Deuteronomy 6:11

11 houses full of all sorts of good things, which you didn't fill; water cisterns dug out, which you didn't dig; vineyards and olive trees, which you didn't plant - and you have eaten your fill;

Deuteronomy 6:11 Meaning and Commentary

Deuteronomy 6:11

And houses full of all good things which thou filledst not,
&c.] Not only full of good, convenient, and rich household furniture, but of the fruits of the earth, of corn, and wine, and oil, and also, perhaps, of gold and silver:

and wells digged which thou diggedst not;
which in those hot and dry countries were in much esteem, and of great worth; see ( Genesis 26:18-22 ) ,

vineyards and olive trees which thou plantedst not;
which Canaan abounded with much more than Egypt, where there were but few vines and olive trees, though of both these there were more where the Israelites lived than elsewhere; (See Gill on Genesis 47:11) and these therefore might be such as they had seen in Egypt, in that part of it in which they dwelt, Goshen, which was in the Heracleotic nome, and that Strabo F21 says only produced perfect olives, and fruit bearing trees, but the rest of Egypt wanted oil; and this home is the same which the Arabs now call the province of Fium, of which Leo Africanus F23 says, it produces a large quantity of olives; so that this might be observed for the encouragement of the Israelites:

when thou shalt have eaten and be full;
having such plenty of good things the land would furnish them with.


FOOTNOTES:

F21 Geograph. l. 17. p. 556.
F23 Descriptio Africae, l. 8. p. 722.

Deuteronomy 6:11 In-Context

9 and write them on the door-frames of your house and on your gates.
10 "When ADONAI your God has brought you into the land he swore to your ancestors Avraham, Yitz'chak and Ya'akov that he would give you - cities great and prosperous, which you didn't build;
11 houses full of all sorts of good things, which you didn't fill; water cisterns dug out, which you didn't dig; vineyards and olive trees, which you didn't plant - and you have eaten your fill;
12 then be careful not to forget ADONAI, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, where you lived as slaves.
13 You are to fear ADONAI your God, serve him and swear by his name.
Complete Jewish Bible Copyright 1998 by David H. Stern. Published by Jewish New Testament Publications, Inc. All rights reserved. Used by permission.