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, Deuteronomy 16:1, of the feast of pentecost, when to begin it, where and how it was to be... [ Continue Reading ]
OBSERVE THE MONTH OF ABIB,.... Sometimes called Nisan; it answered to part, of our March, and part of April; it was an observable month, to be taken notice of; it was called Abib, from the corn then appearing in ear, and beginning to ripen, and all things being in their verdure; the Septuagint calls... [ Continue Reading ]
THOU SHALT THEREFORE SACRIFICE THE PASSOVER UNTO THE LORD THY GOD,.... In the month Abib, and in the night of that month they came out of Egypt, even on the fourteenth day of it at night, between the two evenings, as the Targum of Jonathan; which was a lamb, and typical of Christ, the passover sacri... [ Continue Reading ]
THOU SHALT EAT NO LEAVENED BREAD WITH IT,.... With the passover, as the Targum of Jonathan expresses it; that is, with the passover lamb, nor indeed with any of the passover, or peace offerings, as follows; see Exodus 12:8 SEVEN DAYS SHALL YE EAT UNLEAVENED BREAD THEREWITH; with the passover; this... [ Continue Reading ]
AND THERE SHALL BE NO LEAVENED BREAD SEEN WITH THEE IN ALL THY COASTS SEVEN DAYS,.... For before the passover they were to search diligently every room in the house, and every hole and crevice, that none might remain any where; see Exodus 12:15, NEITHER SHALL THERE BE ANYTHING OF THE FLESH, WHICH T... [ Continue Reading ]
THOU MAYEST NOT SACRIFICE THE PASSOVER WITHIN ANY OF THY GATES,.... Or cities, as the Targum of Jonathan, so called because they usually had gates to them, in which public affairs were transacted; but in none of these, only in the city of Jerusalem, the place the Lord chose, might they kill the pass... [ Continue Reading ]
BUT AT THE PLACE WHICH THE LORD THY GOD SHALL CHOOSE TO PLACE HIS NAME IN,.... To place the ark and the mercy seat with the cherubim over them, where he caused his Shechinah, or divine Majesty, to dwell; and this was at Jerusalem, where the temple was built by Solomon: THERE THOU SHALT SACRIFICE TH... [ Continue Reading ]
AND THOU SHALT ROAST AND EAT IT IN THE PLACE WHICH THE LORD THY GOD SHALL CHOOSE,.... The word for "roast" signifies to "boil", and is justly so used, and so Onkelos here renders it, and the Septuagint version both roast and boil; but it is certain that the passover lamb was not to be boiled, it is... [ Continue Reading ]
SIX DAYS SHALT THOU EAT UNLEAVENED BREAD,.... In other places it is ordered to be eaten seven days, Exodus 12:15 and here it is not said six only; it was to be eaten on the seventh as on the other, though that is here distinguished from the six, because of special and peculiar service assigned to it... [ Continue Reading ]
SEVEN WEEKS THEN SHALT THOU NUMBER UNTO THEE,.... And then another feast was to take place, called from hence the feast of weeks, and sometimes Pentecost, from its being the fiftieth day: BEGIN TO NUMBER THE SEVEN WEEKS FROM SUCH TIME AS THOU BEGINNEST TO PUT THE SICKLE TO THE CORN; for the sheaf o... [ Continue Reading ]
AND THOU SHALL KEEP THE FEAST OF WEEKS UNTO THE LORD THY GOD,.... The feast of Pentecost, at which time the Spirit was poured down upon the apostles, Acts 2:1 WITH A TRIBUTE OF A FREEWILL OFFERING OF THINE HAND; there were two wave loaves which were ordered to be brought and seven lambs, one young... [ Continue Reading ]
AND THOU SHALT REJOICE BEFORE THE LORD THY GOD,.... Make a liberal feast, and keep it cheerfully, in the presence of God, in the place where he resides, thankfully acknowledging all his mercies and favours: THOU, AND THY SON, AND THY MANSERVANT, AND THY MAIDSERVANT, AND THE LEVITE THAT IS WITHIN TH... [ Continue Reading ]
AND THOU SHALT REMEMBER THAT THOU WAST A BONDMAN IN EGYPT,.... And now delivered from that bondage; the consideration of which should make them liberal in their freewill offering, and generous in the feast they provided, and compassionate to the stranger, widow, and fatherless: AND THOU SHALT OBSER... [ Continue Reading ]
THOU SHALT OBSERVE THE FEAST OF TABERNACLES SEVEN DAYS,.... Which began on the fifteenth day of Tisri, or September; see Leviticus 23:34, c. AFTER THAT THOU HAST GATHERED IN THY CORN AND THY WINE and therefore sometimes called the feast of ingathering, Exodus 23:16, barley harvest began at the pass... [ Continue Reading ]
AND THOU SHALT REJOICE IN THY FEAST,.... At this feast of tabernacles and ingathering of the fruits of the earth, in token of gratitude and thankfulness for the goodness of God bestowed on them; the Targum of Jonathan adds, with the flute and the pipe, making use of instrumental music to increase th... [ Continue Reading ]
SEVEN DAYS SHALT THOU KEEP A SOLEMN FEAST UNTO THE LORD THY GOD,.... The feast of tabernacles still spoken of: IN THE PLACE WHICH THE LORD THY GOD SHALL CHOOSE: the city of Jerusalem: BECAUSE THE LORD THY GOD SHALL BLESS THEE IN ALL THY INCREASE, AND IN ALL THE WORKS OF THINE HANDS; both in the in... [ Continue Reading ]
THREE TIMES A YEAR SHALL ALL THY MALES APPEAR BEFORE THE LORD THY GOD,.... This has been observed before, Exodus 23:17, and is repeated here for the sake of mentioning the place where they were to appear, which before now was not observed, and indeed it is chiefly for that the other festivals are he... [ Continue Reading ]
EVERY MAN SHALL GIVE AS HE IS ABLE,.... The quantity to be given is not fixed in the law, but the wise men appointed it, as observed on Deuteronomy 16:16 but it is left by the Lord to the generosity of the people, only giving this general rule, that they should do according to their ability, and as... [ Continue Reading ]
JUDGES AND OFFICERS SHALL THOU MAKE THEE,.... Judges were fixed in the sanhedrim, or court of judicature, and those that have lawsuits come before them; officers are masters of the staff and whip, and they stand before the judges, and go into markets, streets, and shops, to order the weights and mea... [ Continue Reading ]
THOU SHALL NOT WREST JUDGMENT,.... Or pervert it, pass a wrong sentence, or act contrary to justice; this is said to the judges as a direction to them, and so what follows: THOU SHALT NOT RESPECT PERSONS; so as to give the cause on account of outward circumstances and relations; as in favour of a r... [ Continue Reading ]
THAT WHICH IS ALTOGETHER JUST SHALT THOU FOLLOW,.... Or "justice", "justice" a, strict justice, and nothing else: THAT THOU MAYEST LIVE AND INHERIT THE LAND WHICH THE LORD THY GOD GIVETH THEE; that is, continue in the possession of it. a צדק צדק... [ Continue Reading ]
THOU SHALL NOT PLANT THEE A GROVE OF ANY TREES,.... Of any sort of trees, as oaks or any other; not but that it was lawful to plant trees and groves of them, but not for a religious or idolatrous use: particularly NEAR UNTO THE ALTAR OF THE LORD THY GOD, WHICH THOU SHALT MAKE THEE; as the Heathens... [ Continue Reading ]
NEITHER SHALT THOU SET UP ANY IMAGE,.... Graven or molten, of man, beast, fish, or fowl; the word signifies a "statue or pillar" c which was set up for idolatry; for, as Aben Ezra observes, what was not set up for idolatry was not forbidden, as when erected in memory of any action or remarkable even... [ Continue Reading ]