Deuteronomy 8:12 kjv
Lest when thou hast eaten and art full, and hast built goodly houses, and dwelt therein;
Deuteronomy 8:12 nkjv
lest?when you have eaten and are full, and have built beautiful houses and dwell in them;
Deuteronomy 8:12 niv
Otherwise, when you eat and are satisfied, when you build fine houses and settle down,
Deuteronomy 8:12 esv
lest, when you have eaten and are full and have built good houses and live in them,
Deuteronomy 8:12 nlt
For when you have become full and prosperous and have built fine homes to live in,
Deuteronomy 8 12 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Deut 8:11 | Take care lest you forget the LORD your God by not keeping his commandments... | Direct precursor to forgetting God. |
| Deut 8:14 | then your heart be lifted up, and you forget the LORD your God... | Direct consequence: pride and forgetting. |
| Deut 8:17 | You may say in your heart, 'My power and the might of my hand have gained... | Temptation to attribute success to self. |
| Deut 6:10-12 | When the LORD your God brings you into the land...houses...wells...then take care lest you forget... | Similar warning about prosperity and forgetting. |
| Prov 30:8-9 | give me neither poverty nor riches; feed me with the food that is needful for me, lest I be full and deny you... | The danger of abundance leading to denial. |
| Hos 13:6 | when they had fed, they were full; they became full, and their heart was lifted up; therefore they forgot me. | Prophetic example of forgetting God after abundance. |
| Neh 9:25 | And they captured fortified cities and a rich land...ate and were full and grew fat and delighted themselves... | Historical fulfillment of Israel growing fat and rebellious. |
| Luke 12:16-21 | The ground of a rich man produced plentifully... 'I will store my grain...' 'Soul, you have ample goods...' But God said to him, 'Fool!...' | Parable of the Rich Fool: focused on self-abundance, forgot God. |
| 1 Tim 6:9-10 | But those who desire to be rich fall into temptation, into a snare...love of money is a root of all kinds of evil. | Love of riches leads to spiritual downfall. |
| 1 John 2:16 | For all that is in the world—the desires of the flesh and the desires of the eyes and pride of life... | The "pride of life" fueled by material possessions. |
| Prov 11:28 | Whoever trusts in his riches will fall, but the righteous will flourish like a green leaf. | Trust in wealth is a path to downfall. |
| Jas 4:13-16 | Come now, you who say, 'Today or tomorrow we will go into such and such a town... make a profit'—yet you do not know what tomorrow will bring... | Presumption of control and future prosperity without God. |
| Rev 3:17-19 | For you say, I am rich, I have prospered, and I need nothing... but you are wretched, pitiable, poor, blind, and naked. | Laodicean church's spiritual blindness from self-perceived wealth. |
| Isa 2:7 | Their land is filled with silver and gold, and there is no end to their treasures... filled with horses... idols. | Idolatry often accompanies material prosperity. |
| Amos 6:1 | Woe to those who are at ease in Zion, and to those who feel secure on the mountain of Samaria... | Comfort and security leading to spiritual complacency. |
| 2 Chr 26:16 | But when he [Uzziah] was strong, he grew proud, to his destruction... | Example of pride stemming from strength/success. |
| Phil 4:11-13 | Not that I am speaking of being in need, for I have learned in whatever state I am, to be content. | Counter-example: contentment regardless of circumstances. |
| Matt 6:24 | No one can serve two masters... You cannot serve God and money. | Riches become a rival to God. |
| Jer 2:31 | 'Have I been a wilderness to Israel, or a land of thick darkness?...' | God provided; Israel became ungrateful. |
| Psa 10:4 | In the pride of his face the wicked does not seek him; all his thoughts are, 'There is no God.' | Pride leads to dismissal of God. |
| Matt 19:23-24 | Truly, I say to you, only with difficulty will a rich person enter the kingdom of heaven... | Difficulty for those trusting in riches. |
| Deut 32:15 | But Jeshurun grew fat, and kicked; you grew fat, stout, and sleek... then he forsook God who made him. | Israel's spiritual decline after becoming prosperous. |
| Prov 28:25 | A greedy man stirs up strife, but whoever trusts in the LORD will be enriched. | Trust in self (greed) vs. trust in the Lord. |
| Ps 73:6-9 | Therefore pride is their necklace; violence covers them... they scoff and speak with malice. | Description of wicked's pride in prosperity. |
Deuteronomy 8 verses
Deuteronomy 8 12 Meaning
Deuteronomy 8:12 serves as a profound warning from Moses to the Israelites about the spiritual perils of material prosperity. It highlights the human tendency to forget the Lord, the true source of all blessings, once abundance is achieved. Specifically, it cautions against the pride and self-sufficiency that can arise when they are well-fed, comfortable, and settled in good homes in the promised land, lest they attribute their success to their own strength rather than to God's faithfulness and provision.
Deuteronomy 8 12 Context
Deuteronomy chapter 8 serves as a pivotal address from Moses to the generation preparing to enter the Promised Land. After forty years of wandering in the wilderness, designed to humble and test them and teach them absolute dependence on God (Deut 8:2-3), they are now poised to inhabit a land flowing with milk and honey, a land of abundance. This chapter vividly contrasts their disciplined wilderness experience with the forthcoming prosperity. The primary warning throughout the chapter is against the insidious danger of forgetting the Lord God (Deut 8:11, 14, 19) once material blessings abound. Verse 12 specifically describes the very scenario that poses this threat: eating well, being satisfied, building substantial homes, and settling into comfort. Moses' message is profoundly relevant to human nature, foreseeing that prosperity, while a blessing from God, can inadvertently lead to pride, self-reliance, and eventual spiritual decay, as they might credit their own strength or wisdom for their achievements instead of the Giver of all good things.
Deuteronomy 8 12 Word analysis
- lest (פֶּן – pen): This word serves as a strong prohibitory particle, translating to "lest," "so that not," or "in case that." It expresses a real fear or apprehension of a negative consequence if a particular action or state of being occurs. Here, it underscores Moses' deep concern and solemn warning regarding the dangerous spiritual outcome of future prosperity.
- when you have eaten (תֹּאכַל – to'khal): From the verb "to eat," referring to the consumption of food. In this context, it signifies the beginning of the experience of abundance.
- and are full (וְשָׂבָעְתָּ – ve'sa'va'ta): From the root `שָׂבַע` (sava), meaning "to be satisfied, satiated, full." It denotes more than just eating; it speaks of having one's physical needs abundantly met, experiencing a sense of contentment and plenty in terms of food.
- and have built (וּבָתִּים – u'va'ti'im): From `בָּנָה` (banah), "to build." This indicates construction, specifically of durable structures. The act of building signifies settling down, permanence, and investing in one's environment.
- good houses (טֹבִים – to'vim בָּתִּים – ba'ti'im): `בָּתִּים` (ba'ti'im) is the plural of `בַּיִת` (bayit), meaning "house" or "home." `טֹבִים` (to'vim) is the plural of `טוֹב` (tov), meaning "good" or "pleasant." Thus, "good houses" refers not just to shelter but to dwellings that are well-constructed, comfortable, desirable, and possibly spacious, contrasting with the temporary tents of the wilderness. They represent stability, security, and a measure of accumulated wealth.
- and live in them (וְיָשָׁבְתָּ – ve'ya'shav'ta): From the verb `יָשַׁב` (yashav), meaning "to sit, dwell, inhabit." This signifies permanence and establishment. It’s not just building a house but successfully inhabiting it, indicating a settled, prosperous, and secure lifestyle in the new land.
The progression of these phrases – "eaten and are full," "built good houses," "live in them" – maps out the Israelites' anticipated journey from temporary provision to established, abundant prosperity. This progression itself contains the inherent danger. It highlights the natural human inclination to move from basic needs being met to seeking comfort, stability, and ultimately, relying on these created circumstances rather than the Creator who provided them. The "lest" (פֶּן) strongly implies that this state of material well-being, though a blessing, carries a serious potential for spiritual failure, making it crucial to remember God during such times.
Deuteronomy 8 12 Bonus section
The subtle danger articulated in this verse is that the very signs of God's blessing – a full belly and a permanent home – become the subtle lure towards forgetting Him. The shift from a nomadic existence reliant on daily manna to a settled life in permanent structures fostered by the land's bounty represented a massive change in lifestyle. This ease, however, made it easier to forget the God who orchestrated it all. This warning extends beyond the ancient Israelites; it speaks to the universal human experience of forgetting dependence on God during times of ease and comfort. It underscores that God's desire is not just for our provision, but for our enduring relationship and remembrance, cultivated often through humbling experiences and preserved through grateful and humble acknowledgment in prosperity.
Deuteronomy 8 12 Commentary
Deuteronomy 8:12 is a cautionary forethought delivered by Moses, recognizing the intrinsic human tendency to become spiritually complacent when materially blessed. It is not a condemnation of abundance itself, which God promised and would provide, but rather a sharp warning about the heart condition that can arise from it. The verse vividly depicts a future state of ideal material well-being: the stomach satisfied, the home built and established. These are good and desirable outcomes. However, the preceding "lest" (פֶּן) introduces the great spiritual hazard accompanying such comfort. The danger is that the Israelites, having moved from the harsh dependency of the wilderness to settled abundance, might forget the Source of their prosperity, mistakenly attributing their "fullness" and "good houses" to their own industry, strength, or wisdom. This self-reliance fosters pride, leading to the neglect of God's commands and ultimately, to spiritual decay and idolatry, as demonstrated repeatedly throughout Israel's subsequent history. The verse powerfully reminds us that blessings, when mismanaged by a proud heart, can become stumbling blocks. True blessedness lies not just in receiving God's gifts, but in acknowledging and remembering the Giver.