Deuteronomy 14:25

25 thou shalt sell all these things, and shalt turn them into price, and thou shalt bear them in thine hand, and thou shalt go to the place which thy Lord God choose; (then thou shalt sell all these things, and shalt turn them into money, and thou shalt carry it in thy hand, and thou shalt go to the place which the Lord thy God shall choose;)

Deuteronomy 14:25 Meaning and Commentary

Deuteronomy 14:25

Thou shalt then turn it into money
The tithe, which would be lighter and easier carriage:

and bind up the money in thine hand;
put it into a bag or purse, and tie it up and carry it in the hand; which some think was ordered, that it might not be mixed with other money; but it seems only to have respect to journeying, and making it fit for that. The Jewish writers {u}, some of them, give a different sense of the word we render "bind up", and interpret it of marking the silver, or impressing a form, figure, or image on it with the hand; they mean that it must be coined money; so Maimonides F23, they may not profane the sacred tithe with money not coined, nor with money not current, nor with money which is not in a man's power; for it is said,

in thine hand;
which the man is possessed of and is his own property:

and shalt go unto the place which the Lord that God shall choose;
carrying the money along with him, for which he sold the tithe.


FOOTNOTES:

F21 Bartenora in Misn. Beracot, c. 7. sect. 1. Maimon. & Bartenora in Misn. Maaser Sheni, c. 11. sect. 2. & in Misn. Sabbat, c. 18. sect. 1.
F23 In Misn. Maaser Sheni, c. 11. sect. 2.

Deuteronomy 14:25 In-Context

23 and thou shalt eat (it) in the sight of thy Lord God, in the place which he choose, that his name be called therein; thou shalt offer the tithe of thy wheat, of wine, and oil, and the first engendered things of thy droves, and of thy sheep, that thou learn to dread thy Lord God in all time. (and thou shalt eat it before the Lord thy God, in the place which he shall choose, that his name be called there; thou shalt offer a tenth of thy corn, and of thy wine, and of thy oil, and the first-born male things of thy herds, and of thy sheep, so that thou learn to fear the Lord thy God/so that thou learn to revere the Lord thy God for all time.)
24 But when the way is longer, and the place that thy Lord God choose is far, and he hath blessed, or increased, thee, and thou mayest not bring all these things to that place, (But when the way is too long, and the place that the Lord thy God shall choose is too far from thee, and he hath blessed thee, but thou cannot bring all these things to that place,)
25 thou shalt sell all these things, and shalt turn them into price, and thou shalt bear them in thine hand, and thou shalt go to the place which thy Lord God choose; (then thou shalt sell all these things, and shalt turn them into money, and thou shalt carry it in thy hand, and thou shalt go to the place which the Lord thy God shall choose;)
26 and thou shalt buy of the same money whatever thing pleaseth to thee, either of droves, either of sheep; also thou shalt buy wine, and cider, and all things that thy soul desireth; and thou shalt eat (it) before thy Lord God, and thou shalt make feast, thou, and thine house, (and thou shalt buy with that money whatever pleaseth thee, from the herds, or the sheep; and thou shalt buy wine, or cider, or anything else that thy soul desireth; and thou shalt eat it before the Lord thy God, and thou shalt make a feast, thou, and thy household, or thy family,)
27 and the deacon that is within thy gates; be thou ware lest thou forsake him, for he hath not other part in thy possession. (and the Levite who is within thy gates; be thou careful, lest thou forget him, for he hath no portion or possession among thee.)
Copyright © 2001 by Terence P. Noble. For personal use only.