◄ Exodus 22:29 ►
You must not hold back offerings from your granaries or vats. You are to give Me the firstborn of your sons.
Study Bible
You must not hold back
The phrase "You must not hold back" is a direct command emphasizing the importance of prompt and willing obedience to God's instructions. The Hebrew root here is "אַחֵר" (achar), which conveys the idea of delaying or postponing. In the context of ancient Israel, this command underscores the immediacy and priority of dedicating resources to God. It reflects a heart posture of trust and reliance on God's provision, acknowledging that all blessings ultimately come from Him.

offerings from your granaries or vats
The "offerings from your granaries or vats" refer to the firstfruits of the harvest and the produce of the winepress. In Hebrew, "מְלֵאָה" (mele'ah) for granaries and "יָקֶב" (yakev) for vats, these terms highlight the agricultural context of ancient Israelite society. Offering the first and best of their produce was a tangible expression of gratitude and recognition of God's sovereignty over the land and its yield. It was a way to honor God with the fruits of one's labor, acknowledging His role as the ultimate provider.

You are to give Me
The phrase "You are to give Me" is a divine directive that establishes God's rightful claim over the firstborn. The Hebrew verb "נָתַן" (natan) means to give or present, indicating an act of worship and dedication. This command reflects the covenant relationship between God and His people, where offerings are not merely transactions but acts of devotion and acknowledgment of God's lordship.

the firstborn of your sons
"The firstborn of your sons" holds significant theological and cultural weight. In Hebrew, "בְּכוֹר" (bekhor) refers to the firstborn, who held a special status in the family as the primary heir. This command is rooted in the historical context of the Exodus, where God spared the firstborn of Israel during the final plague in Egypt (Exodus 12:12-13). By dedicating the firstborn to God, the Israelites were reminded of their deliverance and God's saving grace. It also prefigures the ultimate sacrifice of God's own firstborn, Jesus Christ, for the redemption of humanity. This act of giving the firstborn symbolizes total surrender and trust in God's promises and provision.

Persons / Places / Events
1. God (Yahweh)
The speaker of the command, emphasizing His sovereignty and rightful claim over the firstfruits and firstborn.

2. Israelites
The recipients of the law, who are instructed to offer the firstfruits and firstborn to God.

3. Firstborn Sons
Symbolic of God's claim over the first and best, representing a significant aspect of Israelite family and religious life.

4. Granaries and Vats
Represent the agricultural produce and wealth of the Israelites, from which offerings are to be made.

5. Offerings
The act of giving back to God what is His, acknowledging His provision and lordship.
Teaching Points
Acknowledging God's Sovereignty
Recognize that everything we have is from God, and He deserves the first and best of our resources.

The Principle of Firstfruits
Giving the firstfruits is a tangible expression of faith and trust in God's provision.

Holistic Worship
Worship is not just a spiritual act but involves our material possessions and daily lives.

Generational Dedication
The dedication of the firstborn signifies the importance of committing our families to God.

Faith in Action
Obedience in giving reflects our faith and trust in God's promises and provision.
Bible Study Questions
1. How does the command to give the firstborn and firstfruits reflect God's character and His relationship with Israel?

2. In what ways can we apply the principle of firstfruits in our modern context, beyond agricultural produce?

3. How does the concept of offering the firstborn relate to the New Testament understanding of Jesus as the "firstborn" over all creation?

4. What are some practical ways we can ensure that we are not "holding back" in our offerings to God today?

5. How do the principles in Exodus 22:29 challenge our current understanding of stewardship and generosity?
Connections to Other Scriptures
Exodus 13:2
This verse also commands the consecration of the firstborn, establishing a pattern of dedication to God.

Proverbs 3:9-10
These verses encourage honoring God with the firstfruits of all produce, promising abundance in return.

Malachi 3:10
This passage challenges believers to bring the full tithe into the storehouse, with a promise of blessings.

Romans 12:1
Paul urges believers to offer themselves as living sacrifices, which is a spiritual act of worship, echoing the principle of giving the best to God.
Sermons
Jehovah's Proteges and RepresentativesJ. Orr Exodus 22:21-29
First Fruits to GodR. B. Brindley.Exodus 22:29-30
Jehovah's DuesJ. Orr Exodus 22:29-31
People
Moses
Places
Mount Sinai
Topics
Delay, Firstborn, First-born, Fruits, Fulness, Grain, Granaries, Harvest, Liquids, Liquors, Offer, Offering, Offerings, Outflow, Presses, Ripe, Sons, Threshing-floor, Vats, Vines, Vintage, Wealth, Winepress
Dictionary of Bible Themes
Exodus 22:29

     5688   firstborn
     7332   child sacrifice
     7402   offerings

Library
Excursus on Usury.
The famous canonist Van Espen defines usury thus: "Usura definitur lucrum ex mutuo exactum aut speratum;" [96] and then goes on to defend the proposition that, "Usury is forbidden by natural, by divine, and by human law. The first is proved thus. Natural law, as far as its first principles are concerned, is contained in the decalogue; but usury is prohibited in the decalogue, inasmuch as theft is prohibited; and this is the opinion of the Master of the Sentences, of St. Bonaventura, of St. Thomas …
Philip Schaff—The Seven Ecumenical Councils

Parable of the Importunate Widow.
^C Luke XVIII. 1-8. ^c 1 And he spake a parable unto them to the end that they ought always to pray, and not to faint; 2 saying, There was in a city a judge, who feared not God, and regarded not man [an utterly abandoned character]: 3 and there was a widow in that city; and she came oft unto him, saying, Avenge me of [rather, Do justice to me as to] mine adversary. [In Scripture language widowhood is symbolic of defenselessness (Ex. xxii. 22-24; Deut. x. 18; xxvii. 19; Mal. iii. 5; Mark xii. 40), …
J. W. McGarvey—The Four-Fold Gospel

Ciii. Zacchæus. Parable of the Pounds. Journey to Jerusalem.
(Jericho.) ^C Luke XIX. 1-28. ^c 1 And he entered and was passing through Jericho. [This was about one week before the crucifixion. Jericho is about seven miles from the Jordan and about seventeen and a half from Jerusalem.] 2 And behold, a man called by name Zacchaeus; and he was a chief publican, and he was rich. [See p. 76. It is probable that Zacchæus was a sub-contractor under some Roman knight who had bought the privilege of collecting taxes at Jericho, or perhaps the privilege of all …
J. W. McGarvey—The Four-Fold Gospel

Epistle Xl. To Mauricius Augustus.
To Mauricius Augustus. Gregory to Mauricius, &c. The Piety of my Lords in their most serene commands, while set on refuting me on certain matters, in sparing me has by no means spared me. For by the use therein of the term simplicity they politely call me silly. It is true indeed that in Holy Scripture, when simplicity is spoken of in a good sense, it is often carefully associated with prudence and uprightness. Hence it is written of the blessed Job, The man was simple and upright (Job i. 1). …
Saint Gregory the Great—the Epistles of Saint Gregory the Great

Appeal to the Christian Women of the South
BY A.E. GRIMKE. "Then Mordecai commanded to answer Esther, Think not within thyself that thou shalt escape in the king's house more than all the Jews. For if thou altogether holdest thy peace at this time, then shall there enlargement and deliverance arise to the Jews from another place: but thou and thy father's house shall be destroyed: and who knoweth whether thou art come to the kingdom for such a time as this. And Esther bade them return Mordecai this answer:--and so will I go in unto the king, …
Angelina Emily Grimke—An Appeal to the Christian Women of the South

Epistle xvii. To Felix, Bishop of Messana.
To Felix, Bishop of Messana. To our most reverend brother, the Bishop Felix, Gregory, servant of the servants of God [246] . Our Head, which is Christ, to this end has willed us to be His members, that through His large charity and faithfulness He might make us one body in Himself, to whom it befits us so to cling that, since without Him we can do nothing, through Him we may be enabled to be what we are called. From the citadel of the Head let nothing divide us, lest, if we refuse to be His members, …
Saint Gregory the Great—the Epistles of Saint Gregory the Great

Feast of the Dedication. The Jews Attempt to Stone Jesus and He Retires to Peræa.
(Jerusalem and Beyond Jordan.) ^D John X. 22-42. ^d 22 And it was the feast of the dedication at Jerusalem: 23; it was winter; and Jesus walked in the temple in Solomon's porch. [The feast of dedication was one of eight days' duration and began upon the 25th Chisleu, which, according to the calculation of M. Chevannes, fell upon the nineteenth or twentieth of December, a.d. 29. The feast was kept in honor of the renovation and purification of the temple in the year b.c. 164, after it had been desecrated …
J. W. McGarvey—The Four-Fold Gospel

A Summary of the Christian Life. Of Self-Denial.
The divisions of the chapter are,--I. The rule which permits us not to go astray in the study of righteousness, requires two things, viz., that man, abandoning his own will, devote himself entirely to the service of God; whence it follows, that we must seek not our own things, but the things of God, sec. 1, 2. II. A description of this renovation or Christian life taken from the Epistle to Titus, and accurately explained under certain special heads, sec. 3 to end. 1. ALTHOUGH the Law of God contains …
Archpriest John Iliytch Sergieff—On the Christian Life

Jesus' Last Public Discourse. Denunciation of Scribes and Pharisees.
(in the Court of the Temple. Tuesday, April 4, a.d. 30.) ^A Matt. XXIII. 1-39; ^B Mark XII. 38-40; ^C Luke XX. 45-47. ^a 1 Then spake Jesus ^b 38 And in his teaching ^c in the hearing of all the people he said unto ^a the multitudes, and to his disciples [he spoke in the most public manner], 2 saying, ^c 46 Beware of the scribes, ^a The scribes and the Pharisees sit on Moses' seat: 3 all things whatsoever they bid you, these do and observe: but do not ye after their works: for they say, and do not. …
J. W. McGarvey—The Four-Fold Gospel

Circumcision, Temple Service, and Naming of Jesus.
(the Temple at Jerusalem, b.c. 4) ^C Luke II. 21-39. ^c 21 And when eight days [Gen. xvii. 12] were fulfilled for circumcising him [The rite was doubtless performed by Joseph. By this rite Jesus was "made like unto his brethren" (Heb. ii. 16, 17); that is, he became a member of the covenant nation, and became a debtor to the law--Gal. v. 3] , his name was called JESUS [see Luke i. 59], which was so called by the angel before he was conceived in the womb. [Luke i. 31.] 22 And when the days of their …
J. W. McGarvey—The Four-Fold Gospel

The Development of the Earlier Old Testament Laws
[Sidenote: First the principle, and then the detailed laws] If the canon of the New Testament had remained open as long as did that of the Old, there is little doubt that it also would have contained many laws, legal precedents, and ecclesiastical histories. From the writings of the Church Fathers and the records of the Catholic Church it is possible to conjecture what these in general would have been. The early history of Christianity illustrates the universal fact that the broad principles are …
Charles Foster Kent—The Origin & Permanent Value of the Old Testament

The Blessing of Jacob Upon Judah. (Gen. Xlix. 8-10. )
Ver. 8. "Judah, thou, thy brethren shall praise thee; thy hand shall be on the neck of thine enemies; before thee shall bow down the sons of thy father. Ver. 9. A lion's whelp is Judah; from the prey, my son, thou goest up; he stoopeth down, he coucheth as a lion, and as a full-grown lion, who shall rouse him up? Ver. 10. The sceptre shall not depart from Judah, nor lawgiver from between his feet, until Shiloh come, and unto Him the people shall adhere." Thus does dying Jacob, in announcing …
Ernst Wilhelm Hengstenberg—Christology of the Old Testament

The Eighth Commandment
Thou shalt not steal.' Exod 20: 15. AS the holiness of God sets him against uncleanness, in the command Thou shalt not commit adultery;' so the justice of God sets him against rapine and robbery, in the command, Thou shalt not steal.' The thing forbidden in this commandment, is meddling with another man's property. The civil lawyers define furtum, stealth or theft to be the laying hands unjustly on that which is another's;' the invading another's right. I. The causes of theft. [1] The internal causes …
Thomas Watson—The Ten Commandments

Exodus
The book of Exodus--so named in the Greek version from the march of Israel out of Egypt--opens upon a scene of oppression very different from the prosperity and triumph in which Genesis had closed. Israel is being cruelly crushed by the new dynasty which has arisen in Egypt (i.) and the story of the book is the story of her redemption. Ultimately it is Israel's God that is her redeemer, but He operates largely by human means; and the first step is the preparation of a deliverer, Moses, whose parentage, …
John Edgar McFadyen—Introduction to the Old Testament

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