3The confession of him that offereth the basket of firstfruits. 12The prayer of him that giveth his third year's tithes. 16The covenant between God and the people.
1AND it shall be, when thou art come in unto the land which the LORD thy God giveth thee for an inheritance, and possessest it, and dwellest therein;
2That thou shalt take of the firsta of all the fruit of the earth, which thou shalt bring of thy land that the LORD thy God giveth thee, and shalt put it in a basket, and shalt go unto the place which the LORD thy God shall choose to place his name there.
a Exod. 23:19; 34:26; Lev. 2:14; 23:10; Num. 15:17.
3And thou shalt go unto the priest that shall be in those days, and say unto him, I profess this day unto the LORD thy God, that I am come unto the country which the LORD sware unto our fathers for to give us.
4And the priest shall take the basket out of thine hand, and set it down before the altar of the LORD thy God.
5And thou shalt speak and say before the LORD thy God, A 1Syrian 2ready to perish was my 3father, and he wentb down into Egypt, and sojourned there with a 4few, and became there a nation, great, mighty, and populous:
1 In respect of his prolonged dwelling with Laban in Syria; otherwise he was born in the land of Canaan. Other, corrupted by the Syrian, namely, Laban, Gen. 25:20.
2 Or, ready to be lost, that is, nearly lost (as often, a lost sheep, that is, wasted and in danger of perishing) in respect of all the wrong which his father-in-law had done him, as also other troubles and grievances which he sustained both in his hard service with Laban and in and after his returning back from thence. Compare Genesis 31; 33; 34; 37 and 47:9. This confession tended to the honor of God, Who had wonderfully prevented, according to His promises, the approaching ruin of Jacob and his whole family.
3 That is, forefather, namely, Jacob.
b Gen. 46:1.
4 Hebr. men.
6And the Egyptians evil entreated us, and afflicted us, and laid upon us hard bondage:
7And when we cried unto the LORD God of our fathers, the LORD heardc our voice, and 5looked on our affliction, and our labour, and our oppression:
c Exod. 2:23.
5 See Gen. 16 on verse 13.
8And the LORD brought us forth out of Egypt with a mighty hand, and with an outstretched arm, and with great terribleness, and with signs, and with wonders:
9And he hath brought us into this place, and hath given us this land, even a land that floweth with milk and honey.
10And now, behold, I have brought the firstfruits of the land, which thou, O LORD, hast given me. And thou shalt set it before the LORD thy God, and worship before the LORD thy God:
11And thou shalt rejoice in every good thing which the LORD thy God hath given unto thee, and unto thine house, thou, and the Levite, and the stranger that is among you.
12¶When thou 6hast made an end of tithing alld the tithes of thine increase the third year, which is the year of tithing, and hast given it unto the Levite, the stranger, the fatherless, and the widow, that they may eat within thy 7gates, and be filled;
6 That is, shalt have gathered all the tithes together. See of tithes, Lev. 27 on verse 30.
d Lev. 27:30; Num. 18:24.
7 That is, cities or places of thy habitation.
13Then thou shalt say before the LORD thy God, I have brought away the 8hallowed things out of mine house, and also have given them unto the Levite, and unto the stranger, to the fatherless, and to the widow, accordinge to all thy commandments which thou hast commanded me: I have not transgressed thy commandments, neither have I forgotten them:
8 Meaning, the tithes, which were hallowed unto the LORD, for the Levite, stranger, etc.
e Deut. 14:27.
14I have not eaten thereof 9in my mourning, neither have I taken away ought thereof 10for any unclean use, nor given ought thereof 11for the dead: but I have hearkened to the voice of the LORD my God, and have done according to all that thou hast commanded me.
9 That is, in my adversity; although I did not prosper, nevertheless I have not touched the tithes for myself. Or, in my sorrow, whereby it would have become unclean; unto which the following words have respect.
10 That is, for any unclean use or in uncleanness, that is, so that thereby I would be defiled.
11 Toward any funeral-feast or burial of the dead, wherein a man might seek to excuse the matter with any pretense of holiness and be polluted nevertheless.
15Look down from thy holy habitation, from heaven, and bless thy people 12Israel, and the land which thou hast given us, as thou swarest unto our fathers, a land that floweth with milk and honey.
12 That is, the children or descendants of Israel or Jacob.
16¶This day the LORD thy God hath commanded thee to do these statutes and judgments: thou shalt therefore keep and do them with all thine heart, and with all thy soul.
17Thou hastf13avouched the LORD 14this day 15to be thy God, and to walk in his ways, and to keep 16his statutes, and his commandments, and his judgments, and to hearken unto his voice:
f Gen. 17:7.
13 That is, declared, promised; and so in the next verse.
14 That is, at this time is the covenant, made with Abraham and his seed in former times, renewed and ratified through the fulfillment of Gods promise and the evidence of your thankfulness.
15 See Gen. 17 on verse 7.
16 See Deut. 5 on verse 31.
18And the LORD hath avouchedg thee this day to be his peculiarh people, as he hath promised thee, and that thou shouldest keep all his commandments;
g declared
h Exod. 19:5; Deut. 7:6; 14:2.
19Andi to make thee 17high above all nations which he hath made, in praise, and in name, and in 18honour; and that thou mayest be an holy people unto the LORD thy God, as he hath spoken.
i Deut. 4:7.
17 That is, cause thee to excel or rise above, that thou art renowned and glorified above all nations in the world; and that to the praise and glory of God’s high and glorious Name, Who is the only Author of all gracious blessing, both spiritual and corporal. Compare Deut. 10 on verse 21; Deut. 28:1; 2 Sam. 7:23; Jer. 33:9, etc.
18 Or, ornament, finery.