3 And he humbled H6031 thee, and suffered thee to hunger, H7456 and fed H398 thee with manna, H4478 which thou knewest H3045 not, neither did thy fathers H1 know; H3045 that he might make thee know H3045 that man H120 doth not live H2421 by bread H3899 only, H905 but by every word that proceedeth H4161 out of the mouth H6310 of the LORD H3068 doth man H120 live. H2421
And the whole congregation H5712 of the children H1121 of Israel H3478 murmured H3885 against Moses H4872 and Aaron H175 in the wilderness: H4057 And the children H1121 of Israel H3478 said H559 unto them, Would to God H4310 H5414 we had died H4191 by the hand H3027 of the LORD H3068 in the land H776 of Egypt, H4714 when we sat H3427 by the flesh H1320 pots, H5518 and when we did eat H398 bread H3899 to the full; H7648 for ye have brought us forth H3318 into this wilderness, H4057 to kill H4191 this whole assembly H6951 with hunger. H7458
Though he had commanded H6680 the clouds H7834 from above, H4605 and opened H6605 the doors H1817 of heaven, H8064 And had rained down H4305 manna H4478 upon them to eat, H398 and had given H5414 them of the corn H1715 of heaven. H8064 Man H376 did eat H398 angels' H47 food: H3899 he sent H7971 them meat H6720 to the full. H7648
Let your conversation G5158 be without covetousness; G866 and be content G714 with such things as ye have: G3918 for G1063 he G846 hath said, G2046 I will never G3364 leave G447 thee, G4571 nor G3761 G3364 forsake G1459 thee. G4571 So that G5620 we G2248 may boldly G2292 say, G3004 The Lord G2962 is my G1698 helper, G998 and G2532 I will G5399 not G3756 fear G5399 what G5101 man G444 shall do G4160 unto me. G3427
I have heard H8085 the murmurings H8519 of the children H1121 of Israel: H3478 speak H1696 unto them, saying, H559 At even H996 H6153 ye shall eat H398 flesh, H1320 and in the morning H1242 ye shall be filled H7646 with bread; H3899 and ye shall know H3045 that I am the LORD H3068 your God. H430 And it came to pass, that at even H6153 the quails H7958 came up, H5927 and covered H3680 the camp: H4264 and in the morning H1242 the dew H2919 lay H7902 round about H5439 the host. H4264 And when the dew H2919 that lay H7902 was gone up, H5927 behold, upon the face H6440 of the wilderness H4057 there lay a small H1851 round thing, H2636 as small H1851 as the hoar frost H3713 on the ground. H776 And when the children H1121 of Israel H3478 saw H7200 it, they said H559 one H376 to another, H251 It is manna: H4478 for they wist H3045 not what it was. And Moses H4872 said H559 unto them, This is the bread H3899 which the LORD H3068 hath given H5414 you to eat. H402 This is the thing H1697 which H834 the LORD H3068 hath commanded, H6680 Gather H3950 of it every man H376 according H6310 to his eating, H400 an omer H6016 for every man, H1538 according to the number H4557 of your persons; H5315 take H3947 ye every man H376 for them which are in his tents. H168 And the children H1121 of Israel H3478 did H6213 so, and gathered, H3950 some more, H7235 some less. H4591 And when they did mete H4058 it with an omer, H6016 he that gathered much H7235 had nothing over, H5736 and he that gathered little H4591 had no lack; H2637 they gathered H3950 every man H376 according H6310 to his eating. H400 And Moses H4872 said, H559 Let no man H376 leave H3498 of it till the morning. H1242 Notwithstanding they hearkened H8085 not unto Moses; H4872 but some H582 of them left H3498 of it until the morning, H1242 and it bred H7311 worms, H8438 and stank: H887 and Moses H4872 was wroth H7107 with them. And they gathered H3950 it every morning, H1242 every man H376 according H6310 to his eating: H400 and when the sun H8121 waxed hot, H2552 it melted. H4549 And it came to pass, that on the sixth H8345 day H3117 they gathered H3950 twice H4932 as much bread, H3899 two H8147 omers H6016 for one H259 man: and all the rulers H5387 of the congregation H5712 came H935 and told H5046 Moses. H4872 And he said H559 unto them, This is that which the LORD H3068 hath said, H1696 To morrow H4279 is the rest H7677 of the holy H6944 sabbath H7676 unto the LORD: H3068 bake H644 that which ye will bake H644 to day, and seethe H1310 that ye will seethe; H1310 and that which H3605 remaineth over H5736 lay up H3240 for you to be kept H4931 until the morning. H1242 And they laid it up H3240 till the morning, H1242 as Moses H4872 bade: H6680 and it did not stink, H887 neither was there any worm H7415 therein. And Moses H4872 said, H559 Eat H398 that to day; H3117 for to day H3117 is a sabbath H7676 unto the LORD: H3068 to day H3117 ye shall not find H4672 it in the field. H7704 Six H8337 days H3117 ye shall gather H3950 it; but on the seventh H7637 day, H3117 which is the sabbath, H7676 in it there shall be none. And it came to pass, that there went out H3318 some of the people H5971 on the seventh H7637 day H3117 for to gather, H3950 and they found H4672 none. And the LORD H3068 said H559 unto Moses, H4872 How long refuse H3985 ye to keep H8104 my commandments H4687 and my laws? H8451 See, H7200 for that the LORD H3068 hath given H5414 you the sabbath, H7676 therefore he giveth H5414 you on the sixth H8345 day H3117 the bread H3899 of two days; H3117 abide H3427 ye every man H376 in his place, let no man H376 go out H3318 of his place H4725 on the seventh H7637 day. H3117 So the people H5971 rested H7673 on the seventh H7637 day. H3117 And the house H1004 of Israel H3478 called H7121 the name H8034 thereof Manna: H4478 and it was like coriander H1407 seed, H2233 white; H3836 and the taste H2940 of it was like wafers H6838 made with honey. H1706 And Moses H4872 said, H559 This is the thing H1697 which the LORD H3068 commandeth, H6680 Fill H4393 an omer H6016 of it to be kept H4931 for your generations; H1755 that they may see H7200 the bread H3899 wherewith I have fed H398 you in the wilderness, H4057 when I brought you forth H3318 from the land H776 of Egypt. H4714 And Moses H4872 said H559 unto Aaron, H175 Take H3947 a H259 pot, H6803 and put H5414 an omer H6016 full H4393 of manna H4478 therein, and lay it up H3240 before H6440 the LORD, H3068 to be kept H4931 for your generations. H1755 As the LORD H3068 commanded H6680 Moses, H4872 so Aaron H175 laid it up H3240 before H6440 the Testimony, H5715 to be kept. H4931 And the children H1121 of Israel H3478 did eat H398 manna H4478 forty H705 years, H8141 until they came H935 to a land H776 inhabited; H3427 they did eat H398 manna, H4478 until they came H935 unto the borders H7097 of the land H776 of Canaan. H3667
These wait H7663 all upon thee; that thou mayest give H5414 them their meat H400 in due season. H6256 That thou givest H5414 them they gather: H3950 thou openest H6605 thine hand, H3027 they are filled H7646 with good. H2896 Thou hidest H5641 thy face, H6440 they are troubled: H926 thou takest away H622 their breath, H7307 they die, H1478 and return H7725 to their dust. H6083
And G2532 seek G2212 not G3361 ye G5210 what G5101 ye shall eat, G5315 or G2228 what G5101 ye shall drink, G4095 G2532 neither G3361 be ye of doubtful mind. G3349 For G1063 all G3956 these things G5023 do G1934 the nations G1484 of the world G2889 seek after: G1934 and G1161 your G5216 Father G3962 knoweth G1492 that G3754 ye have need G5535 of these things. G5130
Worthy.Bible » Commentaries » Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible » Commentary on Deuteronomy 8
Commentary on Deuteronomy 8 Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible
CHAPTER 8
De 8:1-20. An Exhortation to Obedience.
1. All the commandments which I command thee this day shall ye observe to do, that ye may live—In all the wise arrangements of our Creator duty has been made inseparably connected with happiness; and the earnest enforcement of the divine law which Moses was making to the Israelites was in order to secure their being a happy (because a moral and religious) people: a course of prosperity is often called "life" (Ge 17:18; Pr 3:2).
live, and multiply—This reference to the future increase of their population proves that they were too few to occupy the land fully at first.
2, 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, inconstancy, and their rebellions and perverseness which this varied discipline brought to light, was of eminently practical use to the Israelites themselves, as it has been to the church in all subsequent ages. Next, he enlarged on the goodness of God to them, while reduced to the last extremities of despair, in the miraculous provision which, without anxiety or labor, was made for their daily support (see on Ex 16:4). Possessing no nutritious properties inherent in it, this contributed to their sustenance, as indeed all food does (Mt 4:4) solely through the ordinance and blessing of God. This remark is applicable to the means of spiritual as well as natural life.
4. Thy raiment waxed not old upon thee, neither did thy foot swell, these forty years—What a striking miracle was this! No doubt the Israelites might have brought from Egypt more clothes than they wore at their outset; they might also have obtained supplies of various articles of food and raiment in barter with the neighboring tribes for the fleeces and skins of their sheep and goats; and in furnishing them with such opportunities the care of Providence appeared. But the strong and pointed terms which Moses here uses (see also De 29:5) indicate a special or miraculous interposition of their loving Guardian in preserving them amid the wear and tear of their nomadic life in the desert. Thirdly, Moses expatiated on the goodness of the promised land.
7. For the Lord thy God bringeth thee into a good land—All accounts, ancient and modern, concur in bearing testimony to the natural beauty and fertility of Palestine, and its great capabilities if properly cultivated.
a land of brooks of water, of fountains and depths that spring out of valleys and hills—These characteristic features are mentioned first, as they would be most striking; and all travellers describe how delightful and cheerful it is, after passing through the barren and thirsty desert, to be among running brooks and swelling hills and verdant valleys. It is observable that water is mentioned as the chief source of its ancient fertility.
8. A land of wheat, and barley—These cereal fruits were specially promised to the Israelites in the event of their faithful allegiance to the covenant of God (Ps 81:16; 147:14). The wheat and barley were so abundant as to yield sixty and often an hundredfold (Ge 26:12; Mt 13:8).
vines, and fig trees, and pomegranates—The limestone rocks and abrupt valleys were entirely covered, as traces of them still show, with plantations of figs, vines, and olive trees. Though in a southern latitude, its mountainous formations tempered the excessive heat, and hence, figs, pomegranates, &c., were produced in Palestine equally with wheat and barley, the produce of northern regions.
honey—The word "honey" is used often in a loose, indeterminate sense, very frequently to signify a syrup of dates or of grapes, which under the name of dibs is much used by all classes, wherever vineyards are found, as a condiment to their food. It resembles thin molasses, but is more pleasant to the taste [Robinson]. This is esteemed a great delicacy in the East, and it was produced abundantly in Palestine.
9. a land whose stones are iron—The abundance of this metal in Palestine, especially among the mountains of Lebanon, those of Kesraoun, and elsewhere, is attested not only by Josephus, but by Volney, Buckingham, and other travellers.
brass—not the alloy brass, but the ore of copper. Although the mines may now be exhausted or neglected, they yielded plenty of those metals anciently (1Ch 22:3; 29:2-7; Isa 60:17).
11-20. Beware that thou forget not the Lord—After mentioning those instances of the divine goodness, Moses founded on them an argument for their future obedience.
15. Who led thee through that great and terrible wilderness, wherein were fiery serpents, and scorpions—Large and venomous reptiles are found in great numbers there still, particularly in autumn. Travellers must use great caution in arranging their tents and beds at night; even during the day the legs not only of men, but of the animals they ride, are liable to be bitten.
who brought thee forth water out of the rock of flint—(See on De 9:21).