchanging]. word study 16 He fed you in the wilderness [a desert or open field] with manna [a special food from God, unknown to your fathers] that your fathers had not known [were unfamiliar with], in order to humble you [to break your pride, bring you low] and test you [to prove your character, try your heart], so that in the end [at your latter time, in the future] He might cause you to prosper [to do you good, bring you joy]. word study 17 You might say [think to yourself, ponder in your mind] in your heart [innermost being, mind, will, and emotions], “The power [strength, might] and strength [might, physical or financial ability] of my hands [an open hand; strength, a side or share] have made [produced, acquired, accomplished] this wealth [abundance, riches, helech] for me [on my own, by my own effort].” word study 18 But remember [do not forget, keep in mind] that it is the LORD [Yehovah, The covenant Name of God] your God [Elohim, the one supreme God] who gives [grants, bestows] you the power [strength, might] to gain wealth [become rich, prosper], in order to confirm [establish, fulfill] His covenant [promise, agreement] that He swore [made an oath, vowed] to your fathers [ancestors, forefathers] even to this day [as it is today, at this present time]. word study 19 If you ever [completely, utterly] forget the LORD [Yehovah, The covenant Name of God] your God [Elohim, the one supreme God] and go after [follow, pursue] other [different, foreign] gods to worship [serve, honor] and bow down [prostrate, humble yourself] to them, I testify [bear witness, affirm] against you today [at this moment, now] that you will surely [certainly, without a doubt] perish [be destroyed, lost]. word study 20 Like the nations [Gentile peoples, non-Hebrew groups] that the LORD [Yehovah, The covenant Name of God] has destroyed [caused to perish, cut off] before you, so you will perish [be destroyed, lost] if you do not obey [listen to, heed the voice of] the LORD your God [Elohim, the supreme God]. word study