Deuteronomy Chapter 26 — Firstfruits and Tithes
Israel is instructed on how to present the firstfruits of their harvest and manage the third-year tithe as acts of worship and obedience.
1It shall be, when you have come in to the land which the LORD your God gives you for an inheritance, possess it, and dwell in it,
2that you shall take some of the first of all the fruit of the ground, which you shall bring in from your land that the LORD your God gives you. You shall put it in a basket, and shall go to the place which the LORD your God shall choose to cause his name to dwell there.
3You shall come to the priest who shall be in those days, and tell him, “I profess today to the LORD your God, that I have come to the land which the LORD swore to our fathers to give us.”
4The priest shall take the basket out of your hand, and set it down before the LORD your God’s altar.
5You shall answer and say before the LORD your God, “My father*or, forefather was a Syrian ready to perish. He went down into Egypt, and lived there, few in number. There he became a great, mighty, and populous nation.
6The Egyptians mistreated us, afflicted us, and imposed hard labor on us.
7Then we cried to the LORD, the God of our fathers. The LORD heard our voice, and saw our affliction, our toil, and our oppression.
8The LORD brought us out of Egypt with a mighty hand, with an outstretched arm, with great terror, with signs, and with wonders;
9and he has brought us into this place, and has given us this land, a land flowing with milk and honey.
10Now, behold, I have brought the first of the fruit of the ground, which you, the LORD, have given me.” You shall set it down before the LORD your God, and worship before the LORD your God.
11You shall rejoice in all the good which the LORD your God has given to you, and to your house, you, and the Levite, and the foreigner who is among you.
12When you have finished tithing all the tithe of your increase in the third year, which is the year of tithing, then you shall give it to the Levite, to the foreigner, to the fatherless, and to the widow, that they may eat within your gates and be filled.
13You shall say before the LORD your God, “I have put away the holy things out of my house, and also have given them to the Levite, to the foreigner, to the fatherless, and to the widow, according to all your commandment which you have commanded me. I have not transgressed any of your commandments, neither have I forgotten them.
14I have not eaten of it in my mourning, neither have I removed any of it while I was unclean, nor given of it for the dead. I have listened to the LORD my God’s voice. I have done according to all that you have commanded me.
15Look down from your holy habitation, from heaven, and bless your people Israel, and the ground which you have given us, as you swore to our fathers, a land flowing with milk and honey.”
16Today the LORD your God commands you to do these statutes and ordinances. You shall therefore keep and do them with all your heart and with all your soul.
17You have declared today that the LORD is your God, and that you would walk in his ways, keep his statutes, his commandments, and his ordinances, and listen to his voice.
18The LORD has declared today that you are a people for his own possession, as he has promised you, and that you should keep all his commandments.
19He will make you high above all nations that he has made, in praise, in name, and in honor, and that you may be a holy people to the LORD your God, as he has spoken.
WEB Translation
Notable Verses
Deuteronomy 26:5
“You shall answer and say before the LORD your God, 'My father was a Syrian ready to perish. He went down into Egypt, and lived there, few in number. There he became a great, mighty, and populous nation.'”
This verse begins the liturgical recitation that reminds Israel of their humble beginnings and God's faithfulness.
Deuteronomy 26:18
“The LORD has declared today that you are a people for his own possession, as he has promised you, and that you should keep all his commandments.”
It summarizes the core of the covenant relationship where Israel is set apart as God's own people.
Chapter Summary
Deuteronomy 26 outlines the ceremonies the Israelites were to perform once they settled in the Promised Land. The chapter begins with the offering of firstfruits. When bringing their harvest to the priest, the offerer was to recite a historical creed acknowledging their humble origins as descendants of a 'wandering Syrian' and God's deliverance from Egyptian bondage. This ritual was a public recognition that the land and its produce were gifts from God. The second section addresses the tithe of the third year, which was specifically designated for the Levites, foreigners, orphans, and widows. After distributing these resources, the individual was to declare their full compliance with God's commands and pray for a blessing on the nation. The chapter concludes by affirming the solemn covenant between God and Israel: the people pledged to walk in His ways, and God declared them His treasured possession, promising to set them high above other nations in praise and honor as a holy people.
Frequently Asked Questions
This refers to the patriarch Jacob (Israel) and his ancestors. It highlights their history as semi-nomadic people and their survival through God's providence despite being a small group when they first entered Egypt.
The third-year tithe was dedicated to supporting those without land or inheritance of their own. This included the Levites, foreigners residing in the land, orphans, and widows, ensuring social welfare within the community.
The Israelites were to put the first of their harvest in a basket and bring it to the place God chose for His name to dwell. They would then hand it to the priest and recite a declaration of God's saving acts in their history.
Study Note
The confession in verses 5-10 is considered one of the earliest and most concise summaries of Israel's salvation history found in the Hebrew Bible.
Related Chapters
Exodus Chapter 3
Relates to the promise of a land flowing with milk and honey mentioned in this chapter.
Leviticus Chapter 27
Provides further context on the laws regarding tithes and holy offerings.
Malachi Chapter 3
Discusses the importance of bringing tithes into the storehouse to receive God's blessing.
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