Deuteronomy 8:12-20

12 lest when thou hast eaten and art full, and hast built goodly houses, and dwelt in them;

13 and thy oxen and thy sheep are multiplied to thee, and thy silver and thy gold are multiplied to thee, and all thy possessions are multiplied to thee,

14 thou shouldest be exalted in heart, and forget the Lord thy God, who brought thee out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage:

15 who brought thee through that great and terrible wilderness, where the biting serpent, and scorpion, and drought, where there was no water; who brought thee a fountain of water out of the flinty rock:

16 who fed thee with manna in the wilderness, which thou knewest not, and thy fathers knew not; that he might afflict thee, and thoroughly try thee, and do thee good in thy latter days.

17 Lest thou shouldest say in thine heart, My strength, and the power of mine hand have wrought for me this great wealth.

18 But thou shalt remember the Lord thy God, that he gives thee strength to get wealth; even that he may establish his covenant, which the Lord sware to thy fathers, as at this day.

19 And it shall come to pass if thou do at all forget the Lord thy God, and shouldest go after other gods, and serve them, and worship them, I call heaven and earth to witness against you this day, that ye shall surely perish.

20 As also the other nations which the Lord God destroys before your face, so shall ye perish, because ye hearkened not to the voice of the Lord your God.

Deuteronomy 8:12-20 Meaning and Commentary

INTRODUCTION TO DEUTERONOMY 8

In this chapter Moses repeats the exhortation to observe the commands of God, and urges the Israelites to it, from the consideration of the great and good things God had done for them in the wilderness, and even in those instances which were chastisements, and were of an humbling nature, De 8:1-6, and on the consideration of the blessings of the good land they were going to possess, De 8:7-9 for which blessings they are exhorted to be thankful, and are cautioned against pride of heart through them, and forgetfulness of God, and of his goodness to them while in the wilderness, and when brought into the land of Canaan, which they were to ascribe to his power and goodness, and not their own, De 8:10-18, and the chapter is concluded with a warning against idolatry, lest they perish through it as the nations before them, De 8:19,20.