---
title: "Clarke"
description: "above all the nations of the earth, 18, 19. NOTES ON CHAP. XXVI Verse Deuteronomy 26:2. Thou shalt take of the first of all the fruit, &c. — This was"
image: "/images/missing.jpg"
url: "https://realbiblebelievers.com/commentaries/clarkes-commentary/deuteronomy/26"
---

*above all the nations of the earth*, 18, 19.
NOTES ON CHAP. XXVI

Verse [Deuteronomy 26:2](../../../kjv/deuteronomy/26/2). ***Thou shalt take of the first of all the fruit, &c.*** — This was intended to keep them in continual remembrance of the kindness of God, in preserving them through so many difficulties and literally fulfilling the promises he had made to them. God being the author of all their blessings, the first-fruits of the land were consecrated to him, as the author of every good and perfect gift.

Verse [Deuteronomy 26:5](../../../kjv/deuteronomy/26/5). ***A Syrian ready to perish*****was*****my father*** — This passage has been variously understood, both by the ancient versions and by modern commentators. The *Vulgate* renders it thus: *Syrus* *persequebatur patrem meum*, "A Syrian persecuted my father." The *Septuagint* thus: Συριαν απεβαλεν ὁ πατηρ μου, "My father abandoned Syria." The *Targum* thus: לבן ארמאה בעא לאובדא ית אבא *Laban* *arammaah bea leobada yath abba*, "Laban the Syrian endeavoured to destroy my father." The *Syriac*: "My father was led out of Syria into Egypt." The *Arabic*: "Surely, Laban the Syrian had almost destroyed my father." The *Targum* of *Jonathan ben Uzziel*: "Our father Jacob went at first into Syria of Mesopotamia, and Laban sought to destroy him."
Father *Houbigant* dissents from all, and renders the original thus: *Fames urgebat patrem meum, qui in AEgyptum descendit*, "Famine oppressed my father, who went down into Egypt." This interpretation Houbigant gives the text, by taking the י *yod* from the word ארמי *arammi*, which signifies an *Aramite* or Syrian, and joining it to יאבד *yeabud*, the *future* for the *perfect*, which is common enough in Hebrew, and which may signify *constrained*; and seeking for the meaning of ארם *aram* in the Arabic [Arabic] *arama*, which signifies *famine, dearth*, &c., he thus makes out his version, and this version he defends at large in his notes. It is pretty evident, from the text, that by a *Syrian* we are to understand *Jacob*, so called from his long residence in Syria with his father-in-law Laban. And his *being ready to perish* may signify the hard usage and severe labour he had in Laban's service, by which, as his health was much impaired, so his life might have often been in imminent danger.

Verse [Deuteronomy 26:8](../../../kjv/deuteronomy/26/8). ***With a mighty hand, &c.*** — [Deuteronomy 4:34](../../../kjv/deuteronomy/4/34); [Deuteronomy 4:34](../../../kjv/deuteronomy/4/34).

Verse [Deuteronomy 26:11](../../../kjv/deuteronomy/26/11). ***Thou shalt rejoice*** — God intends that his followers shall be happy; that they shall eat their bread with gladness and singleness of heart, praising him. Those who eat their meat grudgingly, under the pretence of their *unworthiness*, &c., profane God's bounties and shall have no thanks for their voluntary humility.
***Thou, and the Levite, and the stranger*** — They were to take care to share God's bounties among all those who were dependent on them. The *Levite* has no inheritance, let him rejoice with thee. The *stranger* has no home, let him feel thee to be his friend and his father.

Verse [Deuteronomy 26:12](../../../kjv/deuteronomy/26/12). ***The third year*****, which is*****the year of tithing*** — This is supposed to mean the third year of the seventh or Sabbatical year, in which the *tenths* were to be given to the poor. See the law, [Deuteronomy 14:28](../../../kjv/deuteronomy/14/28). But from the letter in both these places it would appear that the tithe was for the Levites, and that this tithe was drawn only once in three years.

Verse [Deuteronomy 26:14](../../../kjv/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 10:27-28](../../../kjv/1-corinthians/10/27-28), 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.

Verse [Deuteronomy 26:17](../../../kjv/deuteronomy/26/17). ***Thou hast avouched the Lord*** — The people *avouch*- publicly declare, that they have taken Jehovah to be their God.

Verse [Deuteronomy 26:18](../../../kjv/deuteronomy/26/18). ***And the Lord hath avouched*** — Publicly declared, by the blessings he pours down upon them, that he has taken them to be his peculiar people. Thus the covenant is made and ratified between God and his followers.

Verse [Deuteronomy 26:19](../../../kjv/deuteronomy/26/19). ***Make thee high above all nations*** — It is written, *Righteousness exalteth a nation, but sin is a reproach to any* *people*, [Proverbs 14:34](../../../kjv/proverbs/14/34). While Israel regarded God's word and kept his testimonies, they were the greatest and most respectable of all nations; but when they forsook God and his law, they became the most contemptible. O Britain, even more highly favoured than ancient Israel! learn wisdom by what they have suffered. It is not thy fleets nor thine armies, howsoever excellent and well appointed, that can ultimately exalt and secure thy permanence among the nations. It is righteousness *alone*. Become irreligious, neglect God's ordinances, profane his Sabbath, despise his word, persecute his followers, and thou art lost. But fear, love, and serve him, and thy enemies shall be found liars, thou shalt defeat their projects, and trample on their high places.
THE form of confession when bringing the first-fruits, related [Deuteronomy 26:4-10](../../../kjv/deuteronomy/26/4-10), is both affecting and edifying. Even when brought into a state of affluence and rest, they were commanded to remember and publicly acknowledge their former degradation and wretchedness, that they might be ever kept humble and dependent; and they must bring their offering as a public acknowledgment to God that it was by his mercy their state was changed, and by his bounty their comforts were continued. If a man rise from poverty to affluence, and forget his former state, he becomes proud, insolent, and oppressive. If a Christian convert forget his former state, the rock whence he was hewn, and the hole of the pit whence he was digged, he soon becomes careless, unthankful, and unholy. The case of the *ten lepers* that were cleansed, of whom only *one* returned to give God thanks, is an awful lesson. How many are continually living on the bounty of God, who feel no gratitude for his mercies! Reader, Is this thy state? If so, then expect the just God to curse thy blessings.

```json
{"@context":"https://schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https://realbiblebelievers.com/#website","url":"https://realbiblebelievers.com","name":"Real Bible Believers","description":"RBB","publisher":{"@id":"https://realbiblebelievers.com/#/schema/person/e966585dde703268e7f6ae890ea98509"},"potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":"https://realbiblebelievers.com/search?q={search_term_string}","query-input":"required name=search_term_string"}],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"ImageObject","@id":"https://realbiblebelievers.com/commentaries/clarkes-commentary/deuteronomy/26#primaryimage","inLanguage":"en-US","url":"https://realbiblebelievers.com/images/missing.jpg","contentUrl":"https://realbiblebelievers.com/images/missing.jpg","width":640,"height":370,"caption":"Clarke's Commentary -  Deuteronomy 26"},{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https://realbiblebelievers.com/commentaries/clarkes-commentary/deuteronomy/26#webpage","url":"https://realbiblebelievers.com/commentaries/clarkes-commentary/deuteronomy/26","name":"Clarke's Commentary -  Deuteronomy 26","isPartOf":{"@id":"https://realbiblebelievers.com/#website"},"primaryImageOfPage":{"@id":"https://realbiblebelievers.com/commentaries/clarkes-commentary/deuteronomy/26#primaryimage"},"datePublished":null,"dateModified":null,"author":{"@id":"https://realbiblebelievers.com/#/schema/person/e966585dde703268e7f6ae890ea98509"},"description":"above all the nations of the earth, 18, 19. NOTES ON CHAP. XXVI Verse Deuteronomy 26:2. Thou shalt take of the first of all the fruit, &c. — This was","breadcrumb":{"@id":"https://realbiblebelievers.com/commentaries/clarkes-commentary/deuteronomy/26#breadcrumb"},"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https://realbiblebelievers.com/commentaries/clarkes-commentary/deuteronomy/26"]}]},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https://realbiblebelievers.com/commentaries/clarkes-commentary/deuteronomy/26#breadcrumb","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"item":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https://realbiblebelievers.com/","url":"https://realbiblebelievers.com/","name":"Home"}},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"item":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https://realbiblebelievers.com/commentaries","url":"https://realbiblebelievers.com/commentaries","name":"Commentaries"}},{"@type":"ListItem","position":3,"item":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https://realbiblebelievers.com/commentaries/clarkes-commentary","url":"https://realbiblebelievers.com/commentaries/clarkes-commentary","name":"Clarke's Commentary"}},{"@type":"ListItem","position":4,"item":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https://realbiblebelievers.com/commentaries/clarkes-commentary/deuteronomy","url":"https://realbiblebelievers.com/commentaries/clarkes-commentary/deuteronomy","name":"Deuteronomy"}},{"@type":"ListItem","position":5,"item":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https://realbiblebelievers.com/commentaries/clarkes-commentary/deuteronomy/26","url":"https://realbiblebelievers.com/commentaries/clarkes-commentary/deuteronomy/26","name":"26"}}]},{"@type":["Person","Organization"],"@id":"https://realbiblebelievers.com/#/schema/person/e966585dde703268e7f6ae890ea98509","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","@id":"https://realbiblebelievers.com/#personlogo","inLanguage":"en-US","url":"https://realbiblebelievers.com/android-chrome-512x512.png","contentUrl":"https://realbiblebelievers.com/android-chrome-512x512.png","width":512,"height":512},"logo":{"@id":"https://realbiblebelievers.com/#personlogo"},"sameAs":["https://twitter.com/RBiblebeliever","https://www.facebook.com/RBibleBelievers"]}]}
```