Deuteronomy16
New Living Translation
1“In honor of the Lord your God, celebrate the Passover each year in the early spring, in the month of Abib, for that was the month in which the Lord your God brought you out of Egypt by night.
2Your Passover sacrifice may be from either the flock or the herd, and it must be sacrificed to the Lord your God at the designated place of worship—the place he chooses for his name to be honored.
3Eat it with bread made without yeast. For seven days the bread you eat must be made without yeast, as when you escaped from Egypt in such a hurry. Eat this bread—the bread of suffering—so that as long as you live you will remember the day you departed from Egypt.
4Let no yeast be found in any house throughout your land for those seven days. And when you sacrifice the Passover lamb on the evening of the first day, do not let any of the meat remain until the next morning.
5“You may not sacrifice the Passover in just any of the towns that the Lord your God is giving you.
6You must offer it only at the designated place of worship—the place the Lord your God chooses for his name to be honored. Sacrifice it there in the evening as the sun goes down on the anniversary of your exodus from Egypt.
7Roast the lamb and eat it in the place the Lord your God chooses. Then you may go back to your tents the next morning.
8For the next six days you may not eat any bread made with yeast. On the seventh day proclaim another holy day in honor of the Lord your God, and no work may be done on that day.
9“Count off seven weeks from when you first begin to cut the grain at the time of harvest.
10Then celebrate the Festival of Harvest to honor the Lord your God. Bring him a voluntary offering in proportion to the blessings you have received from him.
11This is a time to celebrate before the Lord your God at the designated place of worship he will choose for his name to be honored. Celebrate with your sons and daughters, your male and female servants, the Levites from your towns, and the foreigners, orphans, and widows who live among you.
12Remember that you were once slaves in Egypt, so be careful to obey all these decrees.
13“You must observe the Festival of Shelters for seven days at the end of the harvest season, after the grain has been threshed and the grapes have been pressed.
14This festival will be a happy time of celebrating with your sons and daughters, your male and female servants, and the Levites, foreigners, orphans, and widows from your towns.
15For seven days you must celebrate this festival to honor the Lord your God at the place he chooses, for it is he who blesses you with bountiful harvests and gives you success in all your work. This festival will be a time of great joy for all.
16“Each year every man in Israel must celebrate these three festivals: the Festival of Unleavened Bread, the Festival of Harvest, and the Festival of Shelters. On each of these occasions, all men must appear before the Lord your God at the place he chooses, but they must not appear before the Lord without a gift for him.
17All must give as they are able, according to the blessings given to them by the Lord your God.
18“Appoint judges and officials for yourselves from each of your tribes in all the towns the Lord your God is giving you. They must judge the people fairly.
19You must never twist justice or show partiality. Never accept a bribe, for bribes blind the eyes of the wise and corrupt the decisions of the godly.
20Let true justice prevail, so you may live and occupy the land that the Lord your God is giving you.
21“You must never set up a wooden Asherah pole beside the altar you build for the Lord your God.
22And never set up sacred pillars for worship, for the Lord your God hates them.
Study Guide
Public-domain commentary and original-language notes for Deuteronomy 16.
Chapter Summary
In this chapter: The yearly feasts. (1–17). Of judges, Groves and images forbidden. (18–22).
vv1-17
The laws for the three yearly feasts are here repeated; that of the Passover, that of the Pentecost, that of Tabernacles; and the general law concerning the people's attendance. Never should a believer forget his low estate of guilt and misery, his deliverance, and the price it cost the Redeemer; that gratitude and joy in the Lord may be mingled with sorrow for sin, and patience under the tribulations in his way to the kingdom of heaven. They must rejoice in their receivings from God, and in their returns of service and sacrifice to him; our duty must be our delight, as well as our enjoyment. If those who were under the law must rejoice before God, much more we that are under the grace of the gospel; which makes it our duty to rejoice evermore, to rejoice in the Lord always. When we rejoice in God ourselves, we should do what we can to assist others also to rejoice in him, by comforting the mourners, and supplying those who are in want. All who make God their joy, may rejoice in hope, for He is faithful that has promised.
vv18-22
Care is taken for the due administration of justice. All personal regards must be laid aside, so that right is done to all, and wrong to none. Care is taken to prevent following the idolatrous customs of the heathen. Nothing belies God more, or tends more to corrupt the minds of men, than representing and worshipping, by an image, that God, who is an almighty and eternal Spirit, present every where. Alas! even in gospel days, and under a better dispensation, established upon better promises, there is a tendency to set up idols, under one form or another, in the human heart.
Key Words
שָׁמַר: properly, to hedge about (as with thorns), i.e. guard; generally, to protect, attend to, etc.
חֹדֶשׁ: the new moon; by implication, a month
אָבִיב: green, i.e. a young ear of grain; hence, the name of the month Abib or Nisan
עָשָׂה: to do or make, in the broadest sense and widest application
פֶּסַח: a pretermission, i.e. exemption; used only techically of the Jewish Passover (the festival or the victim)
אֱלֹהִים: gods in the ordinary sense; but specifically used (in the plural thus, especially with the article) of the supreme God; occasionally applied by way of deference to magistrates; and sometimes as a superlative
כִּי: (by implication) very widely used as a relative conjunction or adverb (as below); often largely modified by other particles annexed
יָצָא: to go (causatively, bring) out, in a great variety of applications, literally and figuratively, direct and proxim.
מִצְרַיִם: Mitsrajim, i.e. Upper and Lower Egypt
לַיִל: properly, a twist (away of the light), i.e. night; figuratively, adversity
Cross References
Deuteronomy 16Establishes the foundational law for all males appearing three times a year before the Lord.
Supported by Matthew Henry, JFB
Provides the original prescription for roasting and eating the Passover lamb with unleavened bread.
Supported by Matthew Poole, JFB
Shows the historical fulfillment of roasting the Passover lambs according to the law at Jerusalem.
Supported by Matthew Poole, JFB
Repeats the solemn command for all males to appear before Yahweh at the three major feasts.
Supported by Matthew Henry, JFB
Anticipates the central sanctuary 'place which the Lord shall choose' to put His name.
Supported by Matthew Poole, JFB
Confirms the sacrificial nature of the Passover, requiring blood to be handled at the altar.
Supported by Matthew Poole, JFB
Identifies the Feast of Weeks as the harvest feast of firstfruits from your labors.
Supported by Matthew Henry, JFB
The central theological motive: remembering Egyptian bondage to motivate obedience, charity, and joyful worship.
Supported by Matthew Henry
Provides the detailed, foundational Levitical law for observing the seven-day Feast of Tabernacles.
Supported by Matthew Henry, JFB
Parallel prohibition against taking bribes, which blind the eyes of those who can see.
Supported by Matthew Henry
Commands the destruction of Canaanite groves, anticipating the ban on planting near God's altar.
Supported by John Calvin
The original institution of the Passover in Egypt during the month of Abib.
Supported by Matthew Poole
Specifies counting seven weeks from the day the wave sheaf of firstfruits was brought.
Supported by JFB
Contrasts God-ordained memorial stones inscribed with the Law with forbidden pagan ritual pillars.
Supported by John Calvin