Deuteronomy 26

1 When thou art come in to the londe whiche the Lorde thy God geueth the to enherett and hast enioyed it and dwellest there in:

2 take of the first of all the frute of the erthe, which thou hast brought in out of the lande that the Lorde thy God geueth the and put it in a maunde and goo vnto the place which the Lorde thy God shall chose to make his name dwell there.

3 And thou shalt come vnto the preast that shalbe in those dayes ad saye vnto him I knowledge this daye vnto the Lorde thy God, that I am come vnto the contre whiche the Lorde sware vnto oure fathers for to geue vs.

4 And the preast shall take the maunde out of thine hande, and set it doune before the alter of the Lorde thy God.

5 And thou shalt answere ad saye before the Lorde thy God: The Sirians wolde haue destroyed my father, and he went doune in to Egipte ad sogeorned there with a few folke and grewe there vnto a nacyon greate, myghtie and full of people.

6 And the Egiptians vexed us ad troubled vs, and laded vs with cruell bondage.

7 And we cried vnto the Lorde God of oure fathers, and the Lorde herde oure voyce and loked on oure aduersyte, laboure and oppressyon.

8 And the Lorde brought vs out of Egipte with a mightye hande and a stretched out arme and with greate tereblenesse and with sygnes and wonders.

9 And he hath brought vs in to this place and hath geue vs this londe that floweth with mylke and honye.

10 And nowe loo, I haue brought the first frutes off the londe whiche the Lorde hath geuen me. And set it before the Lorde thy God and worshepe before the Lorde thy God

11 and reioyse ouer all the good thinges whiche the Lorde thy God hath geue vnto the and vnto thyne housse, both thou the Leuite and the straunger that is amonge you.

12 When thou hast made an ende of tithynge all the tithes of thine encrease the thyrde yere, the yere of tythynge: and hast geuen it vnto the Leuite, the straunger, the fatherlesse ad the wedowe, and they haue eaten in thy gates ad fylled them selues.

13 Then saye before the Lorde thy God: I haue brought the halowed thinges out of myne housse and haue geuen them vnto the Leuite, the straunger, the fatherlesse and the wedowe acordynge to all the commaundmentes which thou commaundest me: I haue not ouerskypped thy commaundmentes, nor forgetten them.

14 I haue not eaten thereof in my moornynge nor taken awaye thereof vnto any vnclennesse, nor spente thereof aboute any deed corse: but haue herkened vnto the uoyce of the Lorde my God, and haue done after all that he commauded me,

15 loke doune from thy holy habitacyon heauen and blesse thy people Israel and the lande which thou hast geuen vs (as thou swarest vnto oure fathers) a lond that floweth with mylke and honye.

16 This daye the Lorde thy God hath commaunded the to doo these ordinaunces and lawes. Kepe them therfore and doo them with all thyne hert and all thy soule.

17 Thou hast sett vpp the Lorde this daye to be thy God and to walke in hys wayes and to kepe his ordinaunces, his commaundmentes and his lawes, and to herken vnto his voyce.

18 And the Lord hath sett the vp this daye, to be a seuerall people vnto him (as he hath promysed the) and that thou kepe his commaundmentes,

19 and to make the hye aboue all nacyons which he hath made, in prayse, in name and honoure: that thou mayst be an holy people vnto the Lord thy God, as he hath sayed.

Deuteronomy 26 Commentary

Chapter 26

Confession in offering the first-fruits. (1-11) The prayer after disposal of the third year's tithe. (12-15) The covenant between God and the people. (16-19)

Verses 1-11 When God has made good his promises to us, he expects we should own it to the honour of his faithfulness. And our creature comforts are doubly sweet, when we see them flowing from the fountain of the promise. The person who offered his first-fruits, must remember and own the mean origin of that nation, of which he was a member. A Syrian ready to perish was my father. Jacob is here called a Syrian. Their nation in its infancy sojourned in Egypt as strangers, they served there as slaves. They were a poor, despised, oppressed people in Egypt; and though become rich and great, had no reason to be proud, secure, or forgetful of God. He must thankfully acknowledge God's great goodness to Israel. The comfort we have in our own enjoyments, should lead us to be thankful for our share in public peace and plenty; and with present mercies we should bless the Lord for the former mercies we remember, and the further mercies we expect and hope for. He must offer his basket of first-fruits. Whatever good thing God gives us, it is his will that we make the most comfortable use we can of it, tracing the streams to the Fountain of all consolation.

Verses 12-15 How should the earth yield its increase, or, if it does, what comfort can we take in it, unless therewith our God gives us his blessing? All this represented the covenant relation between a reconciled God and every true believer, and the privileges and duties belonging to it. We must be watchful, and show that according to the covenant of grace in Christ Jesus, the Lord is our God, and we are his people, waiting in his appointed way for the performance of his gracious promises.

Verses 16-19 Moses here enforces the precepts. They are God's laws, therefore thou shalt do them, to that end were they given thee; do them, and dispute them not; do them, and draw not back; do them, not carelessly and hypocritically, but with thy heart and soul, thy whole heart and thy whole soul. We forswear ourselves, and break the most sacred engagement, if, when we have taken the Lord to be our God, we do not make conscience of obeying his ( 1 Peter. 1:2 ) should be holy, ( Ephesians 1:4 ) ; purified a peculiar people, that we might not only do good works, but be zealous in them, Tit. 2:14 . Holiness is true honour, and the only way to everlasting honour.

Chapter Summary

INTRODUCTION TO DEUTERONOMY 26

This chapter treats of the basket of firstfruits to be brought and presented to the Lord, and the confession to be made along with it, De 26:1-11; and of the declaration to be made on the third year, the year of tithing, and the prayer annexed to it, De 26:12-15; and of the covenant made in a solemn manner between God and the people of Israel, De 26:16-19.