Deuteronomy 29 6

Deuteronomy 29:6 kjv

Ye have not eaten bread, neither have ye drunk wine or strong drink: that ye might know that I am the LORD your God.

Deuteronomy 29:6 nkjv

You have not eaten bread, nor have you drunk wine or similar drink, that you may know that I am the LORD your God.

Deuteronomy 29:6 niv

You ate no bread and drank no wine or other fermented drink. I did this so that you might know that I am the LORD your God."

Deuteronomy 29:6 esv

You have not eaten bread, and you have not drunk wine or strong drink, that you may know that I am the LORD your God.

Deuteronomy 29:6 nlt

You ate no bread and drank no wine or other alcoholic drink, but he provided for you so you would know that he is the LORD your God.

Deuteronomy 29 verses

Deuteronomy 29 6 Meaning

Deuteronomy 29:6 highlights God's extraordinary and supernatural provision for Israel during their forty-year wilderness journey. He sustained them without reliance on conventional food (bread) or beverages (wine or strong drink), which were staples of settled life. The ultimate purpose of this unprecedented sustenance was for Israel to intimately know and experientially acknowledge that the Lord, Yahweh, was their one true God. This revealed His absolute sovereignty, faithfulness, and unique identity as their Provider and Protector.

Deuteronomy 29 6 Context

Deuteronomy 29:6 is situated within Moses' second major discourse to the Israelites in the plains of Moab, just before they enter the Promised Land. This chapter initiates the final section of Moses' farewell addresses, focused on the renewal of the covenant (the Moabite Covenant) made at Horeb/Sinai. Moses is reminding the generation about to enter Canaan of God's mighty acts of deliverance and sustenance throughout their forty years in the wilderness. He recounts specific experiences—including the plagues, the Exodus, and the constant provision—to impress upon them the Lord's unique power, faithfulness, and the demanding nature of their relationship with Him. The immediate context of verse 6 highlights the miraculous nature of their sustained survival in an environment where conventional agriculture and self-provision were impossible. This serves as a potent reminder of God's distinct identity as the only true God, capable of sustaining His people against all natural odds, and thereby demanding their complete obedience and allegiance as they prepare to inherit the land.

Deuteronomy 29 6 Word analysis

• You have not eaten bread: The Hebrew word for "bread" is לֶחֶם (lekhem). This signifies a primary staple food, typically a result of agriculture. Its absence indicates that Israel did not rely on cultivated crops for sustenance. Instead, they were miraculously provided manna (Ex 16:15), emphasizing an entirely different source of nourishment directly from God. This absence of normal provision made their complete dependence on Him tangible.
• nor have you drunk wine: The Hebrew word for "wine" is יַיִן (yayin). This refers to the fermented juice of grapes, a common beverage and an indicator of settled, agricultural life (vineyards). The Israelites did not have vineyards in the wilderness, yet they never lacked water, supernaturally provided from rocks (Ex 17:6, Num 20:8). This highlights divine provision bypassing typical human means.
• or strong drink: The Hebrew word is שֵׁכָר (shekhar), which refers to an intoxicating drink, often a beer-like beverage derived from grains or fruits other than grapes. This reinforces the comprehensive nature of their unique wilderness diet. Israel's sustenance was divinely controlled, keeping them distinct and solely reliant on God's supernatural supply, setting them apart from ordinary consumption patterns.
• that you might know: The Hebrew phrase is לְמַעַן דַּעַת (le-ma'an da'at), signifying a purpose or result clause. The word דַּעַת (da'at) comes from the verb יָדַע (yada'), which means "to know" in a deep, experiential, and often relational sense, not merely intellectual understanding. This implies a knowing born out of direct, prolonged experience. God orchestrated their unique existence to foster an intimate, lived awareness of His character.
• that I am the Lord your God: The Hebrew here is כִּי אֲנִי יְהוָה אֱלֹהֵיכֶם (ki ani YHWH Eloheikhem).
  • אֲנִי יְהוָה (ani YHWH): "I am Yahweh" or "I am the LORD." This is God's personal covenant name (the Tetragrammaton), emphasizing His self-existence, eternal nature, and faithfulness to His promises. This phrase is a common divine self-attestation throughout Exodus and the wilderness narratives (e.g., Ex 7:5). It is a declaration of His sovereign authority and unique identity.
  • אֱלֹהֵיכֶם (Eloheikhem): "your God." This specifies the unique, covenantal relationship Yahweh has with Israel. He is not merely "God," but their God, personally committed to them. The wilderness provision served to cement this intimate bond.
• Words-group: You have not eaten bread, nor have you drunk wine or strong drink: This collective phrase vividly paints the picture of total dependence. It illustrates that during forty years, the entire Israelite community, irrespective of status, did not consume the standard produce of the land (bread) nor beverages derived from cultivation (wine or strong drink). This highlights God's exclusive role as their sustenance, completely bypassing human agriculture or commerce. It underscored their utter vulnerability and His consistent, unique provision.
• Words-group: that you might know that I am the Lord your God: This entire clause reveals the pedagogical and theological intent behind God's miraculous provision. It wasn't just to keep them alive, but to forge a profound, lived knowledge of Yahweh as their unique, all-sufficient covenant God. Their dependence in the wilderness served as a daily lesson in His absolute power and faithfulness, demonstrating that He alone was their source of life and identity, standing in stark contrast to reliance on natural resources or pagan deities.

Deuteronomy 29 6 Bonus section

• The Wilderness as a Classroom: The forty-year period in the wilderness served as an extended training ground or "classroom" for Israel. God intentionally placed them in circumstances of complete lack (no agriculture, no cities for commerce) so that He could uniquely demonstrate His ability to sustain them. This direct, constant intervention forced them to look beyond their own abilities and the limitations of their environment to God alone for their daily needs.
• A Polemic Against Idolatry: This unique provision also served as a powerful polemic against the pagan deities and fertility cults of the ancient Near East. Unlike gods worshipped for agricultural abundance, the God of Israel showed His power apart from natural cycles, highlighting His sovereignty over all creation and His distinctness from idols tied to human efforts and specific geographic blessings. He could provide manna from heaven and water from a rock, independent of rainfall or soil fertility.
• The Deeper Meaning of Sustenance: While the verse describes physical provision, it foreshadows a deeper spiritual truth. As highlighted in Deuteronomy 8:3 (quoted by Jesus in Matt 4:4), true life and sustenance come not just from physical food but "by every word that comes from the mouth of the Lord." The physical deprivation in the wilderness taught them to depend on God's words and His character as much as His tangible provisions.
• Covenant Fidelity: The remembrance of God's perfect provision was meant to cultivate gratitude and solidify Israel's commitment to the covenant. Having witnessed such sustained, miraculous care, they were expected to respond with unswerving loyalty as they entered the complexities of life in the Promised Land.

Deuteronomy 29 6 Commentary

Deuteronomy 29:6 serves as a powerful testament to God's unique relationship with Israel in the wilderness. It succinctly states that for four decades, their sustenance came not from typical human means (agriculture for bread, vineyards for wine, or other crops for strong drink), but directly and miraculously from God. This unprecedented situation was not random; it had a clear, divine purpose: "that you might know that I am the Lord your God." This "knowing" was not intellectual assent alone but an experiential, intimate understanding of Yahweh's identity as their sole Provider, Protector, and covenant God. By bypassing conventional food sources, God cultivated an environment of complete reliance, intending to embed deeply within their collective memory the truth of His unparalleled power and faithfulness before they entered a land of their own cultivation. This sustained dependence was foundational to understanding their identity as God's peculiar people, living by His provision, and responding in loyal obedience.