Deuteronomy 7:13 Meaning: Promise Prosperity?
He will love you, bless you, and multiply you. He will also bless the fruit of your body and the fruit of your ground, your grain and your new wine and your oil, the increase of your livestock and the young of your flock, in the land which he swore to your fathers to give you.
And he will love thee, and bless thee, and multiply thee: he will also bless the fruit of thy womb, and the fruit of thy land, thy corn, and thy wine, and thine oil, the increase of thy kine, and the flocks of thy sheep, in the land which he sware unto thy fathers to give thee.
and he will love thee, and bless thee, and multiply thee; he will also bless the fruit of thy body and the fruit of thy ground, thy grain and thy new wine and thine oil, the increase of thy cattle and the young of thy flock, in the land which he sware unto thy fathers to give thee.
and hath loved thee, and blessed thee, and multiplied thee, and hath blessed the fruit of thy womb, and the fruit of thy ground, thy corn, and thy new wine, and thine oil, the increase of thine oxen, and the wealth of thy flock, on the ground which He hath sworn to thy fathers to give to thee.
and he will love thee, and bless thee, and multiply thee, and will bless the fruit of thy womb, and the fruit of thy ground, thy corn and thy new wine, and thine oil, the offspring of thy kine, and the increase of thy sheep, in the land which he swore unto thy fathers to give thee.
Meaning in one sentence
God promises love, blessing, and abundance in the land. Does this apply to Christians today? A devotional exploring the covenant context.
Context
Moses is speaking to Israel on the plains of Moab, just before they enter the land promised to Abraham. The people have heard the law again, and now Moses urges them to keep it. In chapter 7, he reminds them that God chose them out of love, not because they were great. Verses 12 through 16 lay out the blessings that will follow obedience. This promise of love, bless, and multiply echoes the covenant God made with the patriarchs. It is rich with images of a fruitful life: children, crops, and livestock all thriving in a land God swore to give. But the surrounding verses make clear this is a conditional promise, tied to Israel’s faithfulness under the old covenant.
Key Words
The word for love here is ahav, the same word God uses when He says He set His affection on Israel (Deuteronomy 7:7). It is not a distant approval but a warm, choosing love. The word for bless is barak, which carries the sense of kneeling to bestow a gift, like a parent handing a good thing to a child.
Several Hebrew terms point to the raw, fresh produce of the land. Dagan is threshed grain, tirosh is new wine fresh from the press, and yitshar is newly pressed oil. These are not luxuries but daily necessities. The phrase for young of your flock uses ashtrot, the plural of the Canaanite goddess of fertility. The language deliberately echoes the pagan worship Israel would encounter, but here it is stripped of superstition. Yahweh alone is the source of every increase. The flock’s young do not come from a goddess; they come from the hand of the living God.
How Christians Read This Verse
Most Christian commentators see this verse as a specific covenant promise to national Israel, not a direct blueprint for individual wealth today. Matthew Henry writes that it shows God’s goodness in giving earthly blessings as tokens of His favor, but he always links them to the greater spiritual blessings in Christ. The Cambridge Bible notes the parallel sections in Deuteronomy 28 and Leviticus 26, stressing that the land and its abundance were part of Israel’s unique relationship with God. Some traditions, particularly within parts of Reformed and charismatic streams, have seen principles here that apply to faithful believers, that God delights to prosper those who obey Him. Others, including many Anglican and Lutheran interpreters, emphasize that the New Testament reorients our hope toward heavenly treasures and that material blessing must never become the center of faith. Both groups take the verse seriously; they differ on how directly the earthly promise carries over.
A common misunderstanding
Living This Out
You may be facing a tight month, the bills are due and the fridge is nearly empty. It is easy to wonder if you have failed somehow. This verse does not tell you to demand a raise as proof of God’s love. Instead, it invites you to rest in the truth that God is the giver of every good gift, and His love does not depend on your performance. This week, when you do the simple work of obedience, patient words with family, honest work, generosity even when it pinches, you are walking in the same covenant faithfulness Israel was called to. Leave the outcome to Him. The same God who blessed grain and flocks in Canaan knows exactly what you need today.
Main takeaway: God’s love is the foundation of every blessing, and His provision always flows from His faithful covenant, not from our performance.
For Families
For ages 5, 8
God told His people, “I love you and I will give you good things.” That means food to eat, water to drink, and a safe place to live. We can trust God to take care of us.
For ages 9, 12
In the Old Testament, God made a special promise to Israel. If they obeyed Him, He would give them plenty of food, healthy animals, and large families. That promise was for them in their land. For us, God promises to meet our needs and, most of all, to give us eternal life through Jesus. Obedience still matters, not because we get a reward right away, but because we love the One who saved us.
Questions People Ask
Does Deuteronomy 7:13 mean God will make me rich if I obey Him?
Not in a direct way. This promise was given specifically to Israel as part of the covenant at Sinai. For Christians, God certainly provides for our needs, but the New Testament teaches us to store up treasures in heaven rather than expect material wealth as a reward for obedience.
What does 'fruit of your womb' mean?
It is a poetic way of saying children. The Hebrew word béṭen means womb or belly. In the context of ancient Israel, large families were seen as a sign of God's blessing and faithfulness.
Why does God list grain, new wine, and oil as blessings?
Grain, wine, and oil were the three main staples in ancient Israelite life. They represent a complete and abundant provision: daily bread, celebration drink, and oil for cooking, light, and anointing. Listing them shows God cares about every part of ordinary life.
Is this blessing conditional or unconditional?
It is conditional on obedience. Verse 12 says, 'It shall happen, because you listen to these ordinances and keep and do them.' God’s love remains faithful, but the full experience of material blessing in the land was tied to Israel’s faithfulness to the covenant.
How should Christians apply this verse today?
We should read it as part of God’s faithful character. He loves His people and delights to provide for them. But we apply it through the lens of Christ: every spiritual blessing in heavenly places is ours in Him (Ephesians 1:3). Material needs matter, but they are not the center of our hope.
For pastors & researchers
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