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A form of confession made by him that offered the first - fruits,
ver. 1 - 11.
A prayer to be made after the disposal of the third year's tithe,
ver. 12 - 15.
He binds all these precepts upon them, by the divine authority,
and the covenant between God and them, ver. 16 - 19.
2: Thou shalt take - This seems to be required of each master of a
family, either upon his first settlement, or once every year at one of
their three feasts, when they were obliged to go up to Jerusalem.
5: A Syrian - So Jacob was, partly by his original, as being
born of Syrian parents, as were Abraham and Rebecca, both of
Chaldea or Mesopotamia, which was a part of Syria largely so
called, partly by his education and conversation; and partly by his
relations, his wives being such, and his children too by their mother's.
Ready to perish - Either through want and poverty;
(See (Ge 28:11,20,32:10),) or through the rage of his brother
Esau, and the treachery of his father - in - law Laban.
10: It - The basket of first - fruits, (De 26:2).
11: Thou shalt rejoice - Thou shalt hereby enabled to take comfort
in all thy employments, when thou hast sanctified them by giving God his
portion. It is the will of God, that we should be chearful not only in our
attendance upon his holy ordinances, but in our enjoyment of the gifts of
his providence. Whatever good thing God gives us, we should make the most
comfortable use of it we can, still tracing the streams to the fountain of
all consolation.
12: The year of tithing - Heb. the year of that tithe, so called,
either
- because these tithes were gathered only in that year. Or rather,
- because then only they were so bestowed; and whereas these second
tithes for two years together were eaten only by the owners and Levites,
and that in Jerusalem, in the third year they were eaten also by
the strangers, fatherless, and widows, and that in their own dwellings.
13: Before the Lord - In thy private addresses to God; for this is to
be said presently upon the distribution of these tithes, which was not done
at Jerusalem, but in their own private gates or dwellings.
And this is to be spoken before the Lord, that is, solemnly, seriously,
and in a religious manner, with due respect to God's presence, and will,
and glory.
14: In my mourning - In sorrow, or grieving that I was to give away
so much of my profits to the poor, but I have chearfully eaten and feasted
with them, as I was obliged to do. Unclean use - For any common use; for
any other use than that which thou hast appointed, which would have been a
pollution of them. For the dead - For any funeral pomp or service; for
the Jews used to send in provisions to feast with the nearest relations
of the party deceased; and in that case both the guests and food were
legally polluted, (Nu 19:11,14), and therefore the use of these tithes
in such cases had been a double fault, both the defiling of sacred food,
and the employing those provisions upon sorrowful occasions, which by God's
express command were to be eaten with rejoicing.
15: Look down - After that solemn profession of their obedience to
God's commands, they are taught to pray for God's blessing whereby they
are instructed how vain and ineffectual the prayers of unrighteous or
disobedient persons are.
17: Avouched - Or, declared, or owned.
18: Avouched thee - Hath owned thee for such before all the world by
eminent and glorious manifestations of his power and favour, by a solemn
entering into covenant with thee, and giving peculiar laws, promises, and
privileges to thee above all mankind.
