THE THIRD BOOK OF

MOSES,
called
L E V I T I C U S

Leviticus 23

1The feasts of the Lord. 3The sabbath. 4The passover. 9The sheaf of firstfruits. 15The feast of Pentecost. 22Gleanings to be left for the poor. 23The feast of trumpets. 26The day of atonement. 33The feast of tabernacles.


1AND the LORD spake unto Moses, saying,

2Speak unto the children of Israel, and say unto them, Concerning the feasts of the LORD, which 1ye shall proclaim to be 2holy convocations, even these are my feasts.

1 Namely, by the priests. See Num. 10:8, 9, etc.

2 Hebr. convocations of holiness. Thus the ecclesiastical meetings or assemblies were called; they were being called together to meet or assemble at one certain place, either by a voice or some other sound made for that purpose, to bring them together for the celebration of the public worship, and so in the sequel.

3Sixa days shall 3work 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.

a Exod. 20:9; 23:12; Deut. 5:13; Luke 13:14.

3 Understand the daily and servile work serving for the care and provision of this temporal life.

4¶These are the feasts of the LORD, even holy convocations, which ye shall proclaim in their seasons.

5Inb the fourteenth day of the first 4month 5at even is the LORD’S 6passover.

b Exod. 12:18; 23:15; Num. 28:16; Deut. 16:1.

4 Called Nisan and Abib, beginning with Vernal Equinox, (or Spring’s day-like night) agreeing mostly with our March. See Exod. 13 on verse 4 and Num. 9 on verse 1.

5 See of this phrase Exod. 12 on verse 6.

6 Hebr. pesach, that is, passing over, or, passing by. Thus the feast is called by a sacramental manner of speaking, while it was but a memorial of the angel passing by. Compare herewith Exod. 12:11 and Gen. 17:10 with the annotation.

6And on the fifteenth day of the same month is the feast of unleavened bread unto the LORD: seven days ye must eat unleavened bread.

7In the 7first day ye shall have an holy convocation: ye shall do no 8servile work therein.

7 That is, on this same fifteenth day of the month and on the seventh after, as follows verse 8, shall ye exercise yourselves in work of God’s worship and refrain from daily labor.

8 That is, such as may draw you away to perform the service you owe to God this day and which may weary you.

8But ye shall offer an offering 9made by fire unto the LORD seven days: in the seventh day is an holy convocation: ye shall do no servile work therein.

9 See Lev. 1 on verse 9.

9¶And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying,

10Speak 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 10sheaf of the firstfruits of your harvest unto the priest:

10 The Hebrew word signifies the tenth part of an ephah, Exod. 16:36. For this reason a sheaf also seems to have been called, since one could thresh out of a sheaf a tenth part of an ephah.

11And he shall wave the sheaf before the LORD, 11to be accepted for you: 12on the morrow after the sabbath the priest shall wave it.

11 Hebr. for your acceptableness, or, well-pleasing.

12 That is, on the sixteenth day of the month, the second after the Passover and the second day of the unleavened bread.

12And ye shall offer that day when ye wave the sheaf an he lamb without blemish of the 13first year for a burnt offering unto the LORD.

13 Hebr. the son of one year, that is, a year old. So Num. 7:17, 21, 33, etc.

13And 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 14sweet savour: and the 15drink offering thereof shall be of wine, the fourth part of an 16hin.

14 See Gen. 8 on verse 21.

15 Understand such sacrifices in which liquid matters, as wine and oil, were offered. Also verses 18, 37. See Gen. 35 on verse 14 and compare Exod. 29:40.

16 See of this measure Lev. 19 on verse 36.

14And ye shall eat 17neither 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.

17 The meaning is that they might not taste or use the least of any of their new fruits without having first offered the firstling thereof to God, which must be done on the day mentioned before in verse 11.

15¶Andc ye shall count unto you from the morrow after the sabbath, from the day that ye brought the sheaf of the 18wave offering; seven 19sabbaths shall be complete:

c Deut. 16:9.

18 See of the wave offering Lev. 7 on verse 30.

19 Or, weeks.

16Even unto the morrow after the seventh sabbath shall ye number fifty days; and ye shall offer a 20new meat offering unto the LORD.

20 Compare Num. 28:26, and understand this of the offering which was to be made of new corn or fruits, distinct from the freewill meat offerings, whereof it may be seen in Lev. 2:12.

17Ye shall bring out of your habitations two wave loaves of two 21tenth deals: they shall be of fine flour; they shall be baken with 22leaven; they are the 23firstfruits unto the LORD.

21 Namely, of an ephah, of which measure see further Exod. 16 on verse 36 and Lev. 5 on verse 11.

22 This was permitted in these sacrifices of the first fruits, but not in the free-will meat offerings, Lev. 2:11.

23 Compare Lev. 2:12.

18And ye shall offer with the bread seven lambs without blemish of the 24first year, and one 25young 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.

24 Hebr. sons of one year. Also in the following verse.

25 Hebr. the son of a bull, that is, a young one.

19Then ye shall sacrifice one kid of the goats for a sin offering, and two lambs of the first year for a sacrifice of peace offerings.

20And the priest shall wave them 26with 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.

26 Or, after the bread of the firstling, after which he shall wave both the lambs.

21And 27ye 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.

27 Namely, ye priests.

22¶Andd when ye reap the harvest of your land, thou shalt not make 28clean riddance of the 29corners of thy field when thou reapest, neither shalt thou gather any 30gleaning of thy harvest: thou shalt leave them unto the poor, and to the stranger: I am the LORD your God.

d Lev. 19:9; Deut. 24:19.

28 That is, the ears or stalks which stand somewhat out at the corners or ends of the field, and are not heeded so much or otherwise neglected to be cut off by the reapers.

29 Hebr. accomplish, that is, not cut down utterly or wholly and gather in.

30 That is, the residue or remainder, to be gathered up afterwards.

23¶And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying,

24Speak unto the children of Israel, saying, Ine the 31seventh month, in the first day of the month, shall ye have a sabbath, a 32memorial of blowing of trumpets, an holy convocation.

e Num. 29:1.

31 Called Ethanim, 1 Kings 8:2, beginning in our September, when the sun enters into Libra, and makes the latter day-like night or Equinox.

32 Or, a memorial feast of the soundings, or, according to some, a sounding of remembrance, which was made by the priests by the blowing of a trumpet: 1. to give warning and notice unto the people that the civil year had now its beginning, according to which all civil affairs, contracts, dealings, etc. were to be ordered, transacted and determined; 2. to exhort the people to give God thanks for all His benefits which they enjoyed the entire year passed; 3. to prepare themselves, by acknowledging their sins and the grief for them, against the day of atonement, which fell on the tenth day of that month. See verse 27.

25Ye shall do no servile work therein: but ye shall offer an offering made by fire unto the LORD.

26¶And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying,

2733Alsof on the tenth day of this seventh month there shall be a day of 34atonement: it shall be an holy convocation unto you; and ye shall afflict 35your souls, and offer an offering made by fire unto the LORD.

33 Or, however.

f Lev. 16:29, 31; Num. 29:7.

34 Understand such a feast of the Israelites, wherein they atoned themselves with the Lord concerning their sins with humiliation, fasting and prayer.

35 See Lev. 16 on verse 29.

28And ye shall do no work in that same day: for it is a day of atonement, to make an atonement for you before the LORD your God.

29For 36whatsoever soul it be that shall not be afflicted in that same day, he shall be cut off from among his people.

36 That is, all persons. Understand not only all Israelites, but likewise all proselytes who have been received among the congregation of the Israelites out of other nations. Also in the next verse.

30And whatsoever soul it be that doeth any work in that same day, the same soul will I 37destroy from among his people.

37 See Gen. 17 on verse 14.

31Ye shall do no manner of work: it shall be a statute for ever throughout your generations in all your dwellings.

32It shall be unto you a sabbath of rest, and ye shall afflict your souls: in the ninth day of the month 38at even, 39from even unto even, shall ye celebrate your sabbath.

38 Namely, when the ninth day was passed and the evening was come, which gave the beginning to the tenth day; as in the creation, the evening was before the morning. This manner of accounting days was in use among the Jews. Compare Gen. 1:5.

39 That is, from the going down of the sun unto the next going down of the sun.

33¶And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying,

34Speak unto the children of Israel, saying, Theg fifteenth day of this seventh month shall be the feast of 40tabernacles for seven days unto the LORD.

g Exod. 23:16; Num. 29:12; Deut. 16:15.

40 These huts were not made up of planks, skins, wool or linen material, but only of green branches, according as is explained in verse 40. An example hereof is to be seen in Neh. 8:16.

35On the first day shall be an holy convocation: ye shall do no servile work therein.

36Seven days ye shall offer an offering made by fire unto the LORD: onh 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 41solemn assembly; and ye shall do no servile work therein.

h John 7:37.

41 Hebr. restraint, or detainment, since it was forbidden to do any servile work on this day, and the people were detained to remain together for the performing of the public worship. See also Num. 29:35; Deut. 16:8; 2 Kings 10:20; Neh. 8:18; Joel 1:14; Amos 5:21. Other, day of restraint, feast day or gathering. Other, closing-day; that is, the last and most important day wherewith the feast was concluded. See Deut. 16:8; John 7:37.

37These 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:

38Beside the sabbaths of the LORD, and beside your gifts, and beside all your vows, and beside all your freewill offerings, which ye give unto the LORD.

39Also 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.

40And ye shall take you on the first day the 42boughs of 43goodly trees, 44branches of palm trees, and the boughs of thick trees, and 45willows of the brook; and ye shall rejoice before the LORD your God seven days.

42 Although the Hebrew word properly signifies fruits, yet in 2 Kings 19:30 it is likewise taken for anything that shoots and grows from the root or stem, and that here the branches are to be understood appears sufficiently by the sequel here, and out of Neh. 8:15 where more sorts of branches are specified; and of these they made their booths.

43 As of olive, myrtle, palm trees, see Neh. 8:15.

44 Hebr. hands of palms.

45 Wherewith the aforementioned branches and boughs were to be fastened and held together, as some do conceive.

41And 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.

42Ye shall dwell in booths seven days; all that are Israelites born shall dwell in booths:

43That your generations may know that I made the children of Israel to dwell in 46booths, when I brought them out of the land of Egypt: I am the LORD your God.

46 Namely, the forty years which they wandered in the wilderness. That is, I have wonderfully kept and maintained them, without having houses to live in and without fruits of the earth to feed them.

44And Moses declared unto the children of Israel the feasts of the LORD.