Verse-by-Verse Commentary
The Book of Deuteronomy
Chapter 16: The Feasts and the Call to Justice
Three times a year all Israel gathered before the LORD, and this chapter gives the calendar of those great feasts. Passover remembered the night God brought them out of Egypt. The feast of Weeks celebrated the harvest with open-handed joy. The feast of Tabernacles gave thanks when the crops were gathered in. No one was to come empty-handed, but each was to give as God had blessed him. Then the chapter turns to the courts, charging judges to take no bribe and show no partiality: 'That which is altogether just shalt thou follow.' It is a chapter about worship that remembers redemption and rejoices, and a justice that reflects the character of God.
About This Commentary
This is a verse-by-verse study of Deuteronomy chapter 16. For each section you will find the KJV text, the Hebrew words that sharpen the meaning, plain explanation, and a Gospel Focus. The chapter sets out the three pilgrimage feasts, Passover, Weeks, and Tabernacles, and then charges Israel's judges to rule justly and take no bribe. Every Scripture quotation is from the King James Version.
Setting the Stage
Brought Out by Night
Passover remembered the night the LORD brought Israel out of Egypt and out of bondage.
The Harvest Feast
Seven weeks after Passover, Israel rejoiced before God with a freewill offering of the harvest.
None Appear Empty
At the ingathering, all appeared before the LORD, each giving as God had blessed him.
Altogether Just
Judges were to take no bribe and show no partiality, but follow what is altogether just.
Keep the Passover (Deuteronomy 16:1-8)
Israel was to keep the Passover in the month of Abib, remembering the night God brought them out of Egypt, eating unleavened bread as a memorial of that hasty deliverance.
Brought Thee Forth Out of Egypt by Night
"Observe the month of Abib, and keep the passover unto the LORD thy God: for in the month of Abib the LORD thy God brought thee forth out of Egypt by night. Thou shalt therefore sacrifice the passover unto the LORD thy God, of the flock and the herd, in the place which the LORD shall choose to place his name there. Thou shalt eat no leavened bread with it; seven days shalt thou eat unleavened bread therewith, even the bread of affliction; for thou camest forth out of the land of Egypt in haste: that thou mayest remember the day when thou camest forth out of the land of Egypt all the days of thy life. And there shall be no leavened bread seen with thee in all thy coast seven days; neither shall there any thing of the flesh, which thou sacrificedst the first day at even, remain all night until the morning. Thou mayest not sacrifice the passover within any of thy gates, which the LORD thy God giveth thee: But at the place which the LORD thy God shall choose to place his name in, there thou shalt sacrifice the passover at even, at the going down of the sun, at the season that thou camest forth out of Egypt. And thou shalt roast and eat it in the place which the LORD thy God shall choose: and thou shalt turn in the morning, and go unto thy tents. Six days thou shalt eat unleavened bread: and on the seventh day shall be a solemn assembly to the LORD thy God: thou shalt do no work therein. Seven weeks shalt thou number unto thee: begin to number the seven weeks from such time as thou beginnest to put the sickle to the corn. And thou shalt keep the feast of weeks unto the LORD thy God with a tribute of a freewill offering of thine hand, which thou shalt give unto the LORD thy God, according as the LORD thy God hath blessed thee: 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. And thou shalt remember that thou wast a bondman in Egypt: and thou shalt observe and do these statutes. Thou shalt observe the feast of tabernacles seven days, after that thou hast gathered in thy corn and thy wine: And thou shalt rejoice in thy feast, thou, and thy son, and thy daughter, and thy manservant, and thy maidservant, and the Levite, the stranger, and the fatherless, and the widow, that are within thy gates. Seven days shalt thou keep a solemn feast unto the LORD thy God in the place which the LORD shall choose: because the LORD thy God shall bless thee in all thine increase, and in all the works of thine hands, therefore thou shalt surely rejoice."
Hebrew Study
"passover," pesach (פֶּסַח). From a verb meaning to pass over or to spare. It recalls the night in Egypt when the LORD, seeing the blood on the doorposts, passed over those houses and spared them from the destroyer. The name itself carries the whole story: judgment falling everywhere, but passing over all who were sheltered under the blood of the lamb.
Explanation
The year's feasts begin with Passover, kept in Abib, the month of Israel's deliverance, "for in the month of Abib the LORD thy God brought thee forth out of Egypt by night." They were to sacrifice the Passover at the place God chose and eat it with unleavened bread, "the bread of affliction," because they had left Egypt in such haste there was no time for the dough to rise. For seven days no leaven was to be found among them. The whole feast was a living memorial: "that thou mayest remember the day when thou camest forth out of the land of Egypt all the days of thy life." Every year the story of redemption was to be told and tasted afresh.
Gospel Focus
Passover was a shadow cast ahead of the cross. The lamb slain, the blood that turned away judgment, the bread without leaven, all pointed to Jesus. Paul says it plainly: "Christ our passover is sacrificed for us" (1 Corinthians 5:7). He is the true Lamb, and by His blood the judgment we deserved passes over us. Just as Israel ate unleavened bread, Paul urges believers to "purge out therefore the old leaven," for leaven throughout Scripture pictures the spread of sin. Having been redeemed by the Lamb, we are to live free of the old corruption. And notice the aim of the feast: "that thou mayest remember." We too are called to remember, to keep the memory of our redemption fresh, which is why the Lord gave us His own supper of bread and cup, saying, "this do in remembrance of me." Redemption is not to be recalled once and forgotten but kept before us all our days.
Weeks, Tabernacles, and None Empty (Deuteronomy 16:9-17)
Seven weeks after Passover came the harvest feast, and at year's end the feast of ingathering; three times a year all Israel appeared before the LORD, and none was to come empty-handed.
They Shall Not Appear Before the LORD Empty
"Three times in a year shall all thy males appear before the LORD thy God in the place which he shall choose; in the feast of unleavened bread, and in the feast of weeks, and in the feast of tabernacles: and they shall not appear before the LORD empty: Every man shall give as he is able, according to the blessing of the LORD thy God which he hath given thee. Judges and officers shalt thou make thee in all thy gates, which the LORD thy God giveth thee, throughout thy tribes: and they shall judge the people with just judgment. Thou shalt not wrest judgment; thou shalt not respect persons, neither take a gift: for a gift doth blind the eyes of the wise, and pervert the words of the righteous."
Hebrew Study
"Three times in a year shall all thy males appear before the LORD" — at Unleavened Bread, Weeks, and Tabernacles — and "they shall not appear before the LORD empty." Every man was to come, and to come with a gift measured by God's blessing on him: "every man shall give as he is able, according to the blessing of the LORD." Worship gathered the whole nation at set seasons, and no one came to God empty-handed; grace received became grace returned.
Explanation
Seven weeks after Passover came the feast of weeks, a harvest celebration marked by a "tribute of a freewill offering" given "according as the LORD thy God hath blessed thee." It was a joyful feast, and the joy was to be shared, "thou, and thy son, and thy daughter, and thy manservant, and thy maidservant, and the Levite, the stranger, the fatherless, and the widow." At the end of the agricultural year came the feast of tabernacles, seven days of rejoicing when the harvest was gathered in. Three times a year, then, all the men were to appear before the LORD, "and they shall not appear before the LORD empty," but "every man shall give as he is able, according to the blessing of the LORD."
Gospel Focus
These feasts, too, reach forward. The feast of weeks fell fifty days after Passover and came to be called Pentecost, and it was on that very day that God poured out His Spirit on the waiting church: "when the day of Pentecost was fully come, they were all with one accord in one place" (Acts 2:1). The harvest feast became the day of the great spiritual harvest, when three thousand souls were gathered in. So Passover points to the cross and Pentecost to the outpouring of the Spirit, the redemption purchased and then applied. And notice the standing rule: "they shall not appear before the LORD empty." No one came to worship with nothing in hand; each gave as God had blessed him. We do not come before God to bargain, but gratitude always brings something, our praise, our substance, ourselves. Come to God full of thanksgiving for what He has done, and let your giving answer the measure of His blessing.
That Which Is Altogether Just (Deuteronomy 16:18-22)
Israel was to appoint judges who would take no bribe and show no partiality, following what is altogether just, for justice reflects the character of God.
That Which Is Altogether Just Shalt Thou Follow
"That which is altogether just shalt thou follow, that thou mayest live, and inherit the land which the LORD thy God giveth thee. Thou shalt not plant thee a grove of any trees near unto the altar of the LORD thy God, which thou shalt make thee. Neither shalt thou set thee up any image; which the LORD thy God hateth."
Hebrew Study
The charge to judges is unforgettable in the Hebrew: "justice, justice shalt thou follow" — tsedeq tsedeq tirdof, the word doubled for emphasis, "that which is altogether just." Judges must not "wrest judgment," respect persons, or take a bribe, for "a gift doth blind the eyes of the wise." A people who worship a righteous God must reflect His righteousness in their courts; the pursuit of justice is itself a form of following the LORD.
Explanation
From worship the chapter turns to the courtroom. Israel was to appoint "judges and officers... in all thy gates," and they were to "judge the people with just judgment." Three corruptions are forbidden: "Thou shalt not wrest judgment," that is, twist a verdict; "thou shalt not respect persons," favoring the rich or powerful; and thou shalt not "take a gift," a bribe, "for a gift doth blind the eyes of the wise, and pervert the words of the righteous." Then comes the ringing command: "That which is altogether just shalt thou follow, that thou mayest live." Justice was not optional; the life of the nation in the land depended on it.
Gospel Focus
God cares deeply about justice, because justice reflects His own character. He "regardeth not persons, nor taketh reward," and He requires His people to judge the same way, without favoritism and without bribes. "That which is altogether just shalt thou follow" is not only a rule for judges but a principle for every believer: we are to be people of straight dealing, honest weights, and impartial fairness, who cannot be bought and will not bend the truth. This matters to God as much as worship does; indeed, "to do justice and judgment is more acceptable to the LORD than sacrifice" (Proverbs 21:3). It is easy to be devout at the feast and crooked at the gate, but God will not accept the one without the other. The same heart that worships Him rightly must also deal justly with people. Refuse the bribe, show no partiality, and follow what is altogether just, for a faith that does not do justice is not the faith God honors.
Chapter 16 in Review
Deuteronomy 16 gathers Israel's year around three great feasts and then turns to the courts. Passover remembered the night God brought them out of Egypt, kept with unleavened bread so that redemption would be tasted every year. The feast of weeks celebrated the harvest with joyful, freewill giving, and the feast of tabernacles gave thanks at the ingathering. Three times a year all appeared before the LORD, and "they shall not appear before the LORD empty." Then the chapter charged Israel's judges to take no bribe, show no partiality, and follow "that which is altogether just."
For the Apostolic reader, the feasts trace the plan of salvation. Passover points to Christ our Passover, sacrificed for us; Pentecost, the feast of weeks, points to the day God poured out His Spirit and gathered the great harvest of souls. Worship remembers redemption and comes with grateful hands, never empty. And the call to justice reminds us that God is honored not only at the feast but at the gate, in honest, impartial, unbribable dealing with people. Remember your redemption, rejoice with open hands, and follow what is altogether just.
- Passover remembered redemption and pointed to Christ our Passover (16:1; 1 Corinthians 5:7).
- Unleavened bread pictures purging out the old leaven of sin (16:3; 1 Corinthians 5:7).
- The feast of weeks became Pentecost, when God poured out His Spirit (16:9; Acts 2:1).
- None was to "appear before the LORD empty," but give as God had blessed (16:16-17).
- Judges were to follow "that which is altogether just," taking no bribe (16:19-20; Proverbs 21:3).
Questions for Reflection
- Do you keep the memory of your redemption fresh, as Passover taught Israel to do?
- Do you come before God with grateful, open hands, or empty and unthankful?
- Is your walk marked by honest, impartial justice, or only by outward worship?
References & Sources
Scripture is quoted from the King James Version (KJV). The Hebrew terms are standard and can be checked in any Hebrew lexicon. Supporting passages are listed so every claim can be verified in its own setting. If anything here does not look right, a verse, a reference, or a wording, please tell us at info@FruitBearers.net. Thank you for helping us keep Bible Learning error free.
- The Passover, pointing to Christ our Passover: Deuteronomy 16:1-8; 1 Corinthians 5:7.
- The feast of weeks and Tabernacles; Pentecost fulfilled: Deuteronomy 16:9-17; Acts 2:1.
- Justice at the gate, more acceptable than sacrifice: Deuteronomy 16:18-22; Proverbs 21:3.