| Deuteronomy 26:3-4 | Deuteronomy 26:5-10 |
| Declare to YHWH the priest’s God | Speak before YHWH your God |
| I have come into the land | Our father went to the land of Egypt |
| YHWH swore to give to our fathers | YHWH brought us back to this land |
| Priest shall take the basket | Now I bring the firstfruit of the ground |
| Set it before the altar of YHWH | Set it down before YHWH |
A couple observations...
- The petitioner is to say "A wandering Aramean was my father". (See v5.) This is usually assumed to be Abraham, but that doesn't fit all of the details of that verse. Abraham and Jacob are actually combined into a single character, just as Israel is an amalgamation of the natural children of Jacob and the believers who have been grafted in from among the nations. They became a great nation in Egypt together and they left Egypt together.
- The petitioner isn't to tell the story in chronological order. Instead, he is to begin his offering by declaring that he has taken possession of the land that God promised to the patriarchs, and only then tell of how his ancestors were oppressed in Egypt. Then he is to state again God has brought Israel into the Promised Land. This is a chiasm embedded within the offering.
- I have come into the land
- God swore to give this land to our fathers
- The Firstfruits offering
- Our fathers didn't see the fulfillment of the promise, but went to Egypt instead
- God brought us into the Promised Land
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