Deuteronomy 26:14

_I HAVE NOT EATEN THEREOF IN MY MOURNING, NEITHER HAVE I TAKEN AWAY OUGHT THEREOF FOR ANY UNCLEAN USE, NOR GIVEN OUGHT THEREOF FOR THE DEAD: BUT I HAVE HEARKENED TO THE VOICE OF THE LORD MY GOD, AND HAVE DONE ACCORDING TO ALL THAT THOU HAST COMMANDED ME._ I have not eaten thereof in my mourning - in a season of sorrow, which brought defilement upon sacred things; according to a second class of commentators-`I have not eaten thereof, under a pretence of poverty, and grudging to give any away to the poor;' according to a third class, the words expressed a repudiation of an idolatrous custom of the Egyptians, who, in offering their first-fruits to Isis, invoked that deity in mournful strains. NEITHER ... FOR ANY UNCLEAN USE - i:e., any common purpose, different from what God had appointed, and which would have been a desecration of it. NOR GIVEN OUGHT THEREOF FOR THE DEAD - on any funer...

14._I have not eaten thereof in my mourning _(_tristitia_) It is clear that the sacred offerings are here spoken of; but the question is, what is meant by eating in mourning? This is the exposition received by almost universal consent; that although want may have tempted them to theft and fraud, yet the people assert that, even in their poverty and straits, they have abstained from the hallowed things; and to this I willingly assent; although this word “mourning” may be taken for the anxiety of a mind conscious of its iniquity in this sense, “Ihave not knowingly and willingly eaten anything consecrated to God, so that the hot iron (_cauterium_) of an evil conscience should burn me, in the way in which man’s guilt ever torments and troubles him.” As to the second clause, interpreters differ. Some translate the word _‘ _ בער _bagnar, _(221) _“ _to destr

12-15 How should the earth yield its increase, or, if it does, what comfort can we take in it, unless therewith our God gives us his blessing? All this represented the covenant relation between a reconciled God and every true believer, and the privileges and duties belonging to it. We must be watchful, and show that according to the covenant of grace in Christ Jesus, the Lord is our God, and we are his people, waiting in his appointed way for the performance of his gracious promises....

Verse Deuteronomy 26:14. _I HAVE NOT - GIVEN AUGHT THEREOF FOR THE DEAD_] That is, I have not consecrated any of it to an _idol_ which was generally a dead man whom superstition and ignorance had deified. From 1 Corinthians 10:27, we learn that it was customary to offer that flesh to idols which was afterwards sold publicly in the shambles; probably the blood was poured out before the idol in imitation of the sacrifices offered to the true God. Perhaps the text here alludes to a similar custom....

I HAVE NOT EATEN THEREOF IN MY MOURNING - When the Israelite would be unclean (compare the marginal references). NOR GIVEN OUGHT THEREOF FOR THE DEAD - The reference is not so much to the superstitious custom of placing food on or in tombs as to the funeral expenses, and more especially the usual feast for the mourners (compare Jeremiah 16:7; Ezekiel 24:17; Hosea 9:4; Tobit 4:17). The dedicated things were to be employed in glad and holy feasting, not therefore for funeral banquets; for death and all associated with it was regarded as unclean....

EXPOSITION THANKSGIVING AND PRAYER AT THE PRESENTATION OF FIRSTFRUITS AND TITHES. As Moses began his exposition of the laws and rights instituted for Israel by a reference to the sanctuary as the place which the Lord should choose, and the place where religious service was to be rendered (Deuteronomy 12:1.), so here he follows up his address by a reference to the same. Of the gifts which had to be presented at the sanctuary there were two specially connected with the social and domestic life of the people, viz. the firstfruits and the second tithe. To these, by a natural transition from the preceding discourse—occupied as that is with injunctions regarding their social and domestic relations—Mos

I HAVE NOT EATEN THEREOF IN MY MOURNING,.... When in grief and sorrow on account of any afflictive circumstance, for these were to be eaten with joy, Deuteronomy 16:11; and especially of the loss of relations by death, when holy things were not to be eaten by such persons; see Leviticus 10:19; and particularly tithes, though it is said n, "What is doubtful of tithing (whether it has been tithed or no) might be eaten by a mourner;'' and a man was reckoned such an one until his dead was buried. So Maimonides o observes, "a mourner may not eat holy things, as it is written, Deuteronomy 26:14; he is one whose relation is dead, when he is obliged to mourn; for he is

22. FIRSTFRUITS AND PRAYER CHAPTER 26 _ 1. The basket of first-fruits, confession and rejoicing (Deuteronomy 26:1)_ 2. Obedience yielded and prayer (Deuteronomy 26:12) 3. Jehovah acknowledges His people (Deuteronomy 26:16) The possession of the land is anticipated and a most beautiful ceremony is appointed for confession and worship in the place the Lord chose to place His Name there. The first of all the fruit of the land was to be gathered and put in a basket. This basket was presented unto the priest with the following words: “I profess this day unto the LORD thy God, that I am come unto the country which the LORD sware unto our fathers for to give us

The liturgical formula to be used when the triennial charity tithe (the Deuteronomic poor rate) is offered in the various localities (Deuteronomy 14:28 f.); for the tithes of the first and second year, see Deuteronomy 12:6; Deuteronomy 14:22 f.* Deuteronomy 26:14. The offerer must declare that this triennial tithe was free from pollution through contact with a mourner (Hosea 9:4) or with an unclean person (Leviticus 22:1 f.), or through

MOURNING. Hebrew. _avon_,. Homonym: here. suffering, or sorrow (as in Genesis 35:18 (margin), and Hosea 9:4), but. might in Genesis 49:3. FOR THE DEAD. Probably. defilement for touching. dead body....