Deuteronomy 26:4

Deuteronomy 26:4

And the priest shall take the basket out of thine hand, and set it down before the altar of the LORD thy God.

a. ASV: And the priest shall take the basket out of thy hand, and set it down before the altar of Jehovah thy God.

b. YLT: And the priest hath taken the basket out of thy hand, and placed it before the altar of Jehovah thy God.

c. Amplified Bible Classic: And the priest shall take the basket from your hand and set it down before the altar of the Lord your God.

d. Septuagint: And the priest shall take the basket out of thine hands, and shall set it before the altar of the Lord thy God:

e. Stone Edition Torah/Prophets/Writings: The Kohen shall take the basket from your hand, and lay it before the Altar of HASHEM, your God.

1. “And the priest shall take the basket out of thine hand…”

a. [And the] priest [Strong: 3548 kôhên, ko-hane'; active participle of H3547; literally one officiating, a priest; also (by courtesy) an acting priest (although a layman):—chief ruler, × own, priest, prince, principal officer.]

b. [shall] take [Strong: 3947 lâqach, law-kakh'; a primitive root; to take (in the widest variety of applications):—accept, bring, buy, carry away, drawn, fetch, get, infold, × many, mingle, place, receive(-ing), reserve, seize, send for, take (away, -ing, up), use, win.]

c. [the] basket [Strong: 2935 ṭeneʼ, teh'-neh; from an unused root probably meaning to weave; a basket (of interlaced osiers):—basket.]

d. [out of thy] hand [Strong: 3027 yâd, yawd; a primitive word; a hand (the open one [indicating power, means, direction, etc.], in distinction from 3709, the closed one); used (as noun, adverb, etc.) in a great variety of applications, both literally and figuratively, both proximate and remote [as follows]:—( be) able, × about, armholes, at, axletree, because of, beside, border, × bounty, broad, (broken-) handed, × by, charge, coast, consecrate, creditor, custody, debt, dominion, × enough, fellowship, force, × from, hand(-staves, -y work), × he, himself, × in, labour, large, ledge, (left-) handed, means, × mine, ministry, near, × of, × order, ordinance, × our, parts, pain, power, ×presumptuously, service, side, sore, state, stay, draw with strength, stroke, swear, terror, × thee, × by them, × themselves, × thine own, × thou, through, × throwing, thumb, times, × to, × under, × us, × wait on, (way-) side, where, wide, × with (him, me, you), work, yield, × yourselves.]

2. “...and set it down before the altar of the LORD thy God.”

a. [and] set it down [Strong: 3240  yânach, yaw-nakh'; a primitive root; to deposit; by implication, to allow to stay:—bestow, cast down, lay (down, up), leave (off), let alone (remain), pacify, place, put, set (down), suffer, withdraw, withhold. (The Hiphil forms with the dagesh are here referred to, in accordance with the older grammarians; but if any distinction of the kind is to be made, these should rather be referred to 5117, and the others here.)]

b. before [Strong: 6440 pânîym, paw-neem'; plural (but always as singular) of an unused noun פָּנֶה pâneh; from H6437); the face (as the part that turns); used in a great variety of applications (literally and figuratively); also (with prepositional prefix) as a preposition (before, etc.):— accept, a-(be-) fore(-time), against, anger, × as (long as), at, battle, because (of), beseech, countenance, edge, employ, endure, enquire, face, favour, fear of, for, forefront(-part), form(-er time, -ward), from, front, heaviness, × him(-self), honourable, impudent, in, it, look(-eth) (-s), × me, meet, × more than, mouth, of, off, (of) old (time), × on, open, out of, over against, the partial, person, please, presence, prospect, was purposed, by reason of, regard, right forth, serve, × shewbread, sight, state, straight, street, × thee, × them(-selves), through ( -out), till, time(-s) past, (un-) to(-ward), upon, upside ( down), with(-in, -stand), × ye, × you.]

c. [the] altar [Strong: 4196 mizbêach, miz-bay'-akh; from H2076; an altar:—altar.]

d. [of the] LORD [Strong: 3068 Yᵉhôvâh, yeh-ho-vaw'; from H1961; (the) self-Existent or Eternal; Jeho-vah, Jewish national name of God:—Jehovah, the Lord.]

e. [thy] God [Strong: 430 ʼĕlôhîym, el-o-heem'; plural of H433; gods in the ordinary sense; but specifically used (in the plural thus, especially with the article) of the supreme God; occasionally applied by way of deference to magistrates; and sometimes as a superlative:—angels, × exceeding, God (gods) (-dess, -ly), × (very) great, judges, × mighty.]

1). According to the Scripture, what is being pictured here is not only what actually occurred during this offering, it is also a type and foreshadow of what is going on in heaven’s eternal sanctuary and the eternal priesthood of Jesus Christ.

a). Hebrews 8:3-6 (Amplified Bible) For every high priest is appointed to offer up gifts and sacrifices; so it is essential for this (High Priest) to have some offering to make also.

8:4 If then He were still living on earth, He would not be a priest at all, for there are already priests who offer the gifts in accordance with the Law.

8:5 But these offer service merely as a pattern and as a foreshadowing of what has its true existence and reality in the heavenly sanctuary. For when Moses was about to erect the tabernacle, he was warned by God, saying, See to it that you make it all exactly according to the copy (the model), which was shown to you on the mountain.

8:6 But as it now is, He (Christ) has acquired a priestly ministry which is as much superior and more excellent than the old as the covenant—the agreement—of which He is the Mediator (the Arbiter, Agent) is superior and more excellent; because it is enacted and rests upon more nobler promises.

2). Another look at Jesus’ priestly ministry is in Revelation.

a). Revelation 8:3-5 And another angel came and stood at the altar, having a golden censer; and there was given unto him much incense, that he should offer it with the prayers of all saints upon the golden altar which was before the throne.

8:4 And the smoke of the incense, which came with the prayers of the saints, ascended up before God out of the angel’s hand.

8:5 And the angel took the censer, and filled it with the fire of the altar, and cast it into the earth: and there were voices, and thundering, and lightnings, and an earthquake.

b). This, I believe is Jesus in his present priestly ministry, unless angels have taken over that job in heaven, which I do not believe.

3). Under the Old Covenant, the offering of the firstfruits was not only a particular offering, but Israel was considered to be the firstfruits of the LORD.

a). Jeremiah 2:3 “Israel was holiness unto the LORD, and the firstfruits of his increase: all that devour him shall offend; evil shall come upon them, saith the LORD.”

4). We also are to be a kind of firstfruits unto God.

a). James 1:18 Of his own will begat he us with the word of truth, that we should be a kind of firstfruits of his creatures.”

b). Compare Romans 15:16.