Deuteronomy 26:5 Meaning and Explanation
“And thou shalt speak and say before the LORD thy God, A Syrian ready to perish was my father, and he went down into Egypt, and sojourned there with a few, and became there a nation, great, mighty, and populous:”
King James Version (KJV)
Read this verse in context with translation switching:
Read Full Chapter →Recite how your ancestor, a wandering Syrian, went to Egypt and became a great nation.
The Context of Deuteronomy 26:5
The beginning of the confessional recitation rehearsing Israel's history.
What Does Deuteronomy 26:5 Mean?
This confession recalls Abraham as a semi-nomadic foreigner vulnerable to extinction. The passage describes a movement from poverty to abundance—from a few family members to a vast people, entirely through God's providence.
The worshiper publicly traces descent from an ancestor who had nothing but received everything through covenant faithfulness, grounding the present harvest in God's historical faithfulness.
Frequently Asked Questions About Deuteronomy 26:5
What does Deuteronomy 26:5 mean?
Recite how your ancestor, a wandering Syrian, went to Egypt and became a great nation.
What is the context of Deuteronomy 26:5?
The beginning of the confessional recitation rehearsing Israel's history.