Deuteronomy 8:4

Thy raiment waxed not old upon thee, neither did thy foot swell, these forty years.

Thy raiment {H8071} waxed not old {H1086} upon thee, neither did thy foot {H7272} swell {H1216}, these forty {H705} years {H8141}.

During these forty years the clothing you were wearing didn't grow old, and your feet didn't swell up.

Your clothing did not wear out and your feet did not swell during these forty years.

Thy raiment waxed not old upon thee, neither did thy foot swell, these forty years.

Commentary

Context

Deuteronomy 8:4 is part of Moses' farewell address to the Israelites as they stand on the brink of entering the Promised Land. This chapter, in particular, serves as a powerful reminder of God's faithfulness and the lessons learned during their forty years of wandering in the wilderness. Moses recounts how God disciplined and tested them, not to harm them, but to teach them complete dependence on Him and to know that man does not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds out of the mouth of the Lord. This verse highlights a specific, miraculous aspect of God's sustained care.

Key Themes

  • Divine Provision and Sustenance: The verse vividly illustrates God's supernatural care for His people. For four decades, their most basic needs for clothing and physical well-being were met in an extraordinary way, defying natural wear and tear.
  • Miraculous Preservation: Beyond merely providing, God actively preserved the Israelites. Their garments did not wear out, and their feet did not swell, indicating a divine intervention that protected them from the harsh realities of their nomadic journey through a desolate wilderness.
  • God's Faithfulness: This passage serves as a testament to God's unwavering faithfulness to His covenant promises, even when the Israelites themselves were often rebellious and ungrateful. It underscores His commitment to bring them through to the land He promised.
  • Dependence on God: The inability of the Israelites to provide these necessities for themselves reinforced their absolute reliance on God for their daily existence, teaching them humility and trust.

Linguistic Insights

The KJV phrase "waxed not old" translates the Hebrew verb balah (ื‘ึธึผืœึธื”), meaning "to wear out," "to decay," or "to consume." Its negation here emphasizes the miraculous absence of natural deterioration. Similarly, "neither did thy foot swell" comes from the Hebrew batseq (ื‘ึธึผืฆึตืง), meaning "to swell" or "to be puffy." This word suggests protection from the common ailments and injuries associated with extended travel by foot over rugged terrain, highlighting God's direct preservation of their physical health.

Practical Application

Deuteronomy 8:4 offers profound encouragement for believers today. It reminds us that:

  • God is a Provider: Just as God miraculously cared for the Israelites' physical needs, He promises to care for ours. While we may not experience clothes that never wear out, we can trust in His provision for our daily necessities (Matthew 6:33).
  • God is Faithful in Difficult Times: The "forty years" represent a period of hardship and testing. This verse assures us that even through our own "wilderness seasons," God remains faithful to preserve, protect, and sustain us.
  • Trust in God's Unseen Work: Much of God's work in our lives is unseen or taken for granted. This verse calls us to recognize and appreciate the quiet, consistent ways God sustains us, often preventing problems we don't even know exist.
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Cross-References

  • Deuteronomy 29:5 (16 votes)

    And I have led you forty years in the wilderness: your clothes are not waxen old upon you, and thy shoe is not waxen old upon thy foot.

  • Nehemiah 9:21 (16 votes)

    Yea, forty years didst thou sustain them in the wilderness, [so that] they lacked nothing; their clothes waxed not old, and their feet swelled not.

  • Matthew 26:25 (0 votes)

    Then Judas, which betrayed him, answered and said, Master, is it I? He said unto him, Thou hast said.

  • Matthew 26:30 (0 votes)

    And when they had sung an hymn, they went out into the mount of Olives.