Deuteronomy 6:16 (WEB)

Passage

You shall not tempt Yahweh your God, as you tempted him in Massah.

Nearby Context

Deuteronomy 6:14 You shall not go after other gods, of the gods of the peoples who are around you;

Deuteronomy 6:15 for Yahweh your God among you is a jealous God; lest the anger of Yahweh your God be kindled against you, and he destroy you from off the face of the earth.

Deuteronomy 6:16 You shall not tempt Yahweh your God, as you tempted him in Massah.

Deuteronomy 6:17 You shall diligently keep the commandments of Yahweh your God, and his testimonies, and his statutes, which he has commanded you.

Deuteronomy 6:18 You shall do that which is right and good in Yahweh’s sight; that it may be well with you, and that you may go in and possess the good land which Yahweh swore to your fathers,

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "shall", "tempt", "yahweh", "tempted", and "massah". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "shall" and "tempt", so its meaning should be read from those terms before moving to application.

The nearby context moves from verse 15's "for Yahweh your God among you is..." into verse 17's "You shall diligently keep the commandments of...", so "shall" and "tempt" 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 "shall" and "tempt" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.