Leviticus 23
Big idea: The calendar. Seven appointed times shape Israel's year, and the list begins where it must — with the weekly Sabbath, before any annual feast. Then Passover and Unleavened Bread in the first month; the sheaf of first fruits waved the day after the Sabbath; fifty days later, two loaves baked with yeast for the Feast of Weeks. The seventh month carries three: trumpets on the first day, atonement on the tenth, and booths from the fifteenth. Two details give the chapter its character. In the middle of the harvest feasts, without transition, comes the command to leave the corners of the field for the poor and the foreigner. And the last feast requires seven days in temporary shelters — that your generations may know I made them dwell in booths when I brought them out of Egypt.
Chapter 23 fills the year with appointed times. Chapter 24 turns to what must be kept going every day and every Sabbath between them — the lamp and the bread.
23:1–8 — The Sabbath, Passover and Unleavened Bread
The set feasts of Yahweh are proclaimed as holy convocations — and the list opens with the weekly Sabbath: six days of work, and on the seventh a Sabbath of solemn rest, in all your dwellings. Then the annual cycle begins. On the fourteenth day of the first month in the evening is Yahweh's Passover; on the fifteenth, the feast of unleavened bread for seven days. The first and seventh days are holy convocations with no regular work, and an offering made by fire is brought each of the seven days.
1 Yahweh spoke to Moses, saying, 2 “Speak to the children of Israel, and tell them, ‘The set feasts of Yahweh, which you shall proclaim to be holy convocations, even these are my set feasts. 3 “‘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 Yahweh in all your dwellings. 4 “‘These are the set feasts of Yahweh, even holy convocations, which you shall proclaim in their appointed season. 5 In the first month, on the fourteenth day of the month in the evening, is Yahweh’s Passover. 6 On the fifteenth day of the same month is the feast of unleavened bread to Yahweh. Seven days you shall eat unleavened bread. 7 In the first day you shall have a holy convocation. You shall do no regular work. 8 But you shall offer an offering made by fire to Yahweh seven days. In the seventh day is a holy convocation. You shall do no regular work.’”
23:9–14 — The sheaf of first fruits
When they come into the land and reap its harvest, the first sheaf is brought to the priest, who waves it before Yahweh to be accepted — on the day after the Sabbath. With it comes a year-old male lamb without defect for a burnt offering, a meal offering of two tenths of an ephah of flour with oil, and a drink offering of a quarter hin of wine. And a hard rule: you must not eat bread, roasted grain or fresh grain until this same day, until you have brought the offering of your God.
9 Yahweh spoke to Moses, saying, 10 “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. 11 He shall wave the sheaf before Yahweh, to be accepted for you. On the next day after the Sabbath the priest shall wave it. 12 On the day when you wave the sheaf, you shall offer a male lamb without defect a year old for a burnt offering to Yahweh. 13 The meal offering with it shall be two tenths of an ephah of fine flour mixed with oil, an offering made by fire to Yahweh for a pleasant aroma; and the drink offering with it shall be of wine, the fourth part of a hin. 14 You must not eat bread, or roasted grain, or 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.
23:15–22 — Fifty days, two loaves — and the corners of the field
Count seven full Sabbaths from the day of the wave sheaf; the day after the seventh is the fiftieth, and a new meal offering is brought. Two loaves of two tenths of an ephah of fine flour, baked with yeast, are waved as first fruits — with seven lambs, a young bull and two rams for a burnt offering, a male goat for a sin offering, and two lambs for peace offerings, all waved with the bread and holy to Yahweh for the priest. A holy convocation is proclaimed with no regular work. And then, with no transition, the harvest command: don't reap into the corners of your field or gather the gleanings — leave them for the poor and the foreigner.
15 “‘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. 16 The next day after the seventh Sabbath you shall count fifty days; and you shall offer a new meal offering to Yahweh. 17 You shall bring out of your habitations two loaves of bread for a wave offering made of two tenths of an ephah of fine flour. They shall be baked with yeast, for first fruits to Yahweh. 18 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 Yahweh, with their meal offering and their drink offerings, even an offering made by fire, of a sweet aroma to Yahweh. 19 You shall offer one male goat for a sin offering, and two male lambs a year old for a sacrifice of peace offerings. 20 The priest shall wave them with the bread of the first fruits for a wave offering before Yahweh, with the two lambs. They shall be holy to Yahweh for the priest. 21 You shall make proclamation on the same day that 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. 22 “‘When you reap the harvest of your land, you must not wholly reap into the corners of your field. You must not gather the gleanings of your harvest. You must leave them for the poor and for the foreigner. I am Yahweh your God.’”
23:23–32 — Trumpets, and the Day of Atonement
On the first day of the seventh month, a solemn rest, a memorial of blowing of trumpets, a holy convocation with no regular work and an offering made by fire. On the tenth day of the same month is the day of atonement — a holy convocation, on which you shall afflict yourselves and offer an offering by fire. No kind of work at all: whoever does not deny himself is cut off, and whoever works, God says, I will destroy that person from among his people. It is a Sabbath of solemn rest, kept from evening to evening beginning on the ninth day.
23 Yahweh spoke to Moses, saying, 24 “Speak to the children of Israel, saying, ‘In the seventh month, on the first day of the month, there shall be a solemn rest for you, a memorial of blowing of trumpets, a holy convocation. 25 You shall do no regular work. You shall offer an offering made by fire to Yahweh.’” 26 Yahweh spoke to Moses, saying, 27 “However on the tenth day of this seventh month is the day of atonement. It shall be a holy convocation to you. You shall afflict yourselves and you shall offer an offering made by fire to Yahweh. 28 You shall do no kind of work in that same day, for it is a day of atonement, to make atonement for you before Yahweh your God. 29 For whoever it is who shall not deny himself in that same day shall be cut off from his people. 30 Whoever does any kind of work in that same day, I will destroy that person from among his people. 31 You shall do no kind of work: it is a statute forever throughout your generations in all your dwellings. 32 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.”
23:33–44 — Booths — that your generations may know
On the fifteenth day of the seventh month, the feast of booths for seven days, with a holy convocation on the first day and another on the eighth, a solemn assembly. These are the appointed feasts, in addition to the Sabbaths and to all gifts, vows and freewill offerings. When the fruits are gathered in, they keep the feast seven days, taking the fruit of majestic trees, palm branches, boughs of thick trees and willows of the brook, and rejoicing before Yahweh their God seven days. They shall dwell in temporary shelters for seven days — all who are native-born — that your generations may know that I made the children of Israel dwell in booths when I brought them out of Egypt.
33 Yahweh spoke to Moses, saying, 34 “Speak to the children of Israel, and say, ‘On the fifteenth day of this seventh month is the feast of booths for seven days to Yahweh. 35 On the first day shall be a holy convocation. You shall do no regular work. 36 Seven days you shall offer an offering made by fire to Yahweh. On the eighth day shall be a holy convocation to you. You shall offer an offering made by fire to Yahweh. It is a solemn assembly; you shall do no regular work. 37 “‘These are the appointed feasts of Yahweh which you shall proclaim to be holy convocations, to offer an offering made by fire to Yahweh, a burnt offering, a meal offering, a sacrifice, and drink offerings, each on its own day— 38 in addition to the Sabbaths of Yahweh, and in addition to your gifts, and in addition to all your vows, and in addition to all your free will offerings, which you give to Yahweh. 39 “‘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 Yahweh seven days. On the first day shall be a solemn rest, and on the eighth day shall be a solemn rest. 40 You shall take on the first day the fruit of majestic trees, branches of palm trees, and boughs of thick trees, and willows of the brook; and you shall rejoice before Yahweh your God seven days. 41 You shall keep it as a feast to Yahweh seven days in the year. It is a statute forever throughout your generations. You shall keep it in the seventh month. 42 You shall dwell in temporary shelters for seven days. All who are native-born in Israel shall dwell in temporary shelters, 43 that your generations may know that I made the children of Israel to dwell in temporary shelters when I brought them out of the land of Egypt. I am Yahweh your God.’” 44 So Moses declared to the children of Israel the appointed feasts of Yahweh.
Scripture text: World English Bible (public domain).