The Meaning of Deuteronomy 8:16 Explained

Deuteronomy 8:16

KJV: 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;

YLT: who is causing thee to eat manna in the wilderness, which thy fathers have not known, in order to humble thee, and in order to try thee, to do thee good in thy latter end),

Darby: 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;

ASV: 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:

KJV Reverse Interlinear

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; 

What does Deuteronomy 8:16 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 8:16 mean?

who fed you with manna in the wilderness which not did know your fathers that He might humble you that He might test you to do you good in the end
הַמַּֽאֲכִ֨לְךָ֥ מָן֙ בַּמִּדְבָּ֔ר אֲשֶׁ֥ר לֹא־ יָדְע֖וּן אֲבֹתֶ֑יךָ לְמַ֣עַן עַנֹּֽתְךָ֗ וּלְמַ֙עַן֙ נַסֹּתֶ֔ךָ לְהֵיטִֽבְךָ֖ בְּאַחֲרִיתֶֽךָ

הַמַּֽאֲכִ֨לְךָ֥  who  fed  you 
Parse: Article, Verb, Hifil, Participle, masculine singular construct, second person masculine singular
Root: אָכַל  
Sense: to eat, devour, burn up, feed.
מָן֙  with  manna 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular
Root: מָן 
Sense: manna.
בַּמִּדְבָּ֔ר  in  the  wilderness 
Parse: Preposition-b, Article, Noun, masculine singular
Root: מִדְבָּר 
Sense: wilderness.
יָדְע֖וּן  did  know 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Perfect, third person common plural, Paragogic nun
Root: דָּעָה 
Sense: to know.
אֲבֹתֶ֑יךָ  your  fathers 
Parse: Noun, masculine plural construct, second person masculine singular
Root: אָב  
Sense: father of an individual.
לְמַ֣עַן  that 
Parse: Conjunction
Root: לְמַעַן 
Sense: purpose, intent prep.
עַנֹּֽתְךָ֗  He  might  humble  you 
Parse: Verb, Piel, Infinitive construct, second person masculine singular
Root: עָנָה 
Sense: (Qal) to be occupied, be busied with.
וּלְמַ֙עַן֙  that 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Conjunction
Root: לְמַעַן 
Sense: purpose, intent prep.
נַסֹּתֶ֔ךָ  He  might  test  you 
Parse: Verb, Piel, Infinitive construct, second person masculine singular
Root: נָסָה  
Sense: to test, try, prove, tempt, assay, put to the proof or test.
לְהֵיטִֽבְךָ֖  to  do  you  good 
Parse: Preposition-l, Verb, Hifil, Infinitive construct, second person masculine singular
Root: יָטַב  
Sense: to be good, be pleasing, be well, be glad.
בְּאַחֲרִיתֶֽךָ  in  the  end 
Parse: Preposition-b, Noun, feminine singular construct, second person masculine singular
Root: אַחֲרִית  
Sense: after part, end.