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, Concerning the feasts of the LORD, which ye shall proclaim to be holy convocations, even these are my feasts.
Six days shall work be done: but the seventh day is the sabbath of rest, an holy convocation; ye shall do no work therein: it is the sabbath of the LORD in all your dwellings.
Speak unto the children of Israel, and say unto them, When ye be come into the land which I give unto you, and shall reap the harvest thereof, then ye shall bring a sheaf of the firstfruits of your harvest unto the priest:
And the meat offering thereof shall be two 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 of an hin.
And ye shall eat neither bread, nor parched corn, nor green ears, until the selfsame day that ye have brought an offering unto your God: it shall be 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 be complete:
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 leaven; they are the firstfruits unto the LORD.
And ye shall offer with the bread seven lambs without blemish of the first year, and one young bullock, and two rams: they shall be for a burnt offering unto the LORD, with their meat offering, and their drink offerings, even an offering made by fire, of sweet savour unto the LORD.
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 priest.
And ye shall proclaim on the selfsame day, that it may be an holy convocation unto you: ye shall do no servile work therein: it shall be a statute for ever in all your dwellings throughout your generations.
And when ye reap the harvest of your land, thou shalt not make clean riddance of the corners of thy field when thou reapest, neither shalt thou gather any gleaning of thy harvest: thou shalt leave them unto the poor, and to the stranger: I am the LORD your God.
Speak unto the children of Israel, saying, In the seventh month, in the first day of the month, shall ye have a sabbath, a memorial of blowing of trumpets, an holy convocation.
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 afflict your souls, and offer an offering made by fire unto the LORD.
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 even unto even, shall ye celebrate your sabbath.
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 solemn assembly; and ye shall do no servile work therein.
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 sacrifice, and drink offerings, every thing upon his day:
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 sabbath, and on the eighth day shall be a sabbath.
And ye shall take you on the first day the boughs of goodly trees, branches of palm trees, and the boughs of thick trees, and willows of the brook; and ye shall rejoice before the LORD your God seven days.
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.
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.
And Moses declared unto the children of Israel the 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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