Deuteronomy 6 · Verse 16

Deuteronomy 6:16

Ye shall not tempt the Lord your God, as ye tempted him in Massah.
Deuteronomy 6:16, King James Version

Deuteronomy 6:16 in other translations

BSBDo not test the LORD your God as you tested Him at Massah.
WEBYou shall not tempt the LORD your God, as you tempted him in Massah.
ASVYe shall not tempt Jehovah your God, as ye tempted him in Massah.
YLT‘Ye do not try Jehovah your God as ye tried in Massah;
DARBYYe shall not tempt Jehovah your God, as ye tempted him in Massah.
BBEDo not put the Lord your God to the test as you did in Massah.
WebsterYe shall not tempt the LORD your God, as ye tempted him in Massah.

What does Deuteronomy 6:16 mean?

Adam Clarke's Commentary
Verse 16 Ye shall not tempt the Lord - Ye shall not provoke him by entertaining doubts of his mercy, goodness, providence, and truth. As ye tempted him in Massah - How did they tempt him in Massah? They said, Is the Lord among us or not? Exo 17:1-7. After such proofs as they had of his presence and his kindness, this was exceedingly provoking. Doubting God's kindness where there are so many evidences of it, is highly insulting to God Almighty.

Adam Clarke, 1831 · public domain

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary on Deuteronomy 6:6-16

Here are means for maintaining and keeping up religion in our hearts and houses. 1. Meditation. God's words must be laid up in our hearts, that our thoughts may be daily employed about them. 2. The religious education of children. Often repeat these things to them. Be careful and exact in teaching thy children. Teach these truths to all who are any way under thy care. 3. Pious discourse. Thou shalt talk of these…

Read the full comment on Deuteronomy 6:6-16 →

Deuteronomy 6:16 in the original Hebrew

Word-by-word with transliteration, English gloss and Strong's number. Tap a number for the full definition and every place the word is used.

לֹ֣אlo'notH3808
תְנַסּ֔וּte.na.Suyou will put to [the] testH5254
אֶת\־'et-<obj.>H853
יְהוָ֖הYah.wehYahwehH3068
אֱלֹהֵיכֶ֑ם'e.lo.hei.KhemGod yourH430
כַּאֲשֶׁ֥רka.'a.Sherjust asH834
נִסִּיתֶ֖םni.si.Temyou put [him] to [the] testH5254
בַּמַּסָּֽה\׃ba.ma.Sahat <the> MassahH4532

Source: STEPBible TAHOT/TAGNT (Tyndale House, CC BY 4.0).

Cross references for Deuteronomy 6:16

  • Exodus 17:7

    And he called the name of the place Massah, and Meribah, because of the chiding of the children of Israel, and because they tempted the Lord, saying, Is the Lord among us, or not?

  • Luke 4:12

    And Jesus answering said unto him, It is said, Thou shalt not tempt the Lord thy God.

  • Matthew 4:7

    Jesus said unto him, It is written again, Thou shalt not tempt the Lord thy God.

  • Psalms 95:8-9

    Harden not your heart, as in the provocation, and as in the day of temptation in the wilderness: When your fathers tempted me, proved me, and saw my work.

  • Hebrews 3:8-9

    Harden not your hearts, as in the provocation, in the day of temptation in the wilderness: When your fathers tempted me, proved me, and saw my works forty years.

  • 1 Corinthians 10:9

    Neither let us tempt Christ, as some of them also tempted, and were destroyed of serpents.

  • Exodus 17:2

    Wherefore the people did chide with Moses, and said, Give us water that we may drink. And Moses said unto them, Why chide ye with me? wherefore do ye tempt the Lord?

  • Numbers 21:4-5

    And they journeyed from mount Hor by the way of the Red sea, to compass the land of Edom: and the soul of the people was much discouraged because of the way. And the people spake against God, and against Moses, Wherefore have ye brought us up out of Egypt to die in the wilderness? for there is no bread, neither is there any water; and our soul loatheth this light bread.

  • Numbers 20:13

    This is the water of Meribah; because the children of Israel strove with the Lord, and he was sanctified in them.

  • Numbers 20:3-4

    And the people chode with Moses, and spake, saying, Would God that we had died when our brethren died before the Lord! And why have ye brought up the congregation of the Lord into this wilderness, that we and our cattle should die there?

Ranked by reader votes · OpenBible.info cross references (CC BY).

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
tempt.
Mt 4:7; Lu 4:12
tempted him.
Ex 17:2,7; Nu 20:3,4,13; 21:4,5; Ps 95:8,9; 1Co 10:9; Heb 3:8,9

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (Samuel Bagster, c. 1836) · public domain

Context

  • Deuteronomy 6:15

    (For the Lord thy God is a jealous God among you) lest the anger of the Lord thy God be kindled against thee, and destroy thee from off the face of the earth.

  • Deuteronomy 6:16

    Ye shall not tempt the Lord your God, as ye tempted him in Massah.

  • Deuteronomy 6:17

    Ye shall diligently keep the commandments of the Lord your God, and his testimonies, and his statutes, which he hath commanded thee.

Read all of Deuteronomy 6

Deuteronomy 6:16 in other languages

Spanish
Reina-Valera 1909		No tentaréis á Jehová vuestro Dios, como lo tentasteis en Massa.
French
Bible J.N. Darby 1885		Vous ne tenterez point l’ Éternel, votre Dieu, comme vous l’avez tenté à Massa.
German
Elberfelder 1871		Ihr sollt Jehova, euren Gott, nicht versuchen, wie ihr ihn zu Massa versucht habt.
Latin
Clementine Vulgate		Non tentabis Dominum Deum tuum, sicut tentasti in loco tentationis.