Deuteronomy 16:16

16 `Three times in a year doth every one of thy males appear before Jehovah thy God in the place which He doth choose -- in the feast of unleavened things, and in the feast of weeks, and in the feast of booths; and they do not appear before Jehovah empty;

Deuteronomy 16:16 Meaning and Commentary

Deuteronomy 16:16

Three times a year shall all thy males appear before the Lord
thy God
This has been observed before, ( Exodus 23:17 ) ( 34:23 ) , and is repeated here for the sake of mentioning the place where they were to appear, which before now was not observed, and indeed it is chiefly for that the other festivals are here recited:

in the place which he shall choose;
which though not expressed is now easily understood; and the three times at which they were to appear there were, in the feast of unleavened bread, and in the feast of weeks, and in the feast of tabernacles; or passover, Pentecost, and tabernacles; and of numbers of people going up from the country to each of these feasts, we have instances in the New Testament; to the passover, ( Luke 2:42 Luke 2:44 ) ( John 11:55 ) , to Pentecost, ( Acts 2:5-11 ) , to tabernacles, ( John 7:2 John 7:10 ) ,

and they shall not appear before the Lord empty;
Aben Ezra observes, the meaning is, not empty of the tribute of the freewill offering of their hand, and which Jarchi more fully explains of the burnt offerings of appearance, and of the peace offerings of the Chagigah, or money answerable to them; which, according to the Misnah ^F17 was a meah of silver for a burnt offering, and two pieces of silver for the Chagigah, which weighed thirty two barley corns ^F18

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FOOTNOTES:

F17 Chagigah, c. 1. sect. 2.
F18 Maimon. & Bartenora in ib.

Deuteronomy 16:16 In-Context

14 and thou hast rejoiced in thy feast, thou, and thy son, and thy daughter, and thy man-servant, and thy handmaid, and the Levite, and the sojourner, and the fatherless, and the widow, who [are] within thy gates.

15 Seven days thou dost feast before Jehovah thy God, in the place which Jehovah doth choose, for Jehovah thy God doth bless thee in all thine increase, and in every work of thy hands, and thou hast been only rejoicing.

16 `Three times in a year doth every one of thy males appear before Jehovah thy God in the place which He doth choose -- in the feast of unleavened things, and in the feast of weeks, and in the feast of booths; and they do not appear before Jehovah empty;

17 each according to the gift of his hand, according to the blessing of Jehovah thy God, which He hath given to thee.

18 `Judges and authorities thou dost make to thee within all thy gates which Jehovah thy God is giving to thee, for thy tribes; and they have judged the people -- a righteous judgment.