# Is “Man does not live by bread alone” in the Bible?

> Yes. “Man does not live by bread alone” comes from the Bible, from Deuteronomy 8:3.

Source: https://www.lumin.faith/is-it-in-the-bible/man-does-not-live-by-bread-alone
By Andrew Kittridge · November 9, 2026

Moses says it to Israel, and Jesus quotes it to the devil when tempted to turn stones into bread.

## The verse

> He humbled you, let you go hungry, and fed you with manna, which neither you nor your ancestors had known, to teach you that a person does not live on bread alone, but a person lives on everything that comes from the mouth of Yahweh.
>
> — [Deuteronomy 8:3](https://www.lumin.faith/read/deuteronomy/8#3) (Lumin Translation)

The saying is not word for word. It shortens or reshapes the verse.

## What it means there

God let Israel go hungry in the wilderness and fed them manna to teach them this: people live by what God says, not only by food.

## Also in the Bible

> But he answered, “It is written: ‘A person will not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.’”
>
> — [Matthew 4:4](https://www.lumin.faith/read/matthew/4#4) (Lumin Translation)

> Jesus answered him, “It is written: ‘A person will not live on bread alone.’”
>
> — [Luke 4:4](https://www.lumin.faith/read/luke/4#4) (Lumin Translation)

## Common questions

### Is “Man does not live by bread alone” in the Bible?

Yes. “Man does not live by bread alone” comes from the Bible, from Deuteronomy 8:3. The saying is not word for word. It shortens or reshapes the verse. Moses says it to Israel, and Jesus quotes it to the devil when tempted to turn stones into bread.

### Where in the Bible is “Man does not live by bread alone”?

In Deuteronomy 8:3, and also Matthew 4:4 and Luke 4:4. In the Lumin Translation, Deuteronomy 8:3 reads: “He humbled you, let you go hungry, and fed you with manna, which neither you nor your ancestors had known, to teach you that a person does not live on bread alone, but a person lives on everything that comes from the mouth of Yahweh.”

### Who said “Man does not live by bread alone”?

Moses says it to Israel, and Jesus quotes it to the devil when tempted to turn stones into bread.

### What does “Man does not live by bread alone” mean in the Bible?

God let Israel go hungry in the wilderness and fed them manna to teach them this: people live by what God says, not only by food.

## More

- [Is “Out of the mouths of babes” in the Bible?](https://www.lumin.faith/is-it-in-the-bible/out-of-the-mouths-of-babes.md)
- [Is “The salt of the earth” in the Bible?](https://www.lumin.faith/is-it-in-the-bible/the-salt-of-the-earth.md)
- [Is “The straight and narrow” in the Bible?](https://www.lumin.faith/is-it-in-the-bible/the-straight-and-narrow.md)
- [Is “Train up a child in the way he should go” in the Bible?](https://www.lumin.faith/is-it-in-the-bible/train-up-a-child-in-the-way-he-should-go.md)
- [Is “Where there is no vision, the people perish” in the Bible?](https://www.lumin.faith/is-it-in-the-bible/where-there-is-no-vision-the-people-perish.md)
- [Where is “Be strong and courageous” in the Bible?](https://www.lumin.faith/is-it-in-the-bible/be-strong-and-courageous.md)
- [Where is “The joy of the Lord is your strength” in the Bible?](https://www.lumin.faith/is-it-in-the-bible/the-joy-of-the-lord-is-your-strength.md)
- [Where is “When you pass through the waters, I will be with you” in the Bible?](https://www.lumin.faith/is-it-in-the-bible/when-you-pass-through-the-waters-i-will-be-with-you.md)
- [Check any word or a whole song](https://www.lumin.faith/bible-verse-checker)