Deuteronomy 26:1-11 - Arthur Peake's Commentary on the Bible

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Bible Comments

A preliminary offering of first-fruits (Deuteronomy 18:4) is to be presented annually in a basket (Deuteronomy 28:5; Deuteronomy 28:17) at the Temple, a hymn or liturgy, acknowledging Yahweh's goodness, to be recited at the same time. 1. = Deuteronomy 17:14 a.

Deuteronomy 26:2. Render, some of the first-fruits of the ground. This seems to have constituted a small sacrificial meal, anticipatory of that supplied by the rest of the first-fruits.

Deuteronomy 26:3. the priest (Deuteronomy 17:9; Deuteronomy 19:17): i.e. the principal of the priests at the central sanctuary, not the high priest of post-exilic times, of whom even Ezekiel knows nothing.

Deuteronomy 26:4 (the priest) and Deuteronomy 26:10 (thou) seem to contradict each other. For this and other reasons Steuernagel, Bertholet, and others omit Deuteronomy 26:3 f.; Deuteronomy 26:5 follows Deuteronomy 26:2 well.

Deuteronomy 26:5. answer: better, speak. The Heb. (- anah) means to be prompted to speak by something done or said. A Syrian: render, A wandering (mg.) Syrian was my father. Jacob is so called on account of his Syrian (Heb. Aramæ an) descent (see Genesis 24:4; Genesis 24:10). few: seventy according to Genesis 46:27 (MT., Syr., Sam., Targ., Vulg,) though the LXX (followed in Acts 7:14) has seventy-five.

Deuteronomy 26:6-9 consists mostly of bits taken from older sources (see RV refs.).

Related Commentaries of Deuteronomy 26:1

Deuteronomy 26:1-11

1 And 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;

2 That thou shalt take of the first 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.

3 And 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.

4 And the priest shall take the basket out of thine hand, and set it down before the altar of the LORD thy God.

5 And thou shalt speak and say before the LORD thy God, A Syrian ready to perish was my father, and he went down into Egypt, and sojourned there with a few, and became there a nation, great, mighty, and populous:

6 And the Egyptians evil entreated us, and afflicted us, and laid upon us hard bondage:

7 And when we cried unto the LORD God of our fathers, the LORD heard our voice, and looked on our affliction, and our labour, and our oppression:

8 And 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:

9 And he hath brought us into this place, and hath given us this land, even a land that floweth with milk and honey.

10 And 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:

11 And 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.