Deuteronomy 8:17 (GNV)

Passage

Beware least thou say in thine heart, My power, and the strength of mine owne hand hath prepared me this abundance.

Nearby Context

Deuteronomy 8:15 Who was thy guide in the great and terrible wildernes (wherein were fierie serpents, and scorpions, and drought, where was no water, who brought forth water for thee out of ye rock of flint:

Deuteronomy 8:16 Who fed thee in the wildernesse with MAN, which thy fathers knewe not) to humble thee, and and to proue thee, that he might doe thee good at thy latter ende.

Deuteronomy 8:17 Beware least thou say in thine heart, My power, and the strength of mine owne hand hath prepared me this abundance.

Deuteronomy 8:18 But remember the Lord thy God: for it is he which giueth thee power to get substance to establish his couenant which he sware vnto thy fathers, as appeareth this day.

Deuteronomy 8:19 And if thou forget the Lord thy God, and walke after other gods, and serue them, and worship them, I testifie vnto you this day that ye shall surely perish.

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "beware", "least", "thou", "thine", "heart", "power", "strength", and "mine". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "beware" and "least", so its meaning should be read from those terms before moving to application.

The nearby context moves from verse 16's "Who fed thee in the wildernesse with..." into verse 18's "But remember the Lord thy God for...", so "beware" and "least" belong inside that flow. In Deuteronomy context, the local focus is covenant, worship, and faithfulness.

A plain takeaway is to answer the verse's own emphasis on "beware" and "least" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.