Bible Commentaries
Deuteronomy 16

Verse 1

CHAPTER XVI

The month of Abib to be observed, 1.

The feast of the passover and of unleavened bread, 2-8.

The feast of weeks, 9-12.

The feast of tabernacles, 13-15.

All the males to appear before the Lord thrice in the year, none

to come empty, each to give according to his ability, 16, 17.

Judges and officers to be made in all their cities, 18.

Strict justice shall be executed, 19, 20.

No grove to be planted near the altar of God, nor any image to

be set up, 21, 22.

NOTES ON CHAP. XVI

Verse Deuteronomy 16:1. Keep the passover — A feast so called because the angel that destroyed the firstborn of the Egyptians, seeing the blood of the appointed sacrifice sprinkled on the lintels and door-posts of the Israelites' houses, passed over THEM, and did not destroy any of their firstborn. Exodus 12:2; Exodus 12:2, "Exodus 12:3", &c.

Verse 3

Verse Deuteronomy 16:3. Bread of affliction — Because, being baked without leaven, it was unsavoury, and put them in mind of their afflictive bondage in Egypt.

Verse 11

Verse Deuteronomy 16:11. Thou shalt rejoice — The offerings of the Israelites were to be eaten with festivity, communicated to their friends with liberality, and bestowed on the poor with great generosity, that they might partake with them in these repasts with joy before the Lord. To answer these views it was necessary to eat the flesh while it was fresh, as in that climate putrefaction soon took place; therefore they were commanded to let nothing remain until the morning, Deuteronomy 16:4. This consideration is sufficient to account for the command here, without having recourse to those moral and evangelical reasons that are assigned by the learned and devout Mr. Ainsworth for the command. How beneficent and cheerful is the design of this institution! - Harmer, vol. i., p. 396.

Verse 16

Verse Deuteronomy 16:16. Three times in a year — Exodus 23:14; Exodus 23:14, where all the Jewish feasts are explained. See also Clarke "Leviticus 23:34".

Verse 18

Verse Deuteronomy 16:18. Judges and officers shalt thou make — JUDGES, שפטים shophetim, among the Hebrews, were probably the same as our magistrates or justices of the peace. OFFICERS, שטרים shoterim, seem to have been the same as our inquest sergeants, beadles, &c., whose office it was to go into the houses, shops, &c., and examine weights, measures, and the civil conduct of the people. When they found any thing amiss, they brought the person offending before the magistrate, and he was punished by the officer on the spot. They seem also to have acted as heralds in the army, Deuteronomy 20:5. See also Rab. Maimon in Sanhedrin. In China, for all minor offences, the person when found guilty is punished on the spot, in the presence of the magistrate or mandarin of justice.

Verse 21

Verse Deuteronomy 16:21. Thou shalt not plant thee a grove, &c. — We have already seen that groves were planted about idol temples for the purpose of the obscene worship performed in them. (Deuteronomy 12:3; Deuteronomy 12:3.) On this account God would have no groves or thickets about his altar, that there might be no room for suspicion that any thing contrary to the strictest purity was transacted there. Every part of the Divine worship was publicly performed, for the purpose of general edification.