Deuteronomy 26: Firstfruits and a Grateful Confession
Bringing the first of the harvest, the worshiper recites the story of redemption and confesses obedience, sealing the covenant bond with God.
Deuteronomy 26 (WEB)
1 It shall be, when you have come in to the land which Yahweh your God gives you for an inheritance, possess it, and dwell in it,
2 that you shall take some of the first of all the fruit of the ground, which you shall bring in from your land that Yahweh your God gives you. You shall put it in a basket, and shall go to the place which Yahweh your God shall choose, to cause his name to dwell there.
3 You shall come to the priest who shall be in those days, and tell him, “I profess this day to Yahweh your God, that I have come to the land which Yahweh swore to our fathers to give us.”
4 The priest shall take the basket out of your hand, and set it down before the altar of Yahweh your God.
5 You shall answer and say before Yahweh your God, “My father was a Syrian ready to perish. He went down into Egypt, and lived there, few in number. There he became a great, mighty, and populous nation.
6 The Egyptians mistreated us, afflicted us, and imposed hard labor on us.
7 Then we cried to Yahweh, the God of our fathers. Yahweh heard our voice, and saw our affliction, our toil, and our oppression.
8 Yahweh brought us out of Egypt with a mighty hand, with an outstretched arm, with great terror, with signs, and with wonders;
9 and he has brought us into this place, and has given us this land, a land flowing with milk and honey.
10 Now, behold, I have brought the first of the fruit of the ground, which you, Yahweh, have given me.” You shall set it down before Yahweh your God, and worship before Yahweh your God.
11 You shall rejoice in all the good which Yahweh your God has given to you, and to your house, you, and the Levite, and the foreigner who is in your midst.
12 When you have made an end of tithing all the tithe of your increase in the third year, which is the year of tithing, then you shall give it to the Levite, to the foreigner, to the fatherless, and to the widow, that they may eat within your gates, and be filled.
13 You shall say before Yahweh your God, “I have put away the holy things out of my house, and also have given them to the Levite, to the foreigner, to the fatherless, and to the widow, according to all your commandment which you have commanded me. I have not transgressed any of your commandments, neither have I forgotten them.
14 I have not eaten of it in my mourning, neither have I removed any of it while I was unclean, nor given of it for the dead. I have listened to the voice of Yahweh my God. I have done according to all that you have commanded me.
15 Look down from your holy habitation, from heaven, and bless your people Israel, and the ground which you have given us, as you swore to our fathers, a land flowing with milk and honey.”
16 This day Yahweh your God commands you to do these statutes and ordinances. You shall therefore keep and do them with all your heart and with all your soul.
17 You have declared this day that Yahweh is your God, and that you would walk in his ways, and keep his statutes, and his commandments, and his ordinances, and listen to his voice.
18 Yahweh has declared this day that you are a people for his own possession, as he has promised you, and that you should keep all his commandments.
19 He will make you high above all nations that he has made, in praise, in name, and in honor; and that you may be a holy people to Yahweh your God, as he has spoken.
Deuteronomy 26 (KJV)
1 And it shall be, when thou art come in unto the land which the Lord thy God giveth thee for an inheritance, and possessest it, and dwellest therein;
2 That thou shalt take of the first of all the fruit of the earth, which thou shalt bring of thy land that the Lord thy God giveth thee, and shalt put it in a basket, and shalt go unto the place which the Lord thy God shall choose to place his name there.
3 And thou shalt go unto the priest that shall be in those days, and say unto him, 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.
4 And the priest shall take the basket out of thine hand, and set it down before the altar of the Lord thy God.
5 And thou shalt speak and say before the Lord thy God, A Syrian ready to perish was my father, and he went down into Egypt, and sojourned there with a few, and became there a nation, great, mighty, and populous:
6 And the Egyptians evil entreated us, and afflicted us, and laid upon us hard bondage:
7 And when we cried unto the Lord God of our fathers, the Lord heard our voice, and looked on our affliction, and our labour, and our oppression:
8 And the Lord brought us forth out of Egypt with a mighty hand, and with an outstretched arm, and with great terribleness, and with signs, and with wonders:
9 And he hath brought us into this place, and hath given us this land, even a land that floweth with milk and honey.
10 And now, behold, I have brought the firstfruits of the land, which thou, O Lord, hast given me. And thou shalt set it before the Lord thy God, and worship before the Lord thy God:
11 And thou shalt rejoice in every good thing which the Lord thy God hath given unto thee, and unto thine house, thou, and the Levite, and the stranger that is among you.
12 When thou hast made an end of tithing all the tithes of thine increase the third year, which is the year of tithing, and hast given it unto the Levite, the stranger, the fatherless, and the widow, that they may eat within thy gates, and be filled;
13 Then thou shalt say before the Lord thy God, I have brought away the hallowed things out of mine house, and also have given them unto the Levite, and unto the stranger, to the fatherless, and to the widow, according to all thy commandments which thou hast commanded me: I have not transgressed thy commandments, neither have I forgotten them:
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.
15 Look down from thy holy habitation, from heaven, and bless thy people Israel, and the land which thou hast given us, as thou swarest unto our fathers, a land that floweth with milk and honey.
16 This day the Lord thy God hath commanded thee to do these statutes and judgments: thou shalt therefore keep and do them with all thine heart, and with all thy soul.
17 Thou hast avouched the Lord this day to be thy God, and to walk in his ways, and to keep his statutes, and his commandments, and his judgments, and to hearken unto his voice:
18 And the Lord hath avouched thee this day to be his peculiar people, as he hath promised thee, and that thou shouldest keep all his commandments;
19 And to make thee high above all nations which he hath made, in praise, and in name, and in honour; and that thou mayest be an holy people unto the Lord thy God, as he hath spoken.
Deuteronomy 26 (ASV)
1 And it shall be, when thou art come in unto the land which Jehovah thy God giveth thee for an inheritance, and possessest it, and dwellest therein,
2 that thou shalt take of the first of all the fruit of the ground, which thou shalt bring in from thy land that Jehovah thy God giveth thee; and thou shalt put it in a basket, and shalt go unto the place which Jehovah thy God shall choose, to cause his name to dwell there.
3 And thou shalt come unto the priest that shall be in those days, and say unto him, I profess this day unto Jehovah thy God, that I am come unto the land which Jehovah sware unto our fathers to give us.
4 And the priest shall take the basket out of thy hand, and set it down before the altar of Jehovah thy God.
5 And thou shalt answer and say before Jehovah thy God, A Syrian ready to perish was my father; and he went down into Egypt, and sojourned there, few in number; and he became there a nation, great, mighty, and populous.
6 And the Egyptians dealt ill with us, and afflicted us, and laid upon us hard bondage:
7 and we cried unto Jehovah, the God of our fathers, and Jehovah heard our voice, and saw our affliction, and our toil, and our oppression;
8 and Jehovah brought us forth out of Egypt with a mighty hand, and with an outstretched arm, and with great terribleness, and with signs, and with wonders;
9 and he hath brought us into this place, and hath given us this land, a land flowing with milk and honey.
10 And now, behold, I have brought the first of the fruit of the ground, which thou, O Jehovah, hast given me. And thou shalt set it down before Jehovah thy God, and worship before Jehovah thy God:
11 and thou shalt rejoice in all the good which Jehovah thy God hath given unto thee, and unto thy house, thou, and the Levite, and the sojourner that is in the midst of thee.
12 When thou hast made an end of tithing all the tithe of thine increase in the third year, which is the year of tithing, then thou shalt give it unto the Levite, to the sojourner, to the fatherless, and to the widow, that they may eat within thy gates, and be filled.
13 And thou shalt say before Jehovah thy God, I have put away the hallowed things out of my house, and also have given them unto the Levite, and unto the sojourner, to the fatherless, and to the widow, according to all thy commandment which thou hast commanded me: I have not transgressed any of thy commandments, neither have I forgotten them:
14 I have not eaten thereof in my mourning, neither have I put away thereof, being unclean, nor given thereof for the dead: I have hearkened to the voice of Jehovah my God; I have done according to all that thou hast commanded me.
15 Look down from thy holy habitation, from heaven, and bless thy people Israel, and the ground which thou hast given us, as thou swarest unto our fathers, a land flowing with milk and honey.
16 This day Jehovah thy God commandeth thee to do these statutes and ordinances: thou shalt therefore keep and do them with all thy heart, and with all thy soul.
17 Thou hast avouched Jehovah this day to be thy God, and that thou wouldest walk in his ways, and keep his statutes, and his commandments, and his ordinances, and hearken unto his voice:
18 and Jehovah hath avouched thee this day to be a people for his own possession, as he hath promised thee, and that thou shouldest keep all his commandments;
19 and to make thee high above all nations that he hath made, in praise, and in name, and in honor; and that thou mayest be a holy people unto Jehovah thy God, as he hath spoken.
Summary
Once Israel is settled in the land, each worshiper is to bring the first of the ground's fruit in a basket to the place God chooses. There he recites a remarkable confession of faith that retells the whole story of salvation: a wandering, perishing ancestor went down to Egypt, became a great nation, was oppressed, cried out, and was brought out by the Lord's mighty hand into a land flowing with milk and honey. Giving the firstfruits is thus an act of grateful memory, worship offered before the One who gave the harvest. Every third year the worshiper also declares that he has faithfully given the tithe to the Levite, the foreigner, the fatherless, and the widow, having kept God's commandments. The chapter closes with a mutual declaration: Israel affirms that Yahweh is their God and they will walk in his ways, and Yahweh affirms that they are his treasured people, set high above the nations for praise and honor, a holy people belonging to him. Gratitude, generosity, and covenant belonging are bound together in joyful worship.
Main Characters
- The worshiping Israelite — Every member of the covenant people, who brings the firstfruits, recites the story of redemption, and confesses faithful obedience and generosity.
- The priest — The one who receives the basket of firstfruits and sets it before the altar of the Lord on the worshiper's behalf.
- The Levite, foreigner, fatherless, and widow — The recipients of the third-year tithe, those without land or family who are fed and filled within Israel's gates.
- Yahweh (the LORD) — The God who redeemed Israel, gave them the land, and declares them his own treasured and holy people.
Key Verse
Deuteronomy 26:18 (WEB)
Yahweh has declared this day that you are a people for his own possession, as he has promised you, and that you should keep all his commandments.
Lessons Learned
- Worship begins with remembering what God has done to save us.
- Giving God the first and best is an act of grateful trust, not mere duty.
- True devotion to God overflows in concrete care for the poor and the outsider.
- Belonging to God is a covenant in which he claims us as his own treasured people.
- Gratitude retells the story. The worshiper recounts how “Yahweh brought us out of Egypt with a mighty hand” (Deuteronomy 26:8, WEB). Remembering our rescue fuels our worship and giving.
- The first belongs to God. “I have brought the first of the fruit of the ground, which you, Yahweh, have given me” (Deuteronomy 26:10, WEB). We return to God the firstfruits because everything came from him.
- Devotion includes the needy. The tithe is given “to the Levite, to the foreigner, to the fatherless, and to the widow… that they may eat… and be filled” (Deuteronomy 26:12, WEB). Love for God flows out to the vulnerable.
- God claims a people for himself. “You are a people for his own possession” (Deuteronomy 26:18, WEB); the covenant is, at its heart, the joy of belonging wholly to him.
- What is the significance of bringing the first of the harvest, rather than the leftovers, to God?
- Why do you think the worshiper must recite the whole story of redemption when he gives his offering?
- How does the third-year tithe connect worship of God with care for the poor?
- What does it mean for God to declare Israel “a people for his own possession” (26:18)? How does the New Testament apply this to believers (see 1 Peter 2:9)?
- How might rehearsing the story of what God has done for you change the way you give and worship?
- Bringing the firstfruits says, in effect, “You are first.” It trusts God for the rest of the harvest and refuses to treat him as an afterthought. The offering is an outward sign of an inward conviction that all we have is his gift.
- Giving is meant to be remembering. By reciting the exodus, the worshiper roots his generosity in gratitude rather than pride. We give well only when we remember how much we have received. Invite the group to recall their own “story of rescue” in Christ.
- The tithe is not stored up but shared out, feeding those with no land or family. Worship that ignores the poor is hollow; genuine devotion to God always reaches toward the vulnerable. The two commands—love God, love neighbor—are joined here.
- It means Israel is God's treasured, chosen, holy people, set apart for his praise. Peter takes up this very language for the church: “a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation” (1 Pet 2:9). Believers in Christ now share this stunning identity.
- This is a personal-application question. Encourage members to name specific things God has done for them and to let that remembered grace shape their generosity and gratitude. Keep the focus on thankfulness rather than obligation.