The Meaning of Deuteronomy 26:1 Explained

Deuteronomy 26:1

KJV: And it shall be, when thou art come in unto the land which the LORD thy God giveth thee for an inheritance, and possessest it, and dwellest therein;

YLT: And it hath been, when thou comest in unto the land which Jehovah thy God is giving to thee -- an inheritance, and thou hast possessed it, and dwelt in it,

Darby: And it shall be when thou comest into the land that Jehovah thy God giveth thee for an inheritance, and possessest it, and dwellest therein,

ASV: And it shall be, when thou art come in unto the land which Jehovah thy God giveth thee for an inheritance, and possessest it, and dwellest therein,

KJV Reverse Interlinear

And it shall be, when thou [art] come in  unto the land  which the LORD  thy God  giveth  thee [for] an inheritance,  and possessest  it, and dwellest  therein; 

What does Deuteronomy 26:1 Mean?

Context Summary

Deuteronomy 26:1-19 - First-Fruits And Tithes
The Israelites were God's tenants-at-will. The entire land and its produce were His; and they were required to acknowledge His ownership by the payment of first-fruits-both at Passover and at Pentecost, Leviticus 2:14; Numbers 28:26 -and of tithes.
All we possess and all we earn are equally the gift of God. Let us acknowledge this by setting apart a fixed proportion of the results of our daily work, whether wages, or crops, or brood, or herd. The words of this ancient collect, with very slight modifications, will suit us well, Deuteronomy 26:5-10. Note the injunction of Deuteronomy 26:11. There is not enough joy in our lives or faces. Nothing so quickly commends our religion as the gladness which the world can neither give nor take. To joy let us add intercession, Deuteronomy 26:15; and let us never forget to renew our vows of consecration when we bring our gifts, Deuteronomy 26:16. [source]

Chapter Summary: Deuteronomy 26

1  The confession of him who offers the basket of firstfruits
12  The prayer of him who gives his third year's tithes
16  The covenant between God and his people

What do the individual words in Deuteronomy 26:1 mean?

And it shall be when you come into the land that Yahweh your God is giving you [as] an inheritance and you possess it and dwell in it
וְהָיָה֙ כִּֽי־ תָב֣וֹא אֶל־ הָאָ֔רֶץ אֲשֶׁר֙ יְהוָ֣ה אֱלֹהֶ֔יךָ נֹתֵ֥ן לְךָ֖ נַחֲלָ֑ה וִֽירִשְׁתָּ֖הּ וְיָשַׁ֥בְתָּ בָּֽהּ

וְהָיָה֙  And  it  shall  be 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Conjunctive perfect, third person masculine singular
Root: אֶהְיֶה 
Sense: to be, become, come to pass, exist, happen, fall out.
תָב֣וֹא  you  come 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Imperfect, second person masculine singular
Root: בֹּוא 
Sense: to go in, enter, come, go, come in.
אֶל־  into 
Parse: Preposition
Root: אֶל  
Sense: to, toward, unto (of motion).
הָאָ֔רֶץ  the  land 
Parse: Article, Noun, feminine singular
Root: אֶרֶץ  
Sense: land, earth.
אֲשֶׁר֙  that 
Parse: Pronoun, relative
Root: אֲשֶׁר 
Sense: (relative part.).
יְהוָ֣ה  Yahweh 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: יהוה 
Sense: the proper name of the one true God.
אֱלֹהֶ֔יךָ  your  God 
Parse: Noun, masculine plural construct, second person masculine singular
Root: אֱלֹהִים  
Sense: (plural).
נֹתֵ֥ן  is  giving 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Participle, masculine singular
Root: יָתַן 
Sense: to give, put, set.
נַחֲלָ֑ה  [as]  an  inheritance 
Parse: Noun, feminine singular
Root: נַחֲלָה  
Sense: possession, property, inheritance, heritage.
וִֽירִשְׁתָּ֖הּ  and  you  possess  it 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Conjunctive perfect, second person masculine singular, third person feminine singular
Root: יָרַשׁ  
Sense: to seize, dispossess, take possession off, inherit, disinherit, occupy, impoverish, be an heir.
וְיָשַׁ֥בְתָּ  and  dwell 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Conjunctive perfect, second person masculine singular
Root: יָשַׁב 
Sense: to dwell, remain, sit, abide.
בָּֽהּ  in  it 
Parse: Preposition, third person feminine singular