Bible Commentaries
Leviticus 23

Verse 4

23:4 These [are] the feasts of the LORD, [even] holy convocations, which ye shall proclaim in their {a} seasons.

(a) For the sabbath was kept every week, and these others were kept only once every year.

Verse 7

23:7 In the first day ye shall have an holy convocation: ye shall do no {b} servile work therein.

(b) Or, bodily labour, save about that which one must eat, Exodus 12:16.

Verse 8

23:8 But ye shall offer an offering made by fire unto the LORD seven days: in the {c} seventh day [is] an holy convocation: ye shall do no servile work [therein].

(c) The first day of the feast and the seventh were kept holy: in the rest they might work, except any feasts that were together, as were the feast of unleavened bread and the feast of sheaves which were on the fifteenth and sixteenth days.

Verse 11

23:11 And he shall wave the sheaf before the LORD, to be accepted for you: on the morrow after the {d} sabbath the priest shall wave it.

(d) That is, the second sabbath of the Passover.

Verse 13

23:13 And the meat offering thereof [shall be] two {e} tenth deals of fine flour mingled with oil, an offering made by fire unto the LORD [for] a sweet savour: and the drink offering thereof [shall be] of wine, the fourth [part] {f} of an hin.

(e) Which is, the fifth part of an Ephah, or two Omers: read Exodus 16:16.

(f) Read Exodus 29:40.

Verse 15

23:15 And ye shall count unto you from the morrow after the {g} sabbath, from the day that ye brought the sheaf of the wave offering; seven sabbaths shall be complete:

(g) That is, the seventh day after the first sabbath of the Passover.

Verse 17

23:17 Ye shall bring out of your habitations two wave loaves of two tenth deals: they shall be of fine flour; they shall be baken with {h} leaven; [they are] the firstfruits unto the LORD.

(h) Because the priest should eat them, as in Leviticus 7:13, and they should not be offered to the Lord on the altar.

Verse 20

23:20 And the priest shall wave them with the bread of the firstfruits [for] a wave offering before the LORD, with the two lambs: they shall be holy to the LORD for the {i} priest.

(i) That is, offered to the Lord, and the rest should be for the priest.

Verse 24

23:24 Speak unto the children of Israel, saying, In the {k} seventh month, in the first [day] of the month, shall ye {l} have a sabbath, a memorial of {m} blowing of trumpets, an holy convocation.

(k) That is, about the end of September.

(l) Or, a holy day to the Lord.

(m) Which blowing was to remind them of the many feasts that were in that month, and of the Jubile.

Verse 27

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 {n} afflict your souls, and offer an offering made by fire unto the LORD.

(n) By fasting and prayer.

Verse 32

23:32 It [shall be] unto you a sabbath of rest, and ye shall afflict your souls: in the ninth [day] of the month at even, from {o} even unto even, shall ye celebrate your sabbath.

(o) Which contains a night and a day: yet they took it as their natural day.

Verse 36

23:36 Seven days ye shall offer an offering made by fire unto the LORD: on the eighth day shall be an holy convocation unto you; and ye shall offer an offering made by fire unto the LORD: it [is] a {p} solemn assembly; [and] ye shall do no servile work [therein].

(p) Or, a day in which the people refrain from all work.

Verse 37

23:37 These [are] the feasts of the LORD, which ye shall proclaim [to be] holy convocations, to offer an offering made by fire unto the LORD, a burnt offering, and a meat offering, a {q} sacrifice, and drink offerings, every thing upon his day:

(q) Or, peace offering.

Verse 39

23:39 Also in the fifteenth day of the seventh month, when ye have gathered in the fruit of the land, ye shall keep a feast unto the LORD seven days: on the first day [shall be] a {r} sabbath, and on the eighth day [shall be] a sabbath.

(r) Or, a solemn feast.

Verse 43

23:43 That your generations may know that I made the children of Israel to dwell in {s} booths, when I brought them out of the land of Egypt: I [am] the LORD your God.

(s) In the wilderness, in that they would not believe Joshua and Caleb, when they returned from spying the land of Canaan.