Deuteronomy 8:4 kjv
Thy raiment waxed not old upon thee, neither did thy foot swell, these forty years.
Deuteronomy 8:4 nkjv
Your garments did not wear out on you, nor did your foot swell these forty years.
Deuteronomy 8:4 niv
Your clothes did not wear out and your feet did not swell during these forty years.
Deuteronomy 8:4 esv
Your clothing did not wear out on you and your foot did not swell these forty years.
Deuteronomy 8:4 nlt
For all these forty years your clothes didn't wear out, and your feet didn't blister or swell.
Deuteronomy 8 4 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Deut 2:7 | For the LORD your God has blessed you in all the work of your hand. He knows your going through this great wilderness... your clothes have not worn out. | Directly affirms clothing did not wear out during wilderness. |
| Neh 9:21 | Yes, forty years You sustained them in the wilderness; they lacked nothing, their clothes did not wear out and their feet did not swell. | Another explicit recounting of the same miraculous preservation. |
| Deut 8:2 | And you shall remember that the LORD your God led you all the way these forty years in the wilderness, to humble you and test you... | Context of the forty-year wilderness journey and God's purpose in it. |
| Deut 8:3 | So He humbled you, allowed you to hunger, and fed you with manna... that He might make you know that man shall not live by bread alone... | Immediate context linking to divine provision (manna) and dependence on God's Word. |
| Ex 16:35 | And the children of Israel ate manna forty years... | God's miraculous and sustained provision of food in the wilderness. |
| Ps 105:40-41 | They asked, and He brought quails, And satisfied them with the bread of heaven. He opened the rock, and water gushed out... | Recalling God's varied provisions for Israel in the wilderness. |
| Ps 78:24-25 | He had rained down manna on them to eat, and given them of the bread of heaven. Men ate angels’ food... | Poetic description of manna, emphasizing its miraculous origin. |
| Ps 37:25 | I have been young, and now am old; Yet I have not seen the righteous forsaken, Nor his descendants begging bread. | God's faithful care and provision for His people across generations. |
| Php 4:19 | And my God shall supply all your need according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus. | New Covenant promise reflecting God's abundant provision. |
| Mt 6:31-32 | Therefore do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ For after all these things the Gentiles seek. Your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things. | Jesus' teaching on God's Fatherly care for daily needs, including clothing. |
| Lk 12:29-31 | And do not seek what you will eat or what you will drink, nor have an anxious mind... your Father knows that you need these things. | Parallel teaching by Jesus on trust in God's provision. |
| 1 Pet 5:7 | Casting all your care upon Him, for He cares for you. | Assurance of God's personal concern and provision for His people. |
| Ps 23:1 | The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want. | Metaphor for God's comprehensive guidance and provision. |
| Heb 3:7-11 | Therefore, as the Holy Spirit says: “Today, if you will hear His voice, Do not harden your hearts as in the rebellion, In the day of trial in the wilderness..." | Refers to the wilderness experience, where God provided despite Israel's hardness of heart, calling for faithful response. |
| Mal 3:6 | “For I am the LORD, I do not change; Therefore you are not consumed, O sons of Jacob. | Emphasizes God's unchanging faithfulness, the basis for His sustained provision. |
| Mt 4:4 | But He answered and said, “It is written, ‘Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God.’ ” | Jesus quotes Deut 8:3, which immediately precedes and provides the spiritual meaning for God's provision in the wilderness. |
| Jn 6:32-35 | Then Jesus said to them, “Most assuredly, I say to you, Moses did not give you the bread from heaven, but My Father gives you the true bread from heaven... I am the bread of life.” | Jesus identifies Himself as the spiritual fulfillment of the manna, the ultimate divine provision. |
| Isa 40:29-31 | He gives power to the weak, And to those who have no might He increases strength... those who wait on the LORD shall renew their strength... | God's capacity to supernaturally sustain and empower, even physically. |
| Jas 1:17 | Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and comes down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow of turning. | All beneficial provisions originate from God, whose character is constant. |
| Ps 105:5 | Remember His marvelous works which He has done, His wonders, and the judgments of His mouth... | Call to remember God's mighty acts of provision and intervention. |
| Ps 121:7-8 | The LORD shall preserve you from all evil; He shall preserve your soul. The LORD shall preserve your going out and your coming in From this time forth and forevermore. | God's encompassing preservation and protection. |
Deuteronomy 8 verses
Deuteronomy 8 4 Meaning
Deuteronomy 8:4 states that throughout the Israelites' forty years in the wilderness, their clothing did not wear out, nor did their feet swell. This verse underscores God's meticulous and miraculous provision and care for His people during a prolonged period of extreme hardship, highlighting His sustained power over natural decay and physical strain. It serves as a reminder of their complete dependence on God for their daily sustenance and well-being.
Deuteronomy 8 4 Context
Deuteronomy chapter 8 is a powerful exhortation by Moses to the generation poised to enter the Promised Land. Having witnessed the failures of their fathers during the forty-year wilderness wandering, Moses urges them to remember God's past actions—both His humbling tests and His unwavering provision—to cultivate a heart of obedience and prevent future rebellion. Verse 4 fits within a larger discourse (vv. 2-6) where Moses recalls the specific ways God sustained Israel in the harsh wilderness: the manna, and importantly, the miraculous preservation of their garments and physical well-being. This was not mere survival but thriving under divine care. The historical context is that of a massive nation (estimates often over 2 million people) traversing an arid, desolate wilderness for decades. Without God's constant, supernatural intervention, their natural resources would have been quickly depleted, their clothing and footwear would have deteriorated, and widespread physical ailments would have ensued. The verse emphasizes that these unlikely realities were undeniable proofs of God's active presence and power, distinguishing the one true God from the unreliable gods of the surrounding nations who could offer no such consistent sustenance.
Deuteronomy 8 4 Word analysis
- Your clothing: The Hebrew word for clothing can vary, often using terms like
śimlâ(שִׂמְלָה - a cloak or outer garment, general covering) orbéghedh(בֶּגֶד - garments, clothing in general). Here it signifies not just new clothes being provided, but existing garments miraculously maintained and not subject to natural wear and tear. This points to God's intimate and continuous involvement in every detail of their lives. - did not wear out: The Hebrew verb is
balah(בָּלָה), meaning "to become old, wear out, decay." This word implies a natural process of deterioration that was supernaturally suspended. This specific miracle countered a very common and unavoidable aspect of daily life, emphasizing God's control over creation itself. - on you: This specifies the direct, personal impact on each individual, showing God's provision was universally applied to the entire nation. It highlights a personal, attentive care from the divine.
- nor did your foot swell: The Hebrew
batseq(בָּצֵק), often meaning "to swell up" (as dough), here describes feet becoming swollen, blistered, or painful from continuous, strenuous travel. Such swelling was a common and severe problem for people traveling long distances, especially through rough desert terrain without proper footwear or medical care. God prevented this common debilitating affliction, ensuring their physical readiness for travel. - these forty years:
ʼarbaīm shanah` (אַרְבָּעִים שָׁנָה). This duration is critical. Forty years signifies an entire generation, a lengthy period demonstrating not a single instance of help but sustained, consistent divine intervention. This lengthy period tests patience, dependence, and memory, solidifying the lesson of God's unfailing faithfulness over time.
Words-group by words-group analysis
- Your clothing did not wear out on you: This phrase depicts an ongoing, systemic supernatural maintenance. It was not a matter of providing new clothes when old ones wore out, but that the existing garments simply did not degrade, retaining their functional integrity. This counters the natural laws of entropy and material decay. It highlights God's power over physical limitations.
- nor did your foot swell these forty years: This shows comprehensive physical protection. It implies that their feet remained healthy and uninjured despite constant walking in a harsh environment without suitable footwear replacement. This directly contradicts the severe physical strain of wilderness travel and underscores God's personal, direct involvement in preserving their health and mobility for their divinely appointed journey. It stands in contrast to common afflictions of desert journeys and acts as a polemic against the idea that man's health is purely a matter of self-effort or subject to impersonal forces.
Deuteronomy 8 4 Bonus section
The miracle of clothing not wearing out and feet not swelling serves as a profound object lesson on divine providence and sustained miraculous intervention, unlike common single-event miracles. It teaches that God is not merely capable of occasional intervention, but of consistent, day-by-day, minute-by-minute care for His people. This extended miracle aimed to impress upon Israel the deep truth that God was intimately involved in their every step and need. Furthermore, it served as a clear differentiator between YHWH and the surrounding pagan deities, who were typically associated with specific forces or limited domains. Only the one true God could provide such continuous, comprehensive care against the odds of nature itself, proving His ultimate sovereignty. This ongoing, hidden miracle highlighted God's patience with a stiff-necked people and His unyielding commitment to His covenant promises, despite their frequent failures. It underscores the concept of "faithfulness despite unfaithfulness" on God's part, forming a cornerstone for understanding divine grace.
Deuteronomy 8 4 Commentary
Deuteronomy 8:4 is a powerful testimony to the faithful and meticulous character of God. In the context of the wilderness wandering, where every natural indicator suggested hardship and decay, God suspended the natural order to sustain His people. This wasn't just survival, but preservation and even comfort. Their clothes enduring for decades defies logic and natural laws, demonstrating divine power over decay. Likewise, their feet remaining healthy despite relentless travel in rough terrain points to God's detailed and practical care, ensuring their physical readiness for the journey He ordained. This dual miracle, affecting both external resources (clothing) and internal well-being (feet), underscores that God's provision is comprehensive, supernatural, and personal, meant to foster a profound dependence on Him and an undeniable remembrance of His active presence. It teaches that true sustenance comes from God, not from man's ability to accumulate or maintain possessions, echoing the preceding verse about living by God's word.