Leviticus23

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.

The Appointed Times of the LORD

1
ADONAI said to Moshe,
2
"Tell the people of Isra'el: 'The designated times of ADONAI which you are to proclaim as holy convocations are my designated times. ​

The Weekly Sabbath

3
"'Work is to be done on six days; but the seventh day is a Shabbat of complete rest, a holy convocation; you are not to do any kind of work; it is a Shabbat for ADONAI, even in your homes. ​
4
"'These are the designated times of ADONAI, the holy convocations you are to proclaim at their designated times

Passover and Unleavened Bread

5
"'In the first month, on the fourteenth day of the month, between sundown and complete darkness, comes Pesach for ADONAI. ​
6
On the fifteenth day of the same month is the festival of matzah; for seven days you are to eat matzah. ​
7
On the first day you are to have a holy convocation; don't do any kind of ordinary work.
8
Bring an offering made by fire to ADONAI for seven days. On the seventh day is a holy convocation; do not do any kind of ordinary work.'"

The Offering of Firstfruits

9
ADONAI said to Moshe,
10
"Tell the people of Isra'el, 'After you enter the land I am giving you and harvest its ripe crops, you are to bring a sheaf of the firstfruits of your harvest to the cohen. ​
11
He is to wave the sheaf before ADONAI, so that you will be accepted; the cohen is to wave it on the day after the Shabbat. ​
12
On the day that you wave the sheaf, you are to offer a male lamb without defect, in its first year, as a burnt offering for ADONAI.
13
Its grain offering is to be one gallon of fine flour mixed with olive oil, an offering made by fire to ADONAI as a fragrant aroma; its drink offering is to be of wine, one quart.
14
You are not to eat bread, dried grain or fresh grain until the day you bring the offering for your God; this is a permanent regulation through all your generations, no matter where you live

The Feast of Weeks (Pentecost)

15
"'From the day after the day of rest -that is, from the day you bring the sheaf for waving -you are to count seven full weeks, ​
16
until the day after the seventh week; you are to count fifty days; and then you are to present a new grain offering to ADONAI. ​
17
You must bring bread from your homes for waving-two loaves made with one gallon of fine flour, baked with leaven -as firstfruits for ADONAI. ​
18
Along with the bread, present seven lambs without defect one year old, one young bull and two rams; these will be a burnt offering for ADONAI, with their grain and drink offerings, an offering made by fire as a fragrant aroma for ADONAI.
19
Offer one male goat as a sin offering and two male lambs one year old as a sacrifice of peace offerings
20
The cohen will wave them with the bread of the firstfruits as a wave offering before ADONAI, with the two lambs; these will be holy for ADONAI for the cohen.
21
On the same day, you are to call a holy convocation; do not do any kind of ordinary work; this is a permanent regulation through all your generations, no matter where you live
22
"'When you harvest the ripe crops produced in your land, don't harvest all the way to the corners of your field, and don't gather the ears of grain left by the harvesters; leave them for the poor and the foreigner; I am ADONAI your God.'" ​

The Feast of Trumpets

23
ADONAI said to Moshe,
24
"Tell the people of Isra'el, 'In the seventh month, the first of the month is to be for you a day of complete rest for remembering, a holy convocation announced with blasts on the shofar. ​
25
Do not do any kind of ordinary work, and bring an offering made by fire to ADONAI.'"

The Day of Atonement (Yom Kippur)

26
ADONAI said to Moshe,
27
"The tenth day of this seventh month is Yom-Kippur; you are to have a holy convocation, you are to deny yourselves, and you are to bring an offering made by fire to ADONAI. ​
28
You are not to do any kind of work on that day, because it is Yom-Kippur, to make atonement for you before ADONAI your God. ​
29
Anyone who does not deny himself on that day is to be cut off from his people; ​
30
and anyone who does any kind of work on that day, I will destroy from among his people.
31
You are not to do any kind of work; it is a permanent regulation through all your generations, no matter where you live.
32
It will be for you a Shabbat of complete rest, and you are to deny yourselves; you are to rest on your Shabbat from evening the ninth day of the month until the following evening."

The Feast of Tabernacles (Booths)

33
ADONAI said to Moshe,
34
"Tell the people of Isra'el, 'On the fifteenth day of this seventh month is the feast of Sukkot for seven days to ADONAI. ​
35
On the first day there is to be a holy convocation; do not do any kind of ordinary work.
36
For seven days you are to bring an offering made by fire to ADONAI; on the eighth day you are to have a holy convocation and bring an offering made by fire to ADONAI ; it is a day of public assembly; do not do any kind of ordinary work ​
37
"'These are the designated times of ADONAI that you are to proclaim as holy convocations and bring an offering made by fire to ADONAI -a burnt offering, a grain offering, a sacrifice and drink offerings, each on its own day -
38
besides the Shabbats of ADONAI, your gifts, all your vows and all your voluntary offerings that you give to ADONAI
39
"'But on the fifteenth day of the seventh month, when you have gathered the produce of the land, you are to observe the festival of ADONAI seven days; the first day is to be a complete rest and the eighth day is to be a complete rest.
40
On the first day you are to take choice fruit, palm fronds, thick branches and river-willows, and celebrate in the presence of ADONAI your God for seven days. ​
41
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.
42
You are to live in sukkot for seven days; every citizen of Isra'el is to live in a sukkah, ​
43
so that generation after generation of you will know that I made the people of Isra'el live in sukkot when I brought them out of the land of Egypt; I am ADONAI your God.'" ​

Conclusion

44
Thus Moshe announced to the people of Isra'el the designated times of ADONAI.

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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