Bible Commentaries
Wesley's Explanatory Notes
Deuteronomy 14
Of the Lord - Whom therefore you must not disparage by unworthy or unbecoming practices. Ye shall not cut yourselves - Which were the practices of idolaters, both in the worship of their idols, in their funerals, and upon occasion of public calamities. Is not this like a parent's charge to his little children, playing with knives, "Do not cut yourselves!" This is, the intention of those commands, which obliges us to deny ourselves. The meaning is, Do yourselves no harm! And as this also is, the design of cross providences, to remove from us those things by which we are in danger of doing ourselves harm.
All the increase - This is to be understood of the second tithes, which seem to be the same with the tithes of the first year, mentioned Deuteronomy 14:28 .
Thou shalt not forsake him - Thou shalt give him a share in such tithes or in the product of them.
At the end of three years - That is, in the third year, as it is, expressed, Deuteronomy 26:12 . The same year - This is added to shew that he speaks of the third year, and not of the fourth year, as some might conjecture from the phrase, at the end of three years.
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