Bible Strands

Deuteronomy 26:13

Then you shall declare in the presence of the LORD your God, “I have removed from my house the sacred portion and have given it to the Levite, the foreigner, the fatherless, and the widow, according to all the commandments You have given me. I have not transgressed or forgotten Your commandments.

Berean Standard Bible

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Study note

Setting — The Israelite speaker addresses the LORD before the sanctuary, reciting a formal declaration immediately after distributing the third-year tithe to the Levite, foreigner, fatherless, and widow.

The words — The Hebrew בִּעַרְתִּי (bi'arti) translates literally as "I have removed" or "I have cleared away," while הַקֹּדֶשׁ (haqodesh) denotes "the sacred portion" or "the holy thing."

The thread — The declaration "I have not forgotten Your commandments" parallels the repeated confessions in Psalms 119:141, Psalms 119:153, and Psalms 119:176.

Why it lands — The text demands a concrete accounting of obedience, requiring the speaker to verify that the sacred portion reached the designated recipients without deviation or delay.

Drafted by a language model from the text, its original words and its cross-references, then checked against them. It can still be wrong: open the verse in the app to report it.

The Hebrew words

וְאָמַרְתָּ֡ve./'a.mar.Taand/ you will sayלִפְנֵי֩li/f.Nei<to>/ beforeיְהוָ֨הYah.wehYahwehאֱלֹהֶ֜יךָ'e.lo.Hei./khaGod/ yourבִּעַ֧רְתִּיbi.'Ar.tiI have removedהַקֹּ֣דֶשׁha./Ko.deshthe/ holy thingמִן־min-fromהַבַּ֗יִתha./Ba.yitthe/ houseוְגַ֨םve./Gamand/ alsoנְתַתִּ֤יוne.ta.Ti/vI have given/ itלַלֵּוִי֙la./le.Vito the/ Leviteוְלַגֵּר֙ve./la./Gerand/ to the/ sojournerלַיָּת֣וֹםla/i.ya.Tomto the/ fatherless oneוְלָאַלְמָנָ֔הve./la./'al.ma.Nahand/ to the/ widowכְּכָל־ke./khol-according to/ allמִצְוָתְךָ֖mitz.va.te./Khacommandment/ yourאֲשֶׁ֣ר'a.Sherwhichצִוִּיתָ֑נִיtzi.vi.Ta./niyou have commanded/ meלֹֽא־lo'-notעָבַ֥רְתִּי'a.Var.tiI have transgressedמִמִּצְוֹתֶ֖יךָmi./mitz.vo.Tei./khaany of/ commandments/ yourוְלֹ֥אve./Lo'and/ notשָׁכָֽחְתִּי׃sha.Kha.che.tiI have forgotten [them]

King James Version

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:

Cross-references