Deuteronomy 8 3

Deuteronomy 8:3 kjv

And he humbled thee, and suffered thee to hunger, and fed thee with manna, which thou knewest not, neither did thy fathers know; that he might make thee know that man doth not live by bread only, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of the LORD doth man live.

Deuteronomy 8:3 nkjv

So He humbled you, allowed you to hunger, and fed you with manna which you did not know nor did your fathers know, that He might make you know that man shall not live by bread alone; but man lives by every word that proceeds from the mouth of the LORD.

Deuteronomy 8:3 niv

He humbled you, causing you to hunger and then feeding you with manna, which neither you nor your ancestors had known, to teach you that man does not live on bread alone but on every word that comes from the mouth of the LORD.

Deuteronomy 8:3 esv

And he humbled you and let you hunger and fed you with manna, which you did not know, nor did your fathers know, that he might make you know that man does not live by bread alone, but man lives by every word that comes from the mouth of the LORD.

Deuteronomy 8:3 nlt

Yes, he humbled you by letting you go hungry and then feeding you with manna, a food previously unknown to you and your ancestors. He did it to teach you that people do not live by bread alone; rather, we live by every word that comes from the mouth of the LORD.

Deuteronomy 8 verses

Deuteronomy 8 3 Meaning

Deuteronomy 8:3 explains a profound lesson from Israel's forty years in the wilderness: God's deliberate act of humbling His people, allowing them to experience hunger, and then providing the unfamiliar manna. The ultimate purpose was to teach them that physical sustenance alone is not sufficient for true life. Rather, genuine life and well-being come from "every word that comes from the mouth of the Lord"—His direct commands, decrees, and sustenance, encompassing both His revealed truth and His providential provision. It highlights a reliance on God's divine word as the source of all life.

Deuteronomy 8 3 Context

Deuteronomy chapter 8 forms part of Moses' farewell addresses to the generation of Israelites poised to enter the Promised Land. This particular address serves as a solemn exhortation for the people to remember God's faithful leading and stringent discipline during their forty years in the wilderness. The historical context is crucial: Israel is on the brink of prosperity, and Moses warns against the danger of forgetting the Lord once they are satisfied. He reminds them of the hardships—like hunger—God purposefully ordained to teach them dependence and humility. Verse 3 specifically focuses on the ultimate spiritual lesson intended through these trials: the profound truth that life is sustained not by material things alone, but by continuous reliance on God's communicated will and provision. The immediate preceding verse (Dt 8:2) explicitly states that God humbled and tested them to reveal their hearts and teach them. The entire chapter urges a remembrance of God's deeds and an unwavering obedience, connecting past experiences to future faithfulness in the land of promise.

Deuteronomy 8 3 Word analysis

• He humbled you (וַיְעַנְּךָ – vay'anekha): From the Hebrew root עָנָה (anah), meaning "to humble, afflict, subdue, bring low, answer." Here, it signifies a divinely orchestrated affliction or deprivation aimed at fostering spiritual dependence and moral education rather than punitive humiliation. God's purpose was disciplinary and redemptive.
• and let you hunger (וַיַּרְעִבֵךָ – vayyar'ivekha): From רָעֵב (ra'ev), meaning "to be hungry." This refers to a literal physical hunger, an intense longing for food, which God allowed them to experience. This state of vulnerability was part of His teaching strategy.
• and fed you with manna (וַיַּאֲכִלְךָ אֶת־הַמָּן – vayya'akhilkha et-hamman):
  • fed you (וַיַּאֲכִלְךָ – vayya'akhilkha): Meaning "He caused you to eat," emphasizing God's direct, active role in providing.
  • manna (הַמָּן – hamman): The miraculous bread provided daily. Its name man likely comes from the question "What is it?" (מָן הוּא man hu) in Ex 16:15, indicating its foreign, unfamiliar, and supernatural origin. Its purpose was not just physical nourishment, but a daily lesson in divine provision and obedience.
• which you did not know (אֲשֶׁר לֹא יָדַעְתָּ – asher lo yada'ta): From יָדַע (yada), meaning "to know." This highlights the foreignness of manna to their experience and emphasizes that it was a unique, miraculous provision, not a natural occurrence they could predict or produce.
• nor did your fathers know (וְלֹא יָדְעוּן אֲבֹתֶיךָ – velo yad'u avotekha): Reinforces the manna's singular and unprecedented nature as a direct act of God's sovereign care. It was a new divine method of sustenance.
• that He might make you know (לְמַעַן הוֹדִעֲךָ – lema'an hodi'akha): From יָדַע (yada) in the Hiphil form, meaning "to cause to know," or "to teach." This clarifies the explicit pedagogical purpose behind God's actions. Every step—humbling, hunger, and manna—was a designed lesson.
• that man does not live (כִּי לֹא עַל־לֶחֶם לְבַדּוֹ יִחְיֶה הָאָדָם – ki lo al-lechem levaddo yihyeh ha'adam):
  • live (יִחְיֶה – yihyeh): From חָיָה (chayah), meaning "to live, to have life, to survive, to be alive." It encompasses physical existence but, in this context, extends to full, flourishing life—spiritual and physical well-being.
  • by bread alone (עַל־לֶחֶם לְבַדּוֹ – al-lechem levaddo): lechem is "bread" or general food, representing physical sustenance. levaddo means "alone" or "only." This signifies that mere physical provision is insufficient for true life and purpose.
• but by every word that comes from the mouth of the Lord (כִּי עַל־כָּל־מוֹצָא פִי־יהוה יִחְיֶה הָאָדָם – ki al-kol-motza fi-Yahweh yihyeh ha'adam):
  • every word (כָּל־מוֹצָא – kol-motza): motza (from יָצָא yatsa - to go forth, to proceed) means "what comes forth," an "utterance, an out-flowing, a decree, a product." This is not limited to written scripture but refers to any active utterance or command from God—His providential decree, His specific instruction, or His general revelation. It emphasizes God's sovereign and dynamic involvement.
  • from the mouth of the Lord (פִי־יהוה – pi-Yahweh): Directly indicates the divine origin, emphasizing that life and sustenance ultimately flow from God Himself. Yahweh is God's covenant name, signifying His personal, redemptive relationship with Israel.

Words-group Analysis:

• "He humbled you and let you hunger and fed you with manna": This sequence encapsulates God's pedagogical method. The humbling (testing their spiritual commitment), the hunger (exposing their physical limits), and the manna (demonstrating His supernatural provision) were interconnected stages in a divine lesson.
• "that He might make you know that man does not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of the Lord": This phrase reveals the divine intent behind the wilderness experience. It's the central theological teaching, shifting reliance from created things (food) to the Creator's active decree and ongoing sustenance. It’s a foundational truth about human dependence on God's sovereignty and His revealed will for all true life.

Deuteronomy 8 3 Bonus section

The profound truth in Deuteronomy 8:3 directly anticipates the spiritual conflict found in the New Testament. Jesus quotes this very verse when tempted by Satan to turn stones into bread (Mt 4:4; Lk 4:4). This shows that the spiritual lesson taught to Israel applies universally and reaches its ultimate expression in Christ. Jesus, though fully human and physically hungry after 40 days of fasting, refused to allow His physical need to override His dependence on God's divine will. He modeled the principle: obedience to God's word is paramount, even over immediate physical needs. This makes the wilderness period not just ancient history, but a profound theological preparation for the Messiah. Furthermore, this concept underpins the broader biblical understanding that true flourishing and eternal life (zoe) stem from one's relationship with God, characterized by receiving and obeying His word. This divine motza is active and life-giving, always providing what is truly needed for ultimate well-being.

Deuteronomy 8 3 Commentary

Deuteronomy 8:3 encapsulates one of the most vital lessons God taught Israel in the wilderness, a truth re-emphasized by Jesus in His own temptation. It establishes that life is more than mere biological existence or physical comfort; it is sustained by intimate dependence on God and His active will. God didn't just humble Israel to prove a point, but "to do you good in the end" (Dt 8:16). The experience of hunger was not capricious; it served to underscore their absolute reliance on a source beyond their own means or understanding—the manna. The manna, itself a miraculous "bread from heaven," symbolized God's daily, supernatural provision and highlighted that true life flows from His direct decree, not human labor or foresight.

This verse teaches us that God uses various means, including privation, to reorient our focus from the visible to the invisible, from the created to the Creator. Physical sustenance, while necessary, is a means to an end, not an end in itself. God's "word" (His instruction, His commands, His divine providence) is the ultimate source of spiritual and true existence. It implies that to neglect God's word is to neglect life itself. In an affluent society, this serves as a powerful reminder against idolatry of comfort and self-sufficiency, urging a continuous, prayerful dependence on the Lord's leading and instruction.

Examples:

• A Christian facing job loss learning to rely on God's provision and guidance rather than past security.
• Someone feeling spiritually dry seeking revitalization through in-depth study of scripture and prayer, understanding it's their "spiritual food."
• Individuals foregoing certain material comforts or pursuits to prioritize listening to and obeying God's commands, trusting that true life and fulfillment are found therein.