The Meaning of Deuteronomy 8:5 Explained

Deuteronomy 8:5

KJV: Thou shalt also consider in thine heart, that, as a man chasteneth his son, so the LORD thy God chasteneth thee.

YLT: and thou hast known, with thy heart, that as a man chastiseth his son Jehovah thy God is chastising thee,

Darby: And know in thy heart that, as a man chasteneth his son, so Jehovah thy God chasteneth thee;

ASV: And thou shalt consider in thy heart, that, as a man chasteneth his son, so Jehovah thy God chasteneth thee.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

Thou shalt also consider  in  thine heart,  that, as a man  chasteneth  his son,  [so] the LORD  thy God  chasteneth  thee. 

What does Deuteronomy 8:5 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 8:5 mean?

And You should know in your heart that as chastens a man - his son [so] Yahweh your God chastens you
וְיָדַעְתָּ֖ עִם־ לְבָבֶ֑ךָ כִּ֗י כַּאֲשֶׁ֨ר יְיַסֵּ֥ר אִישׁ֙ אֶת־ בְּנ֔וֹ יְהוָ֥ה אֱלֹהֶ֖יךָ מְיַסְּרֶֽךָּ

וְיָדַעְתָּ֖  And  You  should  know 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Conjunctive perfect, second person masculine singular
Root: דָּעָה 
Sense: to know.
לְבָבֶ֑ךָ  your  heart 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct, second person masculine singular
Root: לֵבָב  
Sense: inner man, mind, will, heart, soul, understanding.
כִּ֗י  that 
Parse: Conjunction
Root: כִּי 
Sense: that, for, because, when, as though, as, because that, but, then, certainly, except, surely, since.
יְיַסֵּ֥ר  chastens 
Parse: Verb, Piel, Imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: יָסַר 
Sense: to chasten, discipline, instruct, admonish.
אִישׁ֙  a  man 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular
Root: אִישׁ 
Sense: man.
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.
בְּנ֔וֹ  his  son 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct, third person masculine singular
Root: בֵּן 
Sense: son, grandson, child, member of a group.
יְהוָ֥ה  [so]  Yahweh 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: יהוה 
Sense: the proper name of the one true God.
אֱלֹהֶ֖יךָ  your  God 
Parse: Noun, masculine plural construct, second person masculine singular
Root: אֱלֹהִים  
Sense: (plural).
מְיַסְּרֶֽךָּ  chastens  you 
Parse: Verb, Piel, Participle, masculine singular construct, second person masculine singular
Root: יָסַר 
Sense: to chasten, discipline, instruct, admonish.