The Meaning of Deuteronomy 26:7 Explained

Deuteronomy 26:7

KJV: And when we cried unto the LORD God of our fathers, the LORD heard our voice, and looked on our affliction, and our labour, and our oppression:

YLT: and we cry unto Jehovah, God of our fathers, and Jehovah heareth our voice, and seeth our affliction, and our labour, and our oppression;

Darby: and we cried to Jehovah, the God of our fathers, and Jehovah heard our voice, and looked on our affliction, and our labour, and our oppression;

ASV: and we cried unto Jehovah, the God of our fathers, and Jehovah heard our voice, and saw our affliction, and our toil, and our oppression;

KJV Reverse Interlinear

And when we cried  unto the LORD  God  of our fathers,  the LORD  heard  our voice,  and looked  on our affliction,  and our labour,  and our oppression: 

What does Deuteronomy 26:7 Mean?

Context Summary

Deuteronomy 26:1-19 - First-Fruits And Tithes
The Israelites were God's tenants-at-will. The entire land and its produce were His; and they were required to acknowledge His ownership by the payment of first-fruits-both at Passover and at Pentecost, Leviticus 2:14; Numbers 28:26 -and of tithes.
All we possess and all we earn are equally the gift of God. Let us acknowledge this by setting apart a fixed proportion of the results of our daily work, whether wages, or crops, or brood, or herd. The words of this ancient collect, with very slight modifications, will suit us well, Deuteronomy 26:5-10. Note the injunction of Deuteronomy 26:11. There is not enough joy in our lives or faces. Nothing so quickly commends our religion as the gladness which the world can neither give nor take. To joy let us add intercession, Deuteronomy 26:15; and let us never forget to renew our vows of consecration when we bring our gifts, Deuteronomy 26:16. [source]

Chapter Summary: Deuteronomy 26

1  The confession of him who offers the basket of firstfruits
12  The prayer of him who gives his third year's tithes
16  The covenant between God and his people

What do the individual words in Deuteronomy 26:7 mean?

And we cried out to Yahweh God of our fathers and heard Yahweh - our voice and looked on our affliction and our toil our oppression
וַנִּצְעַ֕ק אֶל־ יְהוָ֖ה אֱלֹהֵ֣י אֲבֹתֵ֑ינוּ וַיִּשְׁמַ֤ע יְהוָה֙ אֶת־ קֹלֵ֔נוּ וַיַּ֧רְא עָנְיֵ֛נוּ וְאֶת־ עֲמָלֵ֖נוּ לַחֲצֵֽנוּ

וַנִּצְעַ֕ק  And  we  cried  out 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Consecutive imperfect, first person common plural
Root: צָעַק  
Sense: to cry, cry out, call, cry for help.
יְהוָ֖ה  Yahweh 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: יהוה 
Sense: the proper name of the one true God.
אֱלֹהֵ֣י  God 
Parse: Noun, masculine plural construct
Root: אֱלֹהִים  
Sense: (plural).
אֲבֹתֵ֑ינוּ  of  our  fathers 
Parse: Noun, masculine plural construct, first person common plural
Root: אָב  
Sense: father of an individual.
וַיִּשְׁמַ֤ע  and  heard 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Consecutive imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: שָׁמַע 
Sense: to hear, listen to, obey.
יְהוָה֙  Yahweh 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: יהוה 
Sense: the proper name of the one true God.
אֶת־  - 
Parse: Direct object marker
Root: אֹות 
Sense: sign of the definite direct object, not translated in English but generally preceding and indicating the accusative.
קֹלֵ֔נוּ  our  voice 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct, first person common plural
Root: קֹול 
Sense: voice, sound, noise.
וַיַּ֧רְא  and  looked  on 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Consecutive imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: רָאָה 
Sense: to see, look at, inspect, perceive, consider.
עָנְיֵ֛נוּ  our  affliction 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct, first person common plural
Root: עֳנִי  
Sense: affliction, poverty, misery.
עֲמָלֵ֖נוּ  our  toil 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct, first person common plural
Root: עָמָל  
Sense: .
לַחֲצֵֽנוּ  our  oppression 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct, first person common plural
Root: לַחַץ  
Sense: oppression, distress, pressure.