You might say in your heart, “The power and strength of my hands have made this wealth for me.”
Parallel translations
- WEB and lest you say in your heart, “My power and the might of my hand has gotten me this wealth.”
- KJV And thou say in thine heart, My power and the might of mine hand hath gotten me this wealth.
- NKJV then you say in your heart, ‘My power and the might of my hand have gained me this wealth.’
- NASB Otherwise, you may say in your heart, ‘My power and the strength of my hand made me this wealth.’
- NLT He did all this so you would never say to yourself, ‘I have achieved this wealth with my own strength and energy.’
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Scripture quotations taken from the (NASB®) New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. lockman.org
Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
Quick answer
Israel is warned against thinking their own power and strength produced their wealth. Self-reliance robs God of glory.
Overview
Moses exposes the prideful heart that credits its own ability for prosperity. This temptation denies that every good gift comes from God. The warning confronts the universal human pride that takes credit for grace, calling instead for humble acknowledgment of God as the giver of all.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 7
- Deut 9:4When the LORD your God has driven them out before you, do not say in your heart, “Because of my righteousness the LORD has brought me in to possess this land.” Rather, the LORD is driving out these nations before you because of their wickedness.
- 1 Cor 4:7For who makes you so superior? What do you have that you did not receive? And if you did receive it, why do you boast as though you did not?
- Dan 4:30the king exclaimed, “Is this not Babylon the Great, which I myself have built by the might of my power as a royal residence and for the glory of my majesty?”
- Isa 10:8–14“Are not all my commanders kings?” he says.
- Hos 12:8And Ephraim boasts: “How rich I have become! I have found wealth for myself. In all my labors, they can find in me no iniquity that is sinful.”
- Deut 7:17You may say in your heart, “These nations are greater than we are; how can we drive them out?”
- Hab 1:16Therefore he sacrifices to his dragnet and burns incense to his fishing net, for by these things his portion is sumptuous and his food is rich.
Themes, concepts, people & topics
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Christ at the center
Moses promised a Prophet like himself to whom Israel must listen (18:15); Jesus is that Prophet, the one who keeps the covenant we broke and becomes the curse for us by hanging on a tree (Gal 3:13).
How Deuteronomy 8:17 points to him is part of the one story that runs through all Scripture — meet Jesus at the heart of the web, or follow a trail that traces him from Genesis to Revelation.
Original language
Each word below is tagged with its Strong’s number — tap one to see the underlying Hebrew word, its meaning, and every verse that uses it.