Leviticus 23:17

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.

Ye shall bring out {H935} of your habitations {H4186} two {H8147} wave {H8573} loaves {H3899} of two {H8147} tenth deals {H6241}: they shall be of fine flour {H5560}; they shall be baken {H644} with leaven {H2557}; they are the firstfruits {H1061} unto the LORD {H3068}.

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.

Bring two loaves of bread from your dwellings as a wave offering, each made from two-tenths of an ephah of fine flour, baked with leaven, as the firstfruits to the LORD.

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.

Commentary

Context

Leviticus 23 outlines the LORD's appointed feasts, known as the "set feasts of the LORD" or "holy convocations," which served as divinely ordained patterns for Israel's worship and national life. Verse 17 specifically details an instruction for the Feast of Weeks (Hebrew: Shavuot), which is known as Pentecost in the New Testament. This agricultural festival occurred 50 days after the Feast of Firstfruits (which itself followed Passover), marking the completion of the spring grain harvest, particularly wheat. It was a time for the Israelites to express gratitude for God's provision and to remember His covenant.

Key Themes

  • Firstfruits Offering: The "two wave loaves" were a unique offering of the very first produce from the wheat harvest, symbolizing deep gratitude and acknowledging God as the ultimate source of all sustenance and blessing. It was a communal offering, brought "out of your habitations," representing the entire congregation presenting their collective bounty to the LORD.
  • Significance of Leaven: Unusually, these loaves were explicitly to be "baken with leaven." While leaven often symbolizes sin, corruption, or impurity in other biblical contexts (e.g., during Passover, see Exodus 12:8; or Paul's warning in 1 Corinthians 5:6-8), its inclusion here is crucial. It likely represents that the offering, though holy and dedicated to God, came from an imperfect people living in an imperfect world. It underscored God's acceptance of His people as they were, acknowledging their human frailty even as they presented their best to Him.
  • Wave Offering: The loaves were to be "wave loaves," presented by the priest before the LORD with a special waving motion. This ritual signified dedication, presenting the offering to God, and acknowledging that all blessings came from Him and were being returned to Him.

Linguistic Insights

The term "firstfruits" (Hebrew: bikkurim) denotes the initial, choicest portion of the harvest. Offering the bikkurim was an act of faith, trusting God for the remainder of the harvest and demonstrating reliance on His continued provision. The phrase "two tenth deals" refers to two omers, a specific dry measure of fine flour (approximately 4.4 liters), emphasizing the precision and prescribed nature of this significant offering.

Practical Application

Leviticus 23:17, though part of the Mosaic Law, holds enduring spiritual lessons for believers today:

  • Gratitude and Stewardship: Like the Israelites, we are called to acknowledge God as the ultimate provider of all blessings, offering Him our "first and best" in gratitude. This principle extends beyond material wealth to our time, talents, and devotion, recognizing that everything we have is a gift from Him.
  • God's Acceptance in Imperfection: The deliberate inclusion of leaven in this holy offering is a powerful reminder that God accepts us despite our imperfections and sins. While He calls us to holiness and transformation, His grace covers our flaws. This foreshadows the New Testament concept of God's strength being perfected in weakness (2 Corinthians 12:9), and His acceptance of us through faith in Christ.
  • Christ as Firstfruits and the Spirit's Outpouring: The concept of firstfruits finds its ultimate fulfillment in Jesus Christ. He is described as the "firstfruits of them that slept" (1 Corinthians 15:20), guaranteeing the future resurrection of all believers. Furthermore, the outpouring of the Holy Spirit on the Day of Pentecost (Acts 2), which is the fulfillment of the Feast of Weeks, is seen as the "firstfruits of the Spirit" (Romans 8:23), a down payment of our full redemption and a foretaste of the blessings of the new creation.
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Please note that only the commentary section is AI-generated — the main Scripture and cross-references are stored on the site and are from trusted and verified sources.

Cross-References

  • Leviticus 23:10

    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:

  • Numbers 28:26

    Also in the day of the firstfruits, when ye bring a new meat offering unto the LORD, after your weeks [be out], ye shall have an holy convocation; ye shall do no servile work:

  • Exodus 34:26

    The first of the firstfruits of thy land thou shalt bring unto the house of the LORD thy God. Thou shalt not seethe a kid in his mother's milk.

  • Exodus 23:19

    The first of the firstfruits of thy land thou shalt bring into the house of the LORD thy God. Thou shalt not seethe a kid in his mother's milk.

  • Leviticus 7:13

    Besides the cakes, he shall offer [for] his offering leavened bread with the sacrifice of thanksgiving of his peace offerings.

  • Exodus 34:22

    And thou shalt observe the feast of weeks, of the firstfruits of wheat harvest, and the feast of ingathering at the year's end.

  • Matthew 13:33

    Another parable spake he unto them; The kingdom of heaven is like unto leaven, which a woman took, and hid in three measures of meal, till the whole was leavened.
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