Deuteronomy 6:11
This page isn't yet indexed by search engines.
The text emphasizes that the Israelites are entering a land already filled with provisions – houses stocked, cisterns dug, and orchards planted – all by someone else's labor. This isn't just about a good harvest; it's a stark reminder that God is giving them an inheritance that required significant prior effort, highlighting His immense generosity and setting the stage for their need to remember Him.
and houses full of all good things that you did not fill, and cisterns that you did not dig, and vineyards and olive trees that you did not plant—and when you eat and are full,
English Standard Version (ESV)
God is reminding the Israelites that after they conquer the Promised Land, they will inherit towns, houses, and fertile fields that they did not build or plant themselves. He's detailing the abundant blessings and wealth they will receive as a gift, including full houses and productive vineyards, emphasizing that their sustenance and comfort will be a direct result of God's provision. This comes right before the critical warning not to forget Him amid such prosperity, a stark reminder of their vulnerability if they lose sight of their source.
Imagine walking into a fully furnished home, stocked with food, and surrounded by a thriving vineyard you never built or planted. This wasn't a dream for ancient Israel; it was God's promise.
A Land of Unearned Abundance
Deuteronomy 6:10-11 paints a vivid picture of the Promised Land. God describes it as a place with:
This wasn't a reward for their merit, but a fulfillment of God's covenant with their ancestors, Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. The wealth and provision were gifts, not wages earned by their own labor.
Abundance is a wonderful gift, but Scripture warns of a subtle danger lurking within it – the temptation to forget the Giver.
Ask a follow-up
The Slippery Slope of Self-Sufficiency
Calvin rightly points out that prosperity can 'blind men's minds.' When life is easy, and all needs are met effortlessly, there's a natural human tendency to become complacent.
Understand the original words
bôr · Hebrew Noun
A reservoir, often hewn into rock, used to collect and store rainwater. In a biblical context, it symbolizes provision and life-sustaining resources that require human labor to create, though God is the ultimate provider.
This passage directly echoes Deuteronomy 6:11, reminding the Israelites that God gave them lands and cities they did not build or conquer, highlighting God's provision of already established blessings.
Psalm 78:68-69This Psalm recounts God's faithfulness by choosing Zion and David, and then building His sanctuary like the 'heights' and like the 'earth which He has founded forever,' drawing a parallel to God establishing Israel in the promised land with pre-existing provisions.
Nehemiah 9:25This prayer of confession recalls how the Israelites entered and possessed a land 'full of all good things,' 'wells that you did not dig, vineyards and olive trees that you did not plant,' directly mirroring the blessings described in Deuteronomy.
Matthew 6:33Jesus teaches to 'seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness,' implying that all these material blessings will be added, a spiritual principle that contrasts with Israel's tendency to forget God when these very blessings were given.
calvinDeuteronomy 6:10-12: "And it shall be, when the LORD thy God shall have brought thee into the land which he sware unto thy fathers, to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob, to give thee great and goodly cities, which thou buildedst not,"
And it shall be, when the Lord thy God shall have brought thee into the land which he sware unto thy fathers, to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob, to give thee great and goodly cities, which thou buildedst not;
Erit autem quum introduxerit to Jehova Deus tuu…
gillDeuteronomy 6:11: "And houses full of all good things, which thou filledst not, and wells digged, which thou diggedst not, vineyards and olive trees, which thou plantedst not; when thou shalt have eaten and be full;"
And houses full of all good things which thou filledst not,.... Not only full of good, convenient, and rich household furniture, but of the fruits of the earth, of corn, and wine, and oil, and also, perhaps, of gold and silver: and wells digged which thou diggedst not; which in tho…
The text emphasizes that the Israelites are entering a land already filled with provisions – houses stocked, cisterns dug, and orchards planted – all by someone else's labor. This isn't just about a good harvest; it's a stark reminder that God is giving them an inheritance that required significant prior effort, highlighting His immense generosity and setting the stage for their need to remember Him.
God is reminding the Israelites that after they conquer the Promised Land, they will inherit towns, houses, and fertile fields that they did not build or plant themselves. He's detailing the abundant blessings and wealth they will receive as a gift, including full houses and productive vineyards, emphasizing that their sustenance and comfort will be a direct result of God's provision. This comes right before the critical warning not to forget Him amid such prosperity, a stark reminder of their vulnerability if they lose sight of their source.
God is reminding the Israelites that after they conquer the Promised Land, they will inherit towns, houses, and fertile fields that they did not build or plant themselves. He's detailing the abundant blessings and wealth they will receive as a gift, including full houses and productive vineyards, emphasizing that their sustenance and comfort will be a direct result of God's provision. This comes right before the critical warning not to forget Him amid such prosperity, a stark reminder of their vulnerability if they lose sight of their source.
"and houses full of all good things that you did not fill, and cisterns that you did not dig, and vineyards and olive trees that you did not plant—and when you eat and are full," — The text emphasizes that the Israelites are entering a land already filled with provisions – houses stocked, cisterns dug, and orchards planted – all by someone else's labor. This isn't just about…
Get the original Greek and Hebrew, verse-by-verse context, and related passages inside the app.
Last reviewed October 2026
