Deuteronomy 6:10-19 · Bible study
Deuteronomy 6:10-19 Commentary: The Danger of Prosperity and the Call to Remember
Hebrew · 10 what the commentators say
Meaning in one sentence
Moses warns Israel not to forget God when they enjoy the unearned abundance of the Promised Land. How to guard against spiritual amnesia in times of plenty.
Research Summary
- Meaning: A covenant warning that the unearned abundance of the Promised Land can lead Israel to forget God, countered by exclusive loyalty and obedience.
- Key words: Forget (shakach), to neglect or lose awareness of God's deeds; fear (yare), reverent awe that leads to service; tempt (nasah), to test God's faithfulness by demanding proof.
- Main debate: Whether the shifts between singular and plural address reflect editorial expansion (Cambridge Bible) or a unified rhetorical movement (most other commentators).
- Theological theme: God's jealousy as covenant fidelity, He is a husband who will not share His bride's devotion with any rival.
- Best use: A counterweight to prosperity teaching; the passage warns that blessing can become a spiritual narcotic if not paired with deliberate remembrance.
Translation Comparison
BSB Berean Standard Bible 2020
10And when the LORD your God brings you into the land He swore to your fathers, to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, that He would give you—a land with great and splendid cities that you did not build,
11with houses full of every good thing with which you did not fill them, with wells that you did not dig, and with vineyards and olive groves that you did not plant—and when you eat and are satisfied,
12be careful not to forget the LORD who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery.
13Fear the LORD your God, serve Him only, and take your oaths in His name.
14Do not follow other gods, the gods of the peoples around you.
15For the LORD your God, who is among you, is a jealous God. Otherwise the anger of the LORD your God will be kindled against you, and He will wipe you off the face of the earth.
16Do not test the LORD your God as you tested Him at Massah.
17You are to diligently keep the commandments of the LORD your God and the testimonies and statutes He has given you.
18Do what is right and good in the sight of the LORD, so that it may be well with you and that you may enter and possess the good land that the LORD your God swore to give your fathers,
19driving out all your enemies before you, as the LORD has said.
WEB World English Bible 2000
10It shall be, when Yahweh your God brings you into the land which he swore to your fathers, to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob, to give you, great and goodly cities which you didn’t build,
11and houses full of all good things which you didn’t fill, and cisterns dug out which you didn’t dig, vineyards and olive trees which you didn’t plant, and you shall eat and be full;
12then beware lest you forget Yahweh, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage.
13You shall fear Yahweh your God; and you shall serve him, and shall swear by his name.
14You shall not go after other gods, of the gods of the peoples who are around you,
15for Yahweh your God among you is a jealous God, lest the anger of Yahweh your God be kindled against you, and he destroy you from off the face of the earth.
16You shall not tempt Yahweh your God, as you tempted him in Massah.
17You shall diligently keep the commandments of Yahweh your God, and his testimonies, and his statutes, which he has commanded you.
18You shall do that which is right and good in Yahweh’s sight, that it may be well with you and that you may go in and possess the good land which Yahweh swore to your fathers,
19to thrust out all your enemies from before you, as Yahweh has spoken.
KJV King James Version 1769
10And it shall be, when the Lord thy God shall have brought thee into the land which he sware unto thy fathers, to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob, to give thee great and goodly cities, which thou buildedst not,
11And houses full of all good things, which thou filledst not, and wells digged, which thou diggedst not, vineyards and olive trees, which thou plantedst not; when thou shalt have eaten and be full;
12Then beware lest thou forget the Lord, which brought thee forth out of the land of Egypt, from the house of bondage.
13Thou shalt fear the Lord thy God, and serve him, and shalt swear by his name.
14Ye shall not go after other gods, of the gods of the people which are round about you;
15(For the Lord thy God is a jealous God among you) lest the anger of the Lord thy God be kindled against thee, and destroy thee from off the face of the earth.
16Ye shall not tempt the Lord your God, as ye tempted him in Massah.
17Ye shall diligently keep the commandments of the Lord your God, and his testimonies, and his statutes, which he hath commanded thee.
18And thou shalt do that which is right and good in the sight of the Lord: that it may be well with thee, and that thou mayest go in and possess the good land which the Lord sware unto thy fathers,
19To cast out all thine enemies from before thee, as the Lord hath spoken.
ASV American Standard Version 1901
10And it shall be, when Jehovah thy God shall bring thee into the land which he sware unto thy fathers, to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob, to give thee, great and goodly cities, which thou buildest not,
11and houses full of all good things, which thou filledst not, and cisterns hewn out, which thou hewedst not, vineyards and olive-trees, which thou plantedst not, and thou shalt eat and be full;
12then beware lest thou forget Jehovah, who brought thee forth out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage.
13Thou shalt fear Jehovah thy God; and him shalt thou serve, and shalt swear by his name.
14Ye shall not go after other gods, of the gods of the peoples that are round about you;
15for Jehovah thy God in the midst of thee is a jealous God; lest the anger of Jehovah thy God be kindled against thee, and he destroy thee from off the face of the earth.
16Ye shall not tempt Jehovah your God, as ye tempted him in Massah.
17Ye shall diligently keep the commandments of Jehovah your God, and his testimonies, and his statutes, which he hath commanded thee.
18And thou shalt do that which is right and good in the sight of Jehovah; that it may be well with thee, and that thou mayest go in and possess the good land which Jehovah sware unto thy fathers,
19to thrust out all thine enemies from before thee, as Jehovah hath spoken.
YLT Young's Literal Translation 1898
10`And it hath been, when Jehovah thy God doth bring thee in unto the land which He hath sworn to thy fathers, to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob, to give to thee--cities great and good, which thou hast not built,
11and houses full of all good things which thou hast not filled, and wells digged which thou hast not digged, vineyards and olive-yards which thou hast not planted, and thou hast eaten, and been satisfied;
12`Take heed to thyself lest thou forget Jehovah who hath brought thee out of the land of Egypt, out of a house of servants;
13Jehovah thy God thou dost fear, and Him thou dost serve, and by His name thou dost swear;
14ye do not go after other gods, of the gods of the peoples who are round about you;
15for a zealous God is Jehovah thy God in thy midst--lest the anger of Jehovah thy God burn against thee, and He hath destroyed thee from off the face of the ground.
16`Ye do not try Jehovah your God as ye tried in Massah;
17ye do diligently keep the commands of Jehovah your God, and His testimonies, and His statutes which He hath commanded thee,
18and thou hast done that which is right and good in the eyes of Jehovah, so that it is well with thee, and thou hast gone in and possessed the good land which Jehovah hath sworn to thy fathers,
19to drive away all thine enemies from thy presence, as Jehovah hath spoken.
Darby Darby Bible 1890
10And it shall be, when Jehovah thy God bringeth thee into the land which he swore unto thy fathers, to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob, to give thee: great and good cities which thou buildedst not,
11and houses full of everything good which thou filledst not, and wells digged which thou diggedst not, vineyards and oliveyards which thou plantedst not, and thou shalt have eaten and shalt be full;
12[then] beware lest thou forget Jehovah who brought thee forth out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage.
13Thou shalt fear Jehovah thy God, and serve him, and shalt swear by his name.
14Ye shall not go after othergods, of thegods of the peoples that are round about you;
15for Jehovah thy God is a jealous God in thy midst; lest the anger of Jehovah thy God be kindled against thee, and he destroy thee from the face of the earth.
16Ye shall not tempt Jehovah your God, as ye tempted him in Massah.
17Ye shall diligently keep the commandments of Jehovah your God, and his testimonies, and his statutes, which he hath commanded thee.
18And thou shalt do what is right and good in the sight of Jehovah, that it may be well with thee, and that thou mayest enter in and possess the good land which Jehovah swore unto thy fathers,
19thrusting out all thine enemies from before thee, as Jehovah hath spoken.
Douay-Rheims Douay-Rheims Bible 1899
10And when the Lord thy God shall have brought thee into the land, for which he swore to thy fathers Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob: and shall have given thee great and goodly cities, which thou didst not build,
11Houses full of riches, which thou didst not set up, cisterns which thou didst not dig, vineyards and oliveyards, which thou didst not plant,
12And thou shalt have eaten and be full:
13Take heed diligently lest thou forget the Lord, who brought thee out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage. Thou shalt fear the Lord thy God, and shalt serve him only, and thou shalt swear by his name.
14You shall not go after the strange gods of all the nations, that are round about you:
15Because the Lord thy God is a jealous God in the midst of thee: lest at any time the wrath of the Lord thy God be kindled against thee, and take thee away from the face of the earth.
16Thou shalt not tempt the Lord thy God, as thou temptedst him in the place of temptation.
17Keep the precepts of the Lord thy God, and the testimonies and ceremonies which he hath commanded thee.
18And do that which is pleasing and good in the sight of the Lord, that it may be well with thee: and going in thou mayst possess the goodly land, concerning which the Lord swore to thy fathers,
19That he would destroy all thy enemies before thee, as he hath spoken.
Verse in Context
Original Language (Biblical Hebrew)
Old Testament · Biblical Hebrew · Deuteronomy 6:10
Source: STEPBible TAGNT/TEHB (CC-BY 4.0). Click or tap a morphology code to see the full parsing.
Scholars' Consensus
Commentators across traditions agree that this passage addresses a core human problem: the way prosperity dulls spiritual memory. Calvin observes that abundance 'for the most part blinds men’s minds, so that they do not sufficiently attend to modesty and moderation.' Clarke notes that when the senses are satisfied, 'it is difficult for the soul to urge its way to heaven.' Barnes frames the double danger as 'a God-forgetting worldliness' and a tolerance of surrounding idolatries. The positive commands that follow, fear Yahweh, serve Him alone, swear by His name, keep His commandments, are, as Keil and Delitzsch put it, the description of what 'not forgetting' looks like in practice. God’s jealousy (v.15) is understood not as petty envy but as the covenant loyalty of a husband who will not share His bride; Gill takes the image directly from betrothal. The warning against tempting God (v.16) is seen, following Wesley and Clarke, as the sin of demanding fresh proof of His presence when past evidence already overflows. All agree: the antidote to forgetfulness is intentional, disciplined devotion that roots gratitude in concrete obedience.
How settled is the interpretation?
Interpretive difficulty: Medium
Main views:
- Unified Mosaic composition: The passage is read as a coherent sermon by Moses, with singular and plural shifts serving rhetorical purposes (most commentators, including Calvin, Gill, Keil & Delitzsch).
- Editorial layering (Cambridge Bible): The plural sections (vv.14-17) are seen as later expansions because they interrupt the singular address and introduce themes not directly tied to the context.
What is clear: God’s people face a real spiritual danger: the unearned abundance of His gifts can lead them to forget the Giver, so they must actively cultivate reverence, exclusive loyalty, and obedience.
What Scholars Agree and Debate
| Topic | Agreed | Debated |
|---|---|---|
| Danger of prosperity | All commentators agree the passage warns that material abundance can cause spiritual forgetfulness and pride. | Some (Calvin, Clarke) stress the inherent danger of the human heart when satiated; others (Barnes) also emphasise the social temptation to adopt the religious practices of prosperous neighbours. |
| Singular to plural address shifts | Commentators note that the passage moves between singular (vv.10-13, 17-19) and plural (vv.14-16) forms. | The Cambridge Bible sees vv.14-17 as likely editorial additions; most other commentators treat the passage as a unified composition, seeing the shifts as a rhetorical device or as Moses alternating between addressing the people and the individual. |
| Meaning of 'tempt the Lord' (v.16) | All agree it refers to demanding proof of God's presence or patience, as at Massah (Exodus 17). | Wesley stresses 'provoking' God by doubting His justice; Clarke emphasises doubting His goodness after abundant evidence. The Cambridge Bible questions the coherence of the verse in context, while others (Lange, Gill) affirm it as a natural contrast to idolatry. |
| Oath-taking by God's name (v.13) | All see this as a command to swear legal oaths only in Yahweh's name, not by other gods. | Barnes and Wesley note that this is not a contradiction of Jesus' 'swear not at all' (Matthew 5:34), because Moses refers to judicial oaths, while Jesus prohibits casual swearing. Other traditions see a tension and interpret the verse as limited to a specific ancient context. |
Historical & Cultural Context
Moses addresses Israel on the plains of Moab, poised to cross the Jordan into Canaan. For forty years they have known the daily manna, the pillar of cloud and fire, the wilderness where their dependence on God was immediate and inescapable. Now they are about to enter a land already terraced with vineyards, lined with cisterns hewn from limestone, and dotted with walled cities. Everything, the houses, the wells, the olive groves, has been built, dug, and planted by others. The infrastructure of Canaan represented centuries of Canaanite labor and civilisation; Israel would inherit it as pure gift.
This created a unique spiritual hazard. A people accustomed to daily miracles of provision would suddenly find themselves surrounded by abundance they had not worked for. The phrase 'house of bondage' (v.12, literally 'house of slaves') stands as a deliberate contrast: you were slaves with nothing; now you will have everything. But that very fullness could make them imagine they had earned it, or that the local gods of the land had provided it. Israel's neighbours worshipped Baal as the giver of rain and fertility, a faith that would later prove seductive. Thus the command to 'fear Yahweh your God' and 'serve Him only' is not abstract theology but a survival strategy in a land of competing loyalties. The shift between singular and plural address in these verses (noted by the Cambridge Bible as likely editorial) does not affect the core message: every individual and the whole nation must guard their memory of grace.
Textual Notes
The supplied commentaries note one textual variant: the Cambridge Bible observes that the Samaritan Pentateuch and Septuagint omit the conjunction 'and' before 'houses' and 'cisterns' in v.11, smoothing the list. More significantly, Cambridge argues that vv.14-17 (the plural address) are likely an 'editorial addition' because they interrupt the singular flow and introduce the concept of 'tempting God' as a separate concern. Other commentators treat the passage as a unified Mosaic composition. No other variants are discussed in the supplied sources; the main text is stable across the Hebrew manuscripts.
Reception History
This passage has shaped Christian and Jewish thinking about prosperity and covenant faithfulness for millennia. Jesus quoted v.13 ('You shall worship the Lord your God, and him only shall you serve') and v.16 ('You shall not put the Lord your God to the test') during His own temptation in the wilderness (Matthew 4:7, 10), establishing it as a model of faithful response in times of testing. The early church saw in the warning against forgetfulness a pattern for resisting the lure of Roman prosperity and pagan cults. Later, Calvin and the Reformed tradition used these verses to argue that earthly blessings, while good, require constant vigilance lest the heart grow cold. Jewish liturgy echoes the passage in the Passover Haggadah, where the memory of Egypt is kept vivid precisely so that gratitude does not fade. In modern preaching, Deuteronomy 6:10-19 has become a touchstone for conversations about stewardship, contentment, and the spiritual discipline of remembering God’s gifts when life is full.
Preaching This Verse
Three-point outline
- The gift you did not earn (vv.10-11): Israel inherits cities, houses, cisterns, vineyards they did not build or plant. Prosperity is grace, not achievement.
- The amnesia that comes with fullness (v.12): When the stomach is full, the heart can grow empty. Forgetfulness of God is the luxury of those who think they no longer need rescue.
- The response that keeps memory alive (vv.13-19): Fear, exclusive service, oath-taking by His name, keeping commandments, doing what is right and good, these practices anchor the soul in gratitude and covenant loyalty.
Five-point outline
- The land as pure inheritance (vv.10-11)
- The warning: fullness can breed forgetting (v.12)
- First command: exclusive worship and loyalty (vv.13-15)
- Second command: do not test God's patience (v.16)
- Third command: keep and do, that it may go well (vv.17-19)
Illustration hooks
- A teenager inherits a car they never paid for. They treat it casually, skip maintenance, forget who gave it. The passage unpacks the same dynamic on a national scale.
- A family moves into a fully furnished house, dishes in the cupboards, tools in the shed. Without remembering the gift, they start acting as if they built it themselves.
- After years of struggle, someone lands a secure job with benefits. Lulled by comfort, they stop praying with the same intensity. The passage names that drift before it happens.
Questions your congregation is asking
- Why does God warn so strongly about forgetting Him when things go well? Does He want us to feel guilty about enjoying His gifts?
- How can I tell if prosperity has made me spiritually forgetful? What are the signs?
- What daily practices can help me remember God when life is comfortable and nothing urgent presses?
Leading a Discussion
This passage probes a danger most of us recognise: that good times can make us spiritually careless. Moses stands at the border of the Promised Land, knowing that the very abundance God gives can become a snare. The group's task is to uncover how gratitude stays alive when we no longer feel desperate.
Discussion questions
- What do you notice about the repeated phrase 'which you did not build/fill/dig/plant'? Why does Moses emphasise Israel's lack of contribution?
- Verse 12 says 'beware lest you forget Yahweh.' Why does physical fullness threaten spiritual memory?
- What does it mean to 'fear' God (v.13)? How is that different from being afraid of Him?
- Verse 14 forbids going 'after other gods.' What might 'other gods' look like in your life or community today?
- Jesus quoted verse 16 (the warning not to tempt God) when He was tempted in the wilderness. What does this tell us about how to handle tests of faith?
- Verse 18 says to do what is 'right and good in the sight of the Lord.' How does this go beyond simply following rules? What does 'good' add?
- What is one practice you could adopt this week to help you remember God's gifts, especially when life is going well?
Word Study
The key original-language words in this verse. Select any word for its full lexicon entry — meaning, every occurrence in Scripture, and related words.
Cross-References
Source: Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (TSK, public domain)
| Genesis 13:15 | for I will give all the land which you see to you and to your offspring forever. |
| Genesis 13:17 | Arise, walk through the land in its length and in its width; for I will give it to you.” |
| Genesis 15:18 | In that day Yahweh made a covenant with Abram, saying, “I have given this land to your offspring, from the river of Egypt to the great river, the river Euphrates: |
| Genesis 26:3 | Live in this land, and I will be with you, and will bless you. For I will give to you, and to your offspring, all these lands, and I will establish the oath which I swore to Abraham your father. |
| Genesis 28:13 | Behold, Yahweh stood above it, and said, “I am Yahweh, the God of Abraham your father, and the God of Isaac. I will give the land you lie on to you and to your offspring. |
| Joshua 24:13 | I gave you a land on which you had not labored, and cities which you didn’t build, and you live in them. You eat of vineyards and olive groves which you didn’t plant.’ |
| Nehemiah 9:25 | They took fortified cities and a rich land, and possessed houses full of all good things, cisterns dug out, vineyards, olive groves, and fruit trees in abundance. So they ate, were filled, became fat, and delighted themselves in your great goodness. |
| Psalms 78:55 | He also drove out the nations before them, allotted them for an inheritance by line, and made the tribes of Israel to dwell in their tents. |
Interlinear and lexical data from STEPBible (CC BY 4.0). Cross-reference data from OpenBible.info (CC BY 4.0). Commentaries are public domain.
For personal reflection
Read the devotional page — prayer, application, and "for families"
What the Commentators Say
9 public-domain commentaries, condensed into plain language.
Adam Clarke's Commentary Methodist/Wesleyan 1826
Clarke warns that earthly prosperity often makes people forget God, so in love God appoints affliction to keep souls faithful. He also observes that when Jesus quoted this passage about serving God alone, He included the word "only," which Clarke argues was part of the original Hebrew text Jesus used.
Barnes' Notes on the Bible Protestant 1832
Barnes identifies two distinct dangers for Israel as they enter the land: worldliness that forgets God, and a false tolerance of the idolatry around them. He also clarifies that Moses' instruction to swear by God's name refers to legal oaths, not casual conversation, which is what Jesus forbids.
Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges Anglican 1880
This commentator warns that Israel's greatest spiritual danger will come not in hardship but in prosperity. Entering a land with houses, vineyards and cisterns they did not build, they may credit other gods instead of Yahweh who brought them there. Even everyday oaths become a test of loyalty, since swearing by another god declares allegiance to that god.
Geneva Bible Notes Reformed 1599
The Geneva note stresses the danger of forgetting God precisely when enjoying blessings you did not earn. Cities, houses, wells, vineyards all come as gifts, not rewards for work. Prosperity itself becomes the snare: a full stomach can crowd out memory of the deliverer who brought Israel from bondage.
Gill's Exposition of the Bible Baptist 1748
Gill warns that Israel's greatest spiritual danger would come not from hardship but from prosperity. Once settled in cities they did not build and enjoying abundance they did not produce, they would be tempted to forget the God who gave it all. He stresses that God's goodness calls for filial fear and exclusive loyalty, not neglect.
Keil & Delitzsch OT Commentary Protestant 1876
Keil-Delitzsch highlight a specific danger in the command: Israel will possess cities, houses, wells, and vineyards they did not build or fill. This ready-made prosperity, gained without labor, makes forgetting the Lord especially likely. They then describe not forgetting as fearing, serving, and swearing by His name, with holy fear as the foundation.
Lange's Commentary Reformed 1857
Lange sees the command to love not as a separate demand but as the natural outflow of the confession that God is one. Because Jehovah alone is absolute, the whole person must respond with exclusive love, and the law itself becomes a single, unified claim on the heart.
Matthew Henry's Commentary Reformed/Presbyterian 1710
Henry calls this passage the brief summary of all religion, containing its first principles. The oneness of God is the foundation of faith, and the command to love Him with every capacity is the foundation of obedience. These two truths together form the root of everything else.
Wesley's Explanatory Notes Methodist/Wesleyan 1754
Wesley's point is that swearing by God's name is lawful only when one has a genuine calling and just cause, and it must be done in His presence, where He sees all. He defines tempting God as sinners doubting His wisdom, justice, or power because they see the wicked prosper, and insists that only diligent obedience, not negligence, can keep us from ruin.