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:
Then you shall speak and declare before the LORD your God: 'My ancestor was a wandering Syrian who was about to die, and he went down to Egypt and lived there as a foreigner with just a few people, and there he became a great, mighty, and numerous nation.'
This verse is part of a declaration remembering how God's people started as one nearly-dying wanderer who became the father of a great nation in Egypt.
📚 Historical Context
In the book of Deuteronomy, Moses is delivering instructions to the Israelites as they prepare to enter the Promised Land, including a ritual for offering firstfruits where they recite this confession to remember their origins. This verse refers to Jacob, the patriarch of Israel, who was a wandering Aramean facing famine and hardship, leading his family to seek refuge in Egypt. It highlights how, under God's guidance, this small group grew into a vast and powerful nation despite their vulnerable beginnings.
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