God’s Word Translation
Deuteronomy 8:3
3So he made you suffer from hunger and then fed you with manna, which neither you nor your ancestors had seen before. He did this to teach you that a person cannot live on bread alone but on every word that the Lord speaks.
Deuteronomy 8:3 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)And he humbled thee, and suffered thee to hunger, and fed thee with manna, which thou knewest not, neither did thy fathers know; that he might make thee know that man doth not live by bread only, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of the Lord doth man live.
- New International Version (NIV)He humbled you, causing you to hunger and then feeding you with manna, which neither you nor your ancestors had known, to teach you that man does not live on bread alone but on every word that comes from the mouth of the Lord.
- English Standard Version (ESV)And he humbled you and let you hunger and fed you with manna, which you did not know, nor did your fathers know, that he might make you know that man does not live by bread alone, but man lives by every word that comes from the mouth of the Lord.
- New King James Version (NKJV)So He humbled you, allowed you to hunger, and fed you with manna which you did not know nor did your fathers know, that He might make you know that man shall not live by bread alone; but man lives by every word that proceeds from the mouth of the Lord.
Context of Deuteronomy 8:3
1Be careful to obey every command I give you today. Then you will live, and your population will increase. You will enter and take possession of the land that the Lord promised to your ancestors with an oath. 2Remember that for 40 years the Lord your God led you on your journey in the desert. He did this in order to humble you and test you. He wanted to know whether or not you would wholeheartedly obey his commands. So he made you suffer from hunger and then fed you with manna, which neither you nor your ancestors had seen before. He did this to teach you that a person cannot live on bread alone but on every word that the Lord speaks. 4Your clothes didn’t wear out, and your feet didn’t swell these past 40 years. 5Learn this lesson by heart: The Lord your God was disciplining you as parents discipline their children.
Read all of Deuteronomy 8Deuteronomy 8:3 word by word
וַֽיְעַנְּךָ֮ וַיַּרְעִבֶךָ֒ וַיַּֽאֲכִֽלְךָ֤ אֶת הַמָּן֙ אֲשֶׁ֣ר לֹא־יָדַ֔עְתָּ וְלֹ֥א יָדְע֖וּן אֲבֹתֶ֑יךָ לְמַ֣עַן הוֹדִֽעֲךָ֗ כִּ֠י לֹ֣א עַל־הַלֶּ֤חֶם לְבַדּוֹ֙ יִחְיֶ֣ה הָֽאָדָ֔ם כִּ֛י עַל־כָּל־מוֹצָ֥א פִֽי־יְהוָ֖ה יִחְיֶ֥ה הָאָדָֽם׃Read the interlinear
Words taken from the KJV.
- And he humbledעָנָה‛ânâh · to afflictH6031
- thee, and suffered thee to hungerרָעֵבrâ‛êb · be hungryH7456
- and fedאָכַל'âkal · to eatH398
- thee with mannaמָןmân · mannaH4478
- which thou knewestיָדַעyâda‛ · to knowH3045
- not, neither did thy fathersאָב'âb · fatherH1
- that manאָדָם'âdâm · manH120
- doth not liveחָיָהchâyâh · to liveH2421
- by breadלֶ֫חֶםlechem · food: breadH3899
- onlyבַּדbad · aloneH905
- that proceedethמוֹצָאmôtsâ' môtsâ' · exitH4161
- out of the mouthפֶּהpeh · lipH6310
- of the Lordיְהֹוָהyehôvâh · LORDH3068
Cross-references for Deuteronomy 8:3
- Exodus 16:2In the desert the whole community complained about Moses and Aaron.
- Psalms 78:23In spite of that, he commanded the clouds above and opened the doors of heaven.
- Psalms 105:40The Israelites asked, and he brought them quail and filled them with bread from heaven.
- 1 Corinthians 10:3All of them ate the same spiritual food,
- Psalms 37:3Trust the Lord, and do good things. Live in the land, and practice being faithful.
- Psalms 104:27All of them look to you to give them their food at the right time.
- Matthew 4:4Jesus answered, “Scripture says, ‘A person cannot live on bread alone but on every word that God speaks.’ ”
- Luke 4:4Jesus answered him, “Scripture says, ‘A person cannot live on bread alone.’ ”
- Luke 12:29“Don’t concern yourself about what you will eat or drink, and quit worrying about these things.
- Hebrews 13:5Don’t love money. Be happy with what you have because God has said, “I will never abandon you or leave you.”
Commentaries on Deuteronomy 8:3
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 3He - suffered thee to hunger, and fed thee - God never permits any tribulation to befall his followers, which he does not design to turn to their advantage. When he permits us to hunger, it is that his mercy may be the more observable in providing us with the necessaries of life. Privations, in the way of providence, are the forerunners of mercy and goodness abundant.Read the comment
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 3But by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of the Lord - literally, “every outgoing of the mouth of the Lord.” Compare Deuteronomy 29:5-6. The term “word” is inserted by the King James Version after the Septuagint, which is followed by Matthew and Luke (see the marginal references). On the means of subsistence available to the people during the wandering, see Numbers 20:1 note. The lesson was taught, that it is not nature which nourishes man, but…Read the comment
- Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 3The word manna comes from the Hebrew words man hu, which mean "What is it?" God provided this food in a miraculous way to teach his people to depend fully on him (Exodus 16:1–30; Numbers 11:4–9). Manna represented the word of God. God’s word is even more important for life and well-being than food. man does not live on bread alone: Jesus quoted these words when Satan tempted him (Matthew 4:4; Luke 4:4). Jesus used this Scripture to answer Satan and show…Read the comment
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 2-32-3. thou shalt remember all the way which the Lord thy God led thee these forty years in the wilderness--The recapitulation of all their checkered experience during that long period was designed to awaken lively impressions of the goodness of God. First, Moses showed them the object of their protracted wanderings and varied hardships. These were trials of their obedience as well as chastisements for sin. Indeed, the discovery of their infidelity…Read the comment
Topics related to Deuteronomy 8:3
In the dictionaries
Commentaries on Deuteronomy 8
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
- Matthew Henry Concise Commentary
- Tyndale Open Study Notes
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary
- Rashi on Tanakh
- Calvin’s Commentaries
- Keil & Delitzsch Commentary
- John Wesley’s Notes
- Darby Translation Notes
- Geneva Bible Translation Notes
- Kingcomments
- Matthew Henry’s Complete Commentary
- Matthew Henry’s Modern English Commentary
- Scofield Reference Notes, 1917 Edition
- Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary
- EGW Writings
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