Deuteronomy 16:9-12

The Feast of Weeks

9 ¹“You shall count seven weeks. Begin to count the seven weeks from the time the sickle is first put to the standing grain.

10 Then you shall keep ²the Feast of Weeks to the Lord your God with ³the tribute of a freewill offering from your hand, which you shall give ⁴as the Lord your God blesses you.

11 And ⁵you shall rejoice before the Lord your God, you and your son and your daughter, your male servant and your female servant, the Levite who is within your towns, the sojourner, the fatherless, and the widow who are among you, at the place that the Lord your God will choose, to make his name dwell there.

12 ⁶You shall remember that you were a slave in Egypt; and you shall be careful to observe these statutes.

Deuteronomy 16:9-12 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.

Cross References

• 1. 16:9 Ex. 23:16; 34:22; Lev. 23:15; Num. 28:26; [Acts 2:1]
• 2. 16:10 2 Chr. 8:13
• 3. 16:10 See ch. 26:1-11
• 4. 16:10 ch. 12:15; [1 Cor. 16:2]
• 5. 16:11 ch. 12:7, 12, 18; 14:26; See Neh. 8:9-12
• 6. 16:12 See ch. 5:15