Deuteronomy 26

Moses gives Israel two acts of thanksgiving to perform once they are settled in the land. The first is bringing the firstfruits of the harvest and retelling the story of God’s rescue. The second is a declaration after giving the third-year tithe to the poor. The chapter closes by renewing the covenant: Israel pledges itself to God, and God pledges Himself to Israel.

Deuteronomy 26:1

Moses looks ahead to the day Israel enters, possesses and settles the land. The land is called an inheritance, something received as a gift and not earned. Everything that follows grows out of that gratitude.

BSA: inheritance (“a gift, a legacy”): The land is handed down by God as a gift, not won by Israel’s own strength.

See also: Deuteronomy 8:17-18.

Deuteronomy 26:2

The worshiper takes the first part of the harvest, puts it in a basket, and carries it to the place God will choose. Giving the first portion says that the whole harvest belongs to God. The place is for His Name, meaning His presence and character.

BSA: firstfruits (“the choicest, initial produce”): The first and best is offered, not the leftovers.

Hebrew: רֵאשִׁית (reshit, H7225) — “first, beginning.” It comes from the word for head. The firstfruits are the head of the harvest, the part that stands for the whole.

See also: Proverbs 3:9-10.

Deuteronomy 26:3

The worshiper tells the priest that he has come into the land God swore to give. This is a public acknowledgment that God has kept His promise. The man is not praising his own farming. He is declaring God’s faithfulness.

BSA: declare (“profess, acknowledge openly”): The thanks are spoken aloud, not kept private.

Deuteronomy 26:4

The priest receives the basket and sets it before the altar. The gift passes from the offerer’s hands into God’s presence. The priest stands between the worshiper and God, and nothing is kept back for the giver.

BSA: priest (“spiritual leader, mediator”): He represents the people before God and receives their gift on His behalf.

Deuteronomy 26:5

The worshiper retells Israel’s beginnings. The father was a wandering Aramean, probably Jacob, who went down to Egypt with a handful of people. Israel starts its thanks by remembering how small, weak and homeless it once was.

BSA: wandering (“perishing, ready to perish”): The ancestor was close to dying, which shows how helpless Israel’s start was.

Hebrew: אֹבֵד (oved, H6) — “wandering, perishing, lost.” The word can mean lost or about to perish. It pictures a man who was weak and nearly gone, with nothing to boast about.

See also: Genesis 46:1-7.

Deuteronomy 26:6

The story turns dark. The Egyptians treated Israel harshly, oppressed them and forced them into hard labor. The worshiper does not hide the pain. Remembering it makes the rescue more precious.

BSA: afflicted (“oppressed, humbled”): Israel was pressed down and made to feel small under Egypt’s power.

See also: Exodus 1:11-14.

Deuteronomy 26:7

Israel cried out and the LORD heard. He did more than hear: He saw their misery, toil and oppression. He is the God of their fathers, who keeps covenant. The verse shows a God who pays attention to suffering and responds.

BSA: called out (“cried unto, with urgency”): It was a desperate cry for help, and God answered it. saw (“looked upon with care”): God’s seeing was caring attention, not distant observation.

See also: Exodus 2:23-25.

Deuteronomy 26:8

The LORD brought Israel out of Egypt by His own power. The mighty hand and outstretched arm picture a strong ruler acting on behalf of his people. The terror, signs and wonders refer to the plagues and the crossing of the sea.

BSA: outstretched (“stretched out”): God’s arm is reaching out in action, not held back. signs (“miraculous tokens, beacons”): The miracles pointed beyond themselves to who God is.

See also: Exodus 14:30-31; Deuteronomy 4:34.

Deuteronomy 26:9

God did not stop at the exodus. He led Israel to this place and gave them the land. Milk and honey describe a land of rich food and sweetness. The worshiper stands in the land as proof that God finished what He began.

BSA: flowing (“abundant, overflowing”): The land’s goodness is pictured as spilling over, a gift larger than they could have made.

See also: Exodus 3:8.

Deuteronomy 26:10

Now the worshiper brings the firstfruits as a response to what God has done. The gift is thanks for a rescue already given. He sets the basket down and bows. Worship ends with the worshiper low and God lifted up.

BSA: bow down (“worship, prostrate yourself”): The body shows what the heart is saying: God is the giver and I am the receiver.

Hebrew: הִשְׁתַּחֲוִיתָ (hishtachavita, H7812) — “you shall bow down.” The Hebrew word means to stretch oneself out low before someone greater. It is the common word for worship in the Old Testament.

Deuteronomy 26:11

Worship ends in joy, and the joy is shared. The Levite, who had no land of his own, and the foreigner living among Israel are invited to the celebration. God’s goodness is meant to be enjoyed together, with no one left outside.

BSA: rejoice (“in every good thing, with great gladness”): The gladness is meant to be wide, covering all of God’s gifts. foreigner (“sojourner, temporary resident”): Even the person passing through shares in the feast.

See also: Deuteronomy 16:11.

Deuteronomy 26:12

Every third year the tithe was kept in the towns and given to those without land or provider: the Levite, the foreigner, the orphan and the widow. It was meant to fill them, not just give them a token. Caring for the vulnerable is part of worshiping God.

BSA: fatherless (“orphan, without a father”): These children had no one to protect or provide for them, so God named them among those to be fed. filled (“satisfied, content”): The aim is that the poor are truly satisfied, not given a bare minimum.

See also: Deuteronomy 14:28-29.

Deuteronomy 26:13

After giving, the worshiper tells God that he has done what was commanded. He has removed the sacred portion from his house and given it to the four groups. The statement is an honest report of obedience before God, not a boast before people.

BSA: sacred portion (“holy tithe, set-apart gift”): The portion belonged to God and was no longer the farmer’s own. forgotten (“been oblivious to, neglected”): Forgetting here means neglecting God’s word, not just a slip of memory.

Deuteronomy 26:14

The worshiper names three ways the holy portion could have been misused: eating it in mourning, handling it while unclean, or offering it to the dead. Each would mix grief, impurity or pagan death practices with something that belonged to God. He states that he kept it pure.

BSA: unclean (“spiritually impure, defiled”): Holy things could not be treated casually or handled in a defiled state. dead (“as an offering to spirits of the dead”): This likely points to pagan customs of feeding the dead, which God’s people were to avoid.

See also: Deuteronomy 18:10-11.

Deuteronomy 26:15

Having obeyed, the worshiper prays. He asks God to look down from heaven and bless Israel and the land. He does not claim a reward. He asks for the blessing God had already promised on oath to the fathers.

BSA: bless (“bestow divine favor upon, prosper”): Blessing here means God’s favor resting on His people and their land. holy habitation (“the sacred sanctuary, Your dwelling place”): God is pictured as dwelling in heaven yet attentive to His people below.

See also: 1 Kings 8:30.

Deuteronomy 26:16

Moses wraps up the whole body of laws in this chapter’s concluding words. God commands His statutes and ordinances to be kept, and not halfheartedly. The call is for the whole inner person: heart and soul.

BSA: heart (“innermost being, mind, will, and emotions”): The heart in Scripture is the center of thought and choice, not just feeling. soul (“living being, essence”): Obedience is to involve the whole living person.

See also: Deuteronomy 6:5.

Deuteronomy 26:17

Israel’s side of the covenant is stated. By their words they have proclaimed that the LORD is their God and that they will walk His ways, keep His commands and listen to His voice. Having God as your God involves following Him in daily life.

BSA: walk (“follow, conduct your life”): Walking is a picture of daily conduct, one step after another. proclaimed (“publicly declared, avouched”): Israel openly stood on record as belonging to God.

Hebrew: הֶאֱמַרְתָּ (he’emarta, H559) — “you have declared, caused to say.” This unusual verb form is found only here and in the next verse. It describes each side formally stating its commitment to the other.

Deuteronomy 26:18

God’s side is now stated. He has declared that Israel is His people, His treasured possession, as He promised. A treasured possession is something valued and kept close. Being His people also means keeping His commandments.

BSA: treasured possession (“a valuable treasure, a peculiar people”): Israel is held dear by God like a prized personal treasure.

Hebrew: סְגֻלָּה (segullah, H5459) — “treasured possession, personal treasure.” The word describes the private wealth a king kept for himself. Israel is God’s own prized possession.

See also: Exodus 19:5; 1 Peter 2:9.

Deuteronomy 26:19

God promises to raise Israel high above the nations in praise, name and honor, so that others see His goodness through them. Yet their calling is holiness, a people set apart for the LORD. Their honor comes from belonging to Him.

BSA: holy (“set apart, sacred”): Holiness means belonging to God and being different because of it.

See also: Deuteronomy 28:1; Leviticus 20:26.