Leviticus 23
23
Holy Days.#This is paralleled by another calendar from the Priestly tradition, in Nm 28–29. Non-Priestly resumes of festal and holy observances are found in Ex 23:10–17; 34:18–24 and Dt 16:1–17. 1The Lord said to Moses: 2Speak to the Israelites and tell them: The following are the festivals#Nm 28–29; Dt 16:1–17. of the Lord, which you shall declare holy days. These are my festivals:
3For six days work may be done; but the seventh day is a sabbath of complete rest,#Sabbath of complete rest: the sabbath and the Day of Atonement are called “sabbaths of complete rest” (Ex 16:23; 31:15; 35:2; Lv 16:31; 23:32). Work of any sort is prohibited on these days (Lv 23:3, 28; Nm 29:7) as opposed to other holy days where only laborious work is prohibited but light work, such as preparing food, is allowed (Ex 12:16; cf. Lv 23:7, 8, 21, 25, 35, 36; Nm 28:18, 25, 26; 29:1, 12, 35). a declared holy day; you shall do no work. It is the Lord’s sabbath wherever you dwell.#Lv 19:3; 26:2; Ex 20:8–11; 23:12; 31:14–15; 34:21; Nm 28:9–10; Dt 5:12–15; Lk 13:14.
Passover. 4These are the festivals of the Lord, holy days which you shall declare at their proper time.#Ex 23:14–19. 5The Passover of the Lord#The Passover of the Lord …feast of Unleavened Bread: the two occasions were probably separate originally. Combined they celebrate the exodus from Egypt. Cf. Ex 12:1–20, 43–49; Nm 28:16–25. falls on the fourteenth day of the first month, at the evening twilight.#Ex 12:1–51; Nm 9:1–8; 28:16–25; Dt 16:1–8. 6The fifteenth day of this month is the Lord’s feast of Unleavened Bread. For seven days you shall eat unleavened bread.#Ex 12:18; 13:3–10; 23:15; 34:18. 7On the first of these days you will have a declared holy day; you shall do no heavy work. 8On each of the seven days you shall offer an oblation to the Lord. Then on the seventh day you will have a declared holy day; you shall do no heavy work.
9#Around Passover a first fruits offering is to be brought (see 2:14), consisting of a sheaf of barley, the crop that matures at this time of year. The Lord said to Moses: 10Speak to the Israelites and tell them: When you come into the land which I am giving you, and reap its harvest, you shall bring the first sheaf of your harvest to the priest, 11who shall elevate#Lv 7:30. the sheaf before the Lord that it may be acceptable on your behalf.#Dt 26:2. On the day after the sabbath#Day after the sabbath: the singular term shabbat “sabbath” may mean “week” here and refer to the seven-day period of the feast of Unleavened Bread. According to this interpretation, the barley sheaf is offered the day after the week of Unleavened Bread. Others understand it as referring to the first or last day of Unleavened Bread. the priest shall do this. 12On this day, when your sheaf is elevated, you shall offer to the Lord for a burnt offering an unblemished yearling lamb. 13Its grain offering shall be two tenths of an ephah of bran flour mixed with oil, as a sweet-smelling oblation to the Lord; and its libation shall be a fourth of a hin of wine. 14You shall not eat any bread or roasted grain or fresh kernels until this day, when you bring the offering for your God. This shall be a perpetual statute throughout your generations wherever you dwell.
Pentecost. 15Beginning with the day after the sabbath, the day on which you bring the sheaf for elevation, you shall count seven full weeks;#Ex 23:16; 34:22; Nm 28:26–31; Dt 16:9–12. 16you shall count to the day after the seventh week, fifty days.#Fifty days: Pentecost. This festival occurs on a single day, fifty days after the feast of Unleavened Bread, elsewhere called the “feast of the Harvest” (Ex 23:16), “Day of First Fruits” (Nm 28:26), and “feast of Weeks” (Ex 34:22; Dt 16:10, 16). The name Pentecost comes from the later Greek term for the holy day (cf. Acts 2:1; 20:16; 1 Cor 16:8), referring to the fiftieth day. This is the occasion for bringing the first fruits of the wheat harvest. #Acts 2:1. Then you shall present a new grain offering to the Lord. 17For the elevated offering of your first-ripened fruits to the Lord, you shall bring with you from wherever you live two loaves of bread made of two tenths of an ephah of bran flour and baked with leaven. 18Besides the bread, you shall offer to the Lord a burnt offering of seven unblemished yearling lambs, one bull of the herd, and two rams, along with their grain offering and libations, as a sweet-smelling oblation to the Lord. 19One male goat shall be sacrificed as a purification offering, and two yearling lambs as a communion sacrifice. 20The priest shall elevate them—that is, the two lambs—with the bread of the first-ripened fruits as an elevated offering before the Lord; these shall be sacred to the Lord and belong to the priest. 21On this same day you shall make a proclamation: there shall be a declared holy day for you; no heavy work may be done. This shall be a perpetual statute through all your generations wherever you dwell.
22#Lv 19:9–10. When you reap the harvest of your land, you shall not be so thorough that you reap the field to its very edge, nor shall you gather the gleanings of your harvest. These things you shall leave for the poor and the alien. I, the Lord, am your God.
New Year’s Day. 23The Lord said to Moses: 24Tell the Israelites: On the first day of the seventh month#First day of the seventh month: the seventh new moon is counted from a new year beginning in the spring (cf. v. 5). Like the seventh day in the week, it is preeminent among the new moon days (cf. Nm 28:11–15; 29:1–6). #Nm 29:1–6. you will have a sabbath rest, with trumpet blasts as a reminder, a declared holy day; 25you shall do no heavy work, and you shall offer an oblation to the Lord.
The Day of Atonement. 26The Lord said to Moses: 27Now the tenth day of this seventh month is the Day of Atonement.#Day of Atonement: see chap. 16 and notes there. #Lv 16:1–34; 25:9; Nm 29:7–11. You will have a declared holy day. You shall humble yourselves and offer an oblation to the Lord. 28On this day you shall not do any work, because it is the Day of Atonement, when atonement is made for you before the Lord, your God. 29Those who do not humble themselves on this day shall be cut off from the people. 30If anyone does any work on this day, I will remove that person from the midst of the people. 31You shall do no work; this is a perpetual statute throughout your generations wherever you dwell; 32it is a sabbath of complete rest for you. You shall humble yourselves. Beginning on the evening of the ninth of the month, you shall keep your sabbath from evening to evening.
The Feast of Booths. 33The Lord said to Moses: 34Tell the Israelites: The fifteenth day of this seventh month is the Lord’s feast of Booths,#Feast of Booths: this is the final harvest festival of the year celebrating the remaining harvest. It is called the “feast of Ingathering” (Ex 23:16; 34:22), the “feast of Booths” (Lv 23:34; Dt 16:13), or simply the “feast” (1 Kgs 8:65). It is a seven-day festival with an eighth closing day. The first and eighth days are rest days (see note on v. 3). #Ex 23:16; 34:22; Dt 16:13–15; 31:10; 2 Mc 1:9, 18; Jn 7:2. which shall continue for seven days. 35On the first day, a declared holy day, you shall do no heavy work. 36For seven days you shall offer an oblation to the Lord, and on the eighth day you will have a declared holy day. You shall offer an oblation to the Lord. It is the festival closing. You shall do no heavy work.
37#This appears to be the original conclusion of the chapter. These, therefore, are the festivals of the Lord which you shall declare holy days, in order to offer as an oblation to the Lord burnt offerings and grain offerings, sacrifices and libations, as prescribed for each day, 38in addition to the Lord’s sabbaths, your donations, your various votive offerings, and the voluntary offerings that you present to the Lord.
39On the fifteenth day, then, of the seventh month, when you have gathered in the produce of the land, you shall celebrate the feast of the Lord#The feast of the Lord: the feast of Booths, the preeminent festival. This section supplements vv. 33–36 by prescribing the popular activities for the festival. for a whole week. The first and the eighth day shall be days of rest. 40On the first day you shall gather fruit of majestic trees, branches of palms, and boughs#Fruit…branches…boughs: the fruit and/or foliage from these trees is to be gathered, but it is not said how they are used. The command to make merry suggests they may have been used in a procession or even circumambulation of the altar (cf. Ps 26:6). Later tradition understood these prescriptions as referring to making the booths out of the foliage (Neh 8:15). of leafy trees and valley willows. Then for a week you shall make merry before the Lord, your God. 41You shall keep this feast of the Lord for one whole week in the year. By perpetual statute throughout your generations in the seventh month of the year, you shall keep it. 42You shall dwell in booths for seven days; every native-born Israelite shall dwell in booths, 43that your descendants may realize that, when I led the Israelites out of the land of Egypt, I made them dwell in booths. I, the Lord, am your God.
44Thus did Moses announce to the Israelites the festivals of the Lord.
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Leviticus 23: NABRE
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Leviticus 23
23
The Appointed Feasts
1And the Lord spoke to Moses, saying: 2#Lev 23:4; 23:37Speak to the children of Israel, and say to them: Concerning the feasts of the Lord that you shall proclaim to be holy convocations, these are My appointed feasts.
The Sabbath
3#Lev 19:3; Ex 23:12For six days work shall be done, but the seventh day is the Sabbath of complete rest, a holy convocation. You shall do no work. It is the Sabbath of the Lord in all your dwellings.
The Passover and the Feast of Unleavened Bread
Ex 12:14–20; Nu 28:16–25; Dt 16:1–8
4#Lev 23:2; Ex 23:14These are the appointed feasts of the Lord, holy convocations which you shall proclaim in their appointed times. 5#Dt 16:1–8; Jos 5:10On the fourteenth day of the first month at evening is the Lord’s Passover. 6#Ex 12:15–16; 34:18On the fifteenth day of the same month is the Feast of Unleavened Bread to the Lord. For seven days you must eat unleavened bread. 7#Lev 23:8On the first day you shall have a holy convocation. You shall do no regular work. 8But you shall offer a food offering made by fire to the Lord for seven days. On the seventh day is a holy convocation. You shall do no regular work.
Offering the First Fruits
9The Lord spoke to Moses, saying: 10#Ex 23:19; 34:26; Nu 28:26Speak to the children of Israel, and say to them: When you have come into the land that I am giving to you and reap its harvest, then you shall bring a sheaf bundle of the first fruits of your harvest to the priest. 11#Ex 29:24And he shall wave the sheaf before the Lord so that you may be accepted. On the day after the Sabbath the priest shall wave it. 12#Lev 1:10You shall offer that day when you wave the sheaf a year-old male lamb without blemish for a burnt offering to the Lord. 13#Lev 2:14–16The grain offering shall be two-tenths of an ephah#Likely about 7 pounds, or 3.2 kilograms; and in v. 17. of wheat flour mixed with oil, a food offering made by fire to the Lord for a pleasing aroma; its drink offering shall be of wine, a fourth of a hin.#About 1 quart, or 1 liter. 14#Ex 34:26You shall eat neither bread nor grain, parched or fresh, until the same day that you have brought an offering to your God. It shall be a perpetual statute throughout your generations in all your dwellings.
The Feast of Weeks
Nu 28:26–31; Dt 16:9–12
15#Ex 34:22; Lev 23:10–11You shall count seven full weeks from the next day after the Sabbath, from the day that you brought the sheaf bundle of the wave offering. 16#Ac 2:1; Nu 28:26You shall count fifty days to the day after the seventh Sabbath; then you shall offer a new grain offering to the Lord. 17#Lev 23:10; Ex 23:19You shall bring out of your habitations two wave loaves of two-tenths of an ephah. They shall be of wheat flour, baked with leaven. They are the first fruits to the Lord. 18You shall offer with the bread seven lambs without blemish of the first year, one bull, and two rams. They shall be for a burnt offering to the Lord, with their grain offering and their drink offerings, that is, a food offering made by fire, of a pleasing aroma to the Lord. 19#Nu 28:30Then you shall sacrifice one male goat for a sin offering, and two lambs of the first year for a sacrifice of peace offerings. 20#Dt 18:4The 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#Lev 23:2; 23:4You shall make a proclamation on the same day and shall hold a holy convocation. You shall do no regular work. It shall be a perpetual statute in all your dwellings throughout your generations.
22#Lev 19:9–10; Dt 24:19–21When you reap the harvest of your land, you shall not reap your field up to the edge, nor shall you gather any gleaning of your harvest. You shall leave them to the poor and to the foreigner: I am the Lord your God.
The Feast of Trumpets
Nu 29:1–6
23The Lord spoke to Moses, saying: 24#Lev 25:9; Nu 10:9–10Speak to the children of Israel, saying: In the seventh month, on the first day of the month, you shall have a sabbath, a memorial with the blowing of trumpets, a holy convocation. 25#Lev 23:21You shall do no regular work, and you shall offer a food offering made by fire to the Lord.
The Day of Atonement
Lev 16:2–34; Nu 29:7–11
26The Lord spoke to Moses, saying: 27#Lev 25:9; Nu 29:7–11Also on the tenth day of this seventh month there shall be the Day of Atonement. It shall be a holy convocation to you, and you shall humble yourselves, and offer a food offering made by fire to the Lord. 28#Lev 16:34You shall do no work on that same day, for it is the Day of Atonement to make atonement for you before the Lord your God. 29#Ge 17:14; Lev 23:32For whoever is not humbled on that same day, he shall be cut off from among his people. 30#Lev 20:3And whoever does any work in that same day, that person I will destroy from among his people. 31You shall do no manner of work. It shall be a perpetual statute throughout your generations in all your dwellings. 32It shall be to you a sabbath of complete rest, and you shall afflict your souls. On the ninth day of the month starting at the evening, from evening to evening, you shall celebrate your sabbath.
The Feast of Tabernacles
Nu 29:12–39; Dt 16:13–17
33The Lord spoke to Moses, saying: 34#Ezr 3:4; Ne 8:14Speak to the children of Israel, saying: The fifteenth day of this seventh month shall be the Feast of Tabernacles for seven days to the Lord. 35#Lev 23:7–8; 23:24–25On the first day shall be a holy convocation. You shall do no regular work. 36#Ne 8:18; Jn 7:37For seven days you shall offer food offerings made by fire to the Lord. On the eighth day it shall be a holy convocation to you, and you shall offer a food offering made by fire to the Lord. It is a solemn assembly, and you shall do no regular work.
37#Lev 23:2; 23:4These are the appointed feasts of the Lord, which you shall proclaim to be holy convocations, to offer a food offering made by fire to the Lord, burnt offerings and grain offerings, sacrifices and drink offerings, each on its proper day, 38#Nu 29:39besides the Sabbaths of the Lord, besides your gifts, besides all your vows, and besides all your freewill offerings which you give to the Lord,
39#Ex 23:16; Dt 16:13On the fifteenth day of the seventh month, when you have gathered in the produce of the land, you shall keep a feast to the Lord for seven days. On the first day shall be a sabbath, and on the eighth day shall be a sabbath. 40#Dt 16:14–15You shall take on the first day the branches of majestic trees—branches of palm trees, branches of leafy trees, and willows from a brook, and you shall rejoice before the Lord your God for seven days. 41#Nu 29:12You shall keep it as a feast to the Lord for seven days in the year. It shall be a perpetual statute in your generations. You shall celebrate it in the seventh month. 42#Ne 8:14–17You shall dwell in booths for seven days. All who are native children of Israel shall dwell in booths, 43#Dt 31:10–13that your generations may know that I made the children of Israel dwell in booths when I brought them out of the land of Egypt: I am the Lord your God.
44Moses declared to the children of Israel the feasts of the Lord.
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