Leviticus 23
23
Feasts of the Lord
1The Lord spoke to Moses, saying, 2“Speak to the people of Israel and say to them, #ver. 4, 37; Num. 29:39; See Ex. 23:14-17 These are the appointed feasts of the Lord that you shall #Num. 10:10; Ps. 81:3; Joel 2:15 proclaim as #Ex. 12:16holy convocations; they are my appointed feasts.
The Sabbath
3 # ch. 19:3; Ex. 23:12; 31:15; 34:21; Luke 13:14; See Ex. 20:8-11; Deut. 5:12-15 “Six days shall work be done, but on the seventh day is a Sabbath of solemn rest, a holy convocation. You shall do no work. It is a Sabbath to the Lord in all your dwelling places.
The Passover
4 # [See ver. 2 above] “These are the appointed feasts of the Lord, the #Ex. 12:16holy convocations, which you shall proclaim at the time appointed for them. 5#Ex. 13:3, 10; 23:15; 34:18; Num. 9:2, 3; 28:16, 17; Josh. 5:10; 2 Kgs. 23:21; Ezra 6:19; [Num. 9:10, 11; 2 Chr. 30:2, 13, 15]; See Ex. 12:2-14; Deut. 16:1-8In the first month, on the fourteenth day of the month at twilight,#23:5 Hebrew between the two evenings is the Lord’s Passover. 6And on the fifteenth day of the same month is the Feast of Unleavened Bread to the Lord; for seven days you shall eat unleavened bread. 7#Ex. 12:16; Num. 28:18, 25On the first day you shall have a holy convocation; you shall not do any ordinary work. 8But you shall present a food offering to the Lord for seven days. On the seventh day is a holy convocation; you shall not do any ordinary work.”
The Feast of Firstfruits
9And the Lord spoke to Moses, saying, 10“Speak to the people of Israel and say to them, #Ex. 23:19; 34:26; Num. 15:18, 19; 28:26; Deut. 26:1, 2 When you come into the land that I give you and reap its harvest, you shall bring the sheaf of #ver. 17the firstfruits of your harvest to the priest, 11and he shall #ver. 15, 20; Ex. 29:24wave the sheaf before the Lord, so that you may be accepted. On the day after the Sabbath the priest shall wave it. 12And on the day when you #[See ver. 11 above] wave the sheaf, you shall offer a #ch. 1:10male lamb a year old without blemish as a burnt offering to the Lord. 13#ch. 2:14-16 And the grain offering with it shall be two tenths of an ephah#23:13 An ephah was about 3/5 bushel or 22 liters of fine flour mixed with oil, a food offering to the Lord with a pleasing aroma, #Ex. 29:40and the drink offering with it shall be of wine, a fourth of a hin.#23:13 A hin was about 4 quarts or 3.5 liters 14And you shall eat neither bread nor grain #[ch. 2:14]parched or #[ch. 2:14]fresh until this same day, until you have brought the offering of your God: it is a statute forever throughout your generations in all your dwellings.
The Feast of Weeks
15 #
Ex. 34:22; Deut. 16:9 “You shall count seven full weeks from the day after the Sabbath, from the day that you brought the sheaf of the #[See ver. 11 above]wave offering. 16You shall count #Acts 2:1 (Gk.) fifty days to the day after the seventh Sabbath. Then you shall present a grain offering of #Num. 28:26new grain to the Lord. 17You shall bring from your dwelling places two loaves of bread to be waved, made of two tenths of an ephah. They shall be of fine flour, and they shall be baked with leaven, as #See ver. 10firstfruits to the Lord. 18And you shall present with the bread seven lambs a year old without blemish, and one bull from the herd and two rams. They shall be a burnt offering to the Lord, with their grain offering and their drink offerings, a food offering with a pleasing aroma to the Lord. 19And you shall offer one #ch. 4:23, 28; Num. 28:30 male goat for a sin offering, and two male lambs a year old as a sacrifice of #See ch. 3:1peace offerings. 20And the priest shall #[See ver. 11 above] wave them with the bread of the firstfruits as a wave offering before the Lord, with the two lambs. #Num. 18:12; Deut. 18:4They shall be holy to the Lord for the priest. 21And you shall make a proclamation on the same day. You shall hold a holy convocation. You shall not do any ordinary work. It is a statute forever in all your dwelling places throughout your generations.
22“And #ch. 19:9, 10; Deut. 24:19; [Ruth 2:2, 3]when you reap the harvest of your land, you shall not reap your field right up to its edge, nor shall you gather the gleanings after your harvest. You shall leave them for the poor and for the sojourner: I am the Lord your God.”
The Feast of Trumpets
23And the Lord spoke to Moses, saying, 24“Speak to the people of Israel, saying, In #Num. 29:1 the seventh month, on the first day of the month, you shall observe a day of solemn rest, #ch. 25:9a memorial proclaimed with blast of trumpets, a holy convocation. 25You shall not do any ordinary work, and you shall present a food offering to the Lord.”
The Day of Atonement
26And the Lord spoke to Moses, saying, 27“Now #ch. 16:29, 30; Num. 29:7on the tenth day of this seventh month is the Day of Atonement. It shall be for you a time of holy convocation, and you shall afflict yourselves#23:27 Or shall fast; also verse 32 and present a food offering to the Lord. 28And you shall not do any work on that very day, for it is a Day of Atonement, to make atonement for you before the Lord your God. 29For whoever is not afflicted#23:29 Or is not fasting on that very day #See Ex. 30:33shall be cut off from his people. 30And whoever does any work on that very day, that person I will destroy from among his people. 31You shall not do any work. It is a statute forever throughout your generations in all your dwelling places. 32It shall be to you a Sabbath of solemn rest, and you shall afflict yourselves. On the ninth day of the month beginning at evening, from evening to evening shall you keep your Sabbath.”
The Feast of Booths
33And the Lord spoke to Moses, saying, 34“Speak to the people of Israel, saying, #Num. 29:12; Deut. 16:13; Ezra 3:4; Neh. 8:14; Ezek. 45:25; Hos. 12:9; Zech. 14:16; John 7:2On the fifteenth day of this seventh month and for seven days is the Feast of Booths#23:34 Or Tabernacles to the Lord. 35On the first day shall be a holy convocation; you shall not do any ordinary work. 36For seven days you shall present food offerings to the Lord. #Num. 29:35; Neh. 8:18; John 7:37 On the eighth day you shall hold a holy convocation and present a food offering to the Lord. It is a #Num. 29:35; Deut. 16:8; 2 Kgs. 10:20; 2 Chr. 7:9; Neh. 8:18; Isa. 1:13; Joel 1:14; 2:15; Amos 5:21solemn assembly; you shall not do any ordinary work.
37 # ver. 2, 4 “These are the appointed feasts of the Lord, which you shall proclaim as times of holy convocation, for presenting to the Lord food offerings, burnt offerings and grain offerings, sacrifices and drink offerings, each on its proper day, 38#Num. 29:39besides the Lord’s Sabbaths and besides your gifts and besides all your vow offerings and besides all your freewill offerings, which you give to the Lord.
39“On the fifteenth day of the seventh month, when you have #Ex. 23:16; Deut. 16:13gathered in the produce of the land, you shall celebrate 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. 40And #See Neh. 8:14-18 you shall take on the first day the fruit of splendid trees, branches of palm trees and boughs of leafy trees and willows of the brook, and #Deut. 16:14, 15you shall rejoice before the Lord your God seven days. 41#See Num. 29:12-38You shall celebrate it as a feast to the Lord for seven days in the year. It is a statute forever throughout your generations; you shall celebrate it in the seventh month. 42#See Neh. 8:14-18You shall dwell in booths for seven days. All native Israelites shall dwell in booths, 43that #See Deut. 31:10-13your generations may know that I made the people of Israel dwell in booths when I brought them out of the land of Egypt: I am the Lord your God.”
44Thus Moses #ver. 2declared to the people of Israel the appointed feasts of the Lord.
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The Holy Bible, English Standard Version® (ESV®), copyright © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.
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Leviticus 23
23
Regulations for Israel’s Appointed Times
1 The Lord spoke to Moses: 2 “Speak to the Israelites and tell them, ‘These are the Lord’s appointed times which you must proclaim as holy assemblies – my appointed times:#tn Heb “these are them, my appointed times.” sn The term מוֹעֵד (mo’ed, rendered “appointed time” here) can refer to either a time or place of meeting. See the note on “tent of meeting” (אֹהֶל מוֹעֵד, ’ohel mo’ed) in Lev 1:1.
The Weekly Sabbath
3 “‘Six days work may be done, but on the seventh day there must be a Sabbath of complete rest,#tn This is a superlative expression, emphasizing the full and all inclusive rest of the Sabbath and certain festival times throughout the chapter (see B. A. Levine, Leviticus [JPSTC], 155). Cf. ASV “a sabbath of solemn rest.” a holy assembly. You must not do any work; it is a Sabbath to the Lord in all the places where you live.
The Festival of Passover and Unleavened Bread
4 “‘These are the Lord’s appointed times, holy assemblies, which you must proclaim at their appointed time. 5 In the first month, on the fourteenth day of the month, at twilight,#tn Heb “between the two evenings,” perhaps designating the time between the setting of the sun and the true darkness of night. Cf. KJV, ASV “at even”; NAB “at the evening twilight.”sn See B. A. Levine, Leviticus (JPSTC), 156, for a full discussion of the issues raised in this verse. The rabbinic tradition places the slaughter of Passover offerings between approximately 3:00 p.m. and 6:00 p.m., not precisely at twilight. Moreover, the term פֶּסַח (pesakh) may mean “protective offering” rather than “Passover offering,” although they amount to about the same thing in the historical context of the exodus from Egypt (see Exod 11-12). is a Passover offering to the Lord. 6 Then on the fifteenth day of the same month#tn Heb “to this month.” will be the festival of unleavened bread to the Lord; seven days you must eat unleavened bread. 7 On the first day there will be a holy assembly for you; you must not do any regular work.#tn Heb “work of service”; KJV “servile work”; NASB “laborious work”; TEV “daily work.” 8 You must present a gift to the Lord for seven days, and the seventh day is a holy assembly; you must not do any regular work.’”
The Presentation of First Fruits
9 The Lord spoke to Moses: 10 “Speak to the Israelites and tell them, ‘When you enter the land that I am about to give to you and you gather in its harvest,#tn Heb “and you harvest its harvest.” then you must bring the sheaf of the first portion of your harvest#tn Heb “the sheaf of the first of your harvest.” to the priest, 11 and he must wave the sheaf before the Lord to be accepted for your benefit#tn Heb “for your acceptance.” – on the day after the Sabbath the priest is to wave it.#sn See Lev 7:30 for a note on the “waving” of a “wave offering.” 12 On the day you wave the sheaf you must also offer#tn Heb “And you shall make in the day of your waving the sheaf.” a flawless yearling lamb#tn Heb “a flawless lamb, a son of its year”; KJV “of the first year”; NLT “a year-old male lamb.” for a burnt offering to the Lord, 13 along with its grain offering, two tenths of an ephah of#sn See the note on Lev 5:11. choice wheat flour#sn See the note on Lev 2:1. mixed with olive oil, as a gift to the Lord, a soothing aroma,#sn See the note on Lev 1:9. and its drink offering, one fourth of a hin of wine.#tn Heb “wine, one fourth of the hin.” A pre-exilic hin is about 3.6 liters (= ca. 1 quart), so one fourth of a hin would be about one cup. 14 You must not eat bread, roasted grain, or fresh grain until this very day,#tn Heb “until the bone of this day.” until you bring the offering of your God. This is a perpetual statute throughout your generations#tn Heb “for your generations.” in all the places where you live.
The Festival of Weeks
15 “‘You must count for yourselves seven weeks from the day after the Sabbath, from the day you bring the wave offering sheaf; they must be complete weeks.#tn Heb “seven Sabbaths, they shall be complete.” The disjunctive accent under “Sabbaths” precludes the translation “seven complete Sabbaths” (as NASB, NIV; cf. NAB, NRSV, NLT). The text is somewhat awkward, which may explain why the LXX tradition is confused here, either adding “you shall count” again at the end of the verse, or leaving out “they shall be,” or keeping “they shall be” and adding “to you.” 16 You must count fifty days – until the day after the seventh Sabbath – and then#tn Heb “and.” In the translation “then” is supplied to clarify the sequence. you must present a new grain offering to the Lord. 17 From the places where you live you must bring two loaves of#tc Smr, LXX, Syriac, Tg. Onq., and Tg. Ps.-J. insert the word חַלּוֹת (khallot, “loaves”; cf. Lev 2:4 and the note there). Even though “loaves” is not explicit in the MT, the number “two” suggests that these are discrete units, not just a measure of flour, so “loaves” should be assumed even in the MT. bread for a wave offering; they must be made from two tenths of an ephah of fine wheat flour, baked with yeast,#tn Heb “with leaven.” The noun “leaven” is traditional in English versions (cf. KJV, ASV, NASB, NRSV), but “yeast” is more commonly used today. as first fruits to the Lord. 18 Along with the loaves of bread,#tn Heb “And you shall present on the bread.” you must also present seven flawless yearling lambs,#tn Heb “seven flawless lambs, sons of a year.” one young bull,#tn Heb “and one bull, a son of a herd.” and two rams.#tc Smr and LXX add “flawless.” They are to be a burnt offering to the Lord along with their grain offering#tn Heb “and their grain offering.” and drink offerings, a gift of a soothing aroma to the Lord.#sn See the note on Lev 1:9. 19 You must also offer#tn Heb “And you shall make.” one male goat#tn Heb “a he-goat of goats.” for a sin offering and two yearling lambs for a peace offering sacrifice, 20 and the priest is to wave them – the two lambs#tn Smr and LXX have the Hebrew article on “lambs.” The syntax of this verse is difficult. The object of the verb (two lambs) is far removed from the verb itself (shall wave) in the MT, and the preposition עַל (’al, “upon”), rendered “along with” in this verse, is also added to the far removed subject (literally, “upon [the] two lambs”; see B. A. Levine, Leviticus [JPSTC], 159). It is clear, however, that the two lambs and the loaves (along with their associated grain and drink offerings) constituted the “wave offering,” which served as the prebend “for the priest.” Burnt and sin offerings (vv. 18-19a) were not included in this (see Lev 7:11-14, 28-36). – along with the bread of the first fruits, as a wave offering before the Lord; they will be holy to the Lord for the priest.
21 “‘On this very day you must proclaim an assembly; it is to be a holy assembly for you.#tn Heb “And you shall proclaim [an assembly] in the bone of this day; a holy assembly it shall be to you” (see the remarks in B. A. Levine, Leviticus [JPSTC], 160, and the remarks on the LXX rendering in J. E. Hartley, Leviticus [WBC], 367). You must not do any regular work. This is a perpetual statute in all the places where you live throughout your generations.#tn Heb “for your generations.” 22 When you gather in the harvest#tn Heb “And when you harvest the harvest.” of your land, you must not completely harvest the corner of your field,#tn Heb “you shall not complete the corner of your field in your harvest.” and you must not gather up the gleanings of your harvest. You must leave them for the poor and the foreigner. I am the Lord your God.’”#sn Compare Lev 19:9-10.
The Festival of Horn Blasts
23 The Lord spoke to Moses: 24 “Tell the Israelites, ‘In the seventh month, on the first day of the month, you must have a complete rest, a memorial announced by loud horn blasts,#tn Heb “a memorial of loud blasts.” Although the term for “horn” does not occur here, allowing for the possibility that vocal “shouts” of acclamation are envisioned (see P. J. Budd, Leviticus [NCBC], 325), the “blast” of the shofar (a trumpet made from a ram’s “horn”) is most likely what is intended. On this occasion, the loud blasts on the horn announced the coming of the new year on the first day of the seventh month (see the explanations in J. E. Hartley, Leviticus [WBC], 387, and B. A. Levine, Leviticus [JPSTC], 160). a holy assembly. 25 You must not do any regular work, but#tn Heb “and.” The Hebrew conjunction ו (vav, “and”) can be considered to have adversative force here (cf. KJV, NASB, NIV). you must present a gift to the Lord.’”
The Day of Atonement
26 The Lord spoke to Moses: 27 “The#tn Heb “Surely the tenth day” or perhaps “Precisely the tenth day.” The Hebrew adverbial particle אַךְ (’akh) is left untranslated by most recent English versions; cf. however NASB “On exactly the tenth day.” tenth day of this seventh month is the Day of Atonement.#sn See the description of this day and its regulations in Lev 16 and the notes there. It is to be a holy assembly for you, and you must humble yourselves#tn Heb “you shall humble your souls.” See the note on Lev 16:29 above. and present a gift to the Lord. 28 You must not do any work on this particular day,#tn Heb “in the bone of this day.” because it is a day of atonement to make atonement for yourselves#tn Heb “on you [plural]”; cf. NASB, NRSV “on your behalf.” before the Lord your God. 29 Indeed,#tn The particular כִּי (ki) is taken in an asseverative sense here (“Indeed,” see the NJPS translation). any person who does not behave with humility on this particular day will be cut off from his people.#tn Heb “it [i.e., that person; literally “soul,” feminine] shall be cut off from its peoples [plural]”; NLT “from the community.” 30 As for any person#tn Heb “And any person.” who does any work on this particular day, I will exterminate#tn See HALOT 3 s.v. I אבד hif. Cf. KJV, NASB, NIV, NRSV, NLT “destroy”; CEV “wipe out.” that person from the midst of his people!#tn Heb “its people” (“its” is feminine to agree with “person,” literally “soul,” which is feminine in Hebrew; cf. v. 29). 31 You must not do any work. This is a perpetual statute throughout your generations#tn Heb “for your generations.” in all the places where you live. 32 It is a Sabbath of complete rest for you, and you must humble yourselves on the ninth day of the month in the evening, from evening until evening you must observe your Sabbath.”#tn Heb “you shall rest your Sabbath.”
The Festival of Booths
33 The Lord spoke to Moses: 34 “Tell the Israelites, ‘On the fifteenth day of this seventh month is the Festival of Temporary Shelters#tn The rendering “booths” (cf. NAB, NASB, NRSV) is probably better than the traditional “tabernacles” in light of the meaning of the term סֻכָּה (sukkah, “hut, booth”), but “booths” are frequently associated with trade shows and craft fairs in contemporary American English. The nature of the celebration during this feast (see the following verses) as a commemoration of the wanderings of the Israelites after they left Egypt suggests that a translation like “temporary shelters” is more appropriate. for seven days to the Lord. 35 On the first day is a holy assembly; you must do no regular work.#tn Heb “work of service”; KJV “servile work”; NASB “laborious work”; TEV “daily work.” 36 For seven days you must present a gift to the Lord. On the eighth day there is to be a holy assembly for you, and you must present a gift to the Lord. It is a solemn assembly day;#tn The Hebrew term עֲצֶרֶת (’atseret) “solemn assembly [day]” derives from a root associated with restraint or closure. It could refer either to the last day as “closing assembly” day of the festival (e.g., NIV) or a special day of restraint expressed in a “solemn assembly” (e.g., NRSV); cf. NLT “a solemn closing assembly.” you must not do any regular work.
37 “‘These are the appointed times of the Lord that you must proclaim as holy assemblies to present a gift to the Lord – burnt offering, grain offering, sacrifice, and drink offerings,#tn The LXX has “[their] burnt offerings, and their sacrifices, and their drink offerings.” each day according to its regulation,#tn Heb “a matter of a day in its day”; NAB “as prescribed for each day”; NRSV, NLT “each on its proper day.” 38 besides#tn Heb “from to separation.” See BDB 94 s.v. בַּד 1.e for an explanation of this phrase. This phrase is repeated in front of each of the four items in this verse in the Hebrew text, but these have not been translated into English for stylistic reasons. Cf. KJV, NASB “besides”; NRSV “apart from.” the Sabbaths of the Lord and all your gifts, votive offerings, and freewill offerings which you must give to the Lord.
39 “‘On#tn Heb “Surely on the fifteenth day.” The Hebrew adverbial particle אַךְ (’akh) is left untranslated by most recent English versions; however, cf. NASB “On exactly the fifteenth day.” the fifteenth day of the seventh month, when you gather in the produce of the land, you must celebrate a pilgrim festival of the Lord for seven days. On the first day is a complete rest and on the eighth day is complete rest. 40 On the first day you must take for yourselves branches from majestic trees#tn Heb “fruit of majestic trees,” but the following terms and verses define what is meant by this expression. For extensive remarks on the celebration of this festival in history and tradition see B. A. Levine, Leviticus (JPSTC), 163; J. E. Hartley, Leviticus (WBC), 389-90; and P. J. Budd, Leviticus (NCBC), 328-29. – palm branches, branches of leafy trees, and willows of the brook – and you must rejoice before the Lord your God for seven days. 41 You must celebrate it as a pilgrim festival to the Lord for seven days in the year. This is a perpetual statute throughout your generations;#tn Heb “for your generations.” you must celebrate it in the seventh month. 42 You must live in temporary shelters#tn Heb “in the huts” (again at the end of this verse and in v. 43), perhaps referring to temporary shelters (i.e., huts) made of the foliage referred to in v. 40 (J. E. Hartley, Leviticus [WBC], 389). for seven days; every native citizen in Israel must live in temporary shelters, 43 so that your future generations may know that I made the Israelites live in temporary shelters when I brought them out from the land of Egypt. I am the Lord your God.’”
44 So Moses spoke to the Israelites about the appointed times of the Lord.#sn E. S. Gerstenberger (Leviticus [OTL], 352) takes v. 44 to be an introduction to another set of festival regulations, perhaps something like those found in Exod 23:14-17. For others this verse reemphasizes the Mosaic authority of the preceding festival regulations (e.g., J. E. Hartley, Leviticus [WBC], 390).
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