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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Confraternity of Christian Doctrine, Inc
Leviticus 23
23
Yahweh’s Feasts
1Then#Or “And” Yahweh spoke to Moses, saying, 2“Speak to the Israelites,#Literally “sons/children of Israel” and say to them, ‘The festivals of Yahweh that you shall proclaim are holy assemblies; these are my appointed times.
Yahweh’s Sabbath
3“ ‘For six days work is to be done, and on the seventh day shall be a Sabbath of complete rest,#Literally “a Sabbath of ‘Sabbathation.’ ” “Sabbathation” is not a real word, but it is devised as an attempt to convey the sounds of the related nouns in the Hebrew phrase a holy assembly; you shall not do any work; it shall be a Sabbath for Yahweh in all your dwellings.
The Passover
4“ ‘These are Yahweh’s appointed times, holy assemblies, which you shall proclaim at#Or “on” their appointed time. 5In the first month, on the fourteenth of the month at the evening is Yahweh’s Passover. 6And on the fifteenth day of this month is Yahweh’s Feast of Unleavened Bread; for seven days you shall eat unleavened bread. 7On the first day there shall be a holy assembly for you; you shall not do any regular work.#Literally “all work of labor” 8And you shall present an offering for Yahweh made by fire for seven days; on the seventh day there shall be a holy assembly; you shall not do any regular work.’ ”#Literally “all work of labor”
The Feast of Firstfruits
9Then#Or “And” Yahweh spoke to Moses, saying, 10“Speak to the Israelites,#Literally “sons/children of Israel” and say to them, ‘When you come to the land that I am about to give to you and you reap its harvest, then#Or “and” you shall bring a sheaf of the firstfruit of your harvest to the priest. 11And he shall wave the sheaf before#Literally “to the faces of” Yahweh for your acceptance; the priest shall wave it on the day after#Literally “from the next day of” the Sabbath. 12And on the day of your waving the sheaf you shall offer#Or “sacrifice”; literally “do” or “make” a yearling#Literally “a son of its year” male lamb without defect as a burnt offering to Yahweh. 13And its grain offering shall be two-tenths of an ephah#Supplied by context of finely milled flour mixed with oil, an offering made by fire for Yahweh, an appeasing fragrance; and its libation shall be a fourth of a hin#Hebrew “the hin” of wine. 14And you shall not eat bread or#Or “and” roasted grain or#Or “and” ripe grain until this very same day,#Literally “the exactly of this day” until you present your God’s offering. This must be a lasting statute#Literally “a statute of eternity” or “a statute of long duration” for your generations in all your dwellings.
The Feast of Weeks
15“ ‘And you shall count for yourselves from the day after#Literally “from the next day of” the Sabbath, from the day of your bringing the wave offering’s sheaf—there shall be seven full weeks. 16Until the day after#Literally “from the next day of” the seventh Sabbath you shall count fifty days; then#Or “and” you shall present a new grain offering for Yahweh. 17You shall bring from your dwellings for a wave offering two loaves of bread made with#Literally “they shall be” two-tenths of an ephah#Supplied by context of finely milled flour; they must be baked with leaven—the firstfruits belonging to#Literally “to” Yahweh. 18And, in addition to the bread, you shall present seven yearling#Literally “a son of its year” male lambs without defects and one young bull#Literally “a bull a son of cattle” and two rams—they shall be a burnt offering for Yahweh with#Or “and” their grain offering and their libations, an offering made by fire, an appeasing fragrance for Yahweh. 19And you shall offer#Or “sacrifice”; literally “do” or “make” one he-goat as a sin offering and two yearling#Literally “a son of its year” male lambs as a sacrifice of fellowship offerings. 20And the priest shall wave them with the bread of the firstfruits as a wave offering before#Literally “to the faces of” Yahweh; in addition to the two male lambs, they shall be holy for Yahweh for the priest. 21And you shall make a proclamation#Literally “you shall proclaim” on this very same day;#Literally “the exactly of this day” it shall be a holy assembly for you; you shall not do any regular work;#Literally “all work of labor” this is a lasting statute#Literally “a statute of eternity” or “a statute of long duration” in all your dwellings throughout#Or “for” your generations. 22And when you#Plural reap the harvest of your#Plural land, you#Singular must not finish the edge of your#Singular field at your reaping, and you#Singular must not glean the remnants of your#Singular harvest—you#Singular shall leave them behind for the needy and for the alien; I am Yahweh your#Plural God.’ ”
The Feast of Trumpets
23Then#Or “And” Yahweh spoke to Moses, saying, 24“Speak to the Israelites,#Literally “sons/children of Israel” saying, ‘In the seventh month, on the first day of the month, you must have#Literally “it must be for yourselves” a rest period, a remembrance of the trumpet blast, a holy assembly. 25You must not do any regular work,#Literally “all work of labor” and you shall present an offering made by fire to Yahweh.’ ”
The Day of Atonement
26Then#Or “And” Yahweh spoke to Moses, saying, 27“Surely the Day of Atonement is on the tenth day of the seventh month; it shall be a holy assembly for you, and you shall deny yourselves, and you shall present an offering made by fire to Yahweh. 28And you must not do any regular work#Literally “all work of labor” on this very same day,#Literally “the exactly of this day” because it is the Day of Atonement to make atonement for you before#Literally “to the faces of” Yahweh your God. 29If there is any person who does not deny himself on this very same day,#Literally “the exactly of this day” then#Or “and” he shall be cut off from his people. 30As for#Or “And” any person who does any work on this very same day,#Literally “the exactly of this day” I will exterminate that person from the midst of his people. 31You must not do any work; it is a lasting statute#Literally “a statute of eternity” or “a statute of long duration” throughout your generations in all your dwellings. 32It is a Sabbath of complete rest#Literally “a Sabbath of ‘Sabbathation.’ ” “Sabbathation” is not a real word, but it is devised as an attempt to convey the sounds of the related nouns in the Hebrew phrase for you, and you shall deny yourselves on the ninth day of the month in the evening—from evening to evening you must observe your extraordinary#Supplied from the immediate context within this verse Sabbath.”
The Feast of Booths
33Then#Or “And” Yahweh spoke to Moses, saying, 34“Speak to the Israelites,#Literally “sons/children of Israel” saying, ‘On the fifteenth day of the seventh month, this shall be the Feast of Booths for seven days for Yahweh. 35On the first day there shall be a holy assembly; you must not do any regular work.#Literally “work of labor” 36For seven days you must present an offering made by fire to Yahweh. On the eighth day it shall be a holy assembly for you, and you shall present an offering made by fire to Yahweh; it is a celebration; you must not do any regular work.#Literally “all work of labor”
Summary
37“ ‘These are Yahweh’s festivals, which you must proclaim, holy assemblies to present an offering made by fire to Yahweh—burnt offering and grain offering, sacrifice and libations, each on its proper day#Literally “a thing of a day on its day”— 38besides#Literally “from to alone” Yahweh’s Sabbaths and besides#Literally “from to alone” your gifts and besides#Literally “from to alone” your vows and besides#Literally “from to alone” all your freewill offerings that you give to Yahweh.
39“ ‘Surely on the fifteenth day of the seventh month, at your gathering the land’s produce, you shall hold Yahweh’s festival for seven days; on the first day there shall be a rest period and on the eighth day a rest period. 40And on the first day you shall take for yourselves the first fruit of majestic trees, branches of palm trees and branches#Collective singular of a leafy tree and of a brook’s poplar trees, and you shall rejoice before#Literally “to the faces of” Yahweh your God for seven days. 41And you must hold it as a festival for Yahweh for seven days in the year; it shall be a lasting statute#Literally “a statute of eternity” or “a statute of long duration” throughout your generations; in the seventh month you must hold it. 42You must live in the booths for seven days; all the natives in Israel must live in the booths, 43so that your generations shall know that I made the Israelites#Literally “sons/children of Israel” live in booths when I brought them from the land of Egypt; I am Yahweh your God.’ ”
44Thus#Or “And” Moses announced to the Israelites#Literally “sons/children of Israel” Yahweh’s appointed times.
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