Deuteronomy 16:1-9

1 Keep the month of the new fruit, {Heb. of Abib} and thou shalt do the passover unto the LORD thy God; for in the month of the new fruit the LORD thy God brought thee forth out of Egypt by night.

2 Thou shalt, therefore, sacrifice the passover unto the LORD thy God, of the sheep and the cows, in the place which the LORD shall choose to cause his name to dwell therein.

3 Thou shalt eat no leavened bread with it; seven days shalt thou eat unleavened bread therewith, even the bread of affliction; for thou didst come forth out of the land of Egypt in haste; that thou may remember the day when thou didst come forth out of the land of Egypt all the days of thy life.

4 And there shall be no leavened bread seen in thee within all thy borders for seven days; neither shall any of the flesh which thou didst sacrifice the evening of the first day remain all night until the morning.

5 Thou may not sacrifice the passover within any of thy gates (or within any of thy towns) which the LORD thy God gives thee

6 but at the place which the LORD thy God shall choose to cause his name to dwell in; there thou shalt sacrifice the passover in the evening, at the going down of the sun, at the appointed time when thou came forth out of Egypt.

7 And thou shalt roast and eat it in the place which the LORD thy God shall choose, and thou shalt turn in the morning and return unto thy tabernacles.

8 Six days thou shalt eat unleavened bread, and on the seventh day shall be a solemn feast unto the LORD thy God; thou shalt do no work in this.

9 Seven weeks shalt thou number unto thee; begin to number the seven weeks from such time as thou shalt begin to put the sickle to the grain.

Deuteronomy 16:1-9 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.