Deuteronomy 16

Deuteronomy 16:1

CHAPTER 16

Their feast of the passover to be kept, , and to eat unleavened bread, . The seven weeks and their feasts, . The feast of tabernacles to be observed by them, and their family, seven days, . All the males to appear before the Lord three times a year, and at these three feasts, ,17. Judges and officers are appointed, , and are prohibited to set up idolatry, ,22.

Object. They came out of Egypt by day, and in the morning, as appears from 13:3 .

Answ. They are said to be brought out by night, because in the night Pharaoh was forced to give them leave to depart, and accordingly they made preparation for their departure, and in the morning they perfected the work.

Deuteronomy 16:2

The passover, i.e. either,

1. Properly and strictly so called, which was the paschal lamb, and so the sheep and oxen, which here follow, are mentioned only as additional sacrifices, which were to be offered in the seven days of the paschal solemnity, ,19, &c. Or,

2. Largely, to wit, for the passover-offerings, to wit, which were offered after the lamb in the seven days, and so this very word is used ,9. And this signification seems necessary here, partly because it is here said to consist

of the flock and of the herd, or of sheep and oxen, and partly because it follows, , Thou shalt eat no leavened bread with it, seven days shalt thou eat unleavened bread therewith, i.e. with the passover, which could not be done with the passover strictly so called, which was to be wholly spent in one day. Or,

3. The feast of the passover, and so the place may be rendered, Thou shalt therefore observe or keep the feast of the passover (as those same Hebrew words are taken, ,17,18,19) unto the Lord thy God, with sheep and with oxen, as is prescribed, , &c.

Deuteronomy 16:3

With it, to wit, with the passover, in the sense delivered; or, in it, i.e. during the time of the feast of the passover.

The bread of affliction, i.e. bread which is not usual nor pleasant, but unsavoury and unwholesome, to put thee in mind both of thy miseries endured in Egypt, and of thy hasty coming out of it, which allowed thee no time to leaven or to prepare thy bread.

Deuteronomy 16:4

At even, i.e. of the passover properly so called, and by these words plainly described; which circumlocution may seem to insinuate that the word passover, , was improperly used, and therefore he chose rather to describe it than to name it, lest the ambiguity of the word should occasion some mistake.

Deuteronomy 16:5

Within any of thy gates, i. e of thy cities, as that word is oft used, as 24:60 .

Deuteronomy 16:6

There thou shalt sacrifice the passover, to wit, in the court of the tabernacle or temple. This he prescribed, partly, that this great work might be done with more solemnity and care, in such manner as God required; partly, because it was not only a sacrament, but also a sacrifice, as appears because it is so called, 23:18 34:25 , and because here was the sprinkling of blood, which is the essential part and character of a sacrifice; and partly, to design the place where Christ, the true Passover or Lamb of God, was to be slain.

At the season; understand this with some latitude, as such phrases are commonly taken, about that season, when you had received command from me to go out of Egypt, and were preparing yourselves for the journey.

Deuteronomy 16:7

Thou shalt roast; so that word is used also .

In the morning; either,

1. The morning after the seventh day, as appears, partly, by the following verse, which is added to explain and limit this ambiguous word; partly, by the express command of God that the people should come to Jerusalem to keep this feast, which by God’ s appointment lasted for seven days; partly, from the examples of the people staying there the whole time of the feast, 35:17; and partly, from the nature and business of this feast, wherein there being so many extraordinary sacrifices to be offered, and feasts made by the people upon the sacrifices, and two days of solemn assemblies, it is not probable that they would absent themselves from these solemn services, for the performance whereof they came purposely to Jerusalem. Or,

2. The morning after the first day, and so they were permitted to go then, and possibly some that lived near Jerusalem might go and return again to the last day of the solemn assembly. But the former seems more probable.

Thy tents, i.e. thy dwellings, which he calls tents, as respecting their present state, and withal to put them in mind afterwards when they were settled in better habitations, that there was a time when they dwelt in tents.

Deuteronomy 16:8

Six days, to wit, besides the first day, on which the passover was killed; or rather besides the seventh and the last day, which is here mentioned apart, not as if leavened bread might be eaten then, for the contrary was evident from many places, but because there was something more to be done, to wit, a solemn assembly to be kept. So in all there were seven days, as it is said, .

Deuteronomy 16:9

Seven weeks; of which see on ,15.

To put the sickle to the corn, i.e. to reap thy corn, thy barley, when the first-fruits were offered, ,11.

Deuteronomy 16:10

The feast of weeks, i.e. of pentecost, .

Which thou shalt give, over and besides what was appointed, .

Deuteronomy 16:13

Of the feast of tabernacles, see on .

Deuteronomy 16:15

To wit, in God and the effects of his favour, praising him with glad heart.

Deuteronomy 16:16

All thy males; not the women, partly, because of their infirmity and unfitness for many journeys; partly, because the care of their children and families lay upon them; and partly, because they were sufficiently represented in the men.

Deuteronomy 16:18

Judges; chief magistrates to examine and determine causes and differences.

Officers, who were inferior and subordinate to the other, to bring causes and persons before them, to acquaint people with the mind and sentence of the judges, and to execute their sentence, ,9 Joshua 1:10,11 3:2,3. In all thy gates, i.e. thy cities, which he here calls

gates, because there were seats of judgment set. Compare .

Deuteronomy 16:19

Not wrest judgment, i.e. not give a perverse, forced, and unjust sentence. See Poole “”.

Not respect persons, i.e. not give sentence according to the quality of the person, his riches or poverty, friendship or enmity, but according to the justice of the cause.

A gift doth blind the eyes of the wise; corrupts and biasseth his mind, that as he will not, so ofttimes he cannot, discern between right and wrong.

The words of the righteous; either,

1. The words, i.e. the sentence, of those judges who are inclined and used to do righteous things, and have the repute of righteous men, it makes them give wrong judgment. Or,

2. The words, i.e. the matters, or causes, (as word oft signifies,) of righteous persons, or of them whose cause is just.

Deuteronomy 16:20

That which is altogether just, Heb. righteousness, righteousness, i.e. nothing but righteousness in all causes and times, and to all persons equally. Compare .

Deuteronomy 16:21

Because this was the practice of idolaters, , and might be an occasion of reviving idolatry. See 18:19.

Deuteronomy 16:22

Heb. statue, whether with a picture or representation, or without it, as the idolaters used to worship smoothed and polished stones or pillars without any image upon them.