---
title: "Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible -  Leviticus 23"
description: "CHAPTER 23   :-. OF SUNDRY
FEASTS. 2. Speak unto the children of
Israel, . . . concerning the feasts of the Lord—literally, \"the
times of assembling, or s"
image: "/images/missing.jpg"
url: "https://realbiblebelievers.com/commentaries/commentary-critical-and-explanatory-on-the-whole-bible/leviticus/23"
---

CHAPTER 23

. OF SUNDRY
FEASTS.

**2. Speak unto the children of
Israel, . . . concerning the feasts of the Lord**—literally, "the
times of assembling, or solemnities" (); and this is a preferable rendering, applicable to all
sacred seasons mentioned in this chapter, even the day of atonement,
which was observed as a fast. They were appointed by the direct
authority of God and announced by a public proclamation, which is
called "the joyful sound" (). Those "holy convocations" were evidences of
divine wisdom, and eminently subservient to the maintenance and
diffusion of religious knowledge and piety.

**3. Six days shall work be done: but
the seventh day is the sabbath of rest**—(See on ). The Sabbath has the precedence given to it, and it was to
be "a holy convocation," observed by families "in
their dwellings"; where practicable, by the people repairing to
the door of the tabernacle; at later periods, by meeting in the
schools of the prophets, and in synagogues.

**4. These are the feasts of the Lord,
which ye shall proclaim in their seasons**—Their observance took
place in the parts of the year corresponding to our March, May, and
September. Divine wisdom was manifested in fixing them at those
periods; in winter, when the days were short and the roads broken up,
a long journey was impracticable; while in summer the harvest and
vintage gave busy employment in the fields. Besides, another reason
for the choice of those seasons probably was to counteract the
influence of Egyptian associations and habits. And God appointed more
sacred festivals for the Israelites in the month of September than
the people of Egypt had in honor of their idols. These institutions,
however, were for the most part prospective, the observance being not
binding on the Israelites during their wanderings in the wilderness,
while the regular celebration was not to commence till their
settlement in Canaan.
. THE PASSOVER.

**5. the Lord's passover**—(See
[Exodus 12:2](../../../kjv/exodus/12/2); [Exodus 12:14](../../../kjv/exodus/12/14);
[Exodus 12:18](../../../kjv/exodus/12/18)). The institution of the
passover was intended to be a perpetual memorial of the circumstances
attending the redemption of the Israelites, while it had a typical
reference to a greater redemption to be effected for God's spiritual
people. On the first and last days of this feast, the people were
forbidden to work [[Leviticus 23:7](../../../kjv/leviticus/23/7);
[Leviticus 23:8](../../../kjv/leviticus/23/8)]; but while on the
Sabbath they were not to do *any* work, on feast days they were
permitted to dress meat—and hence the prohibition is restricted to
"no servile work." At the same time, those two days were
devoted to "holy convocation"—special seasons of social
devotion. In addition to the ordinary sacrifices of every day, there
were to be "offerings by fire" on the altar (see [Leviticus 23:8](../../../kjv/leviticus/23/8)), while unleavened bread was to be eaten in families all
the seven days (see [1 Corinthians 5:8](../../../kjv/1-corinthians/5/8)).
[1 Corinthians 5:8](../../../kjv/1-corinthians/5/8). THE SHEAF
OF FIRST FRUITS.

**10. ye shall bring a sheaf of the
first-fruits of your harvest unto the priest**—A sheaf,
literally, an omer, of the first-fruits of the barley harvest. The
barley being sooner ripe than the other grains, the reaping of it
formed the commencement of the general harvest season. The offering
described in this passage was made on the sixteenth of the first
month, the day following the first Passover Sabbath, which was on the
fifteenth (corresponding to the beginning of our April); but it was
reaped after sunset on the previous evening by persons deputed to go
with sickles and obtain samples from different fields. These, being
laid together in a sheaf or loose bundle, were brought to the court
of the temple, where the grain was winnowed, parched, and bruised in
a mortar. Then, after some incense had been sprinkled on it, the
priest waved the sheaf aloft before the Lord towards the four
different points of the compass, took a part of it and threw it into
the fire of the altar—all the rest being reserved to himself. It
was a proper and beautiful act, expressive of dependence on the God
of nature and providence—common among all people, but more
especially becoming the Israelites, who owed their land itself as
well as all it produced to the divine bounty. The offering of the
wave-sheaf sanctified the whole harvest (). At the same time, this feast had a typical character, and
pre-intimated the resurrection of Christ (), who rose from the dead on the very day the first-fruits
were offered.
. FEAST OF
PENTECOST.

**15. ye shall count unto you from the
morrow after the sabbath**—that is, after the first day of the
passover week, which was observed as a Sabbath.

**16. number fifty days**—The
forty-ninth day after the presentation of the first-fruits, or the
fiftieth, including it, was the feast of Pentecost. (See also [Exodus 23:16](../../../kjv/exodus/23/16);
[Deuteronomy 16:9](../../../kjv/deuteronomy/16/9)).

**17. Ye shall bring out of your
habitations two wave loaves of two tenth deals,** c.—These loaves
were made of "fine" or wheaten flour, the quantity
contained in them being somewhat more than ten pounds in weight. As
the wave-sheaf gave the signal for the commencement, the two loaves
solemnized the termination of the harvest season. They were the
first-fruits of that season, being offered unto the Lord by the
priest in name of the whole nation. (See ). The loaves used at the Passover were unleavened those
presented at Pentecost were leavened—a difference which is thus
accounted for, that the one was a memorial of the bread hastily
prepared at their departure, while the other was a tribute of
gratitude to God for their daily food, which was leavened.

**21. ye shall proclaim on the
selfsame day, that it may be an holy convocation unto you: ye shall
do no servile work therein**—Though it extended over a week, the
first day only was held as a Sabbath, both for the national offering
of first-fruits and a memorial of the giving of the law.

**22. thou shalt not make clean
riddance of the corners of thy field when thou reapest,** &c.—(See
on [Leviticus 23:1](../../../kjv/leviticus/23/1)). The repetition of
this law here probably arose from the priests reminding the people,
at the presentation of the first-fruits, to unite piety to God with
charity to the poor.
[Leviticus 23:1](../../../kjv/leviticus/23/1). FEAST OF
TRUMPETS.

**24. In the seventh month, in the
first day of the month, shall ye have a sabbath**—That was the
first day of the ancient civil year.
**a memorial of blowing of
trumpets**—Jewish writers say that the trumpets were sounded
thirty successive times, and the reason for the institution was for
the double purpose of announcing the commencement of the new year,
which was ([Leviticus 23:25](../../../kjv/leviticus/23/25)) to be
religiously observed (see [Numbers 29:3](../../../kjv/numbers/29/3)),
and of preparing the people for the approaching solemn feast.

**27-32. there shall be a day of
atonement . . . and ye shall afflict your souls**—an unusual
festival, at which the sins of the whole year were expiated. (See ). It is here only stated that the severest penalty was
incurred by the violation of this day.

**34-44. the feast of tabernacles, for
seven days unto the Lord**—This festival, which was instituted in
grateful commemoration of the Israelites having securely dwelt in
booths or tabernacles in the wilderness, was the third of the three
great annual festivals, and, like the other two, it lasted a week. It
began on the fifteenth day of the month, corresponding to the end of
our September and beginning of October, which was observed as a
Sabbath; and it could be celebrated only at the place of the
sanctuary, offerings being made on the altar every day of its
continuance. The Jews were commanded during the whole period of the
festival to dwell in booths, which were erected on the flat roofs of
houses, in the streets or fields; and the trees made use of are by
some stated to be the citron, the palm, the myrtle, and the willow,
while others maintain the people were allowed to take any trees they
could obtain that were distinguished for verdure and fragrance. While
the solid branches were reserved for the construction of the booths,
the lighter branches were carried by men, who marched in triumphal
procession, singing psalms and crying "Hosanna!" which
signifies, "Save, we beseech thee!" ([Psalms 118:15](../../../kjv/psalms/118/15);
[Psalms 118:25](../../../kjv/psalms/118/25); [Psalms 118:26](../../../kjv/psalms/118/26)).
It was a season of great rejoicing. But the ceremony of drawing water
from the pool, which was done on the last day, seems to have been the
introduction of a later period ([Psalms 118:26](../../../kjv/psalms/118/26)). That last day was the eighth, and, on account of the scene
at Siloam, was called "the great day of the feast." The
feast of ingathering, when the vintage was over, was celebrated also
on that day [[Exodus 23:16](../../../kjv/exodus/23/16); [Exodus 34:22](../../../kjv/exodus/34/22)],
and, as the conclusion of one of the great festivals, it was kept as
a sabbath.

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