Deuteronomy 8:17

17 If you start thinking to yourselves, "I did all this. And all by myself. I'm rich. It's all mine!" -

Deuteronomy 8:17 Meaning and Commentary

Deuteronomy 8:17

And thou say in thine heart
These words are in connection with the former part of the ( Deuteronomy 8:14 ) :

and thou forget the Lord thy God;
the author and giver of all the good things enjoyed, and think within themselves, though they might not express it in words at length:

my power and the might of mine hand hath gotten me this wealth;
so ascribing that to themselves, their labour, and diligence, which ought to be ascribed to the bounty and blessing of God; see ( Hosea 12:8 ) .

Deuteronomy 8:17 In-Context

15 the God who led you through that huge and fearsome wilderness, those desolate, arid badlands crawling with fiery snakes and scorpions; the God who gave you water gushing from hard rock;

16 the God who gave you manna to eat in the wilderness, something your ancestors had never heard of, in order to give you a taste of the hard life, to test you so that you would be prepared to live well in the days ahead of you.

17 If you start thinking to yourselves, "I did all this. And all by myself. I'm rich. It's all mine!" -

18 well, think again. Remember that God, your God, gave you the strength to produce all this wealth so as to confirm the covenant that he promised to your ancestors - as it is today.

19 If you forget, forget God, your God, and start taking up with other gods, serving and worshiping them, I'm on record right now as giving you firm warning: that will be the end of you; I mean it - destruction.