The Meaning of Deuteronomy 8:2 Explained

Deuteronomy 8:2

KJV: And thou shalt remember all the way which the LORD thy God led thee these forty years in the wilderness, to humble thee, and to prove thee, to know what was in thine heart, whether thou wouldest keep his commandments, or no.

YLT: and thou hast remembered all the way which Jehovah thy God hath caused thee to go these forty years in the wilderness, in order to humble thee to try thee, to know that which is in thy heart, whether thou dost keep His commands or not.

Darby: And thou shalt remember all the way which Jehovah thy God led thee these forty years in the wilderness, to humble thee, and to prove thee, to know what was in thy heart, whether thou wouldest keep his commandments or not.

ASV: And thou shalt remember all the way which Jehovah thy God hath led thee these forty years in the wilderness, that he might humble thee, to prove thee, to know what was in thy heart, whether thou wouldest keep his commandments, or not.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

And thou shalt remember  all the way  which the LORD  thy God  led  thee these forty  years  in the wilderness,  to humble  thee, [and] to prove  thee, to know  what [was] in thine heart,  whether thou wouldest keep  his commandments,  or no. 

What does Deuteronomy 8:2 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 8:2 mean?

That you shall remember - all the way that led you Yahweh your God this [is] forty years in the wilderness to humble you and test you to know what [was] in your heart whether you would keep - His commandments or not
וְזָכַרְתָּ֣ אֶת־ כָּל־ הַדֶּ֗רֶךְ אֲשֶׁ֨ר הֹלִֽיכֲךָ֜ יְהוָ֧ה אֱלֹהֶ֛יךָ זֶ֛ה אַרְבָּעִ֥ים שָׁנָ֖ה בַּמִּדְבָּ֑ר לְמַ֨עַן עַנֹּֽתְךָ֜ לְנַסֹּֽתְךָ֗ לָדַ֜עַת אֲשֶׁ֧ר בִּֽלְבָבְךָ֛ הֲתִשְׁמֹ֥ר [מצותו] (מִצְוֺתָ֖יו) אִם־ לֹֽא

וְזָכַרְתָּ֣  That  you  shall  remember 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Conjunctive perfect, second person masculine singular
Root: זָכַר 
Sense: to remember, recall, call to mind.
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.
הַדֶּ֗רֶךְ  the  way 
Parse: Article, Noun, common singular
Root: דֶּרֶךְ  
Sense: way, road, distance, journey, manner.
אֲשֶׁ֨ר  that 
Parse: Pronoun, relative
Root: אֲשֶׁר 
Sense: (relative part.).
הֹלִֽיכֲךָ֜  led  you 
Parse: Verb, Hifil, Perfect, third person masculine singular, second person masculine singular
Root: הָלַךְ  
Sense: to go, walk, come.
יְהוָ֧ה  Yahweh 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: יהוה 
Sense: the proper name of the one true God.
אֱלֹהֶ֛יךָ  your  God 
Parse: Noun, masculine plural construct, second person masculine singular
Root: אֱלֹהִים  
Sense: (plural).
זֶ֛ה  this  [is] 
Parse: Pronoun, masculine singular
Root: זֶה  
Sense: this, this one, here, which, this … that, the one … the other, another, such.
אַרְבָּעִ֥ים  forty 
Parse: Number, common plural
Root: אַרְבָּעִים  
Sense: forty.
שָׁנָ֖ה  years 
Parse: Noun, feminine singular
Root: שָׁנָה  
Sense: year.
בַּמִּדְבָּ֑ר  in  the  wilderness 
Parse: Preposition-b, Article, Noun, masculine singular
Root: מִדְבָּר 
Sense: wilderness.
עַנֹּֽתְךָ֜  humble  you 
Parse: Verb, Piel, Infinitive construct, second person masculine singular
Root: עָנָה 
Sense: (Qal) to be occupied, be busied with.
לְנַסֹּֽתְךָ֗  and  test  you 
Parse: Preposition-l, Verb, Piel, Infinitive construct, second person masculine singular
Root: נָסָה  
Sense: to test, try, prove, tempt, assay, put to the proof or test.
לָדַ֜עַת  to  know 
Parse: Preposition-l, Verb, Qal, Infinitive construct
Root: דָּעָה 
Sense: to know.
אֲשֶׁ֧ר  what  [was] 
Parse: Pronoun, relative
Root: אֲשֶׁר 
Sense: (relative part.).
בִּֽלְבָבְךָ֛  in  your  heart 
Parse: Preposition-b, Noun, masculine singular construct, second person masculine singular
Root: לֵבָב  
Sense: inner man, mind, will, heart, soul, understanding.
הֲתִשְׁמֹ֥ר  whether  you  would  keep 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Imperfect, second person masculine singular
Root: שָׁמַר  
Sense: to keep, guard, observe, give heed.
[מצותו]  - 
Parse: Noun, feminine plural construct, third person masculine singular
(מִצְוֺתָ֖יו)  His  commandments 
Parse: Noun, feminine plural construct, third person masculine singular
Root: מִצְוָה  
Sense: commandment.