Deuteronomy 16:11-22

11 And thou shalt eat before thy Lord God, thou, and thy son, and thy daughter, and thy servant, and thine handmaid, and the deacon that is within thy gates, and the comeling, and the fatherless, either motherless child, and the widow, that dwell with you, in the place which thy Lord God choose, that his name dwell there. (And thou shalt eat before the Lord thy God, thou, and thy son, and thy daughter, and thy slave, and thy slave-girl, and the Levite who is within thy gates, and the newcomer, and the fatherless or the motherless child, and the widow, yea, all who live with you, in the place which the Lord thy God shall choose, that his name is there.)
12 And thou shalt have mind for thou were (a) servant in Egypt, and thou shalt keep and do those things that be commanded. (And thou shalt remember that thou were slaves in Egypt, and thou shalt obey and do those things that be commanded.)
13 And thou shalt hallow the solemnity of tabernacles by seven days, when thou hast gathered thy fruits of thy cornfloor, and of the presser. (And thou shalt keep the Feast of Tabernacles, or the Festival of Booths, or of Shelters, for seven days, when thou hast gathered in the produce from thy threshing floor, and from thy winepress.)
14 And thou shalt eat in thy feast, thou, and thy son, and thy daughter, and thy manservant, and thine handmaid, also the deacon, and the comeling, and the fatherless, either motherless child, and the widow, that be within thy gates. (And thou shalt be glad at thy feast, or thy festival, thou, and thy son, and thy daughter, and thy slave, and thy slave-girl, and the Levite, and the newcomer, and the fatherless or the motherless child, and the widow, yea, all who be within thy gates.)
15 By seven days thou shalt hallow feasts to thy Lord God, in the place which the Lord choose; and thy Lord God shall bless thee, in all thy fruits, and in all the work of thine hands, and thou shalt be in gladness. (For seven days thou shalt keep this feast to the Lord thy God, in the place which the Lord shall choose; and the Lord thy God shall bless thee, with all thy fruits, and with all the work of thine hands, and thou shalt be glad, or be happy.)
16 In three times by the year all thy male kind shall appear in the sight of thy Lord, in the place which he choose, in the solemnity of therf loaves, and in the solemnity of weeks, and in the solemnity of tabernacles. A man shall not appear void before the Lord; (Three times a year all thy males shall appear before the Lord thy God, in the place which he shall choose, at the Feast of Unleavened Bread, and at the Feast of Weeks, and at the Feast of Tabernacles. A man shall not appear empty-handed before the Lord;)
17 but each man shall offer after that that he hath, by the blessing of his Lord God, that he gave to him. (but each man shall offer what he hath, in proportion to the blessing which the Lord his God hath given him.)
18 Thou shalt ordain judges, and exactors, in all thy gates which thy Lord God shall give to thee, by each of thy lineages, that they deem the people by just doom, (Thou shalt ordain judges, and exactors, in all thy gates which the Lord thy God shall give thee, in each of thy tribes, and they shall judge the people with fair judgements,)
19 and bow they not into the other part for favour, either gift. Thou shalt not take a person, neither gifts, for why gifts blind the eyes of wise men, and change the words of just men (Thou shalt not show favour to anyone, nor take a bribe, or a gift, for bribes blind the eyes of the wise, and change the words of the just).
20 Thou shalt pursue justly that that is just, that thou live, and wield the land which thy Lord God shall give to thee. (Thou shalt only pursue what is right, or just, so that thou can live, and possess the land which the Lord thy God shall give thee.)
21 Thou shalt not plant a wood, and each tree (or any tree), by the altar of thy Lord God; (Thou shalt not plant a sacred grove, or put up a pole, beside the altar of the Lord thy God;)
22 neither thou shalt make to thee, and ordain an image; which things thy Lord God hateth. (nor shalt thou set up a sacred pillar, or an idol, for thee to worship; the Lord thy God hateth all these things.)

Deuteronomy 16:11-22 Meaning and Commentary

INTRODUCTION TO DEUTERONOMY 16

This chapter treats of the three grand yearly festivals, of the feast of passover, when, where, and what was to be sacrificed, how to be dressed, and in what manner to be eaten, De 16:1-8, of the feast of pentecost, when to begin it, where and how it was to be observed, De 16:9-12, and of the feast of tabernacles, when, where, and how long it was to be kept, De 16:13-15, which three times in the year all the males were to appear before the Lord, and not empty, De 16:16,17, an order is given for the appointment of judges in the land, to execute judgment, De 16:18-20, and the chapter is closed with a caution against planting groves, and setting up images, De 16:21,22.

Copyright © 2001 by Terence P. Noble. For personal use only.