Deuteronomy 16

Observe the month of Abib, and keep the Passover to the LORD your God; for in the month of Abib the LORD your God brought you out of Egypt by night.

You shall sacrifice the Passover to the LORD your God, of the flock and the herd, in the place which the LORD shall choose to cause his name to dwell there.

You shall eat no leavened bread with it. You shall eat unleavened bread with it seven days, even the bread of affliction (for you came out of the land of Egypt in haste) that you may remember the day when you came out of the land of Egypt all the days of your life.

No yeast shall be seen with you in all your borders seven days; neither shall any of the meat, which you sacrifice the first day at evening, remain all night until the morning.

You may not sacrifice the Passover within any of your gates which the LORD your God gives you;

but at the place which the LORD your God shall choose to cause his name to dwell in, there you shall sacrifice the Passover at evening, at the going down of the sun, at the season that you came out of Egypt.

You shall roast and eat it in the place which the LORD your God chooses. In the morning you shall return to your tents.

Six days you shall eat unleavened bread. On the seventh day shall be a solemn assembly to the LORD your God. You shall do no work.

You shall count for yourselves seven weeks. From the time you begin to put the sickle to the standing grain you shall begin to count seven weeks.

You shall keep the feast of weeks to the LORD your God with a tribute of a free will offering of your hand, which you shall give according to how the LORD your God blesses you.

You shall rejoice before the LORD your God: you, your son, your daughter, your male servant, your female servant, the Levite who is within your gates, the foreigner, the fatherless, and the widow who are among you, in the place which the LORD your God shall choose to cause his name to dwell there.

You shall remember that you were a slave in Egypt. You shall observe and do these statutes.

You shall keep the feast of booths seven days, after you have gathered in from your threshing floor and from your wine press.

You shall rejoice in your feast, you, your son, your daughter, your male servant, your female servant, the Levite, the foreigner, the fatherless, and the widow who are within your gates.

You shall keep a feast to the LORD your God seven days in the place which the LORD chooses, because the LORD your God will bless you in all your increase and in all the work of your hands, and you shall be altogether joyful.

Three times in a year all of your males shall appear before the LORD your God in the place which he chooses: in the feast of unleavened bread, in the feast of weeks, and in the feast of booths. They shall not appear before the LORD empty.

Every man shall give as he is able, according to the LORD your God’s blessing which he has given you.

You shall make judges and officers in all your gates, which the LORD your God gives you, according to your tribes; and they shall judge the people with righteous judgment.

You shall not pervert justice. You shall not show partiality. You shall not take a bribe, for a bribe blinds the eyes of the wise and perverts the words of the righteous.

You shall follow that which is altogether just, that you may live and inherit the land which the LORD your God gives you.

You shall not plant for yourselves an Asherah of any kind of tree beside the LORD your God’s altar, which you shall make for yourselves.

Neither shall you set yourself up a sacred stone which the LORD your God hates.

Chapter overviewAI-generated

Overview.
This chapter outlines the central religious festivals of Israel—Passover, Weeks, and Booths—commanding worship at the place God chooses, with emphasis on joy, remembrance, and participation by all members of society. It then transitions to civil and cultic purity, requiring just leadership and rejecting idolatrous practices, grounding both worship and governance in exclusive loyalty to the Lord.

Flow.

Begins with detailed instructions for observing Passover, including its timing, location, ritual restrictions (no leaven), and historical significance tied to deliverance from Egypt.
Moves to the Feast of Weeks (Pentecost) and the Feast of Booths (Tabernacles), each marked by pilgrimage, rejoicing, and inclusion of vulnerable members of society.
Mandates that all males appear before the Lord three times a year with offerings according to His blessing, ensuring worship is neither empty nor exclusive.
Shifts to civil order by instituting righteous judges and prohibiting idolatrous symbols like Asherah poles and sacred stones near the altar.

Connections.
Following chapter 15, which concludes a section on social and economic justice within the covenant community, chapter 16 expands the vision of covenant life into corporate worship and public administration of justice. The rhythm of pilgrimage feasts reinforces communal identity rooted in redemption and gratitude, while the demand for impartial judges (echoing earlier concerns about justice) prepares for the more comprehensive civil and religious legislation in chapter 17, which continues the regulation of leadership, idolatry, and judicial authority. The themes of centralized worship and ethical purity link these chapters closely, forming a cohesive unit on covenant fidelity.

What it teaches.
True worship is both geographically centered and morally ordered, directed by God’s command and offered in holiness (WCF 21.4; , 6, 11, 16). The feasts—rooted in historical redemption—call for remembrance, joy, and inclusion, reflecting the covenant community's dependence on God’s blessing (HC LD 16, Q&A 47; , 12, 15). Justice in human courts must mirror God’s righteousness, free from corruption or favoritism, because He is the covenant King who demands upright living (WCF 22.1; ). Idolatry in form or practice—such as syncretistic altars—is forbidden because it defiles the worship the Lord requires (WCF 21.1; ).

Apply.
Worship shaped by God’s Word gathers the whole people of God, honors His works, and extends joy to those on the margins.

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