He did all this so you would never say to yourself, ‘I have achieved this wealth with my own strength and energy.’
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.
- BSB You might say in your heart, “The power and strength of my hands have made this wealth for me.”
- 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.’
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 9:4Don’t say in your heart, after Yahweh your God has thrust them out from before you, saying, “For my righteousness Yahweh has brought me in to possess this land”; because Yahweh drives them out before you because of the wickedness of these nations.
- 1 Cor 4:7For who makes you different? And what do you have that you didn’t receive? But if you did receive it, why do you boast as if you had not received it?
- Dan 4:30The king spoke and said, Is not this great Babylon, which I have built for the royal dwelling place, by the might of my power and for the glory of my majesty?
- Isa 10:8–14For he says, “Aren’t all of my princes kings?
- Hos 12:8Ephraim said, “Surely I have become rich, I have found myself wealth. In all my wealth they won’t find in me any iniquity that is sin.”
- Deut 7:17If you shall say in your heart, “These nations are more than I; how can I dispossess them?”
- Hab 1:16Therefore he sacrifices to his net, and burns incense to his dragnet, because by them his life is luxurious, and his food is good.
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.