TRV
Study This Verse
Public-domain commentary
Matthew Henry
From his Commentary on the Whole Bible. Henry comments on passages, not single verses — this entry covers Deuteronomy 8:1–9. His four-level outline is real structure in the source text, so it is rendered as structure.
The charge here given them is the same as before, to keep and do all God's commandments. Their obedience must be, 1. Careful: Observe to do. 2. Universal: To do all the commandments, Deu 8:1. And, 3. From a good principle, with a regard to God as the Lord, and their God, and particularly with a holy fear of him (Deu 8:6), from a reverence of his majesty, a submission to his authority, and a dread of his wrath. To engage them to this obedience, besides the great advantages of it, which he sets before them (that they should live and multiply, and all should be well with them, Deu 8:1), he directs them,
I.To look back upon the wilderness through which God had now brought them:
Thou shalt remember all the way which the Lord thy God led thee these forty years in the wilderness, Deu 8:2. Now that they had come of age, and were entering upon their inheritance, they must be reminded of the discipline they had been under during their minority and the method God had taken to train them up for himself. The wilderness was the school in which they had been for forty years boarded and taught, under tutors and governors; and this was a time to bring it all to remembrance. The occurrences of these last forty years were very memorable and well worthy to be remembered, very useful and profitable to be remembered, as yielding a complication of arguments for obedience; and they were recorded on purpose that they might be remembered. As the feast of the passover was a memorial of their deliverance out of Egypt, so was the feast of tabernacles of their passage through the wilderness. Note, It is very good for us to remember all the ways both of God's providence and grace, by which he has led us hitherto through this wilderness, that we may be prevailed with cheerfully to serve him and trust in him. Here let us set up our Ebenezer.
1.They must remember the straits they were sometimes brought into,
(1.)For the mortifying of their pride; it was to humble them, that they might not be exalted above measure with the abundance of miracles that were wrought in their favor, and that they might not be secure, and confident of being in Canaan immediately.
(2.)For the manifesting of their perverseness: to prove them, that they and others might know (for God himself perfectly knew it before) all that was in their heart, and might see that God chose them not for any thing in them that might recommend them to his favour, for their whole carriage was untoward and provoking. Many commandments God gave them which there would have been no occasion for if they had not been led through the wilderness, as those relating to the manna (Exo 16:28); and God thereby tried them, as our first parents were tried by the trees of the garden, whether they would keep God's commandments or not. Or God thereby proved them whether they would trust his promises, the word which he commanded to a thousand generations, and, in dependence on his promises, obey his precepts.
2.They must remember the supplies which were always granted them.
(1.)God himself took particular care of their food, raiment, and health; and what would they have more?
[1.]They had manna for food (Deu 8:3): God suffered them to hunger, and the fed them with manna, that the extremity of their want might make the supply the more acceptable, and God's goodness to them therein the more remarkable. God often brings his people low, that he may have the honour of helping them. And thus the manna of heavenly comforts is given to those that hunger and thirst after righteousness, Mat 5:6. To the hungry soul every bitter thing is sweet. It is said of the manna that it was a sort of food which neither they nor their fathers knew. And again, Deu 8:16. If they knew there was such a thing that fell sometimes with the dew in those countries, as some think they did, yet it was never known to fall in such vast quantities, so constantly, and at all seasons of the year, so long, and only about a certain place. These things were altogether miraculous, and without precedent; the Lord created a new thing for their supply. And hereby he taught them the man liveth not by bread alone. Though God has appointed bread for the strengthening of man's heart, and that is ordinarily made the staff of life, yet God can, when he pleases, command support and nourishment without it, and make something else, very unlikely, to answer the intention as well. We might live upon air if it were sanctified for that use by the word of God; for the means God ordinarily uses he is not tied to, but can perform his kind purposes to his people without them. Our Saviour quotes this scripture in answer to that temptation of Satan, Command that these stones be made bread. "What need of that?" says Christ; "my heavenly Father can keep me alive without bread," Mat 4:3, Mat 4:4. Let none of God's children distrust their Father, nor take any sinful indirect course for the supply of their own necessities; some way or other, God will provide for them in the way of duty and honest diligence, and verily they shall be fed. It may be applied spiritually; the word of God, as it is the revelation of God's will and grace duly received and entertained by faith, is the food of the soul, the life which is supported by that is the life of the man, and not only that life which is supported by bread. The manna typified Christ, the bread of life. He is the Word of God; by him we live. The Lord evermore give us that bread which endures to eternal life, and let us not be put off with the meat that perisheth!
[2.]The same clothes served them from Egypt to Canaan, at least the generality of them. Though they had no change of raiment, yet it was always new, and waxed not old upon them, Deu 8:4. This was a standing miracle, and the greater if, as the Jews say, they grew with them, so as to be always fit for them. But it is plain that they brought out of Egypt bundles of clothes on their shoulders (Exo 12:34), which they might barter with each other as there was occasion; and these, with what they wore, sufficed till they came into a country where they could furnish themselves with new clothes.
(2.)By the method God took of providing food and raiment for them [1.] He humbled them. It was a mortification to them to be tied for forty years together to the same meat, without any varieties, and to the same clothes, in the same fashion. Thus he taught them that the good things he designed for them were figures of better things, and that the happiness of man consists not in being clothed in purple or fine linen, and in faring sumptuously every day, but in being taken into covenant and communion with God, and in learning his righteous judgements. God's law, which was given to Israel in the wilderness, must be to them instead of food and raiment. [2.] He proved them, whether they could trust him to provide for them when means and second causes failed. Thus he taught them to live in a dependence upon Providence, and not to perplex themselves with care what they should eat and drink, and wherewithal they should be clothed. Christ would have his disciples learn the same lesson (Mat 6:25), and took a like method to teach it to them, when he sent them out without purse or scrip, and yet took care that they lacked nothing, Luk 22:35. [3.] God took care of their health and ease. Though they travelled on foot in a dry country, the way rough and untrodden, yet their feet swelled not. God preserved them from taking hurt by the inconveniences of their journey; and mercies of this kind we ought to acknowledge. Note, Those that follow God's conduct are not only safe but easy. Our feet swell not while we keep in the way of duty; it is the way of transgression that is hard, Pro 13:15. God had promised to keep the feet of his saints, Sa1 2:9.
3.They must also remember the rebukes they had been under, Deu 8:5. During these years of their education they had been kept under a strict discipline, and not without need. As a man chasteneth his son, for his good, and because he loves him, so the Lord thy God chasteneth thee. God is a loving tender Father to all his children, yet when there is occasion they shall feel the smart of the rod. Israel did so: they were chastened that they might not be condemned, chastened with the rod of men. Not as a man wounds and slays his enemies whose destruction he aims at, but as a man chastens his son whose happiness and welfare he designs: so did their God chasten them; he chastened and taught them, Psa 94:12. This they must consider in their heart, that is, they must own it from their own experience that God had corrected them with a fatherly love, for which they must return to him a filial reverence and compliance. Because God has chastened thee as a father, therefore (Deu 8:6) thou shalt keep his commandments. This use we should make of all our afflictions; by them let us be engaged and quickened to our duty. Thus they are directed to look back upon the wilderness.
II.He directs them to look forward to Canaan, into which God was now bringing them.
Look which way we will, both our reviews and our prospects will furnish us with arguments for obedience. Observe,
1.The land which they were now going to take possession of is here described to be a very good land, having every thing in it that was desirable, Deu 8:7-9.
(1.)It was well-watered, like Eden, the garden of the Lord. It was a land of brooks of water, of fountains and depths, which contributed to the fruitfulness of the soil. Perhaps there was a greater plenty of water there now than in Abraham's time, the Canaanites having found and digged wells; so that Israel reaped the fruit of their industry as well as of God's bounty.
(2.)The ground produced great plenty of all good things, not only for the necessary support, but for the convenience and comfort of human life. In their fathers' land they had bread enough; it was corn land, a land of wheat and barley, where, with the common care and labour of the husbandman, they might eat bread without scarceness. It was a fruitful land, that was never turned into barrenness but for the iniquity of those that dwelt therein. They had not only water enough to quench their thirst, but vines, the fruit whereof was ordained to make glad the heart. And, if they were desirous of dainties, they needed not to send to far countries for them, when their own was so well stocked with fig-trees, and pomegranates, olives of the best kind, and honey, or date-trees, as some think it should be read.
(3.)Even the bowels of its earth were very rich, though it should seem that silver and gold they had none; of these the princes of Sheba should bring presents (Psa 72:10, Psa 72:15); yet they had plenty of those more serviceable metals, iron and brass. Iron-stone and mines of brass were found in their hills. See Job 28:2.
2.These things are mentioned,
(1.)To show the great difference between that wilderness through which God had led them and the good land into which he was bringing them. Note, Those that bear the inconveniences of an afflicted state with patience and submission, are humbled by them and prove well under them, are best prepared for better circumstances.
(2.)To show what obligations they lay under to keep God's commandments, both in gratitude for his favours to them and from a regard to their own interest, that the favours might be continued. The only way to keep possession of this good land would be to keep in the way of their duty.
(3.)To show what a figure it was of good things to come. Whatever others saw, it is probable that Moses in it saw a type of the better country: The gospel church is the New Testament Canaan, watered with the Spirit in his gifts and graces, planted with the trees of righteousness, bearing the fruits of righteousness. Heaven is the good land, in which there is nothing wanting, and where there is a fulness of joy.
Historical interpretation
Seventeen Centuries of Reception
4 surviving comments on this verse. Each one is dated, so this reads as a timeline rather than a list.
Select a marker to jump to its quote. Markers stagger vertically where authors wrote within a few decades of each other.
Then was Jesus led up of the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted of the devil. And when he had fasted forty days and forty nights, he was afterward an hungred. And when the tempter came to him, he said, If thou be the Son of God, command that these stones be made bread. But he answered and said, It is written, Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God. [Deuteronomy 8:3]
And Jesus being full of the Holy Ghost returned from Jordan, and was led by the Spirit into the wilderness, Being forty days tempted of the devil. And in those days he did eat nothing: and when they were ended, he afterward hungered. And the devil said unto him, If thou be the Son of God, command this stone that it be made bread. And Jesus answered him, saying, It is written, That man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word of God. [Deuteronomy 8:3]
One who possesses the Word, who is almighty God, needs nothing and never lacks any of the things he desires, for the Word is an infinite possession and the source of all our wealth. However, someone may object and insist that he has often seen the just in need of food. This is rare and happens only where no one else is just. Besides, let him read the beautiful sentence, “It is not by bread alone that the just man lives, but by the Word of the Lord,” who is the true bread, the bread of heaven. The good man is never really in want as long as he keeps intact his adherence to faith in God. For he can ask for and receive whatever he needs from the Father of all, and he can enjoy whatever belongs to him, if only he obey his Son. Then too, he has this advantage, that he can be free from feeling any want. The Word, who acts as our educator, gives us riches. There is no need to envy the wealth of others with those who have gained freedom from want through him. He who possesses this sort of wealth will inherit the kingdom of God.
Not in bread alone: That is, that God is able to make food of what he pleases for the support of man.
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Summary
Deuteronomy 8:3 encapsulates a profound spiritual lesson from Israel's wilderness journey, delivered by Moses as they stood on the threshold of the Promised Land. It reveals God's intentional pedagogical method: allowing His people to experience physical deprivation and then miraculously providing for them, all to instill the foundational truth that human life and flourishing are not sustained by material sustenance alone, but by every divine utterance, command, and principle that proceeds from the mouth of the LORD. This verse underscores the absolute supremacy of God's word as the ultimate source of true life, guidance, and spiritual nourishment for humanity.
Context
Literary Context
Deuteronomy 8:3 is embedded within Moses' extensive farewell address to the new generation of Israelites, delivered on the plains of Moab just before their entry into Canaan. This chapter, Deuteronomy 8, functions as a crucial call to remember God's faithfulness and disciplinary actions during the preceding forty years in the wilderness. Moses recounts these past events not merely as historical narrative but as a theological instruction, urging the people to internalize the lessons learned and to remain obedient to God's commandments in the prosperity of the land they are about to inherit. The immediate preceding verse, Deuteronomy 8:2, explicitly states the purpose of the wilderness journey: "to humble you and test you in order to know what was in your heart, whether or not you would keep his commands." Verse 3 then elaborates on the specific means by which God humbled and tested them, leading directly into the core spiritual truth that physical sustenance is secondary to divine instruction.
Historical & Cultural Context
The forty-year wilderness sojourn was a transformative period in Israel's history, a crucible for national formation following their liberation from Egyptian bondage. This generation had not personally witnessed the Exodus but had lived their entire lives under the unique conditions of divine provision and discipline. The wilderness itself was an inherently hostile and barren environment, making survival entirely dependent on God's supernatural intervention. The provision of manna, a mysterious and unprecedented food that appeared daily (except on the Sabbath), was a tangible, continuous miracle (Exodus 16:1-36). It was designed to teach them absolute dependence on God, serving as a stark contrast to the agricultural abundance they were about to encounter in Canaan. Culturally, "bread" represented the most fundamental physical sustenance, the basic necessity for human survival, making the subsequent contrast with "every word" particularly impactful and profound.
Key Themes
This verse articulates several profound themes central to Deuteronomy and the broader biblical narrative. Firstly, it highlights Divine Pedagogy and Discipline, demonstrating that God uses hardship and humbling experiences not as arbitrary punishment, but as purposeful tools for instruction, character formation, and revealing the true state of the human heart (Deuteronomy 8:2). Secondly, it underscores God's Sovereign Provision, particularly through the miraculous manna, which served as a constant reminder that He is the ultimate sustainer of life, capable of providing beyond human means or knowledge (Exodus 16:15). Most significantly, the verse establishes the Supremacy of God's Word, asserting that true life, well-being, and flourishing are derived not merely from physical sustenance, but from obedience to and nourishment by God's divine commands and revelation. This theme elevates spiritual truth above material necessity, laying a foundational understanding for humanity's deepest needs.
Exposition and Analysis
Key Word Analysis
This primitive root signifies "to depress literally or figuratively," "abase self," "afflict," or "chasten." In this context, it speaks to a purposeful, disciplinary humbling by God, designed to break the Israelites' self-reliance and foster absolute dependence upon Him. It describes a process of divine pedagogy where God allows circumstances that strip away human pride and self-sufficiency, leading His people to a deeper recognition of His sovereignty and provision.
This noun refers to the miraculous food provided by God in the wilderness. Its name is derived from the Hebrew question "man hu?" meaning "What is it?" (Exodus 16:15). It was a unique, unknown substance, emphasizing its supernatural origin and God's direct, personal involvement in sustaining His people. It served as a tangible sign of God's faithfulness and a daily, practical lesson in dependence.
This noun literally means "a going forth," "an egress," or "utterance." It is broader than merely spoken words; it encompasses divine commands, decrees, principles, and the entire revelation of God's will. It signifies the active, life-giving power inherent in God's declarations and instructions. True life is sustained not just by God's promises, but by His active direction and the very principles He establishes for living.
Verse Breakdown
"And he humbled thee, and suffered thee to hunger,"
This opening clause describes the initial phase of God's wilderness training for Israel. The humbling was not punitive in a destructive sense, but pedagogical, designed to expose the Israelites' inner character and to teach them absolute reliance on God. The hunger they experienced was a direct result of God's allowing, a controlled deprivation that created a profound vacuum for divine intervention and a vital lesson in human vulnerability and dependence.
"and fed thee with manna, which thou knewest not, neither did thy fathers know;"
Following the period of hunger, God miraculously provided manna, a food entirely unknown to them or their ancestors. This emphasizes the supernatural and unprecedented nature of the provision. It was not a natural resource they could exploit or understand through human wisdom, but a direct, daily gift from God, reinforcing their utter dependence on Him for their physical sustenance.
"that he might make thee know that man doth not live by bread only,"
This is the pivotal explanatory clause, revealing the ultimate purpose behind God's actions. The physical experience of hunger followed by miraculous provision served as a vivid object lesson. "Bread" here represents all physical sustenance, material provisions, and indeed, all that humanity typically relies upon for survival and comfort. The profound lesson is that human life, in its fullest, most meaningful sense, is not solely sustained by these tangible, earthly things. There is a deeper, more fundamental source of life.
"but by every [word] that proceedeth out of the mouth of the LORD doth man live."
This final clause unveils the profound spiritual truth. True life, spiritual well-being, and genuine flourishing are ultimately derived from God's active, living word—His commands, instructions, principles, and divine revelation. This "word" provides spiritual nourishment, moral guidance, and the very blueprint by which humanity is designed to thrive. It elevates obedience, spiritual sustenance, and alignment with God's will above mere physical existence, defining the essence of human life in relation to its Creator.
Literary Devices
Deuteronomy 8:3 employs several powerful literary devices to convey its profound message. The most prominent is Antithetical Parallelism, which starkly contrasts "bread only" with "every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of the LORD." This juxtaposition highlights the qualitative difference between physical and spiritual sustenance, emphasizing the absolute supremacy of the latter for true human life. Symbolism is also evident, where "bread" symbolizes all material provisions and physical life, while "every word" symbolizes divine revelation, commands, and spiritual life. The manna itself functions as a Type or Figure, foreshadowing a greater spiritual provision to come. The entire passage is a prime example of Didacticism, as Moses' address is explicitly designed to instruct and teach the new generation profound theological truths through historical recounting. Finally, the narrative structure of "humbled... suffered... fed... that he might make you know" demonstrates a clear Cause and Effect relationship, illustrating God's purposeful actions leading to a specific spiritual outcome.
Theological and Thematic Connections
Deuteronomy 8:3 establishes a foundational biblical truth: human life, in its truest and most complete sense, is ultimately dependent on God's active word and not merely on physical sustenance. This principle elevates the spiritual realm above the material, asserting that humanity's deepest needs are met by divine revelation and obedience. It teaches that God's primary concern is not just physical survival, but the spiritual formation and character development of His people, achieved through trials that expose human limitations and cultivate absolute dependence on Him. This verse sets the stage for understanding the vital role of God's commands and wisdom as the true source of life, wisdom, and flourishing, a theme echoed throughout the wisdom literature and prophetic books, culminating in the New Testament's portrayal of Jesus as the living Word.
Reflection and Application
Deuteronomy 8:3 calls us to a profound re-evaluation of what truly sustains us. In a world that often prioritizes material comfort, financial security, and physical well-being as the ultimate sources of life and happiness, this verse challenges us to recognize that these are ultimately insufficient for true human flourishing. God's deliberate humbling of Israel through hunger and subsequent supernatural provision serves as a timeless object lesson: hardships are often God's precise tools to strip away our self-reliance and redirect our gaze to Him as our ultimate and sufficient source. We are invited to cultivate a radical dependence on God's word, understanding that His commands, wisdom, and promises are not merely suggestions but the very essence of spiritual nourishment and the divine blueprint for a flourishing life. This means prioritizing time in Scripture, seeking to obey His will in all circumstances, and trusting that His divine utterance is more vital and life-giving than any earthly provision. Just as manna miraculously sustained Israel in the barren wilderness, God's living truth sustains us through life's challenging and barren places and prepares us for the spiritual abundance of His kingdom.
Questions for Reflection
FAQ
Why did God make the Israelites hungry if He intended to feed them?
God allowed the Israelites to experience hunger not out of malice or inability to provide, but as a deliberate pedagogical strategy. As Deuteronomy 8:2 explicitly states, it was "to humble you and to test you, to know what was in your heart, whether you would keep his commandments or not." The hunger was a means to expose their inherent self-reliance and to create a profound need that only God could supernaturally fill. This experience was designed to teach them absolute dependence on Him for their very survival, thereby demonstrating that physical sustenance is secondary to obedience to and reliance on His divine word.
What does "every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of the LORD" truly mean?
This profound phrase refers to more than just spoken words; it encompasses all of God's divine utterances, commands, decrees, instructions, principles, and the entirety of His revealed will and wisdom. It signifies the active, life-giving power inherent in God's declarations. It implies that true human flourishing and life are not sustained by physical nourishment alone, but by actively listening to, obeying, and being nourished by God's active, living truth. It's about living in accordance with the divine order and wisdom that God has established for humanity, found in His revealed word, which provides spiritual vitality, moral guidance, and the blueprint for a life lived in harmony with the Creator.
Christ-Centered Fulfillment
Deuteronomy 8:3 finds its ultimate and most profound fulfillment in the person and work of Jesus Christ. When tempted by Satan in the wilderness, Jesus Himself quotes this very verse (Matthew 4:4; Luke 4:4), demonstrating that even the Son of God lived by complete dependence on the Father's word, prioritizing spiritual obedience over physical hunger. Jesus is the quintessential "Word" of God made flesh (John 1:1), the living embodiment of all that proceeds from the mouth of the Lord. He declares Himself to be the "Bread of Life" (John 6:35), the true spiritual sustenance that descends from heaven, far superior to the manna that sustained Israel in the wilderness. Through His perfect life of obedience, His atoning death, and His glorious resurrection, Jesus provides eternal life and spiritual nourishment to all who believe, fulfilling the promise that humanity truly lives by every word from God. He is the ultimate provision, the divine utterance that sustains not just physical existence, but eternal life and spiritual vitality for all who receive Him as Lord and Savior.