1The feast of the passover, 9of weeks, 13of tabernacles. 16Every male must offer according to his ability at these three feasts. 18Of judges, and of justice. 21Groves and images are forbidden.
1OBSERVE the month of 1Abib, and 2keep the 3passovera unto the LORD thy God: for in the month of Abib the LORD thy God brought thee forth out of Egypt 4by night.
1 Exod. 13:4; Deut. 1 on verse 3.
2 Other, make, or, do. Other, prepare the passover.
3 See Exod. 12:11. Hebr. pesach.
a Exod. 12:2; Lev. 23:5; Num. 9:1; 28:16.
4 See Exod. 12:31.
2Thou shalt therefore 5sacrifice the passover unto the LORD thy God, of the 6flock and the herd, in the place which the LORD shall choose to place his name there.
5 Or, offer, and so in verses 4, 5, 6.
6 That is, all such offerings as the LORD had commanded to be slain and to be offered at this feast, Num. 28:16; a young lamb or kid was properly called the paschal offering. See Exod. 12:3, 4, 5, 27. Besides this, other offerings were also to be killed and offered at the feast.
3Thou shalt eat no leavenedb bread 7with it; seven days shalt thou eat unleavened bread therewith, even the bread 8of affliction; for thou camest forth out of the land of Egypt in haste: that thou mayest remember the day when thou camest forth out of the land of Egypt all the days of thy life.
b Exod. 12:19; 34:18.
7 Namely, at the feast. Other, on it, namely, with the lamb and then with the offerings.
8 That is, whereby you shall be put in mind of the affliction which you suffered in Egypt; or, such kind of bread that is made up in haste when necessity and haste will not permit to prepare and make it fully ready after the usual manner, and to make it pleasant and tasteful.
4And there shall be no leavened bread seen with thee in all thy coast seven days; neither shall there any thing ofc the flesh, which thou sacrificedst the first day at even, remain all night until the morning.
c Exod. 12:10.
5Thou mayest not sacrifice the passover within any of thy 9gates, which the LORD thy God giveth thee:
9 That is, within one of your cities or dwelling places.
6But 10at the place which the LORD thy God shall choose to place his name in, there thou shalt sacrifice the passover at even, at the going down of the 11sun, 12at the season that thou camest forth out of Egypt.
10 Other, journeying towards the place, etc., there thou shalt, etc.
11 See Exod. 12:6; 2 Chron. 35:14.
12 That is, just, or even at the same time when you came forth out of Egypt on the fourteenth day of the month of Abib, Exod. 13:3, 4.
7And thou shalt 13roast and eat it in the place which the LORD thy God shall choose: 14and thou shalt turn in the morning, and go unto thy 15tents.
13 Or, dress. See Exod. 12:9; 2 Chron. 35 on verse 13.
14 When the feast is passed, which lasted seven days.
15 Understand, dwellings or houses, such as they would be at that time.
8Six days thou shalt eat unleavened bread: and on the seventh day shall be a solemn 16assembly to the LORD thy God: thou shalt do no work therein.
16 See Lev. 23 on verse 36.
9¶Sevend weeks shalt thou number unto thee: begin to number the seven weeks from such time as thou beginnest to put the 17sickle to the corn.
d Exod. 23:16; Lev. 23:15; Num. 28:26.
17 To sacrifice a sheaf unto the LORD. See Lev. 2:14; 23:10.
10And thou shalt keep the feast of 18weeks unto the LORD thy God with a tribute of a 19freewill offering of thine hand, which thou shalt give unto the LORD thy God, according as the LORD thy God hath blessed thee:
18 Namely, of the seven week as mentioned before. This feast is also called the feast of firstlings, or of firstfruits, Num. 28:26. Likewise, the feast of Pentecost, Acts 2:1.
19 Hebr. tax of free-willingness. See hereof Deut. 26:1, etc. Other, with a free-willing tax, or, sufficiency of a freewill-offering.
11And thou shalt rejoice before the LORD thy God, thou, and thy son, and thy daughter, and thy manservant, and thy maidservant, and the Levite that is within thy gates, and the stranger, and the fatherless, and the widow, that are among you, in the place which the LORD thy God hath chosen to place his name there.
12And thou shalt remember that thou wast a bondman in Egypt: and thou shalt observe and do these statutes.
13¶Thou shalt observe thee feast of 20tabernacles seven days, after that thou hast gathered in thy corn and thy wine:
e Exod. 23:16; Lev. 23:34.
20 See Lev. 23 on verse 34.
14And thou shalt rejoice in thy feast, thou, and thy son, and thy daughter, and thy manservant, and thy maidservant, and the Levite, the stranger, and the fatherless, and the widow, that are within thy gates.
15Seven days shalt thou keep a solemn feast unto the LORD thy God in the place which the LORD shall choose: 21because the LORD thy God shall bless thee in all thine increase, and in all the works of thine hands, therefore thou shalt surely rejoice.
21 Other, when the LORD thy God shall have blessed thee.
16¶Threef times in a year shall all thy males appear before the LORD thy God in the place which he shall choose; in the feast of unleavened bread, and in the feast of weeks, and in the feast of tabernacles: andg they shall not appear before the LORD empty:
f Exod. 23:17; 34:23.
g Exod. 23:15.
17Every man shall give 22as he is able, according to the blessing of the LORD thy God which he hath given thee.
22 According as his hand is able to give, as the following words seem to declare it. Other, according to that which is given to his hand, which likewise suitably agrees with what follows. Compare Psalm 55 on verse 22; Num. 18:6; Ezek. 46:5, 7, 11.
18 ¶ 23Judges and officers shalt thou make thee in all thy gates, which the LORD thy God giveth thee, 24throughout thy tribes: and they shall judge the people with just judgment.
23 Compare 1 Chron. 23:4; 26:29; 2 Chron. 19:8.
24 Or, for, according to thy tribes.
19Thou shalt not wrest judgment; thou shalt not respect 25persons,h neither take a gift: for a gifti doth blind the eyes of the wise, and pervert the 26words of the righteous.
25 See Deut. 1 on verse 17.
h Lev. 19:15; Deut. 1:17.
i Exod. 23:8.
26 Understand the words of judges, that they pass wrong sentences; or, the words of those who have a just cause, which are wrested and perverted by the corrupt judges. Other, things.
20That which is 27altogether just shalt thou follow, that thou mayest live, and inherit the land which the LORD thy God giveth thee.
27 That is, mere or pure righteousness, nothing else but righteousness. It is spoken with an emphasis. Compare Deut. 2:27; Isa. 26:5, 15; Ezek. 21:9 with the annotation.
21¶Thou shalt not plant thee a grove 28of any trees 29near unto the altar of the LORD thy God, which thou shalt make thee.
28 Or, plant a grove nor any trees.
29 That is, with an opinion of some religious worship; with which thou shalt thereby intimate, when thou shalt plant a grove near unto the altar or temple of the LORD, or shalt otherwise ascribe the same next to the altar of the LORD some holiness unto it, and set an equal or higher value and estimation upon it. See 2 Kings 16; 17.
22Neither shalt thou set thee up any 30image; which the LORD thy God hateth.
30 Or, pillar image, statue.