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15 and who brought you through the great, fearful wilderness of venomous serpents[a] and scorpions, an arid place with no water. He made water flow[b] from a flint rock and 16 fed you in the wilderness with manna (which your ancestors had never before known) so that he might by humbling you test you[c] and eventually bring good to you. 17 Be careful[d] not to say, “My own ability and skill[e] have gotten me this wealth.”

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Footnotes

  1. Deuteronomy 8:15 tn Heb “flaming serpents”; KJV, NASB “fiery serpents”; NAB “saraph serpents.” This figure of speech (metonymy) probably describes the venomous and painful results of snakebite. The feeling from such an experience would be like a burning fire (שָׂרָף, saraf).
  2. Deuteronomy 8:15 tn Heb “the one who brought out for you water.” In the Hebrew text this continues the preceding sentence, but the translation begins a new sentence here for stylistic reasons.
  3. Deuteronomy 8:16 tn Heb “in order to humble you and in order to test you.” See 8:2.
  4. Deuteronomy 8:17 tn For stylistic reasons a new sentence was started at the beginning of v. 17 in the translation and the words “be careful” supplied to indicate the connection.
  5. Deuteronomy 8:17 tn Heb “my strength and the might of my hand.”

15 He led you through the vast and dreadful wilderness,(A) that thirsty and waterless land, with its venomous snakes(B) and scorpions. He brought you water out of hard rock.(C) 16 He gave you manna(D) to eat in the wilderness, something your ancestors had never known,(E) to humble and test(F) you so that in the end it might go well with you. 17 You may say to yourself,(G) “My power and the strength of my hands(H) have produced this wealth for me.”

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