Leviticus Chapter 23
1 The LORD spoke to Moses, saying,
2 "Speak to the children of Israel, and tell them, 'The set feasts of the LORD, which you shall proclaim to be holy convocations, even these are my set feasts.
3 " 'Six days shall work be done, but on the seventh day is a Sabbath of solemn rest, a holy convocation; you shall do no kind of work. It is a Sabbath to the LORD in all your dwellings.
4 " 'These are the set feasts of the LORD, even holy convocations, which you shall proclaim in their appointed season.
5 In the first month, on the fourteenth day of the month in the evening, is the LORD's Passover.
6 On the fifteenth day of the same month is the feast of unleavened bread to the LORD. Seven days you shall eat unleavened bread.
7 In the first day you shall have a holy convocation. You shall do no regular work.
8 But you shall offer an offering made by fire to the LORD seven days. In the seventh day is a holy convocation. You shall do no regular work.' "
9 The LORD spoke to Moses, saying,
10 "Speak to the children of Israel, and tell them, 'When you have come into the land which I give to you, and shall reap its harvest, then you shall bring the sheaf of the first fruits of your harvest to the priest.
11 He shall wave the sheaf before the LORD, to be accepted for you. On the next day after the Sabbath the priest shall wave it.
12 On the day when you wave the sheaf, you shall offer a male lamb without defect a year old for a burnt offering to the LORD.
13 The meal offering with it shall be two tenths of an ephah of fine flour mixed with oil, an offering made by fire to the LORD for a pleasant aroma; and the drink offering with it shall be of wine, the fourth part of a hin.
14 You must not eat bread, or roasted grain, or fresh grain, until this same day, until you have brought the offering of your God. This is a statute forever throughout your generations in all your dwellings.
15 " 'You shall count from the next day after the Sabbath, from the day that you brought the sheaf of the wave offering: seven Sabbaths shall be completed.
16 The next day after the seventh Sabbath you shall count fifty days; and you shall offer a new meal offering to the LORD.
17 You shall bring out of your habitations two loaves of bread for a wave offering made of two tenths of an ephah of fine flour. They shall be baked with yeast, for first fruits to the LORD.
18 You shall present with the bread seven lambs without defect a year old, one young bull, and two rams. They shall be a burnt offering to the LORD, with their meal offering and their drink offerings, even an offering made by fire, of a sweet aroma to the LORD.
19 You shall offer one male goat for a sin offering, and two male lambs a year old for a sacrifice of peace offerings.
20 The priest shall wave them with the bread of the first fruits for a wave offering before the LORD, with the two lambs. They shall be holy to the LORD for the priest.
21 You shall make proclamation on the same day that there shall be a holy convocation to you. You shall do no regular work. This is a statute forever in all your dwellings throughout your generations.
22 " 'When you reap the harvest of your land, you must not wholly reap into the corners of your field, and you must not gather the gleanings of your harvest. You must leave them for the poor, and for the foreigner. I am the LORD your God.' "
23 The LORD spoke to Moses, saying,
24 "Speak to the children of Israel, saying, 'In the seventh month, on the first day of the month, there shall be a solemn rest for you, a memorial of blowing of trumpets, a holy convocation.
25 You shall do no regular work. You shall offer an offering made by fire to the LORD.' "
26 The LORD spoke to Moses, saying,
27 "However on the tenth day of this seventh month is the day of atonement. It shall be a holy convocation to you. You shall afflict yourselves and you shall offer an offering made by fire to the LORD.
28 You shall do no kind of work in that same day, for it is a day of atonement, to make atonement for you before the LORD your God.
29 For whoever it is who shall not deny himself in that same day shall be cut off from his people.
30 Whoever does any kind of work in that same day, I will destroy that person from amongst his people.
31 You shall do no kind of work: it is a statute forever throughout your generations in all your dwellings.
32 It shall be a Sabbath of solemn rest for you, and you shall deny yourselves. In the ninth day of the month at evening, from evening to evening, you shall keep your Sabbath."
33 The LORD spoke to Moses, saying,
34 "Speak to the children of Israel, and say, 'On the fifteenth day of this seventh month is the feast of booths for seven days to the LORD.
35 On the first day shall be a holy convocation. You shall do no regular work.
36 Seven days you shall offer an offering made by fire to the LORD. On the eighth day shall be a holy convocation to you. You shall offer an offering made by fire to the LORD. It is a solemn assembly; you shall do no regular work.
37 " 'These are the appointed feasts of the LORD which you shall proclaim to be holy convocations, to offer an offering made by fire to the LORD, a burnt offering, a meal offering, a sacrifice, and drink offerings, each on its own day-
38 in addition to the Sabbaths of the LORD, and in addition to your gifts, and in addition to all your vows, and in addition to all your free will offerings, which you give to the LORD.
39 " 'So on the fifteenth day of the seventh month, when you have gathered in the fruits of the land, you shall keep the feast of the LORD seven days. On the first day shall be a solemn rest, and on the eighth day shall be a solemn rest.
40 You shall take on the first day the fruit of majestic trees, branches of palm trees, and boughs of thick trees, and willows of the brook; and you shall rejoice before the LORD your God seven days.
41 You shall keep it as a feast to the LORD seven days in the year. It is a statute forever throughout your generations. You shall keep it in the seventh month.
42 You shall dwell in temporary shelters for seven days. All who are native-born in Israel shall dwell in temporary shelters,
43 that your generations may know that I made the children of Israel to dwell in temporary shelters when I brought them out of the land of Egypt. I am the LORD your God.' "
44 So Moses declared to the children of Israel the appointed feasts of the LORD.
Footnotes
- Verse 13 (Ephah)
- 1 ephah is about 22 litres or about 2/3 of a bushel
- Verse 13 (Hin)
- A hin is about 6.5 litres or 1.7 gallons.
- Verse 17 (Ephah)
- 1 ephah is about 22 litres or about 2/3 of a bushel
- Verse 34 (feast of booths)
- or, feast of tents, or Succoth
- Verse 42 (temporary shelters)
- or, booths
- Verse 42 (temporary shelters)
- or, booths
- Verse 43 (temporary shelters)
- or, booths
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Leviticus Chapter 23 Guide
The feasts of Jehovah were national l signs and symbols. These were now dealt with. The foremost place was given to the Sabbath. Its constant recurrence, governed not by the natural order, but by the divine enactment, spoke ever of infinite things and eternal values.
The year commenced with the feast of Passover and Unleavened Bread, thus ever reminding the people of the fundamental truths concerning their national existence.
The feast of First-fruits was to be observed in the land. It marked the fact of possession and was to be characterized by joyfulness.
After a lapse of seven full weeks during which harvest was gathered, the feast of Harvest was observed, this being a recognition that all came from God.
The seventh month was the most sacred month of the year. In it two great ordinances were observed: the Day of Atonement and the feast of Tabernacles, these being preceded by the feast of Trumpets. The Day of Atonement has already been described (chapter 16). Here it is placed among the feasts of Jehovah. All the other feasts were seasons of joy. This was to be a day of diction. Nevertheless, in the profoundest sense it was a day of feasting and rejoicing. The mourning was the method, but joy was the issue.
The final feast of the year was that of Tabernacles. By dwelling in booths the people were reminded of the pilgrim character of their life under the government of God. It was to be pre-eminently a feast of joy. Readiness to obey the will of God is the occasion of songs rather than dirges.
From "An Exposition of the Whole Bible" by G. Campbell Morgan.
Leviticus Chapter 23 Commentary
Chapter Outline
- The feasts of the Lord, The Sabbath. -- (1-3)
- The Passover, The offering of first-fruits. -- (4-14)
- The feast of Pentecost. -- (15-22)
- The feast of Trumpets, The day of atonement. -- (23-32)
- The feast of Tabernacles. -- (33-44)
Verses 1-3
In this chapter we have the institution of holy times; many of which have been mentioned before. Though the yearly feasts were made more remarkable by general attendance at the sanctuary, yet these must not be observed more than the sabbath. On that day they must withdraw from all business of the world. It is a sabbath of rest, typifying spiritual rest from sin, and rest in God. God's sabbaths are to be religiously observed in every private house, by every family apart, as well as by families together, in holy assemblies. The sabbath of the Lord in our dwellings will be their beauty, strength, and safety; it will sanctify, build up, and glorify them.
Verses 4-14
The feast of the Passover was to continue seven days; not idle days, spent in sport, as many that are called Christians spend their holy-days. Offerings were made to the Lord at his altar; and the people were taught to employ their time in prayer, and praise, and godly meditation. The sheaf of first-fruits was typical of the Lord Jesus, who is risen from the dead as the First-fruits of them that slept. Our Lord Jesus rose from the dead on the very day that the first-fruits were offered. We are taught by this law to honour the Lord with our substance, and with the first-fruits of all our increase, Pr 3:9. They were not to eat of their new corn, till God's part was offered to him out of it; and we must always begin with God: begin every day with him, begin every meal with him, begin every affair and business with him; seek first the kingdom of God.
Verses 15-22
The feast of Weeks was held in remembrance of the giving of the law, fifty days after the departure from Egypt; and looked forward to the outpouring of the Holy Ghost, fifty days after Christ our Passover was sacrificed for us. On that day the apostles presented the first-fruits of the Christian church to God. To the institution of the feast of Pentecost, is added a repetition of that law, by which they were required to leave the gleanings of their fields. Those who are truly sensible of the mercy they received from God, will show mercy to the poor without grudging.
Verses 23-32
the blowing of trumpets represented the preaching of the gospel, by which men are called to repent of sin, and to accept the salvation of Christ, which was signified by the day of atonement. Also it invited to rejoice in God, and become strangers and pilgrims on earth, which was denoted by the feast of Tabernacles, observed in the same month. At the beginning of the year, they were called by this sound of trumpet to shake off spiritual drowsiness, to search and try their ways, and to amend them. The day of atonement was the ninth day after this; thus they were awakened to prepare for that day, by sincere and serious repentance, that it might indeed be to them a day of atonement. The humbling of our souls for sin, and the making our peace with God, is work that requires the whole man, and the closest application of mind. On that day God spake peace to his people, and to his saints; therefore they must lay aside all their wordly business, that they might the more clearly hear that voice of joy and gladness.
Verses 33-44
In the feast of Tabernacles there was a remembrance of their dwelling in tents, or booths, in the wilderness, as well as their fathers dwelling in tents in Canaan; to remind them of their origin and their deliverance. Christ's tabernacling on earth in human nature, might also be prefigured. And it represents the believer's life on earth: a stranger and pilgrim here below, his home and heart are above with his Saviour. They would the more value the comforts and conveniences of their own houses, when they had been seven days dwelling in the booths. It is good for those who have ease and plenty, sometimes to learn what it is to endure hardness. The joy of harvest ought to be improved for the furtherance of our joy in God. The earth is the Lord's, and the fullness thereof; therefore whatever we have the comfort of, he must have the glory of, especially when any mercy is perfected. God appointed these feasts, "Beside the sabbaths and your free-will offerings." Calls to extraordinary services will not excuse from constant and stated ones.
From the "Concise Commentary on the Bible" by Matthew Henry.