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;

DEUTERONOMY 6:11KJV
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Deuteronomy 6:11 (KJV)

What does Deuteronomy 6:11 mean?

Deuteronomy 6:11 describes how the Israelites will receive houses full of good things, wells they did not dig, and vineyards and olive trees they did not plant, and that they will eat and be satisfied. This verse highlights that the Israelites will inherit blessings in the land of Canaan that they themselves did not work for or create.

Moses is speaking to the Israelites as they prepare to enter the promised land. He is reminding them that the abundance they are about to enjoy—homes, food, and resources—comes from God’s provision, not their own efforts. The verse sets up a warning in the next verses to remember God and not become proud or forgetful when they are comfortable and full.

The Hebrew behind Deuteronomy 6:11

  • "houses" (בָּיִת, bayit): This word refers to physical dwellings, emphasizing that the Israelites will move into established, ready-made homes rather than having to build from scratch.
  • "full" (מָלֵא, male): The word means filled or complete, stressing the abundance and completeness of what the Israelites will receive.
  • "good" (טוֹב, tov): This word points to things that are pleasant, valuable, or beneficial, underlining the quality of the blessings.
  • "filledst" (מָלֵא, male): The same root as "full," but here in a verb form, making clear that the Israelites themselves did not do the filling—these blessings are inherited, not earned.
  • "wells" (בְּאֵר, be’er): Wells were essential for survival in the ancient world, so inheriting them meant receiving life-sustaining resources.
  • "digged" (חָפַר, chaphar): This verb highlights the hard labor involved in making wells, which the Israelites will benefit from without having done the work themselves.
  • "vineyards" (כֶּרֶם, kerem) and "trees" (זַיִת, zayit): These words refer to sources of food and oil, both symbols of prosperity and stability in ancient Israel.
  • "plantedst" (נָטַע, nata’): The verb shows that the Israelites did not have to invest the time and effort to establish these crops; they are receiving the fruit of others’ labor.
  • "eaten" (אָכַל, akhal): This verb simply means to eat, but in this context, it points to enjoying the results of abundance.
  • "full" (שָׂבַע, sava’): This word means to be satisfied or filled up, emphasizing not just having enough, but being completely satisfied.

Why Deuteronomy 6:11 matters

  • Deuteronomy 6:11 clarifies that the Israelites’ blessings in Canaan are unearned gifts, not rewards for their own work, which counters any sense of entitlement or self-sufficiency.
  • The verse sets up a key theme in Deuteronomy: the need to remember God’s generosity and not forget Him in times of abundance, which is a warning that continues in the following verses.
  • Understanding the specific mention of houses, wells, vineyards, and olive trees helps modern readers see the concrete, everyday ways God provided for the Israelites, making the passage more relatable and vivid.

Where else these words appear

“digged” Hebrew H2672 · used in 22 verses

  • Deuteronomy 8:9 A land wherein thou shalt eat bread without scarceness, thou shalt not lack any thing in it; a land whose stones are iron, and out of whose hills thou mayest dig brass.
  • 2 Chronicles 24:12 And the king and Jehoiada gave it to such as did the work of the service of the house of the LORD, and hired masons and carpenters to repair the house of the LORD, and also such as wrought iron and brass to mend the house of the LORD.
  • Isaiah 5:2 And he fenced it, and gathered out the stones thereof, and planted it with the choicest vine, and built a tower in the midst of it, and also made a winepress therein: and he looked that it should bring forth grapes, and it brought forth wild grapes.

“good” Hebrew H2898 · used in 31 verses

  • Genesis 24:10 And the servant took ten camels of the camels of his master, and departed; for all the goods of his master were in his hand: and he arose, and went to Mesopotamia, unto the city of Nahor.
  • Nehemiah 9:36 Behold, we are servants this day, and for the land that thou gavest unto our fathers to eat the fruit thereof and the good thereof, behold, we are servants in it:
  • Proverbs 11:10 When it goeth well with the righteous, the city rejoiceth: and when the wicked perish, there is shouting.

“trees” Hebrew H2132 · used in 36 verses

  • Genesis 8:11 And the dove came in to him in the evening; and, lo, in her mouth was an olive leaf pluckt off: so Noah knew that the waters were abated from off the earth.
  • Judges 15:5 And when he had set the brands on fire, he let them go into the standing corn of the Philistines, and burnt up both the shocks, and also the standing corn, with the vineyards and olives.
  • Isaiah 17:6 Yet gleaning grapes shall be left in it, as the shaking of an olive tree, two or three berries in the top of the uppermost bough, four or five in the outmost fruitful branches thereof, saith the LORD God of Israel.

“plantedst” Hebrew H5193 · used in 55 verses

  • Genesis 2:8 And the LORD God planted a garden eastward in Eden; and there he put the man whom he had formed.
  • Psalms 104:16 The trees of the LORD are full of sap; the cedars of Lebanon, which he hath planted;
  • Jeremiah 12:2 Thou hast planted them, yea, they have taken root: they grow, yea, they bring forth fruit: thou art near in their mouth, and far from their reins.