Deuteronomy 8:8 kjv
A land of wheat, and barley, and vines, and fig trees, and pomegranates; a land of oil olive, and honey;
Deuteronomy 8:8 nkjv
a land of wheat and barley, of vines and fig trees and pomegranates, a land of olive oil and honey;
Deuteronomy 8:8 niv
a land with wheat and barley, vines and fig trees, pomegranates, olive oil and honey;
Deuteronomy 8:8 esv
a land of wheat and barley, of vines and fig trees and pomegranates, a land of olive trees and honey,
Deuteronomy 8:8 nlt
It is a land of wheat and barley; of grapevines, fig trees, and pomegranates; of olive oil and honey.
Deuteronomy 8 8 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Exo 3:8 | So I have come down to rescue them from the hand of the Egyptians and to bring them up out of that land into a good and spacious land, a land flowing with milk and honey... | Promise of a fertile land |
| Num 13:27 | They gave Moses this account: "We went into the land to which you sent us, and it does flow with milk and honey! Here is its fruit." | Spies' report confirms land's richness |
| Deut 6:3 | ...and that you may prosper greatly in a land flowing with milk and honey... | Emphasis on prosperity in the promised land |
| Deut 11:12 | a land the Lord your God cares for; the eyes of the Lord your God are always on it, from the beginning of the year to the end. | God's continuous care for the land |
| Deut 11:14 | then I will send rain on your land in its season, both autumn and spring rains, so that you may gather in your grain, new wine and olive oil. | God provides rain for harvests |
| Deut 28:8 | The Lord will send a blessing on your barns and on everything you put your hand to... in the land he is giving you. | General blessing on their labor and produce |
| Neh 9:25 | They captured fortified cities and a rich land; they took over houses filled with all kinds of good things... a land with an abundance of trees. | Israel enjoyed the richness of the land |
| Psa 65:9-13 | You care for the land and water it... You crown the year with your bounty... | God as the source of land's fruitfulness |
| Psa 104:14-15 | He makes grass grow for the cattle, and plants for people to cultivate—bringing forth food from the earth: wine that gladdens human hearts, oil to make their faces shine, and bread that sustains their life. | God provides diverse sustenance |
| Isa 30:23 | He will also send you rain for the seed you sow in the ground, and the food that comes from the land will be rich and plentiful. | God's promise of abundant harvests |
| Jer 31:12 | They will come and shout for joy on the heights of Zion; they will rejoice in the bounty of the Lord—the grain, the new wine and the olive oil... | Future restoration and agricultural abundance |
| Joel 2:24 | The threshing floors will be filled with grain; the vats will overflow with new wine and oil. | Prophecy of abundant harvests |
| Hag 2:19 | Is there yet any seed in the barn? Indeed, until now the vine, the fig tree, the pomegranate, and the olive tree have not borne. From this day on I will bless you. | God promises restoration of harvests |
| Zec 8:12 | For the seed shall be prosperous; the vine shall give its fruit, and the ground shall give its increase, and the heavens shall give their dew. | God's blessing bringing forth fruitfulness |
| Prov 3:9-10 | Honor the Lord with your wealth... then your barns will be filled to overflowing... | Honoring God brings agricultural blessing |
| John 15:5 | "I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing." | Spiritual fruitfulness through Christ |
| Gal 5:22-23 | But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. | Spiritual fruitfulness by God's Spirit |
| Phil 4:19 | And my God will meet all your needs according to the riches of his glory in Christ Jesus. | God's comprehensive provision for His people |
| Rev 22:1-2 | Then the angel showed me the river of the water of life... On each side of the river stood the tree of life, bearing twelve crops of fruit, yielding its fruit every month... | Eschatological abundance in New Creation |
Deuteronomy 8 verses
Deuteronomy 8 8 Meaning
Deuteronomy 8:8 describes the unparalleled fertility and abundance of the land that God is bringing the Israelites into, following their forty years of wilderness wandering. It details specific agricultural products, the "Seven Species" native to the land, highlighting its inherent richness and the comprehensive provision God intends for His people, a stark contrast to their previous experience and a sign of His blessing.
Deuteronomy 8 8 Context
Deuteronomy chapter 8 serves as a pivotal warning from Moses to the Israelites. As they stand on the threshold of the Promised Land, Moses reminds them of their forty-year wilderness journey. This period was not just punitive but a time of humbling and testing by God to show them His provision (vv. 2-5). The core message is that God provided for them in the desert, and He will provide for them in the promised land, which is exceptionally rich (vv. 7-9). However, this blessing carries a profound warning: they must remember the Lord their God and not forget Him once they are prosperous (vv. 10-20). The description in verse 8 aims to impress upon them the sheer abundance awaiting them, emphasizing God's goodness and laying the groundwork for the command to not become proud or credit their own power for their wealth. It directly counters the self-reliance that prosperity can foster.
Deuteronomy 8 8 Word analysis
- A land: Points to the geographical location God is giving them, contrasting with the wilderness they were leaving. This land is specified as good in the previous verse, marking a place of divine promise and blessing.
- of wheat (חִטָּה - chittah): A primary staple grain, forming the basis of bread, essential for daily sustenance and a sign of agricultural stability. Symbolized abundance.
- and barley (שְׂעֹרָה - s'orah): Another significant grain, more resilient and harvested earlier than wheat. Often used for animal feed or human food, especially among poorer populations, and associated with early harvests and the Feast of Unleavot Bread (Pesach). Its presence signifies full agricultural cycles and sustained provision.
- of vines (גֶּפֶן - gefen): Grapevines, source of grapes, raisins, and wine. Wine was a major part of the diet and symbolic of joy and celebration. It also pointed to the richness required for such a crop.
- and fig trees (תְּאֵנָה - t'enah): Fig trees provide edible fruit (fresh or dried) and shade. Figs were a common, sweet, and nutritious food source. The phrase "under one's own vine and fig tree" symbolized peace and prosperity (e.g., Mic 4:4; Zec 3:10).
- and pomegranates (רִמּוֹן - rimmon): A fruit with many seeds, often symbolic of fertility, fruitfulness, abundance, and divine blessing in the Ancient Near East. Used in the design of priestly garments (Exo 28:33).
- a land of olive trees (זַיִת - zayit): Olive trees are slow-growing but long-lived and incredibly valuable. Olives provide food, but more significantly, olive oil, essential for cooking, lighting (lamp oil), anointing (religious and medicinal purposes), and cosmetic use. It represented an enduring source of wealth and utility.
- and honey (דְּבַשׁ - devash): Natural sweetener. While bee honey existed, devash often refers to date syrup in this context, derived from dates, another abundant product of the land. Both represented a natural, easy-to-access sweetness and luxury.
Words-group by words-group analysis:
- "A land of wheat and barley, of vines and fig trees and pomegranates, a land of olive trees and honey;": This entire phrase, commonly known as the "Seven Species" or "Seven Kinds," provides a comprehensive snapshot of the rich agricultural productivity of the Promised Land (Deut 8:7-9 adds "a land flowing with milk and honey," completing the picture of exceptional bounty). These seven agricultural products (two grains, five fruits) represent the core diet, resources, and economic backbone of ancient Israel. The specific listing emphasizes God's complete provision and the self-sufficiency the land offered, contrasting the manna-fed desert existence. The repetition of "a land of..." serves as an anaphoric rhetorical device to emphasize the extensive nature of the blessings.
Deuteronomy 8 8 Bonus section
The "Seven Species" listed in Deut 8:8 hold a significant place in Jewish tradition, often associated with the agricultural feasts and even recited today during blessings. They represent the cycle of the agricultural year in ancient Israel, starting with barley (early spring), moving to wheat (late spring), then grapes, figs, pomegranates, olives, and dates (honey) throughout summer and autumn. This verse, therefore, is not just a promise of sustenance but encapsulates the entire natural rhythm and richness of the land God provided, ensuring continuous provision through its diverse seasonal harvests. The description emphasizes a self-sustaining land where all needs, from basic nourishment to anointing oil and sweeteners, were met abundantly by divine grace.
Deuteronomy 8 8 Commentary
Deuteronomy 8:8 offers a vivid picture of the material blessings awaiting Israel in the Promised Land. This detailed list of agricultural produce — the wheat and barley for staple food, vines for joy, figs and pomegranates for sweetness and sustenance, olives for oil and light, and honey for delight — is not merely descriptive; it's prescriptive of God's lavish and holistic provision. This abundance serves as both a sign of God's faithfulness and a test of Israel's loyalty. Unlike Egypt, which depended on the Nile, the promised land was dependent on God's gift of rain (Deut 11:10-12). Thus, the produce of the land directly pointed back to the Provider. It taught Israel that true security and prosperity come not from their own strength or pagan fertility rituals, but solely from remembering and obeying the Lord their God who grants the power to get wealth (Deut 8:18).