(The Lord speaking is red text)
And ye shall keep it a feast unto the LORD seven days in the year. [It shall be] a statute for ever in your generations: ye shall celebrate it in the seventh month.
You are to observe it as a feast to ADONAI seven days in the year; it is a permanent regulation, generation after generation; keep it in the seventh month.
You are to celebrate this as a feast to the LORD for seven days each year. This is a permanent statute for the generations to come; you are to celebrate it in the seventh month.
And ye shall keep it a feast unto Jehovah seven days in the year: it is a statute for ever throughout your generations; ye shall keep it in the seventh month.
And ye shall keep{H2287} it a feast{H2282} unto the LORD{H3068} seven{H7651} days{H3117} in the year{H8141}. It shall be a statute{H2708} for ever{H5769} in your generations{H1755}: ye shall celebrate{H2287} it in the seventh{H7637} month{H2320}.
Leviticus 23:41 is part of a larger section in the book of Leviticus that outlines the various festivals and appointed times for the Israelites. The verse specifically refers to the Feast of Tabernacles, also known as Sukkot, one of the three major annual pilgrimage festivals in ancient Israel.
**Themes:**
1. **Celebration and Remembrance:** The Feast of Tabernacles was a time of joy and celebration, commemorating God's provision for the Israelites during their 40 years of wandering in the wilderness after the Exodus from Egypt.
2. **Agricultural Significance:** It was also a harvest festival, marking the end of the agricultural year, when the people would gather the fruits of their labor, particularly from the vineyards and olive groves.
3. **Divine Commemoration:** The festival served as a reminder of God's faithfulness in providing for His people, both in the past and in the present.
4. **Community and Inclusivity:** The celebration was to include all Israelites, as well as foreigners and the poor, emphasizing community and God's concern for all people.
5. **Perpetual Observance:** The verse emphasizes that this festival was to be kept throughout all generations, indicating its enduring importance in the religious life of Israel.
**Historical Context:**
The book of Leviticus is traditionally attributed to Moses and is part of the Pentateuch, the first five books of the Hebrew Bible. It contains laws and regulations given by God to the Israelites shortly after their deliverance from Egypt, during their time in the Sinai wilderness.
The Feast of Tabernacles took place on the 15th day of the seventh month, Tishri, in the Jewish calendar, which corresponds to late September to mid-October in the Gregorian calendar. This timing coincided with the completion of the yearly cycle of crops, thus it was a period of thanksgiving for the harvest.
The festival involved several rituals, including the construction of temporary shelters or booths (sukkot) to live in for the duration of the festival, as a symbol of the Israelites' temporary dwellings during their wilderness journey. The seventh day of the festival was considered especially sacred and was known as Hoshana Rabbah, the "Great Supplication," marked by processions with willow branches and prayers for a prosperous year.
In summary, Leviticus 23:41 reflects the religious, agricultural, and historical significance of the Feast of Tabernacles, a joyful and communal celebration of God's provision, observed annually by the Israelites as a permanent statute for all their generations.
*This commentary is produced by Microsoft/WizardLM-2-8x22B AI model
Note: H = Hebrew (OT), G = Greek (NT)