The Meaning of Deuteronomy 8:17 Explained

Deuteronomy 8:17

KJV: And thou say in thine heart, My power and the might of mine hand hath gotten me this wealth.

YLT: and thou hast said in thy heart, My power, and the might of my hand, hath made for me this wealth:

Darby: And thou say in thy heart, my power And the might of my hand has procured me This wealth.

ASV: and lest thou say in thy heart, My power and the might of my hand hath gotten me this wealth.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

And thou say  in thine heart,  My power  and the might  of [mine] hand  hath gotten  me this wealth. 

What does Deuteronomy 8:17 Mean?

Context Summary

Deuteronomy 8:1-20 - Beware Of Forgetting God
"Thou shalt remember," Deuteronomy 8:2; "thou shalt consider," Deuteronomy 8:5; "thou shalt bless," Deuteronomy 8:10.
The lessons of hunger, Deuteronomy 8:1-9 : "Suffered to hunger." "Blessed are they that hunger." "Man doth not live by bread only;" he hungers for knowledge, opportunity, society, love. How many wan faces around us bear witness to the gnawing within. But the Father suffered His Son to fast; and so he deals with us, to prove us. It is only through the discipline of the soul, in learning to go without, that it can be trusted with spiritual opulence and power. See Deuteronomy 8:7-9.
The perils of prosperity, Deuteronomy 8:10-20 : It is harder to walk with God in the sunshine of success than in the nipping frosts of failure. When Paul said, "I know both how to be abased, and I know how to abound," he put the hardest last. The one secret is to give all the glory to God, and to look always to the Cross, where we were crucified to the pride of the flesh, Philippians 2:7-11; Philippians 4:12. "I lay in dust life's glory dead!" [source]

Chapter Summary: Deuteronomy 8

1  An exhortation to obedience in regard to God's mercy and goodness to Israel

What do the individual words in Deuteronomy 8:17 mean?

then you say in your heart My power and the might of my hand have gained me - wealth this
וְאָמַרְתָּ֖ בִּלְבָבֶ֑ךָ כֹּחִי֙ וְעֹ֣צֶם יָדִ֔י עָ֥שָׂה לִ֖י אֶת־ הַחַ֥יִל הַזֶּֽה

וְאָמַרְתָּ֖  then  you  say 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Conjunctive perfect, second person masculine singular
Root: אָמַר 
Sense: to say, speak, utter.
בִּלְבָבֶ֑ךָ  in  your  heart 
Parse: Preposition-b, Noun, masculine singular construct, second person masculine singular
Root: לֵבָב  
Sense: inner man, mind, will, heart, soul, understanding.
כֹּחִי֙  My  power 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct, first person common singular
Root: כֹּחַ 
Sense: strength, power, might.
וְעֹ֣צֶם  and  the  might 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: עֹצֶם 
Sense: power, bones, might.
יָדִ֔י  of  my  hand 
Parse: Noun, feminine singular construct, first person common singular
Root: יָד  
Sense: hand.
עָ֥שָׂה  have  gained 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Perfect, third person masculine singular
Root: עָשָׂה 
Sense: to do, fashion, accomplish, make.
לִ֖י  me 
Parse: Preposition, first person common singular
אֶת־  - 
Parse: Direct object marker
Root: אֹות 
Sense: sign of the definite direct object, not translated in English but generally preceding and indicating the accusative.
הַחַ֥יִל  wealth 
Parse: Article, Noun, masculine singular
Root: חַיִל 
Sense: strength, might, efficiency, wealth, army.
הַזֶּֽה  this 
Parse: Article, Pronoun, masculine singular
Root: זֶה  
Sense: this, this one, here, which, this … that, the one … the other, another, such.