Deuteronomy 26:1-11

XXVI.

Deuteronomy 26:1. PRESENTATION OF THE FIRST FRUITS.

(1) When thou art come in. — Rashi says they were not bound to the discharge of this duty until they had conquered and divided the land. But the state of things described in the Book of Joshua (Joshua 21:43) would demand it. From the words of Deuteronomy 26:11, “thou shalt rejoice,” the Jews gather that the thanksgiving to be said over the firstfruits (in Deuteronomy 26:5) must be said at some time between the close of the feast of unleavened bread on the twenty-first day of the first month (the “solemn assembly” of Deuteronomy 16:8) and the Feast of Tabernacles. If firstfruits were presented between the Feast of Tabernacles and the Passover, this formula was not used (Rashi).

(3) The priest that shall be in those days. — No mention is made of the Levite here. The priest (though of the tribe of Levi) has an office distinct from the Levite in the Book of Deuteronomy as much as in the rest of the Old Testament.

I profess. — Literally, I declare. “To show that thou art not ungrateful for His goodness” (Rashi, from the Talmud).

This day. — The formula was only used once in the year.

(4) The priest shall take the basket. — “To wave it. The priest put his hand under the hand of the owner, and waved it.”

(5) A Syrian ready to perish. — The reference is to Jacob, more especially when pursued by Laban, who would have taken from him his all, except for the Divine mercy and protection. We may also recall his danger from Esau (Genesis 31:32), from the Shechemites (34, 35), and from the famine, until he heard of Joseph.

(7) When we cried unto the Lord. — Samuel in his famous speech (1 Samuel 12:8) takes up the language of this passage, “When Jacob was come into Egypt, and your fathers cried unto the Lord, then the Lord... brought forth your fathers out of Egypt, and made them dwell in this place.

(6-7) See Exodus 2:25; Exodus 3:9; Exodus 6:5 for the source of this confession.

(10) And thou shalt set it before the Lord thy God — i.e., take it up again after it was first waved by the priest, and hold it in the hand while making this confession, and then wave it once more. After this it would become the priest’s.