Deuteronomy 26

The offering of the first fruits with an excellent confession thanksgiving and rejoicing before the Lord verse 1 &c. as also of the three year tithes 12 a ratification of the covenant between god and his people both sides 16.

1. Furthermore it shall come to pass when thou shalt be come into the land which the Lord thy God shall give thee for an inheritance and thus halt possess it hereditarily and dwell therein.

2. Then thou shalt take of the firstlings of the fruits of the land which thou shalt bring up of thy land which the Lord thy God giveth thee and shall put them in the basket and thou shalt go to the place which the Lord thy God shall have chosen to cause his name to dwell there.

3. And thou shalt come unto the priest that shalt be in those days and say unto him I declare this day before the Lord thy god that I am come this day unto the land which the Lord swear unto our fathers that he would give us.

4. And the priest shall take the basket out of thine hand and he shall set it down before the altar of the Lord thy God.

5. The thou shalt protest before the Lord thy God and say my father [that is forefather ancestor namely Jacob] was a corrupted [or perishing ready to be lost that is near lost ready to perish as often lost sheep that is wasted and in danger of perishing in respect of all the wrong that his forefather in law hath done to him as also either grievances which he sustained both in his hard service with Laban and in after his returning back from thence compare the chapter Genesis 31:33,34,37 and chapter 47.9]] Syrians [in respect of the long continuance and abode with Laban in Syria otherwise he was born in the land of Canaan others corrupted by the Syrians to wit Laban Genesis 25:26] and he went down into Egypt and sourjoned there with few people [Heb. Men] but he became there a great and mighty and numerous people [this confession tended to honor God who had wonderfully prevented the approach ruined of Jacob and his family according to his promise.]

6. But the Egyptians did us mischief and oppressed and laid hard bondage upon us.

7. Then we cried unto the Lord the God of our father the Lord heard our voice and looked on our misery [see Genesis 16 on verse 13.] and our labor and oppression.

8. And the Lord brought us forth out of Egypt by a strong hand and by an outstretched arm and by great terror and by token and by wonders.

9. And he had brought us unto this and he hath given us this land a land flowing with milk and honey.

10. And now behold I have brought the firstlings of the fruits of this land which thou Lord hast given me then shalt thou set them down before the faceoff the Lord thy God.

11. And thou shalt rejoice in all the good which the Lord thy God hath given unto thee and unto thine house thou and the Levites and the stranger that is in the midst of thee.

12. When thou shalt have made an end of tithing’s all the tithes of thine increase [that is shalt have gathered all the tithes together see of the tithes Leviticus 27 on verse 30 Numbers 18:24] in the third year being a year of tithes then shalt thou give unto the Levites the stranger the fatherless and the widow that they may eat within the gates [that is cities or places of thy habitation] and be satisfied.

13. And thou shalt day before the face of the Lord thy god I have taken away the holy thing [meaning the tithes which were hallowed unto the Lord for the Levites stranger &c.] out of mine house and have also given into the Levites and unto the stranger and unto the fatherless and unto the widow according to all the commandments which thou hast commanded me I have not transgressed any thing of thy commandments neither have I forgotten anything.

14. I have not eaten therefore in my sorrow [that is in mine adversity although I prospered not yet not withstanding I seized not on tithes for myself or in my mourning whereby it should have become unclean unto which the following words likewise have respect] neither have I taken ought therefore towards a dead corp. [that is towards a funeral feast or burial of the dead wherein a man might seek to excuse the matter with seeming the shew of holiness an diet not withstanding be polluted] I have been obedient unto the voice of the Lord my god I have done according to all that thou hast commanded me.

15. Look down from thine holy habitation and bless thy people Israel [that is children or posterity of Israel or Jacob] and the land which thou hast given us according as thou sweareth unto our father a land flowing with honey and milk.

16. This day the Lord commanded thee to do these statutes and judgments keep them and do them with all thine heart and with all thine soul.

17. Thou hast made the Lord say [that is declare promise and so in the next verse] this day that he will be a God unto thee [see Genesis17 on verse 7] and that thou shalt walk in his ways and keep his statutes and his commandments and his judgments [see above chapter 5 on verse 31] and that thou shalt be obedient unto his voice.

18. And the Lord hath made thee say this day that thou wilt be a peculiar people unto him according as he hath spoken unto thee and thou wilt keep all his commandments [that is at this time the covenant formerly made with Abraham and his seed and fulfilling of Gods promise and evidencing of thy thankfulness.]

19. That so may be set thee high above all nations which he hath made unto praise and unto name and unto glory [or ornament or Excellency that is cause thee to excel as that thou art renowned and glorified above all nations in the world and that to praise and glory of the Lord high and glorious his name who is the only author of all gracious blessings both spiritual and corporal compare below chapter 28.1 and above chapter 10 on verse 21 and 2 Samuel 7:23 Jeremiah 33:9 &c.] and that thou mayest be an holy people unto the Lord thy God according as he hath spoken.