New English Translation
Deuteronomy 8:3
3So he humbled you by making you hungry and then feeding you with unfamiliar manna. He did this to teach you that humankind cannot live by bread alone, but also by everything that comes from the Lord’s mouth.
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
1You must keep carefully all these commandments I am giving you today so that you may live, increase in number, and go in and occupy the land that the Lord promised to your ancestors. 2Remember the whole way by which he has brought you these forty years through the desert so that he might, by humbling you, test you to see if you have it within you to keep his commandments or not. So he humbled you by making you hungry and then feeding you with unfamiliar manna. He did this to teach you that humankind cannot live by bread alone, but also by everything that comes from the Lord’s mouth. 4Your clothing did not wear out nor did your feet swell all these forty years. 5Be keenly aware that just as a parent disciplines his child, the Lord your God disciplines you.
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 16:2The entire company of Israelites murmured against Moses and Aaron in the desert.
- Psalms 78:23He gave a command to the clouds above, and opened the doors in the sky.
- Psalms 105:40They asked for food, and he sent quails; he satisfied them with food from the sky.
- 1 Corinthians 10:3and all ate the same spiritual food,
- Psalms 37:3Trust in the Lord and do what is right! Settle in the land and maintain your integrity!
- Psalms 104:27All of your creatures wait for you to provide them with food on a regular basis.
- Matthew 4:4But he answered, “It is written, ‘Man does not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God.’”
- Luke 4:4Jesus answered him, “It is written, ‘Man does not live by bread alone.’”
- Luke 12:29So do not be overly concerned about what you will eat and what you will drink, and do not worry about such things.
- Hebrews 13:5Your conduct must be free from the love of money and you must be content with what you have, for he has said, “I will never leave you and I will never abandon 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
New English Translation — © 1996-2016 Biblical Studies Press, L.L.C.
Commentaries