TRV
Translation
King James Version
As the nations which the LORD destroyeth before your face, so shall ye perish; because ye would not be obedient unto the voice of the LORD your God.
Complete Jewish Bible
You will perish just like the nations that ADONAI is causing to perish ahead of you, because you will not have heeded the voice of ADONAI your God."
Berean Standard Bible
Like the nations that the LORD has destroyed before you, so you will perish if you do not obey the LORD your God.
American Standard Version
As the nations that Jehovah maketh to perish before you, so shall ye perish; because ye would not hearken unto the voice of Jehovah your God.
World English Bible Messianic
As the nations that the LORD makes to perish before you, so you shall perish; because you wouldn’t listen to the LORD your God’s voice.
Geneva Bible (1599)
As the nations which the Lord destroyeth before you, so ye shall perish, because ye woulde not be obedient vnto the voyce of the Lord your God.
Young's Literal Translation
as the nations whom Jehovah is destroying from your presence, so ye perish; because ye hearken not to the voice of Jehovah your God.
Study This Verse
Commentary on Deuteronomy 8 verses 10–20
10 ¶ When thou hast eaten and art full, then thou shalt bless the LORD thy God for the good land which he hath given thee.
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:
12 Lest when thou hast eaten and art full, and hast built goodly houses, and dwelt therein;
13 And when thy herds and thy flocks multiply, and thy silver and thy gold is multiplied, and all that thou hast is multiplied;
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;
15 Who led thee through that great and terrible wilderness, wherein were fiery serpents, and scorpions, and drought, where there was no water; who brought thee forth water out of the rock of flint;
16 Who fed thee in the wilderness with manna, which thy fathers knew not, that he might humble thee, and that he might prove thee, to do thee good at thy latter end;
17 And thou say in thine heart, My power and the might of mine hand hath gotten me this wealth.
18 But thou shalt remember the LORD thy God: for it is he that giveth thee power to get wealth, that he may establish his covenant which he sware unto thy fathers, as it is this day.
19 And it shall be, if thou do at all forget the LORD thy God, and walk after other gods, and serve them, and worship them, I testify against you this day that ye shall surely perish.
20 As the nations which the LORD destroyeth before your face, so shall ye perish; because ye would not be obedient unto the voice of the LORD your God.
Moses, having mentioned the great plenty they would find in the land of Canaan, finds it necessary to caution them against the abuse of that plenty, which was a sin they would be the more prone to new that they came into the vineyard of the Lord, immediately out of a barren desert.
I. He directs them to the duty of a prosperous condition, Deu 8:10. They are allowed to eat even to fulness, not to surfeiting no excess; but let them always remember their benefactor, the founder of their feast, and never fail to give thanks after meat: Then thou shalt bless the Lord thy God. 1. They must take heed of eating or drinking so much as to indispose themselves for this duty of blessing God, rather aiming to serve God therein with so much the more cheerfulness and enlargement. 2. They must not have any fellowship with those that, when they had eaten and were full, blessed false gods, as the Israelites themselves had done in their worship of the golden calf, Exo 32:6. 3. Whatever they had the comfort of God must have the glory of. As our Saviour has taught us to bless before we eat (Mat 14:19, Mat 14:20), so we are here taught to bless after meat. That is our Hosannah - God bless; this is our Hallelujah - Blessed be God. In every thing we must give thanks. From this law the religious Jews took up a laudable usage of blessing God, not only at their solemn meals, but upon other occasions; if they drank a cup of wine they lifted up their hands and said, Blessed be he that created the fruit of the vine to make glad the heart. If they did but smell at a flower, they said, Blessed be he that made this flower sweet. 4. When they gave thanks for the fruits of the land they must give thanks for the fruits of the land itself, which was given them by promise From all our comfortable enjoyments we must take occasion to thank God for our comfortable settlements; and I know not but we of this nation have as much reason as they had to give thanks for a good land.
II. He arms them against the temptations of a prosperous condition, and charges them to stand upon their guard against them: "When thou art settled in goodly houses of thy own building," Deu 8:12 (for though God gave them houses which they builded not, Deu 6:10, these would not serve them, they must have larger and finer), - "and when thou hast grown rich in cattle, in silver, and in gold (Deu 8:13), as Abraham (Gen 13:2), - when all thou hast is multiplied," 1. "Then take heed of pride. Beware lest then thy heart be lifted up," Deu 8:14. When the estate rises, the mind is apt to rise with it, in self-conceit, self-complacency, and self-confidence. Let us therefore strive to keep the spirit low in a high condition; humility is both the ease and the ornament of prosperity. Take heed of saying, so much as in thy heart, that proud word, My power, even the might of my hand, hath gotten me this wealth, Deu 8:17. Note, We must never take the praise of our prosperity to ourselves, nor attribute it to our ingenuity or industry; for bread is not always to the wise, nor riches to men of understanding, Ecc 9:11. It is spiritual idolatry thus to sacrifice to our own net, Hab 1:16. 2. "Then take heed of forgetting God." This follows upon the lifting up on the heart; for it is through the pride of the countenance that the wicked seek not after God, Psa 10:4. Those that admire themselves despise God. (1.) "Forget not thy duty to God." Deu 8:11. We forget God if we keep not his commandments; we forget his authority over us, and our obligations to him and expectations from him, if we are not obedient to his laws. When men grow rich they are tempted to think religion a needless thing. They are happy without it, think it a thing below them and too hard upon them. Their dignity forbids them to stoop, and their liberty forbids them to serve. But we are basely ungrateful if the better God is to us the worse we are to him. (2.) "Forget not God's former dealings with thee. Thy deliverance out of Egypt, Deu 8:14. The provision he made for thee in the wilderness, that great and terrible wilderness." They must never forget the impressions which the horror of that wilderness made upon them; see Jer 2:6, where it is called the very shadow of death. There God preserved them from being destroyed by the fiery serpents and scorpions, though sometimes he made use of them for their correction: there he kept them from perishing for want of water, following them with water out of a rock of flint (Deu 8:15), out of which (says bishop Patrick) one would rather have expected fire than water. There he fed them with manna, of which before (Deu 8:3), taking care to keep them alive, that he might do them good at their latter end, Deu 8:16. Note, God reserves the best till the last for his Israel. However he may seem to deal hardly with them by the way, he will not fail to do them good at their latter end. (3.) "Forget not God's hand in thy present prosperity, Deu 8:18. Remember it is he that giveth thee wealth; for he giveth thee power to get wealth." See here how God's giving and our getting are reconciled, and apply it to spiritual wealth. It is our duty to get wisdom, and above all our gettings to get understanding; and yet it is God's grace that gives wisdom, and when we have got it we must not say, It was the might of our hand that got it, but must own it was God that gave us power to get it, and therefore to him we must give the praise and consecrate the use of it. The blessing of the Lord on the hand of the diligent makes rich both for this world and for the other. He giveth thee power to get wealth, not so much to gratify thee, and make thee easy, as that he may establish his covenant. All God's gifts are in pursuance of his promises.
III. He repeats the fair warning he had often given them of the fatal consequences of their apostasy from God, Deu 8:19, Deu 8:20. Observe, 1. How he describes the sin; it is forgetting God, and then worshipping other gods. What wickedness will not those fall into that keep thoughts of God out of their minds? And, when once the affections are displaced from God, they will soon be misplaced upon lying vanities. 2. How he denounces wrath and ruin against them for it: "If you do so, you shall surely perish, and the power and might of your hands, which you are so proud of, cannot help you. Nay, you shall perish as the nations that are driven out before you. God will make no more account of you, notwithstanding his covenant with you and your relation to him, than he does of them, if you will not be obedient and faithful to him." Those that follow others in sin will certainly follow them to destruction. If we do as sinners do, we must expect to fare as sinners fare.
Matthew Henry (1662–1714) — Commentary on the Whole Bible. This section covers verses 10–20. Public domain.
Copy as
Source: Quotations drawn from early Church Fathers and historical Christian theologians (AD 100–1500). Some quotes address the surrounding passage context rather than this verse alone.
Copy as
Continue studying Deuteronomy 8:20 across the web’s major study libraries — every link below opens this exact verse, chapter, or book on the destination site.
Read & Compare
BibleGatewayThis verse in more than 200 translations and 70 languages.
Bible.comThe YouVersion reader — hundreds of translations, reading plans, and highlights.
ESV.orgCrossway's official English Standard Version reader.
NET BibleThe NET translation with 60,000+ translators' notes on every rendering decision.
STEP BibleTyndale House's free study tool — original text, vocabulary, and scholarly resources.
BibliaLogos Bible Software's free web reader.
USCCBThe New American Bible (Revised Edition) with the U.S. bishops' study notes.
Commentaries
BibleHub CommentariesDozens of classic commentaries on this verse, gathered on one page.
StudyLightMore than 100 commentary sets — the largest collection on the web.
BibleRefPlain-English commentary on what this verse means, verse by verse.
Enduring WordDavid Guzik's free commentary on this chapter, widely used by Bible teachers.
Bible Study ToolsVerse commentary alongside Greek and Hebrew study aids.
Original Language & Research
- BibleHub InterlinearThe verse word by word — original language, transliteration, and English.
- BibleHub LexiconEvery word's original-language definition and Strong's entry.
Blue Letter BibleDeep-study tools — Strong's numbers, concordance, and word studies.
SefariaThe Hebrew text with Rashi and centuries of Jewish commentary.
Sermons, Hymns & Audio
TrulyRandomVerse is not affiliated with these sites and doesn’t control their content. They’re linked because they’re genuinely useful.
SUMMARY
Deuteronomy 8:20 delivers a profound and severe warning to the Israelites on the threshold of the Promised Land, unequivocally stating that their continued presence and prosperity in the land are entirely conditional upon their unwavering obedience to the LORD. It draws a stark and terrifying parallel between Israel's potential fate and the utter destruction of the idolatrous nations whom God is dispossessing, emphasizing that a failure to heed God's voice will result in a similar perishing, thereby underscoring the absolute necessity of covenant fidelity and the impartiality of divine justice.
CONTEXT
Literary Context: Deuteronomy 8:20 functions as a climactic and sobering warning within Moses' final discourse to Israel, specifically concluding a section (Deuteronomy 8:11-19) that cautions against the spiritual dangers of prosperity and the temptation to forget the LORD. Moses has meticulously recounted God's faithful provision and humbling of Israel in the wilderness, including the miraculous gift of manna and the purpose behind their trials—to teach them reliance on God's word and ultimately to do them good. The chapter builds towards a stern admonition not to attribute future wealth and success to their own strength or ingenuity, but to remember that it is the LORD who grants them the ability to gain wealth. This concluding verse, therefore, serves as the ultimate deterrent, framing the consequences of disobedience not merely as a withdrawal of blessings, but as outright destruction, mirroring the very fate of the nations they are poised to displace. It powerfully reinforces the conditional nature of the Mosaic covenant and their inheritance of the land.
Historical & Cultural Context: The Israelites stood on the plains of Moab, poised to enter Canaan, a land inhabited by various nations such as the Hittites, Girgashites, Amorites, Canaanites, Perizzites, Hivites, and Jebusites, as explicitly listed in Deuteronomy 7:1. These nations were steeped in idolatry, child sacrifice, sexual immorality, and other abominable practices that had accumulated to the point where they were ripe for divine judgment, as seen in passages like Genesis 15:16. The concept of "holy war" and the "ban" (herem), involving the utter destruction of enemies, was understood within the ancient Near East, where conquering deities often decreed such fates. For Israel, their conquest was not merely territorial expansion but a divinely ordained act of judgment against the Canaanites' profound wickedness, serving as a demonstration of God's justice. Moses' warning in Deuteronomy 8:20 leverages this immediate historical reality—the displacement of wicked nations—to impress upon Israel that their status as God's chosen people did not grant them immunity from the same divine justice if they adopted similar practices or rejected God's commands. Their tenure in the land was explicitly tied to their covenant faithfulness, a recurrent and vital theme throughout the Deuteronomic law.
Key Themes: This verse powerfully encapsulates several core themes central to Deuteronomy and the broader Pentateuch. Firstly, it underscores the Consequences of Disobedience, making it unequivocally clear that rebellion against God's commands leads to severe judgment, even for His chosen people. The impending fate of the Canaanite nations serves as a terrifying and immediate precedent. Secondly, it highlights Divine Justice and Impartiality, demonstrating that God's holiness and righteous standards apply universally; He is not partial, and even Israel, despite their unique covenant relationship, will face judgment if they fail to obey, a truth echoed in the New Testament in Romans 2:11. Thirdly, it emphasizes Covenant Fidelity, reminding Israel that their prosperity, security, and very presence in the Promised Land are directly contingent upon their unwavering faithfulness to the terms of the covenant established at Mount Sinai. Finally, the phrase "the voice of the LORD your God" points to the critical importance of Heeding God's Revelation, implying Israel's profound responsibility to listen attentively and respond obediently to His spoken word and revealed will, a theme that resonates throughout the prophetic literature.
EXPOSITION AND ANALYSIS
Key Word Analysis
Verse Breakdown
Literary Devices
Deuteronomy 8:20 employs several powerful Literary Devices to convey its urgent and severe message. The most prominent is Parallelism, specifically a comparative parallelism, where the dire fate of the dispossessed Canaanite nations is directly and explicitly equated with the potential fate of Israel. This creates a stark and unforgettable image, underscoring the impartiality and consistency of divine justice. The verse also functions as a clear Conditional Statement, where the consequence ("so shall ye perish") is directly tied to the stated condition ("because ye would not be obedient"). This "if...then" structure powerfully emphasizes the direct cause-and-effect relationship between Israel's actions and their destiny. Furthermore, the language carries a strong element of Warning, designed to instill a healthy fear and motivate immediate and ongoing obedience, thus acting as a powerful deterrent. The use of "perish" (אָבַד, ʼâbad') also contributes to the dramatic effect, conveying the completeness and severity of the threatened destruction or expulsion, though it was a very real threat that tragically materialized in the exiles.
THEOLOGICAL AND THEMATIC CONNECTIONS
Deuteronomy 8:20 stands as a foundational text for understanding the conditional nature of God's covenant with Israel and the unwavering consistency of His justice. It profoundly reveals that while God graciously chooses a people for Himself, His holiness demands obedience, and His promises, particularly those related to land tenure and national blessing under the Old Covenant, are often contingent upon human faithfulness. This principle resonates throughout the entire Old Testament, where Israel's history is a cyclical narrative of obedience bringing blessing and disobedience leading to judgment, oppression, and ultimately, exile. It highlights that God's judgment is never arbitrary but always a righteous and just response to a deliberate rejection of His revealed will. The verse underscores God's impartiality, demonstrating that even His chosen people are not exempt from the consequences of sin, a truth consistently echoed in the New Testament.
REFLECTION AND APPLICATION
Deuteronomy 8:20 serves as a timeless and profoundly sobering reminder that while God is infinitely gracious and merciful, He is also perfectly just and holy, and His commands are not to be trifled with. For believers today, this verse calls us to a deep and honest introspection regarding our own obedience to God's "voice" as revealed in His inspired Word, the Bible. While we live under the glorious new covenant of grace, the principle that disobedience carries consequences remains a spiritual reality. A life of genuine faith in Christ is characterized by a sincere desire to listen to and obey God, not out of a legalistic fear of losing salvation, but out of a profound love for Him and a recognition that His ways are always for our ultimate good and spiritual flourishing. This verse challenges us to actively guard against spiritual complacency, especially in times of material prosperity or comfort, reminding us that all our blessings flow from God's hand and our continued spiritual vitality depends on our ongoing submission to His sovereign will. It urges us to cultivate a heart that is eager to hear and respond to the Holy Spirit's leading and the timeless truths of Scripture, lest we drift from the very source of true life, joy, and blessing.
Questions for Reflection
FAQ
Does this verse mean Christians can lose their salvation if they disobey?
Answer: Deuteronomy 8:20 speaks to the conditional nature of Israel's national tenure in the Promised Land under the Old Covenant, where physical blessings, security, and presence in the land were directly tied to national obedience. For Christians, salvation is a gift received by grace through faith in Jesus Christ alone (Ephesians 2:8-9), and it is eternally secure for those genuinely in Christ, as Jesus Himself promises that no one can snatch His sheep out of His hand. However, the principle that disobedience has serious consequences remains profoundly true for believers. For Christians, persistent, unrepentant disobedience can lead to divine discipline (Hebrews 12:5-11), a broken fellowship with God, hindered spiritual growth, a loss of spiritual fruitfulness, and a forfeiture of eternal rewards, though not salvation itself. The warning in Deuteronomy 8:20 serves to highlight the seriousness of sin and the vital importance of living a life pleasing to God, which is a natural and joyful outflow of a transformed heart that loves Him.
CHRIST-CENTERED FULFILLMENT
While Deuteronomy 8:20 issues a severe warning to Israel regarding their conditional tenure in the land based on obedience, its ultimate fulfillment and profound resolution are found in the person and work of Jesus Christ. Israel, as a nation, repeatedly failed to be obedient to the voice of the LORD, ultimately leading to their exile and dispersion, precisely as warned in this verse and throughout the Deuteronomic curses. Jesus, however, perfectly fulfilled the Law and lived a life of absolute and unwavering obedience to the Father's voice, even to the point of death on a cross (Philippians 2:8). He is the true Israel, the perfectly obedient Son, who perfectly embodies the covenant fidelity that Israel failed to maintain. Through His perfect obedience, Christ secured for His people a new and better covenant, one not based on imperfect human performance but on His finished work (Hebrews 8:6). For those who are "in Christ" by faith, the ultimate threat of "perishing"—eternal separation from God—is removed because Christ bore the full weight of God's righteous judgment against disobedience on the cross (2 Corinthians 5:21). While believers are still called to obedience as an expression of love, gratitude, and a natural fruit of the Spirit, our standing before God is secured by Christ's perfect obedience and His atoning sacrifice, not by our own imperfect efforts. He is the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world, offering eternal life to all who believe, thereby delivering us from the "perishing" that our own disobedience would otherwise entail (John 3:16).