Deuteronomy Chapter 8 · Verse 12
Lest when thou hast eaten and art full, and hast built goodly houses, and dwelt therein;
Original Language Analysis
פֶּן
H6435
פֶּן
Strong's:
H6435
Word #:
1 of 7
properly, removal; used only (in the construction) adverb as conjunction, lest
וְשָׂבָ֑עְתָּ
and art full
H7646
וְשָׂבָ֑עְתָּ
and art full
Strong's:
H7646
Word #:
3 of 7
to sate, i.e., fill to satisfaction (literally or figuratively)
וּבָתִּ֥ים
houses
H1004
וּבָתִּ֥ים
houses
Strong's:
H1004
Word #:
4 of 7
a house (in the greatest variation of applications, especially family, etc.)
טֹבִ֛ים
goodly
H2896
טֹבִ֛ים
goodly
Strong's:
H2896
Word #:
5 of 7
good (as an adjective) in the widest sense; used likewise as a noun, both in the masculine and the feminine, the singular and the plural (good, a good
Cross References
Proverbs 30:9Lest I be full, and deny thee, and say, Who is the LORD? or lest I be poor, and steal, and take the name of my God in vain.Deuteronomy 28:47Because thou servedst not the LORD thy God with joyfulness, and with gladness of heart, for the abundance of all things;Deuteronomy 32:15But Jeshurun waxed fat, and kicked: thou art waxen fat, thou art grown thick, thou art covered with fatness; then he forsook God which made him, and lightly esteemed the Rock of his salvation.Ecclesiastes 2:4I made me great works; I builded me houses; I planted me vineyards:Deuteronomy 31:20For when I shall have brought them into the land which I sware unto their fathers, that floweth with milk and honey; and they shall have eaten and filled themselves, and waxen fat; then will they turn unto other gods, and serve them, and provoke me, and break my covenant.Luke 17:28Likewise also as it was in the days of Lot; they did eat, they drank, they bought, they sold, they planted, they builded;Amos 5:11Forasmuch therefore as your treading is upon the poor, and ye take from him burdens of wheat: ye have built houses of hewn stone, but ye shall not dwell in them; ye have planted pleasant vineyards, but ye shall not drink wine of them.Haggai 1:4Is it time for you, O ye, to dwell in your cieled houses, and this house lie waste?
Historical Context
Israel's subsequent history validated this warning completely. Solomon's reign brought unprecedented prosperity (1 Kings 4:20-25, 10:14-29), but also sowed seeds of apostasy through foreign alliances and marriages. The divided kingdom's prosperous periods (Jeroboam II in Israel, Uzziah in Judah) coincided with moral decline and prophetic indictment (Amos, Isaiah). Prosperity enabled Israel to pursue idolatry more extensively. As warned, material success led to forgetting God. Church history shows the same pattern—persecution produces purity; prosperity produces compromise.
Questions for Reflection
- How has prosperity or comfort in your life created spiritual complacency or self-reliance?
- What practices help you maintain God-dependence in times of plenty and success?
- In what ways might legitimate blessings (home, career, family) compete with God for your heart's affection?
Analysis & Commentary
The warning 'Lest when thou hast eaten and art full' begins a crucial section (vv. 12-14) describing prosperity's spiritual danger. The list—full stomach, good houses, multiplied herds/flocks/wealth—describes successful establishment in Canaan. These are legitimate blessings, not sinful pursuits. The danger isn't prosperity itself but its effect: 'thine heart be lifted up, and thou forget the LORD' (v. 14). Material success tempts self-reliance, pride, and forgetfulness of God. The 'lest' warns that blessing can become a curse if it leads away from God. This is the 'deceitfulness of riches' Jesus warned about (Matthew 13:22)—prosperity chokes spiritual life more effectively than persecution.