Deuteronomy 26:4-14

4 Then the priest takes the basket from your hand and places it {before} the altar of Yahweh your God.
5 And {you shall declare} and you shall say {before} your God, 'My ancestor [was] a wandering Aramean, and he went down to Egypt, and there he dwelt as an alien {few in number}, and there he became a great nation, mighty and numerous.
6 And the Egyptians treated us badly, and they oppressed us and imposed on us hard labor.
7 And we cried to Yahweh, the God of our ancestors, and Yahweh heard our voice and saw our affliction and our toil and our oppression.
8 And Yahweh brought us [out] from Egypt with a strong hand and an outstretched arm and with great terror and with signs and with wonders.
9 And he brought us to this place and gave to us this land, a land flowing with milk and honey.
10 And now, look, I am bringing the firstfruit of the fruit of the ground that you gave to me, Yahweh,' and you shall place it {before} Yahweh your God, and you shall bow down {before} Yahweh your God.
11 And you shall celebrate with all of the bounty that Yahweh your God gave to you and to your family, you and the Levite and the alien who [is] in your midst.
12 "When you are finished {giving a tithe}, all of the tithe of your produce in the third year, the year of the tithe, then you shall give to the Levite, to the alien, to the orphan, and to the widow, so that they may eat in your towns and they may be satisfied.
13 And you shall say {before} Yahweh your God, 'I have removed the sacred portion from the house and, moreover, I have given it to the Levite and to the alien and to the orphan and to the widow according to all your commandment that you commanded me; I have not transgressed any of your commandments, and I have not forgotten [any of them].
14 I have not eaten during my [time of] mourning, and I have not removed [anything] from it while [being] unclean, and I have not offered {any of it} to someone who [has] died. I have listened to the voice of Yahweh my God; I have done all that you commanded me [to do].

Deuteronomy 26:4-14 Meaning and Commentary

INTRODUCTION TO DEUTERONOMY 26

This chapter treats of the basket of firstfruits to be brought and presented to the Lord, and the confession to be made along with it, De 26:1-11; and of the declaration to be made on the third year, the year of tithing, and the prayer annexed to it, De 26:12-15; and of the covenant made in a solemn manner between God and the people of Israel, De 26:16-19.

Footnotes 13

  • [a]. Literally "to the face of"
  • [b]. Literally "answer"
  • [c]. Literally "to the face of"
  • [d]. Or "father"
  • [e]. Literally "in people [only] a few"
  • [f]. Or "fathers"
  • [g]. Hebrew "I bring"
  • [h]. Literally "to the face of"
  • [i]. Literally "to the face of"
  • [j]. Literally "to give a tenth"
  • [k]. Literally "to the face of"
  • [l]. Or "my" house since the definite article can show possession here
  • [m]. Literally "from it"
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