Deuteronomy 26: First fruits, the third-year tithe, and Israel's promise
A free study, verse by verse. Text: World English Bible. Notes come from the Hebrew. How to read a study
What happens?
Moses tells Israel that when they live in the land, each person is to bring the first of the harvest in a basket to the place Yahweh chooses and tell the story of the people: a wandering (or: perishing) Aramean father, slavery in Egypt, and Yahweh bringing them out to a land flowing with milk and honey. In the third year the tithe is to go to the Levite, the foreigner, the fatherless and the widow, and the giver is to say before Yahweh that he has done all that was commanded. Moses ends by saying that today Israel has declared Yahweh to be their God, and Yahweh has declared Israel to be his own people.
Who is speaking?
Moses is speaking to Israel through the whole chapter. Inside his words he gives what each person is to say: to the priest in verse 3, before Yahweh in verses 5 to 10, and after the tithe in verses 13 to 15. No verse is in gold, because these are Moses' words, not words the text gives to God speaking himself. God's own words are printed in gold, and those verses are marked God speaks
1It shall be, when you have come in to the land which Yahweh your God gives you for an inheritance, possess it, and dwell in it,
In plain English: When you have come into the land Yahweh your God is giving you as an inheritance, and you take possession of it and live in it,
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2that you shall take some of the first of all the fruit of the ground, which you shall bring in from your land that Yahweh your God gives you. You shall put it in a basket, and shall go to the place which Yahweh your God shall choose to cause his name to dwell there.
In plain English: you are to take some of the first of all the fruit of the ground that you bring in from your land that Yahweh your God is giving you. Put it in a basket, and go to the place Yahweh your God will choose as the place where his name will live.
Good to know: The law of the first fruits is also in : "the first of the first fruits of your ground" is brought to Yahweh's house. "The place" Yahweh will choose is the place spoken of in .
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3You shall come to the priest who shall be in those days, and tell him, “I profess today to Yahweh your God, that I have come to the land which Yahweh swore to our fathers to give us.”
In plain English: Go to the priest who is there in those days and tell him, "Today I declare to Yahweh your God that I have come into the land Yahweh swore to our fathers to give us."
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4The priest shall take the basket out of your hand, and set it down before Yahweh your God’s altar.
In plain English: The priest is to take the basket from your hand and set it down in front of the altar of Yahweh your God.
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5You shall answer and say before Yahweh your God, “My father was a Syrian ready to perish. He went down into Egypt, and lived there, few in number. There he became a great, mighty, and populous nation.
In plain English: Then you are to answer and say before Yahweh your God, "My father was a wandering (or: perishing; this Bible: ready to perish) Aramean (this Bible: Syrian). He went down into Egypt and lived there as a stranger, few in number. There he became a great, strong, and numerous nation.
The Hebrew words: "A Syrian ready to perish" is arammi oved. Arammi is a man of Aram, which this Bible calls Syria; the dictionary gives it as "an Aramite or Aramaean". Oved comes from avad, which the dictionary gives as "properly, to wander away, i.e. lose oneself; by implication to perish".
How it is translated: This Bible says "perish" or a longer form in 100 of the 174 verses that use avad, and "destroy" or a longer form in 66. It says "wander" in none of them.
What changes: Read as "wandering", the father is a man with no land of his own, moving from place to place. Read as "ready to perish", he is close to dying, in need. The verse does not name him. Jacob is the one who went down into Egypt with his family (), and his mother Rebekah came from Paddan Aram, the sister of "Laban the Syrian" ().
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6The Egyptians mistreated us, afflicted us, and imposed hard labor on us.
In plain English: The Egyptians treated us badly, made us suffer, and put hard labor on us.
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7Then we cried to Yahweh, the God of our fathers. Yahweh heard our voice, and saw our affliction, our toil, and our oppression.
In plain English: Then we cried out to Yahweh, the God of our fathers. Yahweh heard our voice and saw our suffering, our hard work, and how we were oppressed.
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8Yahweh brought us out of Egypt with a mighty hand, with an outstretched arm, with great terror, with signs, and with wonders;
In plain English: Yahweh brought us out of Egypt with a strong hand and an outstretched arm, with great terror, with signs, and with wonders.
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9and he has brought us into this place, and has given us this land, a land flowing with milk and honey.
In plain English: He brought us to this place and gave us this land, a land flowing with milk and honey.
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10Now, behold, I have brought the first of the fruit of the ground, which you, Yahweh, have given me.” You shall set it down before Yahweh your God, and worship before Yahweh your God.
In plain English: Now, look, I have brought the first of the fruit of the ground that you, Yahweh, have given me." Set it down before Yahweh your God, and bow down in worship before Yahweh your God.
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11You shall rejoice in all the good which Yahweh your God has given to you, and to your house, you, and the Levite, and the foreigner who is among you.
In plain English: Rejoice in all the good things Yahweh your God has given you and your household: you, the Levite, and the foreigner living among you.
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12When you have finished tithing all the tithe of your increase in the third year, which is the year of tithing, then you shall give it to the Levite, to the foreigner, to the fatherless, and to the widow, that they may eat within your gates and be filled.
In plain English: When you have finished setting aside the full tithe (the tenth) of your harvest in the third year, the year of the tithe, give it to the Levite, the foreigner, the fatherless, and the widow, so that they can eat in your towns (literally: your gates) and be satisfied.
Good to know: This is the tithe of the third year in and : it is stored in the towns for the Levite, who has no inheritance of his own, and for the foreigner, the fatherless, and the widow.
Church tradition: Many churches teach that believers should give a tenth today, and others teach that the tithe laws were for Israel in the land. Deuteronomy 26 speaks of a tenth of the harvest of the land, given here in the third year to the Levite, the foreigner, the fatherless, and the widow.
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13You shall say before Yahweh your God, “I have put away the holy things out of my house, and also have given them to the Levite, to the foreigner, to the fatherless, and to the widow, according to all your commandment which you have commanded me. I have not transgressed any of your commandments, neither have I forgotten them.
In plain English: Then say before Yahweh your God, "I have removed the holy things (the holy portion) from my house. I have given them to the Levite, the foreigner, the fatherless, and the widow, in keeping with all the command you gave me. I have not broken any of your commands, and I have not forgotten them.
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14I have not eaten of it in my mourning, neither have I removed any of it while I was unclean, nor given of it for the dead. I have listened to Yahweh my God’s voice. I have done according to all that you have commanded me.
In plain English: I have not eaten any of it while in mourning (or: in sorrow). I have not removed any of it while I was unclean, and I have not given any of it for the dead. I have obeyed the voice of Yahweh my God. I have done everything you commanded me.
The Hebrew word: "Mourning" is aven, which the dictionary gives as "strictly nothingness; also trouble" and "vanity, wickedness".
How it is translated: This Bible says "iniquity" in 43 of the 79 verses that use aven. This verse is the only one where it says "mourning".
What changes: Read as "mourning" or "sorrow", the giver did not eat the holy portion while grieving. Read as "trouble" or "wickedness", he did not eat it in a wrong way. The text does not say what "given any of it for the dead" means, and readers differ.
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15Look down from your holy habitation, from heaven, and bless your people Israel, and the ground which you have given us, as you swore to our fathers, a land flowing with milk and honey.”
In plain English: Look down from your holy home in heaven and bless your people Israel, and the land you have given us, as you swore to our fathers, a land flowing with milk and honey."
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16Today Yahweh your God commands you to do these statutes and ordinances. You shall therefore keep and do them with all your heart and with all your soul.
In plain English: Today Yahweh your God commands you to keep these statutes and rules. So keep them and do them with all your heart and with all your soul.
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17You have declared today that Yahweh is your God, and that you would walk in his ways, keep his statutes, his commandments, and his ordinances, and listen to his voice.
In plain English: Today you have declared (or: you have had Yahweh declare) that Yahweh is your God, and that you will walk in his ways, keep his statutes, his commands, and his rules, and obey his voice.
The Hebrew word: "Declared" is amar, the everyday word for "say". In verses 17 and 18 it is used in a form found nowhere else in the Bible, which can mean "declare" or "cause someone to say".
What changes: Read as "declare", each side states its own part: Israel says Yahweh is their God, and Yahweh says Israel is his people. Read as "cause to say", each side has the other speak: Israel has Yahweh say he will be their God, and Yahweh has Israel say they will be his people. In both readings the two verses describe an agreement made "today".
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18Yahweh has declared today that you are a people for his own possession, as he has promised you, and that you should keep all his commandments.
In plain English: Today Yahweh has declared (or: has had you declare) that you are his own treasured people (this Bible: a people for his own possession), as he promised you, and that you are to keep all his commands.
The Hebrew word: "His own possession" is segullah, which the dictionary gives as "wealth (as closely shut up)": a treasure kept close.
How it is translated: This Bible says "possession" in 6 of the 8 verses that use segullah, and "treasure" or a longer form in 2. The same promise is in and .
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19He will make you high above all nations that he has made, in praise, in name, and in honor, and that you may be a holy people to Yahweh your God, as he has spoken.
In plain English: He will set you high above all the nations he has made, for praise, for fame (literally: a name), and for honor, and you will be a holy people to Yahweh your God, as he has said.
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