Leviticus 23 details the LORD's appointed feasts and holy convocations for the children of Israel, outlining their annual cycle of sacred observances. It begins with the weekly Sabbath, then prescribes the spring feasts of Passover, Unleavened Bread, Firstfruits, and Weeks. The chapter concludes with the autumn feasts: the Feast of Trumpets, the solemn Day of Atonement, and the seven-day Feast of Tabernacles, each with specific rituals and prohibitions on work.
Speak unto the children of Israel, and say unto them, The set feasts of Jehovah, which ye shall proclaim to be holy convocations, even these are my set feasts.
Six days shall work be done: but on the seventh day is a sabbath of solemn rest, a holy convocation; ye shall do no manner of work: it is a sabbath unto Jehovah in all your dwellings.
Speak unto the children of Israel, and say unto them, When ye are come into the land which I give unto you, and shall reap the harvest thereof, then ye shall bring the sheaf of the first-fruits of your harvest unto the priest:
And the meal-offering thereof shall be two tenth parts of an ephah of fine flour mingled with oil, an offering made by fire unto Jehovah for a sweet savor; and the drink-offering thereof shall be of wine, the fourth part of a hin.
And ye shall eat neither bread, nor parched grain, nor fresh ears, until this selfsame day, until ye have brought the oblation of your God: it is a statute for ever throughout your generations in all your dwellings.
And ye shall count unto you from the morrow after the sabbath, from the day that ye brought the sheaf of the wave-offering; seven sabbaths shall there be complete:
Ye shall bring out of your habitations two wave-loaves of two tenth parts of an ephah: they shall be of fine flour, they shall be baken with leaven, for first-fruits unto Jehovah.
And ye shall present with the bread seven lambs without blemish a year old, and one young bullock, and two rams: they shall be a burnt-offering unto Jehovah, with their meal-offering, and their drink-offerings, even an offering made by fire, of a sweet savor unto Jehovah.
And the priest shall wave them with the bread of the first-fruits for a wave-offering before Jehovah, with the two lambs: they shall be holy to Jehovah for the priest.
And ye shall make proclamation on the selfsame day; there shall be a holy convocation unto you; ye shall do no servile work: it is a statute for ever in all your dwellings throughout your generations.
And when ye reap the harvest of your land, thou shalt not wholly reap the corners of thy field, neither shalt thou gather the gleaning of thy harvest: thou shalt leave them for the poor, and for the sojourner: I am Jehovah your God.
Speak unto the children of Israel, saying, In the seventh month, on the first day of the month, shall be a solemn rest unto you, a memorial of blowing of trumpets, a holy convocation.
Howbeit on the tenth day of this seventh month is the day of atonement: it shall be a holy convocation unto you, and ye shall afflict your souls; and ye shall offer an offering made by fire unto Jehovah.
It shall be unto you a sabbath of solemn rest, and ye shall afflict your souls: in the ninth day of the month at even, from even unto even, shall ye keep your sabbath.
Seven days ye shall offer an offering made by fire unto Jehovah: on the eighth day shall be a holy convocation unto you; and ye shall offer an offering made by fire unto Jehovah: it is a solemn assembly; ye shall do no servile work.
These are the set feasts of Jehovah, which ye shall proclaim to be holy convocations, to offer an offering made by fire unto Jehovah, a burnt-offering, and a meal-offering, a sacrifice, and drink-offerings, each on its own day;
besides the sabbaths of Jehovah, and besides your gifts, and besides all your vows, and besides all your freewill-offerings, which ye give unto Jehovah.
Howbeit on the fifteenth day of the seventh month, when ye have gathered in the fruits of the land, ye shall keep the feast of Jehovah seven days: on the first day shall be a solemn rest, and on the eighth day shall be a solemn rest.
And ye shall take you on the first day the fruit of goodly trees, branches of palm-trees, and boughs of thick trees, and willows of the brook; and ye shall rejoice before Jehovah your God seven days.
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.
that your generations may know that I made the children of Israel to dwell in booths, when I brought them out of the land of Egypt: I am Jehovah your God.
And Moses declared unto the children of Israel the set feasts of Jehovah.
Study Notes for Leviticus 23
Verse 2
These “feasts” (Hebrew: *mo’adim*) literally mean 'appointed times' or 'set seasons.' They are God's schedule for meeting with His people, emphasizing His sovereignty over time and life.
Verse 3
The weekly Sabbath is listed first, establishing the rhythm of rest and holiness that underlies all the annual festivals. It is the foundational holy convocation.
Verse 5
Passover commemorates the final plague and the Exodus from Egypt (Exod. 12). It marks the beginning of the religious calendar (Nisan/Abib) in the spring.
Verse 6
The Feast of Unleavened Bread immediately follows Passover, symbolizing the haste of the departure from Egypt and the necessity of removing sin (leaven) from the community.
Verse 10
This offering was conditional upon entering the Promised Land, linking Israel's worship directly to the bounty and ownership of the land given by God.
Verse 11
The wave offering dedicated the entire harvest to the LORD before consumption. The 'morrow after the sabbath' is usually understood as the day after the first day of Unleavened Bread, marking the beginning of the barley harvest.
Verse 15
This verse begins the counting of seven weeks (the Omer), connecting the initial Firstfruits offering (barley) with the later, major wheat harvest festival.
Verse 16
Fifty days after the Firstfruits offering, the Feast of Weeks (Shavuot in Hebrew, Pentecost in Greek) was celebrated, marking the full completion of the spring grain harvest.
Verse 17
Unlike other grain offerings, these two loaves were baked *with* leaven. This suggests they represent the daily, imperfect bread of human life, offered to God alongside sin and peace offerings.
Verse 22
This verse interrupts the liturgical instructions to reiterate a fundamental ethical requirement. The celebration of abundance must always be tempered by charity and justice for the poor and the resident alien.
Verse 24
The Feast of Trumpets (Yom Teruah, later Rosh Hashanah) marked the beginning of the seventh month. The blowing of the *shofar* served as a call to assembly, alarm, and preparation for the coming Day of Atonement.
Verse 27
This is the holiest and most solemn day of the year. To 'afflict your souls' means to fast completely, expressing deep repentance and humility before God.
Verse 28
This day was unique because the High Priest performed the critical rituals to expiate the sins of the entire community, ensuring their reconciliation with God (Lev. 16).
Verse 29
The severity of the punishment emphasizes the absolute necessity of participating in the communal repentance. Failure to fast was seen as rejecting the provision for atonement.
Verse 34
The Feast of Tabernacles (Sukkot) is the final annual festival. It marks the completion of the agricultural year ('ingathering') and commemorates God’s provision during the wilderness wandering.
Verse 36
The eighth day is a distinct 'solemn assembly' (*Atzeret*) following the seven days of the feast. It serves as a concluding holy day, emphasizing rest and reflection after the long period of celebration.
Verse 40
The 'four species' (boughs of various trees) were used to create temporary structures or held in procession, symbolizing rejoicing and the bounty of the harvest, reminding Israel of God's abundant creation.
Verse 42
Dwelling in temporary shelters (*sukkot*) was a visual, annual reminder that Israel's true security comes not from permanent structures but from God's protection during their journey.
Verse 43
This verse provides the historical rationale for the ritual, linking the present celebration back to the foundational act of redemption—God making Israel dwell in temporary booths after the Exodus.
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