Deuteronomy 26:13 Kommentar

With this chapter Moses concludes the particular statutes which he thought fit to give Israel in charge at his parting with them; what follows is by way of sanction and ratification. In this chapter, I. Moses gives them a form of confession to be made by him that offered the basket of his first-fruits (Deu 26:1-11). II. The protestation and prayer to be made after the disposal of the third year's tithe (Deu 26:12-15). III. He binds on all the precepts he had given them, 1. By the divine authority: "Not I, but the Lord thy God has commanded thee to do these statutes" (Deu 26:16). 2. By the mutual covenant between God and them (Deu 26:17, etc.).

INTRODUCTION TO DEUTERONOMY 26 This chapter treats of the basket of firstfruits to be brought and presented to the Lord, and the confession to be made along with it, Deu 26:1; and of the declaration to be made on the third year, the year of tithing, and the prayer annexed to it, Deu 26:12; and of the covenant made in a solemn manner between God and the people of Israel, Deu 26:16.

Then thou shalt say before the Lord thy God,.... Make the following declaration as in his presence; for this was not made in the tabernacle or temple at, Jerusalem, since the tithe was to be eaten with the poor in the gates of the owner, as in Deu 26:12, I have brought away the hallowed things out of mine house: which Aben Ezra and Onkelos interpret of the tithe; but it seems, besides that, to take in everything devoted to all holy uses, be they what they will, which were at this time to be separated from a man's own common goods, and applied to the purposes for which they were designed and devoted, and particularly what was to be given to the poor: and also have, given them unto the Levite, and unto the stranger, to the fatherless, and to the widow, according to all thy commandments which thou hast commanded me; giving to each according as the law directs; which the Targum of Jonathan and Jarchi interpret as before, giving the first tithe to the Levites, and the second tithe to the rest: I have not transgressed thy commandments, neither have I forgotten them: neither broken them wilfully, nor omitted them through carelessness, negligence, and forgetfulness, but was mindful to observe them punctually and exactly.

THE CONFESSION OF HIM THAT OFFERS THE BASKET OF FIRST FRUITS. (Deu 26:1-15) 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 (Lev 2:14; Lev 23:10; Lev 23:15; Num 28:26; Deu 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.

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.