Deuteronomy 16:3-13

3 Thou shalt not eat leaven with it; seven days shalt thou eat unleavened with it, bread of affliction, because ye came forth out of Egypt in haste; that ye may remember the day of your coming forth out of the land of Egypt all the days of your life.

4 Leaven shall not be seen with thee in all thy borders for seven days, and there shall not be left of the flesh which thou shalt sacrifice at even on the first day until the morning.

5 thou shalt not have power to sacrifice the passover in any of the cities, which the Lord thy God gives thee.

6 But in the place which the Lord thy God shall choose, to have his name called there, thou shalt sacrifice the passover at even at the setting of the sun, at the time when thou camest out of Egypt.

7 And thou shalt boil and roast and eat it in the place, which the Lord thy God shall choose; and thou shalt return in the morning, and go to thy house.

8 Six days shalt thou eat unleavened bread, and on the seventh day is a holiday, a feast to the Lord thy God: thou shalt not do in it any work, save what must be done by any one.

9 Seven weeks shalt thou number to thyself; when thou hast begun the sickle to the corn, thou shalt begin to number seven weeks.

10 And thou shalt keep the feast of weeks to the Lord thy God, accordingly as thy hand has power in as many things as the Lord thy God shall give thee.

11 And thou shalt rejoice before the Lord thy God, thou and thy son, and thy daughter, thy man-servant and thy maid-servant, and the Levite, and the stranger, and the orphan, and the widow which dwells among you, in whatsoever place the Lord thy God shall choose, that his name should be called there.

12 And thou shalt remember that thou wast a servant in the land of Egypt, and thou shalt observe and do these commands.

13 Thou shalt keep for thyself the feast of tabernacles seven days, when thou gatherest in from thy corn-floor and thy wine-press.

Deuteronomy 16:3-13 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.

Footnotes

• [a]. houses.
• [b]. See Lev 23. 6. Num 29. 35. 2 Chron 7. 9.
• [c]. shall etc.
• [d]. for or by a soul.