Bible Commentaries

^a 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 ^b place his name there.

(a) By this ceremony they acknowledged that they received the land of Canaan as a free gift from God.

(b) To be called upon, served and worshipped spiritually, (Deuteronomy 12:5).

And thou shalt speak and say before the LORD thy God, A ^c 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, ^d and populous:

(c) Meaning, Jacob, who served 20 years in Syria.

(d) Only by God's mercy, and not by their father's deserving.

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

(e) Alleging the promises made to our fathers, Abraham, Isaac and Jacob.

And now, behold, I have ^f 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:

(f) In token of a thankful heart, and mindful of this benefit.

And thou shalt rejoice in every good [thing] which the LORD thy God hath given unto thee, and unto thine ^g house, thou, and the Levite, and the stranger that [is] among you.

(g) Signifying that God does not give us goods for ourselves only, but to be used also by those who are committed to our charge.

Then thou shalt ^h say before the LORD thy God, I have brought away the hallowed things out of [mine] house, 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: I have not ⁱ transgressed thy commandments, neither have I forgotten [them]:

(h) Without hypocrisy.

(i) Of malice and contempt.

I have not eaten thereof in my mourning, neither have I taken away [ought] thereof for [any] unclean [use], nor given [ought] thereof for the dead: [but] I have hearkened to the voice of the LORD my God, [and] have done ^m according to all that thou hast commanded me.

(m) As far as my sinful nature would allow: or else as David and Paul say, there is not one just, (Psalm 14:3) ; (Romans 3:10).

This day the LORD thy God hath commanded thee to do these statutes and judgments: thou shalt therefore keep and do them with ⁿ all thine heart, and with all thy soul.

(n) With a good and simple conscience.

^o And the LORD hath avouched thee this day to be his peculiar people, as he hath promised thee, and that [thou] shouldest keep all his commandments;

(o) Signifying that there is a mutual bond between God and his people.