You shall serve the LORD your God, and he will bless your bread and your water, and I will take sickness away from among you.
English Standard Version (ESV)
It's easy to read this as just "God will make our food and health good if we're good." But the text emphasizes that God's blessing is what makes the food nourishing and the water refreshing. This isn't just about a lack of sickness, but an active presence of God's vitality within their very sustenance.
You shall serve the LORD your God, and he will bless your bread and your water, and I will take sickness away from among you.
English Standard Version (ESV)
This verse is part of God's covenant instructions to Israel, outlining the blessings they'll receive if they faithfully obey Him and reject the idolatry of surrounding nations. Immediately after promising to drive out their enemies, God shifts to the positive provisions for His people, assuring them of abundant, nourishing food and freedom from sickness as direct results of their devotion. This promise continues a pattern of conditional blessings offered throughout the Sinai covenant, emphasizing that obedience leads to a life of health and prosperity in the Promised Land.
Ever felt like your food just doesn't satisfy, or that even simple things don't bring the expected comfort? God's promise goes beyond just having enough.
When God blesses our 'bread and water,' it’s not just about having food and drink. It’s about these basic provisions being truly nourishing and sustaining.
Nourishment Beyond Measure
God's blessing means our sustenance is more than just physical. It's about receiving a deeper satisfaction and strength from what He provides. Even the simplest meal becomes a source of true well-being when it's under His hand.
A Deeper Kind of Health
This blessing also connects directly to health. When God removes sickness, He's providing a fullness of life that goes beyond mere absence of disease. It's a proactive, vibrant well-being that flows from His presence.
God offers incredible promises, but they are often tied to our response. What does it truly mean to 'serve the LORD your God' in this context?
Exodus 23:25 begins with a clear command: 'You shall serve the LORD your God.' This isn't just about occasional worship; it's a call to exclusive devotion and obedience.
Singular Devotion
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In the ancient world, serving a god meant allegiance. For Israel, this meant acknowledging Yahweh as the one and only true God, rejecting the idols and practices of surrounding nations. This service is the foundation upon which the promised blessings rest.
Obedience as Worship
God's promises of blessing—nourishing food, vitality, and health—are directly linked to this act of service. It implies a life lived in accordance with His will, demonstrating trust and faithfulness. When we serve Him wholeheartedly, we align ourselves with the source of all true blessing.
Imagine a community where sickness isn't a constant threat. What does it mean for God to 'take sickness away'?
The promise to 'take sickness away' is a powerful aspect of God's covenant with Israel. It speaks to divine protection and a holistic well-being.
A Miraculous Safeguard
For ancient Israel, this promise could imply a miraculous preservation from plagues and diseases that afflicted other nations. It was a sign of God's special favor and His power to shield His people.
Sin and Sickness Connection
Commentaries suggest that this removal of sickness was also tied to their obedience. Sin often brought natural consequences, including disease. By remaining faithful, they could expect God to mitigate or remove these afflictive strokes. This highlights that true health is often intertwined with a right relationship with God.
Understand the original words
YHWH · Hebrew Proper Noun
The personal name of the God of Israel, revealed to Moses, signifying His self-existence, covenant faithfulness, and holiness.
barakh · Hebrew Verb
Divine favor and the impartation of good, often associated with prosperity, protection, and life-sustaining provisions provided by God to His people.
This passage directly echoes Exodus 23:25 by promising that the Lord will keep all kinds of sickness away from the Israelites if they obey Him, highlighting the conditional nature of God's blessing on health.
Leviticus 26:9This verse speaks to God's faithfulness in increasing and multiplying His people, which includes ensuring they have ample food and are free from barrenness, connecting to the 'bless your bread and your water' aspect of Exodus 23:25.
Psalm 105:37This psalm recounts God's faithfulness to Israel during their exodus, specifically mentioning that 'he brought them forth also with silver and gold... and there was not one feeble person among their tribes,' which aligns with the promise of health and strength in Exodus 23:25.
1 Corinthians 10:4Paul describes the Israelites drinking from the spiritual rock that followed them, which was Christ, showing that spiritual sustenance and God's provision were active even in the Old Testament, connecting to the idea of God blessing their water.
3 John 1:2This New Testament greeting expresses the wish for believers to prosper and be in good health, even as their soul prospers, demonstrating that a holistic well-being, encompassing physical health, remains a concern and blessing from God for His people.
pooleExodus 23:25: "And ye shall serve the LORD your God, and he shall bless thy bread, and thy water; and I will take sickness away from the midst of thee."
Thy bread and thy water, i.e. thy meat and thy drink, that they shall be able to nourish thee, and give thee comfort, which without my blessing they will never be able to do.
pulpitExodus 23:25: "And ye shall serve the LORD your God, and he shall bless thy bread, and thy water; and I will take sickness away from the midst of thee."
Verse 25. - He shall bless thy bread and thy water. If the Israelites were exact in their obedience, and destroyed the idols, and served God only, then he promised to bless "their bread and their water" - the food, i.e., whether meat or drink, on which they subsisted, and to give them vigorous health, free from sickness of any kind, which he pl…
It's easy to read this as just "God will make our food and health good if we're good." But the text emphasizes that God's blessing is what makes the food nourishing and the water refreshing. This isn't just about a lack of sickness, but an active presence of God's vitality within their very sustenance.
This verse is part of God's covenant instructions to Israel, outlining the blessings they'll receive if they faithfully obey Him and reject the idolatry of surrounding nations. Immediately after promising to drive out their enemies, God shifts to the positive provisions for His people, assuring them of abundant, nourishing food and freedom from sickness as direct results of their devotion. This promise continues a pattern of conditional blessings offered throughout the Sinai covenant, emphasizing that obedience leads to a life of health and prosperity in the Promised Land.
This verse is part of God's covenant instructions to Israel, outlining the blessings they'll receive if they faithfully obey Him and reject the idolatry of surrounding nations. Immediately after promising to drive out their enemies, God shifts to the positive provisions for His people, assuring them of abundant, nourishing food and freedom from sickness as direct results of their devotion. This promise continues a pattern of conditional blessings offered throughout the Sinai covenant, emphasizing that obedience leads to a life of health and prosperity in the Promised Land.
"You shall serve the LORD your God, and he will bless your bread and your water, and I will take sickness away from among you." — It's easy to read this as just "God will make our food and health good if we're good." But the text emphasizes that God's blessing is what makes the food nourishing and the water refreshing. This i…
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Last reviewed October 2026