The Meaning of Deuteronomy 26:12 Explained

Deuteronomy 26:12

KJV: When thou hast made an end of tithing all the tithes of thine increase the third year, which is the year of tithing, and hast given it unto the Levite, the stranger, the fatherless, and the widow, that they may eat within thy gates, and be filled;

YLT: 'When thou dost complete to tithe all the tithe of thine increase in the third year, the year of the tithe, then thou hast given to the Levite, to the sojourner, to the fatherless, and to the widow, and they have eaten within thy gates, and been satisfied,

Darby: When thou hast made an end of tithing all the tithes of thy produce in the third year, the year of tithing, thou shalt give it to the Levite, to the stranger, to the fatherless, and to the widow, that they may eat in thy gates, and be filled;

ASV: When thou hast made an end of tithing all the tithe of thine increase in the third year, which is the year of tithing, then thou shalt give it unto the Levite, to the sojourner, to the fatherless, and to the widow, that they may eat within thy gates, and be filled.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

When thou hast made an end  of tithing  all the tithes  of thine increase  the third  year,  [which is] the year  of tithing,  and hast given  [it] unto the Levite,  the stranger,  the fatherless,  and the widow,  that they may eat  within thy gates,  and be filled; 

What does Deuteronomy 26:12 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 26:12 mean?

When you have finished laying aside of tithing - all the tithe of your increase in the year third the year of tithing and have given [it] to the Levite the stranger the fatherless and the widow so that they may eat within your gates and be filled
כִּ֣י תְכַלֶּ֞ה לַ֠עְשֵׂר אֶת־ כָּל־ מַעְשַׂ֧ר תְּבוּאָתְךָ֛ בַּשָּׁנָ֥ה הַשְּׁלִישִׁ֖ת שְׁנַ֣ת הַֽמַּעֲשֵׂ֑ר וְנָתַתָּ֣ה לַלֵּוִ֗י לַגֵּר֙ לַיָּת֣וֹם וְלָֽאַלְמָנָ֔ה וְאָכְל֥וּ בִשְׁעָרֶ֖יךָ וְשָׂבֵֽעוּ

תְכַלֶּ֞ה  you  have  finished  laying  aside 
Parse: Verb, Piel, Imperfect, second person masculine singular
Root: כָּלָה  
Sense: to accomplish, cease, consume, determine, end, fail, finish, be complete, be accomplished, be ended, be at an end, be finished, be spent.
לַ֠עְשֵׂר  of  tithing 
Parse: Preposition-l, Verb, Piel, Infinitive construct
Root: עָשַׂר  
Sense: to tithe, take the tenth part of, give a tithe, take a tithe.
אֶת־  - 
Parse: Direct object marker
Root: אֹות 
Sense: sign of the definite direct object, not translated in English but generally preceding and indicating the accusative.
מַעְשַׂ֧ר  the  tithe 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: מַעֲשֵׂר  
Sense: tithe, tenth part.
תְּבוּאָתְךָ֛  of  your  increase 
Parse: Noun, feminine singular construct, second person masculine singular
Root: תְּבוּאָה  
Sense: produce, product, revenue.
בַּשָּׁנָ֥ה  in  the  year 
Parse: Preposition-b, Article, Noun, feminine singular
Root: שָׁנָה  
Sense: year.
הַשְּׁלִישִׁ֖ת  third 
Parse: Article, Number, ordinal feminine singular
Root: שְׁלִישִׁי 
Sense: third, one third, third part, third time.
שְׁנַ֣ת  the  year 
Parse: Noun, feminine singular construct
Root: שָׁנָה  
Sense: year.
הַֽמַּעֲשֵׂ֑ר  of  tithing 
Parse: Article, Noun, masculine singular
Root: מַעֲשֵׂר  
Sense: tithe, tenth part.
וְנָתַתָּ֣ה  and  have  given  [it] 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Conjunctive perfect, second person masculine singular
Root: יָתַן 
Sense: to give, put, set.
לַלֵּוִ֗י  to  the  Levite 
Parse: Preposition-l, Article, Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: לֵוִי  
Sense: the descendants of Levi, the 3rd son of Jacob by Leah.
לַגֵּר֙  the  stranger 
Parse: Preposition-l, Article, Noun, masculine singular
Root: גֵּר  
Sense: sojourner.
לַיָּת֣וֹם  the  fatherless 
Parse: Preposition-l, Article, Noun, masculine singular
Root: יָתֹום  
Sense: an orphan, fatherless.
וְלָֽאַלְמָנָ֔ה  and  the  widow 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Preposition-l, Article, Noun, feminine singular
Root: אַלְמָנָה  
Sense: widow.
וְאָכְל֥וּ  so  that  they  may  eat 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Conjunctive perfect, third person common plural
Root: אָכַל  
Sense: to eat, devour, burn up, feed.
בִשְׁעָרֶ֖יךָ  within  your  gates 
Parse: Preposition-b, Noun, masculine plural construct, second person masculine singular
Root: שַׁעַר  
Sense: gate.
וְשָׂבֵֽעוּ  and  be  filled 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Conjunctive perfect, third person common plural
Root: שָׂבַע  
Sense: to be satisfied, be sated, be fulfilled, be surfeited.