Deuteronomy 8:14

Then thine heart be lifted up, and thou forget the LORD thy God, which brought thee forth out of the land of Egypt, from the house of bondage;

Then thine heart {H3824} be lifted up {H7311}, and thou forget {H7911} the LORD {H3068} thy God {H430}, which brought thee forth {H3318} out of the land {H776} of Egypt {H4714}, from the house {H1004} of bondage {H5650};

you will become proud-hearted. Forgetting ADONAI your God - who brought you out of the land of Egypt, where you lived as slaves;

then your heart will become proud, and you will forget the LORD your God who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery.

then thy heart be lifted up, and thou forget Jehovah thy God, who brought thee forth out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage;

Commentary

Deuteronomy 8:14 serves as a solemn warning from Moses to the Israelites, urging them to remain humble and remember the Lord their God, especially after they enter and prosper in the Promised Land. It highlights the spiritual danger of pride and forgetfulness that can arise from material blessings and comfort.

Context

This verse is part of Moses' final discourse to the generation of Israelites poised to enter Canaan. Having experienced forty years in the wilderness, a period of dependence on God for daily sustenance (like the manna from heaven), they are about to inherit a land of abundance. Moses repeatedly warns them against the temptations that come with prosperity, contrasting it with their recent history of hardship and divine provision. The overarching message of Deuteronomy 8 is to remember God's faithfulness and not to attribute their future success to their own strength or wisdom, a theme also present in earlier warnings in Deuteronomy 6.

Key Themes

  • The Danger of Pride: The phrase "thine heart be lifted up" (Hebrew: rum levav) speaks to spiritual arrogance and self-sufficiency. It warns against the human tendency to forget divine providence when success is achieved, attributing blessings solely to one's own efforts. This pride can lead to a turning away from God.
  • Spiritual Amnesia: To "forget the LORD thy God" is not merely a lapse of memory but a profound disregard for His covenant, His commands, and His role as their deliverer. It implies a failure to acknowledge Him as the source of all blessings and the foundation of their identity.
  • Remembering Deliverance: The verse explicitly recalls God's miraculous act of bringing them "forth out of the land of Egypt, from the house of bondage." This foundational event of the Exodus (see Exodus 12:51) was a constant reminder of God's power, faithfulness, and their absolute dependence on Him. Forgetting this deliverance would be to deny their very history and identity as God's chosen people.

Linguistic Insights

  • The Hebrew word for "lifted up" (rum) carries connotations of being exalted, high, or proud. In this context, it refers to an inflated sense of self-importance or arrogance.
  • "Forget" (Hebrew: shakach) implies more than just a failure of memory; it suggests a neglect, abandonment, or disregard of a relationship or obligation. It's an active choice to no longer acknowledge or obey.
  • "House of bondage" (Hebrew: bet avadim) is a powerful, evocative phrase emphasizing the severity of their enslavement in Egypt and the profound nature of their liberation by God.

Practical Application

This warning remains highly relevant for believers today. In times of prosperity, comfort, or personal success, there is a natural human inclination to become self-reliant and forget the source of all blessings. We are reminded to:

  • Cultivate Humility: Recognize that all good things come from God (James 1:17) and resist the temptation to take credit for divine favor.
  • Practice Remembrance: Intentionally recall God's past faithfulness, His deliverance from spiritual bondage, and His ongoing provision in our lives. This remembrance fosters gratitude and strengthens our faith.
  • Stay Dependent on God: Even in abundance, maintain a spirit of dependence on God, acknowledging Him in all our ways (Proverbs 3:6). This verse serves as a timeless caution against the spiritual pitfalls of material blessing if not accompanied by a humble and grateful heart.
Note: If the commentary doesn’t appear instantly, please allow 2–5 seconds for it to load. It is generated by Gemini 2.5 Flash using a prompt focused on Biblical fidelity over bias. While the insights have been consistently reliable, we encourage prayerful discernment through the Holy Spirit.

Please note that only the commentary section is AI-generated — the main Scripture and cross-references are stored on the site and are from trusted and verified sources.

Cross-References

  • Psalms 106:21

    They forgat God their saviour, which had done great things in Egypt;

  • 1 Corinthians 4:7

    ¶ For who maketh thee to differ [from another]? and what hast thou that thou didst not receive? now if thou didst receive [it], why dost thou glory, as if thou hadst not received [it]?

  • 1 Corinthians 4:8

    Now ye are full, now ye are rich, ye have reigned as kings without us: and I would to God ye did reign, that we also might reign with you.

  • 2 Chronicles 26:16

    ¶ But when he was strong, his heart was lifted up to [his] destruction: for he transgressed against the LORD his God, and went into the temple of the LORD to burn incense upon the altar of incense.

  • Deuteronomy 8:11

    Beware that thou forget not the LORD thy God, in not keeping his commandments, and his judgments, and his statutes, which I command thee this day:

  • 2 Chronicles 32:25

    But Hezekiah rendered not again according to the benefit [done] unto him; for his heart was lifted up: therefore there was wrath upon him, and upon Judah and Jerusalem.

  • Deuteronomy 17:20

    That his heart be not lifted up above his brethren, and that he turn not aside from the commandment, [to] the right hand, or [to] the left: to the end that he may prolong [his] days in his kingdom, he, and his children, in the midst of Israel.
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