Deuteronomy 16:11

_AND THOU SHALT REJOICE BEFORE THE LORD THY GOD, THOU, AND THY SON, AND THY DAUGHTER, AND THY MANSERVANT, AND THY MAIDSERVANT, AND THE LEVITE THAT IS WITHIN THY GATES, AND THE STRANGER, AND THE FATHERLESS, AND THE WIDOW, THAT ARE AMONG YOU, IN THE PLACE WHICH THE LORD THY GOD HATH CHOSEN TO PLACE HIS NAME THERE._ Thou shalt rejoice before the Lord thy God ... It was a time of great public rejoicing, in which the servants were to have the privilege of participating. Indeed, the national festivals were holidays for the servants; and repeated injunctions are made that they share in the feast (cf. Deuteronomy 12:18)....

11._And thou shalt require. _On another ground he exhorts and excites them to willingness, because the service of God brings this rejoicing; for there is nothing which ought more to stimulate us to obedience, that when we know that God rather consults our good than seeks to obtain any advantage from us. Ungodly men, indeed, rejoice also, nay, they are wanton and intemperate in their joy; but since that joy is not only transient, but their laughter is turned into weeping and gnashing of teeth, it is not without cause that Moses here magnifies it as a peculiar blessing, to rejoice before God; as if a father should invite his children to delight themselves together with him. But by this external exercise, believers were reminded that there is no real or desirable joy, unless in reference to God. And surely, however the wicked may exult in their pleasures, and abandon themselves to gratifcat...

1-17 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 comfo...

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. 39...

Feast of Weeks; and Deuteronomy 16:13, Feast of Tabernacles. Nothing is here added to the rules given in Leviticus and Numbers except the clauses so often recurring in Deuteronomy and so characteristic of it, which restrict the public celebration of the festivals to the sanctuary, and enjoin that the enjoyments of them should be extended to the Levites, widows, orphans, etc....

EXPOSITION CELEBRATION OF THE PASSOVER FESTIVAL, THE FEAST OF PENTECOST AND OF TABERNACLES. APPOINTMENT OF OFFICERS FOR THE ADMINISTRATION OF JUSTICE AND PREVENTION OF IDOLATRY. DEUTERONOMY 16:1 (Comp. Exodus 23:14-2; Exodus 34:18,...

AND THOU SHALT REJOICE BEFORE THE LORD THY GOD,.... Make a liberal feast, and keep it cheerfully, in the presence of God, in the place where he resides, thankfully acknowledging all his mercies and favours: THOU, AND THY SON, AND THY MANSERVANT, AND THY MAIDSERVANT, AND THE LEVITE THAT IS WITHIN THY GATES; that dwelt in the same city, who were all to come with him to Jerusalem at this feast, and to partake of it with him: AND THE STRANGER, AND THE FATHERLESS, AND THE WIDOW, THAT ARE AMONG YOU, IN THE PLACE WHICH THE LORD THY GOD HATH CHOSEN TO PLACE HIS NAME THERE; who should be at Jerusalem at this time....

12. THE FIRSTLINGS AND THE THREE FEASTS Chapter S 15:19-16:17 _ 1. Concerning the firstlings (Deuteronomy 15:19)_ 2. Passover (Deuteronomy 16:1) 3. Feast of weeks (Deuteronomy 16:9) 4. Feast of tabernacles (Deuteronomy 16:13) What is said in the closing verses of chapter 15 is supplementary to the law given concerning the first-born in Exodus 13:2; Exodus 13:12 and...

DEUTERONOMY 16. THE DEUTERONOMIC LAWS OF THE THREE ANNUAL PILGRIMAGE FEASTS. These are adaptations of the older laws in Exodus 23:18 *, Exodus 34:18; Exodus 34:22 f. (general regulations); Deuteronomy 12:21 (Passover); Deuteronomy 13:3 (Unleavened Bread), all J or E (see also Leviticus 23* (H) and Numbers 28 f., Numbers 9:1; Exodus 12:1 *,...

AND. Note the Figure of speech _Polysyndeton_ in this verse. See App-6....