The Book of Deuteronomy repeats the laws about the main Yahwist religious festivals that we find in Exodus, Leviticus, and Numbers. At the same time, three obligatory festivals are established...
The Book of Deuteronomy repeats the laws about the main Yahwist religious festivals that we find in Exodus, Leviticus, and Numbers. At the same time, three obligatory festivals are established, the necessary minimum of participation in religious life that still allows a person to be considered a Yahwist. Here, of course, a whole series of questions arises. The first and main one comes down to how far it is possible at all to limit a person's spiritual life to three religious festivals, and therefore to three weeks a year. It is completely obvious that this is not enough for any normal, full spiritual life.
Why, then, does Deuteronomy prescribe such a minimum? Because, evidently, it has in view above all the religious component of spiritual life. Deuteronomy is generally one of the most religiously saturated Old Testament texts. It is permeated by the religiosity characteristic of the period when it was written, permeated as no other book of the Old Testament is. Religiosity, by its very nature, inevitably turns out to be formal. Here there must necessarily be certain clearly defined external criteria that make it possible to judge how far a person's behavior corresponds to the religious norm of the community to which he belongs, and how far one can speak at all of a person's belonging to the corresponding community. Participation in religious events, especially in the festive assemblies of one's community, is one of the main criteria. A person who does not come to the assemblies is considered to have fallen away from the community; a person who is not allowed into them is excommunicated. At the same time, since religious consciousness as a rule does not distinguish between religious life and spiritual life, excommunication from the community is automatically perceived by religious people as excommunication from God as well. A person who is truly, thoroughly, and consistently religious is usually completely sure that it is the community that determines the relationship of its members with God.
Against this background, Deuteronomy's prescriptions about the three obligatory festivals look rather like a minimum of religious requirements concerning participation in the religious life of the Yahwist community. This minimum was meant to push no one away, and of course it could in no way hinder those seeking a deeper spiritual life, which is precisely what was required.
16 A repetition of the laws concerning the passover, Deu 16:1-8.
The feast of pentecost, Deu 16:9-12.
That of tabernacles, Deu 16:13-15.
All the males are to attend them, Deu 16:16-17.
An appointment of judges and officers, Deu 16:18-20.
A caution against groves and images, Deu 16:21-22.
16:1 Observe the month of Abib - Or of new fruits, which answers to part of March and part of April, and was by a special order from God made the beginning of their year, in remembrance of their deliverance out of Egypt. By night - 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.
16:2 The passover - That is, the feast of the passover, and so the place may be rendered, thou shalt therefore observe the feast of the passover unto the Lord thy God, with sheep, and with oxen, as is prescribed, Num 28:18, etc
16:3 With it - Or, in it, that is, during the time of the feast of the passover. Bread of affliction - Bread which is not usual nor pleasant, 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 prepare thy bread.
16:4 Any of the flesh - That is, of the passover properly so called.
16:5 Of thy gates - That is, of thy cities.
16:6 There - Namely, in the court of the tabernacle or temple. This he prescribed, partly that this great work might be done with more solemnity in such manner as God required; partly, because it was not only a sacrament, but also a sacrifice, and because here was the sprinkling of blood, which is the essential part 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 - About the time you were preparing yourselves for it.
16:7 In the morning - The morning after the seventh day. Thy tents - That is, thy dwellings, which he calls tents, as respecting their present state, and to put them in mind afterwards when they were settled in better habitations, that there was a time when they dwelt in tents.
16:8 Six days - Namely, besides the first day, on which the passover was killed.
16:9 To put the sickle - That is, to reap thy corn, thy barley, when the first - fruits were offered.
16:10 Of weeks - Of pentecost. Thou shalt give - Over and besides what was appointed.
16:17 Thou shalt rejoice - In God and the effects of his favour, praising him with a glad heart.
16:18 Judges - Chief magistrates to examine and determine causes and differences. Officers - Who were subordinate to the other to bring causes and persons before him, to acquaint people with the sentence of the judges, and to execute their sentence. Thy gates - Thy cities, which he here calls gates, because there were seats of judgment set. Pursuant to this law, in every town which contained above an hundred and twenty families, there was a court of twenty three judges; in the smaller towns, a court of three judges.
16:19 Wrest judgment - Not give an unjust sentence. A gift doth blind the eyes - Biasseth his mind, that he cannot discern between right and wrong. The words - That is the sentence, of those judges who are used to do righteous things, it makes them give wrong judgment.
16:20 That which is altogether just - Heb. righteousness, righteousness, that is, nothing but righteousness in all causes and times, and to all persons equally.
16:21 Thou shalt not plant - Because this was the practice of idolaters, and might be an occasion of reviving idolatry.