Deuteronomy 16:16

16 Three times in the year shall all thy males appear before Jehovah thy God in the place which he will choose, at the feast of unleavened bread, and at the feast of weeks, and at the feast of tabernacles; and they shall 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 shalt rejoice in thy feast, thou, and thy son, and thy daughter, and thy bondman, and thy handmaid, and the Levite, and the stranger, and the fatherless, and the widow, that are in thy gates.

15 Seven days shalt thou hold a feast to Jehovah thy God in the place which Jehovah will choose; for Jehovah thy God will bless thee in all thy produce, and in all the work of thy hands, and thou shalt be wholly joyful.

16 Three times in the year shall all thy males appear before Jehovah thy God in the place which he will choose, at the feast of unleavened bread, and at the feast of weeks, and at the feast of tabernacles; and they shall not appear before Jehovah empty:

17 each [shall give] according to that which is in his power to give, according to the blessing of Jehovah thy God which he hath given thee.

18 Judges and officers shalt thou make thee in all thy gates, which Jehovah thy God giveth thee, throughout thy tribes, that they may judge the people with just judgment.