Deuteronomy 29:6

 Deuteronomy 29:6

Ye have not eaten bread, neither have ye drunk wine or strong drink: that ye might know that I am the LORD your God. 

a. ASV: Ye have not eaten bread, neither have ye drunk wine or strong drink; that ye may know that I am Jehovah your God.  [Thomas Nelson & Sons first published the American Standard Version in 1901. This translation of the Bible is in the public domain.]

b. YLT: Bread ye have not eaten, and wine and strong drink ye have not drunk, so that ye know that I am Jehovah your God.  [The Young's Literal Translation was translated by Robert Young, who believed in a strictly literal translation of God's word. This version of the Bible is in the public domain.]

c. Classic Amplified: You have not eaten [grain] bread, nor have you drunk wine or strong drink, that you might recognize and know [your dependence on Him Who is saying], I am the Lord your God.  [Amplified Bible, Classic Edition (AMPC) Copyright © 1954, 1958, 1962, 1964, 1965, 1987 by The Lockman Foundation]

d. Stone Edition Torah/Prophets/ Writings: [Deuteronomy 29:6 in our Bible is Deuteronomy 29:5 in the Jewish Bible]: Bread you did not eat and wine or intoxicant you did not drink, so that you would know that I am HASHEM, your God.   [The Artscroll Series/Stone Edition, THE TANACH--STUDENT SIZE EDITION Copyright 1996, 1998 by Mesorah Publications, Ldt.]

e. Peshitta Eastern Text: You have not eaten bread, neither have you drunk wine or strong drink, that you might know that i am the LORD your God.  [HOLY BIBLE FROM THE ANCIENT EASTERN TEXT.Copyright  Ⓒ 1933 by A.J. Holmon Co.; copyright  Ⓒ renewed 1968 by A.J. Holmon Co.; All rights reserved. Printed in the United States of America. No part of this book may be used or reproduced in any manner whatsoever without written permission except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews. HarperCollins Publishers, 195 Broadway, New York, NY 10007.]

f. The Israel Bible: [Deuteronomy 29:6 in our Bible is Deuteronomy 29:5 in the Jewish Bible] You had no bread to eat and no wine or other intoxicant to drink, that you might know that I Hashem am your God. [The English Translation was adapted by Israel 365 from the JPS Tanakh. Copyright Ⓒ 1985 by the Jewish Publication Society. All rights reserved.]

1. “Ye have not eaten bread…”

a. [Ye have] not [Strong: 3808 lo' lo or lowi {lo}; or loh (Deut. 3:11) {lo}; a primitive particle; not (the simple or abs. negation); by implication, no; often used with other particles (as follows):--X before, + or else, ere, + except, ig(-norant), much, less, nay, neither, never, no((-ne), -r, (-thing)), (X as though...,(can-), for) not (out of), of nought, otherwise, out of, + surely, + as truly as, + of a truth, + verily, for want, + whether, without.]

b. eaten [Strong: 398 'akal aw-kal' a primitive root; to eat (literally or figuratively):--X at all, burn up, consume, devour(-er, up), dine, eat(-er, up), feed (with), food, X freely, X in...wise(-deed, plenty), (lay) meat, X quite.]

c. bread [Strong: 3899 lechem lekh'-em from 3898; food (for man or beast), especially bread, or grain (for making it):--((shew-))bread, X eat, food, fruit, loaf, meat, victuals.]

1). The bread that they ate was supplied to them by the LORD immediately after they left Egypt. The supply of manna continued for 40 years until the day after the first Passover in the land of Canaan (Joshua 5:10-12).

a). Exodus 16:11-15 And the Lord spake unto Moses, saying,

16:12 I have heard the murmurings of the children of Israel: speak unto them, saying, At even ye shall eat flesh, and in the morning ye shall be filled with bread; and ye shall know that I am the Lord your God.

16:13 And it came to pass, that at even the quails came up, and covered the camp: and in the morning the dew lay round about the host.

16:14 And when the dew that lay was gone up, behold, upon the face of the wilderness there lay a small round thing, as small as the hoar frost on the ground.

16:15 And when the children of Israel saw it, they said one to another, It is manna: for they wist not what it was. And Moses said unto them, This is the bread which the Lord hath given you to eat.

2. neither have ye drunk wine or strong drink…”

a. neither [Strong: 3808 lo' lo or lowi {lo}; or loh (Deut. 3:11) {lo}; a primitive particle; not (the simple or abs. negation); by implication, no; often used with other particles (as follows):--X before, + or else, ere, + except, ig(-norant), much, less, nay, neither, never, no((-ne), -r, (-thing)), (X as though...,(can-), for) not (out of), of nought, otherwise, out of, + surely, + as truly as, + of a truth, + verily, for want, + whether, without.]

b. [have ye] drunk [Strong: 8354 shathah shaw-thaw' a primitive root; to imbibe (literally or figuratively):--X assuredly, banquet, X certainly, drink(-er, -ing), drunk (X -ard), surely.]

c. wine [Strong: 3196 yayin yah'-yin from an unused root meaning to effervesce; wine (as fermented); by implication, intoxication:--banqueting, wine, wine(-bibber).]

d. [or] strong drink [Strong: 7941 shekar shay-kawr' from 7937; an intoxicant, i.e. intensely alcoholic liquor:--strong drink, + drunkard, strong wine.]

1). During the first year after their leaving Egypt, Israel was at Mt. Sinai. They were there from the first day of the third month (Exodus 19:1 until the twentieth day of the second month of the second year (Numbers 10:11). Ten days short of a year. During that entire time, Israel was receiving the instruction for building the tabernacle and making all the priest garments and learning the regulations of the sacrifices and the Mosaic law. All of the written material from Exodus 19:1 up to Numbers 10:11 takes place at Sinai. This includes of course the momentous occasions of the dedication of the Priesthood and the tabernacle during which Nadab and Abihu the sons of Aaron lost their lives because they offered strange fire (that is not fire from the brazen altar, (Leviticus 10:1-3)] and they entered the Holy of Holies (Leviticus 16:1, 2). Most scholars teach that one of the reasons the two sons of Aaron did something so stupid that cost them thier lives is because they were drunk. Immediately after their death, which occurred during the dedication of the Priesthood and the Tabernacle, the LORD gave the commandment for the priesthood to abstain from alcohol during their time of Temple duties (Leviticus 10:1-11). Under the Mosaic law Jews were permitted to drink wine and strong drink. During the festivals where they were required to go to Jerusalem, their festival tithe could include wine and strong drink (Deuteronomy 14:22-27). But drunkenness was forbidden. What's interesting in this text Deuteronomy 29:6, is that in order for Nadab and Abihu, to be drunk there had to be alcohol in the camp, yet this verse says they did not drink it for forty years. Could it be that after the senseless deaths  of Nadab and Abihu alcohol was not permitted?      

3. “...that ye might know that I am the LORD your God.” 

a. that [Strong: 4616 ma`an mah'-an from 6030; properly, heed, i.e. purpose; used only adverbially, on account of (as a motive or an aim), teleologically, in order that:--because of, to the end (intent) that, for (to,... 's sake), + lest, that, to.]

b. [that ye might] know [Strong: 3045 yada` yaw-dah' a primitive root; to know (properly, to ascertain by seeing); used in a great variety of senses, figuratively, literally, euphemistically and inferentially (including observation, care, recognition; and causatively, instruction, designation, punishment, etc.) (as follow):--acknowledge, acquaintance(-ted with), advise, answer, appoint, assuredly, be aware, (un-)awares, can(-not), certainly, comprehend, consider, X could they, cunning, declare, be diligent, (can, cause to) discern, discover, endued with, familiar friend, famous, feel, can have, be (ig-)norant, instruct, kinsfolk, kinsman, (cause to let, make) know, (come to give, have, take) knowledge, have (knowledge), (be, make, make to be, make self) known, + be learned, + lie by man, mark, perceive, privy to, X prognosticator, regard, have respect, skilful, shew, can (man of) skill, be sure, of a surety, teach, (can) tell, understand, have (understanding), X will be, wist, wit, wot.]

c. that [Strong: 3588 kiy kee a primitive particle (the full form of the prepositional prefix) indicating causal relations of all kinds, antecedent or consequent; (by implication) very widely used as a relative conjunction or adverb (as below); often largely modified by other particles annexed:--and, + (forasmuch, inasmuch, where-)as, assured(-ly), + but, certainly, doubtless, + else, even, + except, for, how, (because, in, so, than) that, + nevertheless, now, rightly, seeing, since, surely, then, therefore, + (al- )though, + till, truly, + until, when, whether, while, whom, yea, yet.]

d. I [Strong: 589 'aniy an-ee' contracted from 595; I:--I, (as for) me, mine, myself, we, X which, X who.]

e. [the] LORD [Strong: 3068 Yhovah yeh-ho-vaw' from 1961; (the) self-Existent or Eternal; Jehovah, Jewish national name of God:--Jehovah, the Lord.]

f. [your] God [Strong: 430 'elohiym el-o-heem' 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.]

1). Daily diet of heavenly manna was coupled with fasting in order to help Israel develop spiritual senses, and according to our text, the denial of alcohol intake would produce a deeper knowledge of God.

a). Deuteronomy 8:3 And he humbled thee, and suffered thee to hunger, and fed thee with manna, which thou knewest not, neither did thy fathers know; that he might make thee know that man doth not live by bread only, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of the Lord doth man live.