Deuteronomy 8:17

17 And you may think in your heart, 'My strength and the might of my hand {acquired this wealth for} me.'

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 one leading you in the great and terrible desert [infested] with {dangerous} snakes and scorpions and parched ground, where there is no water, [and] the one bringing out water for you from flint rock,

16 the one {feeding you} manna in the desert, [food] that your ancestors did not know, in order to humble you and in order to test you [so that he could] do good to you {in the future}.

17 And you may think in your heart, 'My strength and the might of my hand {acquired this wealth for} me.'

18 But you must remember Yahweh your God, for he [is] the [one] giving you strength to acquire wealth in order to confirm his covenant that he swore to your ancestors {as it is today}.

19 And it will happen [that] if you indeed forget Yahweh your God and you go after other gods and you serve them and you bow down before them, I warn you today that you will surely perish.

Footnotes

• [a]. Or "say"
• [b]. Literally "gave this wealth to"