Deuteronomy 8:18

Deuteronomy 8:18

But thou shalt remember the LORD thy God: for it is he that giveth thee power to get wealth, that he may establish his covenant which he sware unto thy fathers, as it is this day.

a. NLT: Remember the LORD your God. He is the one who gives you power to be successful, in order to fulfill the covenant he confirmed to your ancestors with an oath.

b. NIV: But remember the LORD your God, for it is he who gives you the ability to produce wealth, and so confirms his covenant, which he swore to your forefathers, as it is today.

c. YLT: 'And thou hast remembered Jehovah thy God, for He it is who is giving to thee power to make wealth, in order to establish His covenant which He hath sworn to thy fathers as at this day.

d. Amplified Bible: But you shall [earnestly] remember the Lord your God, for it is He Who gives you power to get wealth, that He may establish His covenant which He swore to your fathers, as it is this day.

e. Septuagint: But thou shalt remember the Lord thy God, that he gives thee strength to get wealth; even that he may establish his covenant, which the Lord sware to thy fathers, as at this day.

f. Stone Edition Chumash: Then you shall remember HASHEM, your God: that it was He who gives you strength to make wealth, in order to establish His covenant that He swore to your forefathers, as this day. 

1. “But thou shalt remember the LORD thy God: for it is he that giveth thee power to get wealth…”

a. thou shalt remember [2142 * zakar] [Strong: a primitive root; properly, to mark (so as to be recognized), i.e. to remember; by implication, to mention; also (as denominative from 2145) to be male:--X burn (incense), X earnestly, be male, (make) mention (of), be mindful, recount, record(-er), remember, make to be remembered, bring (call, come, keep, put) to (in) remembrance, X still, think on, X well.]

b. the LORD [3068 * Yhovah] [Strong: from 1961; (the) self-Existent or Eternal; Jehovah, Jewish national name of God:--Jehovah, the Lord.]

c. thy God [430 * 'elohiym] [Strong: plural of 433; gods in the ordinary sense; but specifically used (in the plural thus, especially with the article) of the supreme God; occasionally applied by way of deference to magistrates; and sometimes as a superlative:--angels, X exceeding, God (gods)(-dess, -ly), X (very) great, judges, X mighty.]

d. it is he that giveth [5414 * nathan] [Strong: a primitive root; to give, used with greatest latitude of application (put, make, etc.):--add, apply, appoint, ascribe, assign, X avenge, X be ((healed)), bestow, bring (forth, hither), cast, cause, charge, come, commit, consider, count, + cry, deliver (up), direct, distribute, do, X doubtless, X without fail, fasten, frame, X get, give (forth, over, up), grant, hang (up), X have, X indeed, lay (unto charge, up), (give) leave, lend, let (out), + lie, lift up, make, + O that, occupy, offer, ordain, pay, perform, place, pour, print, X pull , put (forth), recompense, render, requite, restore, send (out), set (forth), shew, shoot forth (up), + sing, + slander, strike, (sub-)mit, suffer, X surely, X take, thrust, trade, turn, utter, + weep, + willingly, + withdraw, + would (to) God, yield.]

e. power [3581 * koach or kowach] [Strong: from an unused root meaning to be firm; vigor, literally (force, in a good or a bad sense) or figuratively (capacity, means, produce); also (from its hardiness) a large lizard: -ability, able, chameleon, force, fruits, might, power(-ful), strength, substance, wealth.]

f. to get [6213 * `asah] [Strong: a primitive root; to do or make, in the broadest sense and widest application (as follows):--accomplish, advance, appoint, apt, be at, become, bear, bestow, bring forth, bruise, be busy, X certainly, have the charge of, commit, deal (with), deck, + displease, do, (ready) dress(-ed), (put in) execute(-ion), exercise, fashion, + feast, (fight-)ing man, + finish, fit, fly, follow, fulfill, furnish, gather, get, go about, govern, grant, great, + hinder, hold ((a feast)), X indeed, + be industrious, + journey, keep, labour, maintain, make, be meet, observe, be occupied, offer, + officer, pare, bring (come) to pass, perform, pracise, prepare, procure, provide, put, requite, X sacrifice, serve, set, shew, X sin, spend, X surely, take, X thoroughly, trim, X very, + vex, be (warr-)ior, work(-man), yield, use.]

g. wealth [2428 * chayil] [Strong: from 2342; probably a force, whether of men, means or other resources; an army, wealth, virtue, valor, strength:--able, activity, (+) army, band of men (soldiers), company, (great) forces, goods, host, might, power, riches, strength, strong, substance, train, (+)valiant(-ly), valour, virtuous(-ly), war, worthy(-ily).]

1). Deuteronomy 8:18 is part of a warning that actually begins in verse 11, exhorting Israel that they are not doing this on their efforts.

a). Deuteronomy 8:11-17 Beware that thou forget not the LORD thy God, in not keeping his commandments, and his judgments, and his statutes, which I command thee this day:

8:12 Lest when thou hast eaten and art full, and hast built goodly houses, and dwelt therein;

8:13 And when thy herds and thy flocks multiply, and thy silver and thy gold is multiplied, and all that thou hast is multiplied;

8:14 Then thine heart be lifted up, and thou forget the LORD thy God, which brought thee forth out of the land of Egypt, from the house of bondage;

8:15 Who led thee through that great and terrible wilderness, wherein were fiery serpents, and scorpions, and drought, where there was no water; who brought thee forth water out of the rock of flint;

8:16 Who fed thee in the wilderness with manna, which thy fathers knew not, that he might humble thee, and that he might prove thee, to do thee good at thy latter end;

8:17 And thou say in thine heart, My power and the might of mine hand hath gotten me this wealth.

2). There are two lines of thought that could apply in this verse. God giving Israel the power to get wealth is establishing the Covenant or God giving Israel the power or ability to get wealth so that his Covenant is established [shared by Israel to the rest of the earth] in the earth. In these lines of thought we have the three Biblical reasons for money.

a). Give to the needy.

(1) Ephesians 4:28 Let him that stole steal no more: but rather let him labour, working with his hands the thing which is good, that he may have to give to him that needeth.

b). Provide for your own

(1) 1 Thessalonians 4:11, 12 And that ye study to be quiet, and to do your own business, and to work with your own hands, as we commanded you;

4:12 That ye may walk honestly toward them that are without, and that ye may have lack of nothing.

c). Establish the Covenant

(1) Deuteronomy 8:18 But thou shalt remember the LORD thy God: for it is he that giveth thee power to get wealth, that he may establish his covenant which he sware unto thy fathers, as it is this day.

2. “…that he may establish his covenant which he sware unto thy fathers, as it is this day.”

a. establish [6965 * quwm] [Strong: a primitive root; to rise (in various applications, literal, figurative, intensive and causative):--abide, accomplish, X be clearer, confirm, continue, decree, X be dim, endure, X enemy, enjoin, get up, make good, help, hold, (help to) lift up (again), make, X but newly, ordain, perform, pitch, raise (up), rear (up), remain, (a-)rise (up) (again, against), rouse up, set (up), (e-)stablish, (make to) stand (up), stir up, strengthen, succeed, (as-, make) sure(-ly), (be) up(-hold, - rising).]

b. his covenant [1285 *  briyth] [Strong: from 1262 (in the sense of cutting (like 1254)); a compact (because made by passing between pieces of flesh):--confederacy, (con-)feder(-ate), covenant, league.]

c. which he sware [7650 * shaba`] [Strong: a primitive root; propr. to be complete, but used only as a denominative from 7651; to seven oneself, i.e. swear (as if by repeating a declaration seven times):--adjure, charge (by an oath, with an oath), feed to the full (by mistake for 7646), take an oath, X straitly, (cause to, make to) swear.]

d. unto thy fathers [1 * 'ab] [Strong: a primitive word; father, in a literal and immediate, or figurative and remote application):--chief, (fore-)father(-less), X patrimony, principal.]