Deuteronomy 26 15

Deuteronomy 26:15 kjv

Look down from thy holy habitation, from heaven, and bless thy people Israel, and the land which thou hast given us, as thou swarest unto our fathers, a land that floweth with milk and honey.

Deuteronomy 26:15 nkjv

Look down from Your holy habitation, from heaven, and bless Your people Israel and the land which You have given us, just as You swore to our fathers, "a land flowing with milk and honey." '

Deuteronomy 26:15 niv

Look down from heaven, your holy dwelling place, and bless your people Israel and the land you have given us as you promised on oath to our ancestors, a land flowing with milk and honey."

Deuteronomy 26:15 esv

Look down from your holy habitation, from heaven, and bless your people Israel and the ground that you have given us, as you swore to our fathers, a land flowing with milk and honey.'

Deuteronomy 26:15 nlt

Now look down from your holy dwelling place in heaven and bless your people Israel and the land you swore to our ancestors to give us ? a land flowing with milk and honey.'

Deuteronomy 26 verses

Deuteronomy 26 15 Meaning

Deuteronomy 26:15 is a fervent prayer made by the Israelite individual upon completing the prescribed tithe for the Levites and the needy. It is a direct appeal to God, requesting Him to bestow blessings from His transcendent heavenly dwelling upon His covenant people, Israel, and upon the land He has graciously provided. The basis for this plea is God's unwavering faithfulness to the solemn oaths He swore to their patriarchs, promising them this fertile and abundant land. This verse highlights the interconnectedness of obedience, God's promises, and divine blessing within the covenant relationship.

Deuteronomy 26 15 Context

Deuteronomy chapter 26 marks the concluding section of specific covenant stipulations given by Moses, preceding the covenant renewal ceremony in chapters 27-30. Verses 1-11 detail the ritual for offering firstfruits to God in gratitude for the land and His provision, emphasizing remembrance of Israel's humble beginnings as "a wandering Aramean." Immediately following, verses 12-15 describe the specific "third-year tithe" or triennial tithe, distinct from the regular annual tithe. This tithe was specifically designated for the Levite, the sojourner, the orphan, and the widow, emphasizing care for the vulnerable and maintaining covenant responsibilities beyond mere temple upkeep. Deuteronomy 26:15 is the final statement in this declaration, serving as a solemn liturgical prayer offered after the tithing requirements are fulfilled. It transforms an act of material giving into an spiritual expression of faith and dependence on God, acknowledging His ultimate sovereignty over the land and blessings.

Deuteronomy 26 15 Word analysis

• Look down (שׁוּב, shuv or הִשְׁקִיפָה, hishqifah based on ancient translations/interpretation, although most Bibles render a word implying 'look down' or 'gaze'): The Hebrew word often used for "look down" in this context (like Ps 14:2) is shqf (from which hishqifah comes). It signifies God's active, attentive regard or gaze, implying a purposeful act of divine oversight. It is not a passive observation but a turning of attention to intervene and act.
• from Your holy habitation (מִמְּעוֹן קָדְשֶׁךָ, mimm'on kodshekha): "From your dwelling place of holiness" or "sanctuary." This phrase refers to God's heavenly abode, His true, transcendent sanctuary, as opposed to any earthly temple or tabernacle. It highlights God's absolute otherness, purity, and supreme authority from where all blessings originate.
• from heaven (מִן־הַשָּׁמָיִם, min-haShamayim): Reinforces the preceding phrase, leaving no ambiguity about the source of the requested blessing. Heaven is God's eternal dwelling and the seat of His omnipotence and beneficence. It grounds the plea in God's transcendence and sovereign power.
• and bless (וּבָרֵךְ, uvarekh): To bestow favor, prosperity, success, and well-being. It implies God's active conferral of goodness upon His people and their land, in response to their faithfulness and obedience in tithing. It encompasses agricultural fertility, national peace, and overall thriving.
• Your people Israel (אֶת־עַמְּךָ אֶת־יִשְׂרָאֵל, et-'ammekha et-Yisra'el): Emphasizes the covenant relationship. "Your people" affirms God's unique election of Israel, acknowledging their special status and God's proprietary care for them. This bond is foundational to the appeal for blessing.
• and the land which You have given us (וְאֵת הָאֲדָמָה אֲשֶׁר נָתַתָּה לָּנוּ, v'et ha'adamah asher natattah lanu): Recognizes God's ultimate ownership and sovereignty over the Promised Land. The Israelites confess that the land is not a conquest by their own strength but a divine gift, establishing a posture of humble dependence and stewardship.
• as You swore to our fathers (כַּאֲשֶׁר נִשְׁבַּעְתָּ לַאֲבֹתֵינוּ, ka'asher nishbata la'avoteinu): This phrase provides the ultimate theological basis for the prayer. It appeals to God's covenant faithfulness and the unbreakable, sworn oaths made to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. It implies that God's integrity and character are at stake in fulfilling these ancient promises.
• a land flowing with milk and honey (אֶרֶץ זָבַת חָלָב וּדְבָשׁ, eretz zavat halav u'dvash): This is a powerful, oft-repeated idiom describing extraordinary fertility, richness, and abundance. It paints a picture of a land where pastoral (milk) and agricultural (honey/dates/fruits) prosperity abounds, symbolizing complete provision and well-being bestowed by God.

• "Look down from Your holy habitation, from heaven": This grouping powerfully establishes the transcendent nature of God's presence and power. It's a petition for divine intervention from the ultimate, majestic source of authority and blessing, reminding the supplicant of God's unparalleled might and purity.
• "Bless Your people Israel and the land which You have given us": This phrase clearly identifies the dual recipients of the requested blessing—the nation (Israel) and its livelihood/sustenance (the land). It encompasses their entire national and individual welfare, highlighting that their existence and prosperity are fully reliant on God.
• "as You swore to our fathers, a land flowing with milk and honey": This segment connects God's past actions and promises (the oath to the patriarchs) to the present reality and the desired future. It asserts that the land's bountiful nature and its very possession are a direct fulfillment of God's sworn word, underscoring His reliability and faithfulness as the foundation of their hope.

Deuteronomy 26 15 Bonus section

The recitation of this prayer was likely a public act within the designated assembly place, possibly involving an interaction with a priest, similar to the firstfruits ceremony. This public confession reinforced national identity and communal responsibility before God. The emphasis on "Your people Israel" underscored their unique covenant relationship, distinguishing them from all other nations and highlighting their status as the recipients of divine favor based on election. The prayer is a testament to Israel's theological understanding that their prosperity was not derived from their own strength or pagan deities associated with fertility, but solely from the faithful God who made and keeps His promises. It also served as a preventative measure against forgetting God's ultimate ownership and sovereignty over the land and its produce, encouraging a perpetual attitude of gratitude and dependence.

Deuteronomy 26 15 Commentary

Deuteronomy 26:15 serves as a profound liturgical conclusion to the ritual of the third-year tithe, transcending a mere agricultural ceremony to become a powerful act of covenant reaffirmation. The Israelite, having fulfilled their communal duty of generosity to the needy, turns to God in humble dependence. The prayer first acknowledges God's transcendent nature, emphasizing that blessings descend from His "holy habitation" in "heaven," contrasting His divine dwelling with any earthly sanctuary and underscoring His supreme power. The core of the appeal is a request for blessings upon "Your people Israel" and "the land," signifying a plea for the well-being of their entire existence—spiritual, national, and physical. Crucially, the basis of this petition is God's inviolable promise: "as You swore to our fathers," appealing to the unwavering covenant oath made to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. The phrase "a land flowing with milk and honey" evokes the ultimate fulfillment of God's provision, portraying an abundant life rooted in His goodness. This verse encapsulates the covenant principle: Israel's obedient fulfillment of divine commands triggers God's reciprocal faithfulness in bestowing comprehensive blessings, grounded not in Israel's merit, but in God's immutable character and prior commitments. It teaches reliance on God's sworn word as the bedrock of hope and assurance in life.