Deuteronomy 2:7 kjv
For the LORD thy God hath blessed thee in all the works of thy hand: he knoweth thy walking through this great wilderness: these forty years the LORD thy God hath been with thee; thou hast lacked nothing.
Deuteronomy 2:7 nkjv
"For the LORD your God has blessed you in all the work of your hand. He knows your trudging through this great wilderness. These forty years the LORD your God has been with you; you have lacked nothing." '
Deuteronomy 2:7 niv
The LORD your God has blessed you in all the work of your hands. He has watched over your journey through this vast wilderness. These forty years the LORD your God has been with you, and you have not lacked anything.
Deuteronomy 2:7 esv
For the LORD your God has blessed you in all the work of your hands. He knows your going through this great wilderness. These forty years the LORD your God has been with you. You have lacked nothing."'
Deuteronomy 2:7 nlt
For the LORD your God has blessed you in everything you have done. He has watched your every step through this great wilderness. During these forty years, the LORD your God has been with you, and you have lacked nothing."'
Deuteronomy 2 7 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Deut 8:2-4 | "And you shall remember that the LORD your God led you...to humble you...to know that man does not live by bread alone...Your clothing did not wear out...your foot did not swell these forty years." | God's specific wilderness provision |
| Neh 9:21 | "Forty years You sustained them in the wilderness; they lacked nothing; their clothes did not wear out, and their feet did not swell." | Echo of Deut's account of divine provision |
| Psa 23:1 | "The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want." | God as provider, sufficiency |
| Mat 6:31-33 | "Do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’...for your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things. But seek first the kingdom...and all these things shall be added to you." | God knows and provides for His people |
| Phil 4:19 | "And my God shall supply all your needs according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus." | New Testament affirmation of divine provision |
| Isa 41:10 | "Fear not, for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you, Yes, I will help you, I will uphold you with My righteous right hand." | God's enduring presence and help |
| Heb 13:5 | "Let your conduct be without covetousness; be content with such things as you have. For He Himself has said, 'I will never leave you nor forsake you.'" | God's constant presence and support |
| Exo 33:14 | "And He said, 'My Presence will go with you, and I will give you rest.'" | Assurance of God's presence leading |
| 1 Cor 10:1-4 | "Moreover, brethren, I do not want you to be unaware that all our fathers were under the cloud, all passed through the sea, all were baptized into Moses...all ate the same spiritual food, and all drank the same spiritual drink..." | Wilderness experiences as spiritual lessons |
| Psa 105:40-41 | "They asked, and He brought quail, And satisfied them with the bread of heaven. He opened the rock, and the waters gushed out..." | Specific examples of God's wilderness provision |
| Psa 78:15-16 | "He split the rocks in the wilderness, And gave them drink in abundance...He also brought streams out of the rock, And caused waters to run down like rivers." | God providing water in the desert |
| Psa 78:24-25 | "Had rained down manna on them to eat, And had given them of the bread of heaven. Men ate angels’ food; He sent them food to the full." | God providing food (manna) in the desert |
| Lam 3:22-23 | "Through the LORD's mercies we are not consumed, Because His compassions fail not. They are new every morning; Great is Your faithfulness." | God's constant mercies and faithfulness |
| 2 Tim 2:13 | "If we are faithless, He remains faithful; He cannot deny Himself." | God's inherent faithfulness |
| Deut 1:31 | "And in the wilderness where you saw how the LORD your God carried you, as a man carries his son, all the way that you went until you came to this place." | God's caring and sustaining actions |
| Num 14:33 | "And your sons shall be shepherds in the wilderness forty years, and bear the brunt of your faithlessness, until your carcasses are consumed in the wilderness." | Context of the 40-year judgment |
| Jer 2:6 | "Nor did they say, 'Where is the LORD, Who brought us up from the land of Egypt, Who led us through the wilderness, Through a land of deserts and pits, Through a land of drought and the shadow of death...'" | God's leading through the wilderness |
| Psa 90:17 | "And let the beauty of the LORD our God be upon us; And establish the work of our hands for us; Yes, establish the work of our hands." | Blessing on human labor |
| Prov 10:22 | "The blessing of the LORD makes one rich, And He adds no sorrow with it." | The source of true blessing |
| Mal 3:10 | "Bring all the tithes into the storehouse...And try Me now in this...If I will not open for you the windows of heaven And pour out for you such blessing That there will not be room enough to receive it." | God's promise to provide abundantly when faithful |
| Rom 8:31-32 | "What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us? He who did not spare His own Son...how shall He not with Him also freely give us all things?" | God's ultimate provision through Christ |
| John 10:10 | "The thief does not come except to steal, and to kill, and to destroy. I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly." | Christ as the ultimate source of life and abundance |
Deuteronomy 2 verses
Deuteronomy 2 7 Meaning
Deuteronomy 2:7 is a profound affirmation of God's consistent faithfulness and meticulous provision for the nation of Israel during their long and challenging forty-year wilderness journey. It highlights that despite the harsh and desolate environment, God not only watched over them but intimately understood their struggles and diligently supplied all their essential needs, ensuring they lacked nothing necessary for their survival and progression. This verse serves as a powerful reminder that God is fully aware of His people's hardships and actively sustains them, demonstrating His divine presence, protection, and boundless grace through even the most arduous circumstances.
Deuteronomy 2 7 Context
Deuteronomy 2:7 is found within Moses's address to the new generation of Israelites gathered on the plains of Moab, poised to enter the Promised Land. This chapter serves as a historical review, recalling their journey through the wilderness from Mount Seir to their current position, highlighting God's faithfulness even as Israel circumvented various nations (Esau's descendants, Moabites, Ammonites) according to divine command. The verse specifically harks back to the core forty years of wandering, following the initial rebellion at Kadesh Barnea, emphasizing God's miraculous sustenance during a period of hardship and divine discipline. It acts as a foundational truth for the incoming generation: trust in God, not in self or the environment, because He alone provided for their ancestors in the impossible setting of the wilderness. This also serves as an indirect polemic against any belief that a harsh desert environment or other gods determined their survival or well-being, firmly placing Yahweh as the sole and supreme provider.
Deuteronomy 2 7 Word analysis
- For the LORD your God: The name "LORD" (יְהוָה, YHWH or Yahweh) signifies the covenant-keeping, self-existent God. "Your God" (Eloheka) emphasizes the intimate, personal relationship established between Him and Israel, implying a deep responsibility and care on His part for His chosen people.
- has blessed: Hebrew: בָּרַךְ (barak). Implies divine favor and enablement leading to prosperity, growth, and provision. Here, it denotes tangible and comprehensive benefits given by God, enabling flourishing even in adverse conditions.
- you in all the work of your hand: Refers to Israel's practical efforts, their daily endeavors and labor. It shows God's blessing extends to every aspect of their mundane lives, sanctifying and prospering even ordinary work. This is significant because much of their 'work' in the wilderness was related to migration, camp setup, or perhaps simple crafts, yet God blessed it.
- He knows: Hebrew: יָדַע (yada). More than intellectual understanding; it implies intimate, experiential knowledge, personal involvement, and sympathetic awareness. God wasn't a distant observer but was deeply familiar with their struggles, pain, and efforts. This knowledge precedes and enables His perfect provision.
- your trudging through this great wilderness: "Trudging" (related to הָלַךְ, halakh, 'to walk, go') conveys a sense of difficulty, effort, and prolonged movement through a challenging landscape. "Great wilderness" (midbar gadol) signifies a vast, desolate, and dangerous place, naturally devoid of sustenance, making God's provision even more miraculous. It underscores the severity of their environment and thus the magnitude of divine care.
- These forty years: A biblically significant period often representing a generation, testing, preparation, or judgment (e.g., Flood, Elijah in desert, Jesus's temptation). In this context, it signifies the full duration of Israel's disciplinary wandering, emphasizing the sustained, unceasing nature of God's provision, not just a temporary intervention. It illustrates endurance of His faithfulness.
- the LORD your God has been with you: Hebrew: הָיָה עִמְּךָ (hayah im-cha). Emphasizes God's constant presence, companionship, and active guiding. It means He was literally with them, not just providing from afar, but personally accompanying them through all trials, a pillar of cloud by day and fire by night (Exo 13:21).
- you have lacked nothing: Hebrew: לֹא הֶחְסַרְתָּ כָל-דָּבָר (lo hehsarta kol-davar). This is a comprehensive declaration of absolute sufficiency. Despite the barren wilderness, Israel had all their essential needs met—food (manna, quail), water (from rock), clothing (not wearing out), protection. It emphasizes that God's provision was complete and perfect according to His wise will, even if not extravagant by human standards.
Deuteronomy 2 7 Bonus section
The concept of God's "knowing" (yada) goes deeper than simple observation; it encompasses deep personal communion and empathetic care. This profound understanding meant that God precisely met Israel's needs because He experienced their struggle with them. The fact that they "lacked nothing" in the wilderness despite never developing an indigenous economy is a stark counter-narrative to all self-sufficiency narratives, ancient or modern, highlighting that ultimate sustenance comes solely from God's gracious hand. The forty-year wilderness period was a foundational identity-shaping experience for Israel, meant to teach them absolute dependence on Yahweh, illustrating that hardship does not preclude God's abundant provision but often reveals it most clearly.
Deuteronomy 2 7 Commentary
Deuteronomy 2:7 serves as a powerful testament to God's steadfast character and active involvement in the lives of His people. It refutes the idea of a distant deity by portraying a God who intimately "knows" their struggles, walks "with" them, and "blesses" their every effort. The emphasis on "forty years" in the "great wilderness" amplifies the miracle of constant provision, transforming a desolate landscape into a stage for divine faithfulness. This verse assures the new generation, and by extension believers today, that the same God who sustained Israel in impossible conditions will faithfully meet all their needs. It calls for profound trust, knowing that despite challenging "wilderness" seasons in life, divine presence ensures full provision and sustained blessing, even in daily tasks, so that "nothing" essential is lacking. It encourages looking back at God's past faithfulness to build courage for future challenges.