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 to the children of Israel, and tell them, ‘The set feasts of the LORD, which you 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; you shall do no kind of work. It is a Sabbath to the LORD in all your dwellings.
“Speak to the children of Israel, and tell them, ‘When you have come into the land which I give to you, and shall reap its harvest, then you shall bring the sheaf of the first fruits of your harvest to the priest:
The meal offering with it shall be two tenth parts of an efah of fine flour mingled with oil, an offering made by fire to the LORD for a pleasant aroma; and the drink offering with it shall be of wine, the fourth part of a hin.
You shall eat neither bread, nor roasted grain, nor fresh grain, until this same day, until you have brought the offering of your God. This is a statute forever throughout your generations in all your dwellings.
“‘You shall count from the next day after the Sabbath, from the day that you brought the sheaf of the wave offering; seven Sabbaths shall be completed:
You shall bring out of your habitations two loaves of bread for a wave offering made of two tenth parts of an efah of fine flour. They shall be baked with yeast, for first fruits to the LORD.
You shall present with the bread seven lambs without defect a year old, one young bull, and two rams. They shall be a burnt offering to the LORD, with their meal offering, and their drink offerings, even an offering made by fire, of a sweet aroma to the LORD.
The priest shall wave them with the bread of the first fruits for a wave offering before the LORD, with the two lambs. They shall be holy to the LORD for the priest.
You shall make proclamation on the same day: there shall be a holy convocation to you; you shall do no regular work. This is a statute forever in all your dwellings throughout your generations.
“‘When you reap the harvest of your land, you shall not wholly reap into the corners of your field, neither shall you gather the gleanings of your harvest: you shall leave them for the poor, and for the foreigner. I am the LORD your God.’”
“Speak to the children of Israel, saying, ‘In the seventh month, on the first day of the month, shall be a solemn rest to you, a memorial of blowing of shofars, a holy convocation.
“However on the tenth day of this seventh month is Yom Kippur: it shall be a holy convocation to you, and you shall afflict yourselves; and you shall offer an offering made by fire to the LORD.
It shall be a Sabbath of solemn rest for you, and you shall deny yourselves. In the ninth day of the month at evening, from evening to evening, you shall keep your Sabbath.”
Seven days you shall offer an offering made by fire to the LORD. On the eighth day shall be a holy convocation to you; and you shall offer an offering made by fire to the LORD. It is a solemn assembly; you shall do no regular work.
“‘These are the appointed feasts of the LORD, which you shall proclaim to be holy convocations, to offer an offering made by fire to the LORD, a burnt offering, and a meal offering, a sacrifice, and drink offerings, each on its own day;
besides the Sabbaths of the LORD, and besides your gifts, and besides all your vows, and besides all your freewill offerings, which you give to the LORD.
“‘So on the fifteenth day of the seventh month, when you have gathered in the fruits of the land, you shall keep the feast of the LORD seven days: on the first day shall be a solemn rest, and on the eighth day shall be a solemn rest.
You shall take on the first day the fruit of goodly trees, branches of palm trees, and boughs of thick trees, and willows of the brook; and you shall rejoice before the LORD your God seven days.
You shall keep it a feast to the LORD seven days in the year. It is a statute forever throughout your generations. You 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 the LORD your God.’”
Moses declared to the children of Israel the appointed feasts of the LORD.
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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