1 And it shall be, when thou art come in H935 unto the land H776 which the LORD H3068 thy God H430 giveth H5414 thee for an inheritance, H5159 and possessest H3423 it, and dwellest H3427 therein;
Now these are the commandments, H4687 the statutes, H2706 and the judgments, H4941 which the LORD H3068 your God H430 commanded H6680 to teach H3925 you, that ye might do H6213 them in the land H776 whither ye go H5674 to possess H3423 it: That thou mightest fear H3372 the LORD H3068 thy God, H430 to keep H8104 all his statutes H2708 and his commandments, H4687 which I command H6680 thee, thou, and thy son, H1121 and thy son's H1121 son, H1121 all the days H3117 of thy life; H2416 and that thy days H3117 may be prolonged. H748 Hear H8085 therefore, O Israel, H3478 and observe H8104 to do H6213 it; that it may be well H3190 with thee, and that ye may increase H7235 mightily, H3966 as the LORD H3068 God H430 of thy fathers H1 hath promised H1696 thee, in the land H776 that floweth H2100 with milk H2461 and honey. H1706 Hear, H8085 O Israel: H3478 The LORD H3068 our God H430 is one H259 LORD: H3068 And thou shalt love H157 the LORD H3068 thy God H430 with all thine heart, H3824 and with all thy soul, H5315 and with all thy might. H3966 And these words, H1697 which I command H6680 thee this day, H3117 shall be in thine heart: H3824 And thou shalt teach them diligently H8150 unto thy children, H1121 and shalt talk H1696 of them when thou sittest H3427 in thine house, H1004 and when thou walkest H3212 by the way, H1870 and when thou liest down, H7901 and when thou risest up. H6965 And thou shalt bind H7194 them for a sign H226 upon thine hand, H3027 and they shall be as frontlets H2903 between thine eyes. H5869 And thou shalt write H3789 them upon the posts H4201 of thy house, H1004 and on thy gates. H8179 And it shall be, when the LORD H3068 thy God H430 shall have brought H935 thee into the land H776 which he sware H7650 unto thy fathers, H1 to Abraham, H85 to Isaac, H3327 and to Jacob, H3290 to give H5414 thee great H1419 and goodly H2896 cities, H5892 which thou buildedst H1129 not,
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.