Numbers 28:17

And in the fifteenth day of this month [is] the feast: seven days shall unleavened bread be eaten.

And in the fifteenth {H2568}{H6240} day {H3117} of this month {H2320} is the feast {H2282}: seven {H7651} days {H3117} shall unleavened bread {H4682} be eaten {H398}.

On the fifteenth day of the month is to be a feast. Matzah is to be eaten for seven days.

On the fifteenth day of this month, there shall be a feast; for seven days unleavened bread is to be eaten.

And on the fifteenth day of this month shall be a feast: seven days shall unleavened bread be eaten.

Commentary

Context of Numbers 28:17

Numbers chapters 28 and 29 provide a detailed and systematic list of the offerings to be made by the Israelites throughout their annual calendar of feasts and regular sacrifices. This particular verse, Numbers 28:17, specifically references the Feast of Unleavened Bread, which immediately follows the Passover. The Passover was observed on the fourteenth day of the first month (Nisan), and this verse picks up on the fifteenth day, establishing the seven-day duration of the subsequent feast. This period of observance was a foundational part of Israel's covenant relationship with God, deeply rooted in their history of deliverance from slavery in Egypt.

Key Themes and Messages

  • Divine Ordinance and Obedience: This verse underscores God's meticulous instructions for His people, emphasizing the importance of precise obedience to His commanded feasts. These detailed regulations were not arbitrary but were central to Israel's worship and identity.
  • Remembrance of Deliverance: The Feast of Unleavened Bread, or Chag HaMatzot, was instituted to commemorate the hasty departure of the Israelites from Egypt (Exodus 12:39). The unleavened bread, or matzah, symbolized the urgency of their exodus, as there was no time for dough to rise. Eating it for seven days served as a constant reminder of God's swift and powerful salvation.
  • Purity and Sanctification: Leaven in Scripture often symbolizes sin, corruption, or malice (e.g., 1 Corinthians 5:8). The command to remove all leaven from their homes and eat only unleavened bread for a week signified a period of spiritual cleansing and dedication to God. It was a tangible act of purification, reflecting a desire for moral and spiritual integrity.

Linguistic Insights

The term "unleavened bread" is a translation of the Hebrew word matzah (ΧžΦ·Χ¦ΦΌΦΈΧ”). It refers to bread made without yeast, which results in a flat, crisp wafer. Its significance is tied directly to the speed of the Exodus, as the Israelites left Egypt so quickly they did not have time to allow their dough to rise. The "feast" mentioned here is chag (Χ—Φ·Χ’), a term often used for the three annual pilgrimage festivals (Passover/Unleavened Bread, Weeks, and Tabernacles) when all male Israelites were required to go up to Jerusalem.

Practical Application

For believers today, the Feast of Unleavened Bread, though not observed literally, carries profound spiritual meaning. It serves as a powerful reminder of:

  • God's Deliverance: Just as God delivered Israel from physical bondage, He delivers us from the spiritual bondage of sin through Christ. We are called to remember and celebrate our salvation.
  • Spiritual Purity: The call to remove leaven encourages believers to purge sin and corruption from their lives. As 1 Corinthians 5:7 states, "Christ our passover is sacrificed for us: Therefore let us keep the feast, not with old leaven, neither with the leaven of malice and wickedness; but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth." This highlights the ongoing call to live a life of sincerity and truth, free from spiritual "leaven."
  • Christ's Sinless Sacrifice: Jesus Christ is often seen as the ultimate "unleavened bread," perfectly sinless and offered as a pure sacrifice for humanity's redemption. His purity makes Him the perfect Lamb of God.
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Cross-References

  • Leviticus 23:6

    And on the fifteenth day of the same month [is] the feast of unleavened bread unto the LORD: seven days ye must eat unleavened bread.

  • Exodus 23:15

    Thou shalt keep the feast of unleavened bread: (thou shalt eat unleavened bread seven days, as I commanded thee, in the time appointed of the month Abib; for in it thou camest out from Egypt: and none shall appear before me empty:)

  • Exodus 13:6

    Seven days thou shalt eat unleavened bread, and in the seventh day [shall be] a feast to the LORD.

  • Exodus 12:15

    Seven days shall ye eat unleavened bread; even the first day ye shall put away leaven out of your houses: for whosoever eateth leavened bread from the first day until the seventh day, that soul shall be cut off from Israel.

  • Exodus 12:17

    And ye shall observe [the feast of] unleavened bread; for in this selfsame day have I brought your armies out of the land of Egypt: therefore shall ye observe this day in your generations by an ordinance for ever.

  • Deuteronomy 16:3

    Thou shalt eat no leavened bread with it; seven days shalt thou eat unleavened bread therewith, [even] the bread of affliction; for thou camest forth out of the land of Egypt in haste: that thou mayest remember the day when thou camest forth out of the land of Egypt all the days of thy life.

  • Deuteronomy 16:8

    Six days thou shalt eat unleavened bread: and on the seventh day [shall be] a solemn assembly to the LORD thy God: thou shalt do no work [therein].
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