10 Speak H1696 unto the children H1121 of Israel, H3478 and say H559 unto them, When ye be come H935 into the land H776 which I give H5414 unto you, and shall reap H7114 the harvest H7105 thereof, then ye shall bring H935 a sheaf H6016 of the firstfruits H7225 of your harvest H7105 unto the priest: H3548
The first H7225 of the firstfruits H1061 of thy land H127 thou shalt bring H935 unto the house H1004 of the LORD H3068 thy God. H430 Thou shalt not seethe H1310 a kid H1423 in his mother's H517 milk. H2461
Seven H7651 weeks H7620 shalt thou number H5608 unto thee: begin H2490 to number H5608 the seven H7651 weeks H7620 from such time as thou beginnest H2490 to put the sickle H2770 to the corn. H7054
As for the oblation H7133 of the firstfruits, H7225 ye shall offer H7126 them unto the LORD: H3068 but they shall not be burnt H5927 on the altar H4196 for a sweet H5207 savour. H7381 And every oblation H7133 of thy meat offering H4503 shalt thou season H4414 with salt; H4417 neither shalt thou suffer the salt H4417 of the covenant H1285 of thy God H430 to be lacking H7673 from thy meat offering: H4503 with all thine offerings H7133 thou shalt offer H7126 salt. H4417 And if thou offer H7126 a meat offering H4503 of thy firstfruits H1061 unto the LORD, H3068 thou shalt offer H7126 for the meat offering H4503 of thy firstfruits H1061 green ears H24 of corn dried H7033 by the fire, H784 even corn beaten H1643 out of full ears. H3759 And thou shalt put H5414 oil H8081 upon it, and lay H7760 frankincense H3828 thereon: it is a meat offering. H4503 And the priest H3548 shall burn H6999 the memorial H234 of it, part of the beaten corn H1643 thereof, and part of the oil H8081 thereof, with all the frankincense H3828 thereof: it is an offering made by fire H801 unto the LORD. H3068
And the feast H2282 of harvest, H7105 the firstfruits H1061 of thy labours, H4639 which thou hast sown H2232 in the field: H7704 and the feast H2282 of ingathering, H614 which is in the end H3318 of the year, H8141 when thou hast gathered H622 in thy labours H4639 out of the field. H7704
For G1161 if G1487 the firstfruit G536 be holy, G40 the lump G5445 is also G2532 holy: and G2532 if G1487 the root G4491 be holy, G40 so G2532 are the branches. G2798
These G3778 are they G1526 which G3739 were G3435 not G3756 defiled G3435 with G3326 women; G1135 for G1063 they are G1526 virgins. G3933 These G3778 are they G1526 which G3588 follow G190 the Lamb G721 whithersoever G3699 G302 he goeth. G5217 These G3778 were redeemed G59 from G575 among men, G444 being the firstfruits G536 unto God G2316 and G2532 to the Lamb. G721
But G1161 now G3570 is G1453 Christ G5547 risen G1453 from G1537 the dead, G3498 and become G1096 the firstfruits G536 of them that slept. G2837 For G1063 since G1894 by G1223 man G444 came death, G2288 by G1223 man G444 came also G2532 the resurrection G386 of the dead. G3498 For G1063 as G5618 in G1722 Adam G76 all G3956 die, G599 even G2532 so G3779 in G1722 Christ G5547 shall G2227 all G3956 be made alive. G2227 But G1161 every man G1538 in G1722 his own G2398 order: G5001 Christ G5547 the firstfruits; G536 afterward G1899 they that are G3588 Christ's G5547 at G1722 his G846 coming. G3952
Thou shalt not delay H309 to offer the first of thy ripe fruits, H4395 and of thy liquors: H1831 the firstborn H1060 of thy sons H1121 shalt thou give H5414 unto me.
And the first H7225 of all the firstfruits H1061 of all things, and every oblation H8641 of all, of every sort of your oblations, H8641 shall be the priest's: H3548 ye shall also give H5414 unto the priest H3548 the first H7225 of your dough, H6182 that he may cause the blessing H1293 to rest H5117 in thine house. H1004
Honour H3513 the LORD H3068 with thy substance, H1952 and with the firstfruits H7225 of all thine increase: H8393 So shall thy barns H618 be filled H4390 with plenty, H7647 and thy presses H3342 shall burst out H6555 with new wine. H8492
And as they that bare H5375 the ark H727 were come H935 unto Jordan, H3383 and the feet H7272 of the priests H3548 that bare H5375 the ark H727 were dipped H2881 in the brim H7097 of the water, H4325 (for Jordan H3383 overfloweth H4390 all his banks H1415 all the time H3117 of harvest,) H7105
Speak H1696 unto the children H1121 of Israel, H3478 and say H559 unto them, When ye come H935 into the land H776 whither I bring H935 you, Then it shall be, that, when ye eat H398 of the bread H3899 of the land, H776 ye shall offer up H7311 an heave offering H8641 unto the LORD. H3068 Ye shall offer up H7311 a cake H2471 of the first H7225 of your dough H6182 for an heave offering: H8641 as ye do the heave offering H8641 of the threshingfloor, H1637 so shall ye heave H7311 it. Of the first H7225 of your dough H6182 ye shall give H5414 unto the LORD H3068 an heave offering H8641 in your generations. H1755
Speak H1696 unto the children H1121 of Israel, H3478 and say H559 unto them, When ye be come H935 into the land H776 of your habitations, H4186 which I give H5414 unto you,
Worthy.Bible » Commentaries » Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible » Commentary on Leviticus 23
Commentary on Leviticus 23 Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible
CHAPTER 23
Le 23:1-4. Of Sundry Feasts.
2. Speak unto the children of Israel, … concerning the feasts of the Lord—literally, "the times of assembling, or solemnities" (Isa 33:20); and this is a preferable rendering, applicable to all sacred seasons mentioned in this chapter, even the day of atonement, which was observed as a fast. They were appointed by the direct authority of God and announced by a public proclamation, which is called "the joyful sound" (Ps 89:15). Those "holy convocations" were evidences of divine wisdom, and eminently subservient to the maintenance and diffusion of religious knowledge and piety.
3. Six days shall work be done: but the seventh day is the sabbath of rest—(See on Ex 20:8). The Sabbath has the precedence given to it, and it was to be "a holy convocation," observed by families "in their dwellings"; where practicable, by the people repairing to the door of the tabernacle; at later periods, by meeting in the schools of the prophets, and in synagogues.
4. These are the feasts of the Lord, which ye shall proclaim in their seasons—Their observance took place in the parts of the year corresponding to our March, May, and September. Divine wisdom was manifested in fixing them at those periods; in winter, when the days were short and the roads broken up, a long journey was impracticable; while in summer the harvest and vintage gave busy employment in the fields. Besides, another reason for the choice of those seasons probably was to counteract the influence of Egyptian associations and habits. And God appointed more sacred festivals for the Israelites in the month of September than the people of Egypt had in honor of their idols. These institutions, however, were for the most part prospective, the observance being not binding on the Israelites during their wanderings in the wilderness, while the regular celebration was not to commence till their settlement in Canaan.
Le 23:5-8. The Passover.
5. the Lord's passover—(See Ex 12:2, 14, 18). The institution of the passover was intended to be a perpetual memorial of the circumstances attending the redemption of the Israelites, while it had a typical reference to a greater redemption to be effected for God's spiritual people. On the first and last days of this feast, the people were forbidden to work [Le 23:7, 8]; but while on the Sabbath they were not to do any work, on feast days they were permitted to dress meat—and hence the prohibition is restricted to "no servile work." At the same time, those two days were devoted to "holy convocation"—special seasons of social devotion. In addition to the ordinary sacrifices of every day, there were to be "offerings by fire" on the altar (see Nu 28:19), while unleavened bread was to be eaten in families all the seven days (see 1Co 5:8).
Le 23:9-14. The Sheaf of First Fruits.
10. ye shall bring a sheaf of the first-fruits of your harvest unto the priest—A sheaf, literally, an omer, of the first-fruits of the barley harvest. The barley being sooner ripe than the other grains, the reaping of it formed the commencement of the general harvest season. The offering described in this passage was made on the sixteenth of the first month, the day following the first Passover Sabbath, which was on the fifteenth (corresponding to the beginning of our April); but it was reaped after sunset on the previous evening by persons deputed to go with sickles and obtain samples from different fields. These, being laid together in a sheaf or loose bundle, were brought to the court of the temple, where the grain was winnowed, parched, and bruised in a mortar. Then, after some incense had been sprinkled on it, the priest waved the sheaf aloft before the Lord towards the four different points of the compass, took a part of it and threw it into the fire of the altar—all the rest being reserved to himself. It was a proper and beautiful act, expressive of dependence on the God of nature and providence—common among all people, but more especially becoming the Israelites, who owed their land itself as well as all it produced to the divine bounty. The offering of the wave-sheaf sanctified the whole harvest (Ro 11:16). At the same time, this feast had a typical character, and pre-intimated the resurrection of Christ (1Co 15:20), who rose from the dead on the very day the first-fruits were offered.
Le 23:15-22. Feast of Pentecost.
15. ye shall count unto you from the morrow after the sabbath—that is, after the first day of the passover week, which was observed as a Sabbath.
16. number fifty days—The forty-ninth day after the presentation of the first-fruits, or the fiftieth, including it, was the feast of Pentecost. (See also Ex 23:16; De 16:9).
17. Ye shall bring out of your habitations two wave loaves of two tenth deals, &c.—These loaves were made of "fine" or wheaten flour, the quantity contained in them being somewhat more than ten pounds in weight. As the wave-sheaf gave the signal for the commencement, the two loaves solemnized the termination of the harvest season. They were the first-fruits of that season, being offered unto the Lord by the priest in name of the whole nation. (See Ex 34:22). The loaves used at the Passover were unleavened; those presented at Pentecost were leavened—a difference which is thus accounted for, that the one was a memorial of the bread hastily prepared at their departure, while the other was a tribute of gratitude to God for their daily food, which was leavened.
21. ye shall proclaim on the selfsame day, that it may be an holy convocation unto you: ye shall do no servile work therein—Though it extended over a week, the first day only was held as a Sabbath, both for the national offering of first-fruits and a memorial of the giving of the law.
22. thou shalt not make clean riddance of the corners of thy field when thou reapest, &c.—(See on Le 19:9). The repetition of this law here probably arose from the priests reminding the people, at the presentation of the first-fruits, to unite piety to God with charity to the poor.
Le 23:23-25. Feast of Trumpets.
24. In the seventh month, in the first day of the month, shall ye have a sabbath—That was the first day of the ancient civil year.
a memorial of blowing of trumpets—Jewish writers say that the trumpets were sounded thirty successive times, and the reason for the institution was for the double purpose of announcing the commencement of the new year, which was (Le 23:25) to be religiously observed (see Nu 29:3), and of preparing the people for the approaching solemn feast.
27-32. there shall be a day of atonement … and ye shall afflict your souls—an unusual festival, at which the sins of the whole year were expiated. (See Le 16:29-34). It is here only stated that the severest penalty was incurred by the violation of this day.
34-44. the feast of tabernacles, for seven days unto the Lord—This festival, which was instituted in grateful commemoration of the Israelites having securely dwelt in booths or tabernacles in the wilderness, was the third of the three great annual festivals, and, like the other two, it lasted a week. It began on the fifteenth day of the month, corresponding to the end of our September and beginning of October, which was observed as a Sabbath; and it could be celebrated only at the place of the sanctuary, offerings being made on the altar every day of its continuance. The Jews were commanded during the whole period of the festival to dwell in booths, which were erected on the flat roofs of houses, in the streets or fields; and the trees made use of are by some stated to be the citron, the palm, the myrtle, and the willow, while others maintain the people were allowed to take any trees they could obtain that were distinguished for verdure and fragrance. While the solid branches were reserved for the construction of the booths, the lighter branches were carried by men, who marched in triumphal procession, singing psalms and crying "Hosanna!" which signifies, "Save, we beseech thee!" (Ps 118:15, 25, 26). It was a season of great rejoicing. But the ceremony of drawing water from the pool, which was done on the last day, seems to have been the introduction of a later period (Joh 7:37). That last day was the eighth, and, on account of the scene at Siloam, was called "the great day of the feast." The feast of ingathering, when the vintage was over, was celebrated also on that day [Ex 23:16; 34:22], and, as the conclusion of one of the great festivals, it was kept as a sabbath.