10 And now, behold, I have brought H935 the firstfruits H6529 H7225 of the land, H127 which thou, O LORD, H3068 hast given H5414 me. And thou shalt set H3240 it before H6440 the LORD H3068 thy God, H430 and worship H7812 before H6440 the LORD H3068 thy God: H430
11 And thou shalt rejoice H8055 in every good H2896 thing which the LORD H3068 thy God H430 hath given H5414 unto thee, and unto thine house, H1004 thou, and the Levite, H3881 and the stranger H1616 that is among H7130 you.
12 When thou hast made an end H3615 of tithing H6237 all the tithes H4643 of thine increase H8393 the third H7992 year, H8141 which is the year H8141 of tithing, H4643 and hast given H5414 it unto the Levite, H3881 the stranger, H1616 the fatherless, H3490 and the widow, H490 that they may eat H398 within thy gates, H8179 and be filled; H7646
13 Then thou shalt say H559 before H6440 the LORD H3068 thy God, H430 I have brought away H1197 the hallowed things H6944 out of mine house, H1004 and also have given H5414 them unto the Levite, H3881 and unto the stranger, H1616 to the fatherless, H3490 and to the widow, H490 according to all thy commandments H4687 which thou hast commanded H6680 me: I have not transgressed H5674 thy commandments, H4687 neither have I forgotten H7911 them:
14 I have not eaten H398 thereof in my mourning, H205 neither have I taken away H1197 ought thereof for any unclean H2931 use, nor given H5414 ought thereof for the dead: H4191 but I have hearkened H8085 to the voice H6963 of the LORD H3068 my God, H430 and have done H6213 according to all that thou hast commanded H6680 me.
Worthy.Bible » Commentaries » Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible » Commentary on Deuteronomy 26
Commentary on Deuteronomy 26 Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible
CHAPTER 26
De 26:1-15. The Confession of Him That Offers the Basket of First Fruits.
2. Thou shalt take of the first of all the fruit of the earth—The Israelites in Canaan, being God's tenants-at-will, were required to give Him tribute in the form of first-fruits and tithes. No Israelite was at liberty to use any productions of his field until he had presented the required offerings. The tribute began to be exigible after the settlement in the promised land, and it was yearly repeated at one of the great feasts (Le 2:14; 23:10; 23:15; Nu 28:26; De 16:9). Every master of a family carried it on his shoulders in a little basket of osier, peeled willow, or palm leaves, and brought it to the sanctuary.
5. thou shalt say … A Syrian ready to perish was my father—rather, "a wandering Syrian." The ancestors of the Hebrews were nomad shepherds, either Syrians by birth as Abraham, or by long residence as Jacob. When they were established as a nation in the possession of the promised land, they were indebted to God's unmerited goodness for their distinguished privileges, and in token of gratitude they brought this basket of first-fruits.
11. thou shalt rejoice—feasting with friends and the Levites, who were invited on such occasions to share in the cheerful festivities that followed oblations (De 12:7; 16:10-15).
12-15. When thou hast made an end of tithing all the tithes of thine increase the third year—Among the Hebrews there were two tithings. The first was appropriated to the Levites (Nu 18:21). The second, being the tenth of what remained, was brought to Jerusalem in kind; or it was converted into money, and the owner, on arriving in the capital, purchased sheep, bread, and oil (De 14:22, 23). This was done for two consecutive years. But this second tithing was eaten at home, and the third year distributed among the poor of the place (De 14:28, 29).
13. thou shalt say before the Lord thy God, I have brought away the hallowed things out of mine house—This was a solemn declaration that nothing which should be devoted to the divine service had been secretly reserved for personal use.
14. I have not eaten thereof in my mourning—in a season of sorrow, which brought defilement on sacred things; under a pretense of poverty, and grudging to give any away to the poor.
neither … for any unclean use—that is, any common purpose, different from what God had appointed and which would have been a desecration of it.
nor given ought thereof for the dead—on any funeral service, or, to an idol, which is a dead thing.