Bible Commentaries
Leviticus 23

Verses 1-44

Leviticus 23:9-14 The Feast of Firstfruits Leviticus 23:9-14 is about the feast of harvest, when the children of Israel bring in the firstfruits of the harvest.

Exodus 23:16, “And the feast of harvest, the firstfruits of thy labours, which thou hast sown in the field: and the feast of ingathering, which is in the end of the year, when thou hast gathered in thy labours out of the field.”

Exodus 34:22, “And thou shalt observe the feast of weeks, of the firstfruits of wheat harvest, and the feast of ingathering at the year's end.”

Illustration - As a manager of a Christian television station in Uganda, I have grown fruit trees in the compound. When the jackfruit trees bear their first fruit, the staff automatically brings to me the first of this fruit. I did not ask them. They just know that I represent the authority over this company, and they know to give me an offering out of respect. I respond by telling them that they are welcome to the rest of the fruit on this tree. Even occasionally bring me other jackfruit during the season out of thanksgiving for me giving them the fruit of the tree.

Leviticus 23:27 Also on the tenth day of this seventh month there shall be a day of atonement: it shall be an holy convocation unto you; and ye shall afflict your souls, and offer an offering made by fire unto the LORD.

Leviticus 23:27 “ye shall afflict your souls” Comments The phrase “you shall afflict your souls” is found a number of times in the Old Testament (Leviticus 16:29; Leviticus 16:31; Leviticus 23:27; Leviticus 23:29; Leviticus 23:32, Numbers 29:7, Isaiah 58:3; Isaiah 58:5; Isaiah 58:10). It is generally understood to mean a fast, to abstain from food and drink, as described in Psalms 35:13, “But as for me, when they were sick, my clothing was sackcloth: I humbled my soul with fasting; and my prayer returned into mine own bosom.” However, John Hartley notes that use of the word ענה (affliction) rather than צום (fast) implies that an individual should feel compelled to afflict himself in other ways as well as fasting, such as “wearing sackcloth, mourning, and prayer,” as described in Psalms 35:13. [30]

[30] John E. Hartley, Leviticus, in Word Biblical Commentary: 58 Volumes on CD-Rom, vol. 4, eds. Bruce M. Metzger, David A. Hubbard and Glenn W. Barker (Dallas: Word Inc., 2002), in Libronix Digital Library System, v. 3.0b [CD-ROM] (Bellingham, WA: Libronix Corp., 2004), notes on Leviticus 16:29-31.

Leviticus 23:29 For whatsoever soul it be that shall not be afflicted in that same day, he shall be cut off from among his people.

Leviticus 23:29 “he shall be cut off from among his people” - Comments - Note how the phrase “he shall be cut off from among his people” is used in the New Testament (Acts 3:23).

Acts 3:23, “And it shall come to pass, that every soul, which will not hear that prophet, shall be destroyed from among the people.”