Deuteronomy 8:15

15 He led you through the vast and dreadful wilderness, that thirsty and waterless land, with its venomous snakes and scorpions. He brought you water out of hard rock.

Deuteronomy 8:15 in Other Translations

15 Who led thee through that great and terrible wilderness, wherein were fiery serpents, and scorpions, and drought, where there was no water; who brought thee forth water out of the rock of flint;

15 who led you through the great and terrifying wilderness, with its fiery serpents and scorpions and thirsty ground where there was no water, who brought you water out of the flinty rock,

15 Do not forget that he led you through the great and terrifying wilderness with its poisonous snakes and scorpions, where it was so hot and dry. He gave you water from the rock!

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;

15 He led you through the great and terrible wilderness with its poisonous snakes and scorpions, a thirsty land where there was no water. He brought water out of the flintlike rock for you.

Deuteronomy 8:15 Meaning and Commentary

Deuteronomy 8:15

Who led thee through that great and terrible wilderness
The wilderness of Paran, which was great and large, reaching from Sinai to Kadesh, eleven days' journey, and terrible to the sight, nothing being to be seen but dry rocks and barren mountains; see ( Deuteronomy 1:19 ) , and especially for what follows: wherein were fiery serpents and scorpions; fiery serpents, such as bit the Israelites, of which see ( Numbers 21:6 ) and scorpions, a kind of serpents, venomous and mischievous, which have stings in their tails they are continually thrusting out and striking with, as Pliny says ^F21; and have their name from their great sting; for Aristotle ^F23 says, this alone of insects has a large sting:

and drought where there was no water;
a dry and barren place where no water was to be had; see ( Psalms 63:1 ) or it may be rather another kind of serpents may be meant, which is called "dipsas"; and so the Vulgate Latin, Septuagint, and Samaritan versions render it; the biting of which produces such a thirst as proves mortal, and which must be intolerable in a wilderness where no water is; and from whence it has its name, which signifies thirsty, as does the Hebrew word here used:

who brought thee forth water out of the rock of flint;
which was done both at Horeb and Kadesh, ( Exodus 17:6 ) ( Numbers 20:11 ) and was very extraordinary; by striking flint, fire is ordinarily produced, and not water. Dr. Shaw observes ^F24, that it may be more properly named, with other sorts of graphite marble here to be met with, "the rock of amethyst", from their reddish or purple colour and complexion.

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FOOTNOTES:

F21 Nat. Hist. l. 11. c. 25.
F23 Hist. Animal. l. 4. c. 7.
F24 Travels, p. 317, 442.

Deuteronomy 8:15 In-Context

13 and when your herds and flocks grow large and your silver and gold increase and all you have is multiplied,

14 then your heart will become proud and you will forget the LORD your God, who brought you out of Egypt, out of the land of slavery.

15 He led you through the vast and dreadful wilderness, that thirsty and waterless land, with its venomous snakes and scorpions. He brought you water out of hard rock.

16 He gave you manna to eat in the wilderness, something your ancestors had never known, to humble and test you so that in the end it might go well with you.

17 You may say to yourself, “My power and the strength of my hands have produced this wealth for me.”

Cross References

• 1. S Deuteronomy 1:19; S Deuteronomy 32:10; Jeremiah 2:6
• 2. Numbers 21:6; Isaiah 14:29; Isaiah 30:6
• 3. Exodus 17:6; Numbers 20:11; Deuteronomy 32:13; Job 28:9; Psalms 78:15; Psalms 114:8