Leviticus 23

Laws concerning the holy days and Festival times, v. 1, etc. of the Sabbath, 3. the Passover, 4, 5. with the Ceremonies to be observed in keeping of it, 9. of the Pentecost, 15. of the Feast of the Trumpets, 24. of the Feast of Expiation, 27. of the Feast of the Leave-huts, (or Tabernacles), 33.

1. After that, the LORD spoke to Moseh, saying:

2. Speak unto the children of Israel, and say to them; The set high-times of the LORD, which ye shall proclaim, [viz. by the Priests. See Numbers 10:8, 9, 10, etc.] shall be holy convocations: [Heb. convocations of holiness. Thus the Ecclesiastical meetings or assemblies were called, they 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] these are my set high-times.

3. Six days work shall be done, [Understand the daily and servile work, serving for the care and provision of this temporal life] but on the seventh day is the Sabbath of rest, an holy convocation, ye shall do no work: it is the LORD’s Sabbath, in all your dwellings.

4. These are the set high-times of the LORD; the holy convocations; which ye shall proclaim on their set time.

5. In the first month, [Called Nisan and Abih, beginning with the Vernal Equinox, (or, Springs day like night) agreeing mostly with our March. See Exod. 13. on verse 4. and Numb. 9. on verse 1.] on the fourteenth of the month, betwixt two Evens, [See of this phrase, Exod. 12. on verse 6.] is the LORD’s Pascha (or, Passover). [Heb. Pesach, i.e. Passing over, or passing by. Thus the Feast is called by a Sacramental kind of speaking; when as it was but a memorial of the Angels passing by in Egypt. Compare herewith, Exodus 12:11. and Genesis 17:10. with the note]

6. And on the fifteenth day of the same month, is the Feast of the unleavened (bread-loaves) of the LORD: seven days shall ye eat unleavened (bread).

7. On the first day, [i.e. on this same fifteenth day of the month, and on the seventh after, as followeth, verse 8. shall ye exercise yourselves in work of God’s worship, and refrain from daily labour] ye shall do no servile work. [i.e. such as may let you, to perform the service ye owe to God this day, and which may weary you.

8. But ye shall offer fire-offerings to the LORD, [See above chapter 1. 9.] seven days: on the seventh there shall be an holy convocation: ye shall do no servile work.

9. And the LORD spoke to Moseh, saying:

10. Speak unto the children of Israel, and say to them: When ye shall be come into the Land, which I shall give unto you, and ye shall Harvest, then shall ye bring a sheaf [The Hebrew word doth signify the tenth part of a Epha, Exodus 16:36. and a sheaf seemeth to have its denomination thence, because that usually they could or did thrash an Epha-measure, out of a sheaf] of the firstlings of your Harvest unto the Priest.

11. And he shall wave that sheaf before the face of the LORD, that it may be acceptable for you: [Heb. for your acceptableness, or well-pleasing] on the second day after the Sabbath [i.e. on the sixteenth day of the month; the first day after the Passover, and the second day of the unleavened bread-loaves] shall the Priest wave the same.

12. Ye shall likewise on that day when ye shall bring that sheaf, prepare a perfect Lamb, of one year, [Heb. the son of one year, i.e. a year old. So Numb. 7. 17, 21, 33, etc.] for a burnt-offering to the LORD.

13. And his meat-offering, two tenths of meal-flower mixed with oil for a fire-offering, for a pleasant smell to the LORD; [See Gen. 8. on verse 21.] and his drink-offering of wine, [Understand such sacrifices, wherein liquid matters, as wine and oil, were offered: so below verse 18. and 37. see Gen. 35. on verse 15. and compare Exodus 29:40.] the South part of a Hin. [of this measure, see above chapter 19. on verse 36.]

14. and ye shall eat no bread, nor parched corn, nor green ears, until that same day, that ye shall have brought the sacrifice of your God: [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 the day before mentioned, verse 11.] it is an everlasting institution, for your generations in all your dwellings.

15. After that, ye shall number to your selves, from the second day after the Sabbath, from the day, that ye shall have brought the sheaf of the wave-offering, [See of the wave-offering, above chapter 7. on verse 30.] they shall be seven perfect Sabbaths, [or, weeks]

16. Until the second day after the seventh Sabbath, shall ye number fifty days: then ye shall offer a new meat-offering to the LORD. [Compare Numb. 28. 26. and understand this of the offering which was to be made of new corn or fruits, dinstict from the free-will-meat-offerings, whereof ye may see above chapter 2. 12.]

17. Ye shall bring two wave-bread-(loaves) out of your dwellings; they shall be of two Tenths [viz. of an Epha, of which measure, see further, Exod. 16. on verse 36. and above chapter 5. on verse 11.] of meal-flower, leavened, they shall be baken; [this was permitted in these sacrifices of the first fruits, but not in the free will meat-offerings, above ch. 2. 11. 6.] they are the firstlings to the LORD. [Compare above chapter 2. 12.]

18. Ye shall likewise with the bread offer seven perfect Lambs, of one year [Heb. sons of one year, and so in the sequel] and one bullock, the young of a bullock [Heb. the son of a Bull, i.e. a young one.] and two Rams: they shall be a burnt-offering to the LORD, with their meat-offering, and their drink-offerings, a fire-offering (for) a pleasant smell to the LORD.

19. Also you shall prepare on he-goat for a sin-offering, and two lambs of a year, for a thank-offering.

20. Then shall the Priest wave the same, with the bread of the firstlings, (for a) wave-offering before the face of the LORD, with the two lambs: [Or, after the bread of the firstling, after which he shall prepare both the Lambs] they shall be an holy thing to the LORD, for the Priest.

21. And ye shall proclaim [Ye, viz. the Priests] (that) ye shall have an holy Convocation: no servile work shall ye do; it is an everlasting Institution in all your dwellings for your generations.

22. Now when ye shall reap in the Harvest of your land, thou shalt not in thy reaping, wholly reap off [Heb. accomplish, (finish), reaping, i.e. not utterly r wholly cut down and gather in] the corner of the field, [i.e. 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] nor gather up the gleaning of thy harvest: [i.e. the residue, or remainder, to be gathered up afterwards by other hands] thou shalt leave them for the poor, and for the stranger: I am the LORD thy God.

23. And the LORD spoke to Moseh, saying:

24. Speak unto the children of Israel, saying; in the seventh month [Called Ethanim, 1 Kings 8:2. beginning in our September, when the Sun entereth into Libra, and maketh the latter day-like-night or Equinox] on the first of the month, ye shall have a rest, a rememberance of the sounding, [or, a memorial feast of 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 now the Civil year had its beginning, according to which all civil affairs, contracts, dealings, & c. were to be ordered, and transacted, and determined. 2. To exhort the people for to give God thanks for all his Benefits; which they enjoyed all the year past. 3. To prepare themselves, by acknowledging of their sins, and sorrow for them, against the day of Expiation, which fell on the tenth day of that month: see below verse 27.] an holy Convocation.

25. Ye shall do no servile work: but ye shall offer fire-offerings to the LORD.

26. Moreover the LORD spoke unto Moseh, saying:

27. Yet [Or, however] on the tenth of his seventh month, (there) shall be the Expiation-day; [Understand such a Feast of the Israelites, wherein they atoned themselves with the LORD, by making expiation for their sins, with humiliation, fasting, and prayer] ye shall have an holy convocation: then ye shall humble your souls; [see above chapter 16. on verse 29.] and shall offer a fire-offering to the LORD.

28. And on that same day ye shall do no work: for it is the Expiation-day, for to make Expiation over you, before the face of the LORD your God.

29. For every soul [i.e. all persons; understand not only all the Israelites, but all the Israelitish Proselytes likewise, that shall have been received among them, out of other Nations, and embraced the Israelites Religion, and so in the next verse] that shall not have humbled himself on that same day, the same shall be extirpated out of her people. [See Gen. 17. verse 14.]

30. Every soul likewise that shall have done any work on that same day; that same soul I will destroy out of the midst of her people.

31. Ye shall do no work: it is an everlasting institution for your generations, in all your dwellings.

32. It shall be a Sabbath of rest unto you; then ye shall humble your souls; on the ninth of the month in the evening, [viz. when the ninth day was now past, and the even come, which gave beginning to the next (tenth) day, as in the Creation, the evening was before the morning; and this manner of accounting days was in use among the Jews. Compare Genesis 1:5.] from the even to the even, [i.e. from the going down of the Sun, such a day, to the going down of it the next day] shall ye rest that Sabbath.

33. And the LORD spoke to Moseh, saying:

34. Speak to the children of Israel, saying; On the fifteenth day of this seventh month, shall the Feast of Leave-huts, (or, Tabernacles) be unto the LORD seven days: [These huts were not made up of boards, or plank skins, woolen, or linen stuff, but only of green boughs, according as is showed below verse 40. An example hereof is to be seen, Nehem. 8. 16.]

35. On the first day there shall be an holy Convocation; ye shall do no servile work.

36. Seven days shall ye offer fire-offerings to the LORD: on the eight day ye shall have an holy Convocation, and shall offer fire-offering to the LORD: it is a Prohibition-day, [Heb. inhibition, or forbidding, or keeping up. It being forbidden on this day to do any servile work, and the people being kept up, to remain together for the performing of the public worship, see also Numb. 29. 35. Deuteronomy 16:8. 2 Kings 10:20. Nehem. 8. 18. Joel 1:14. Amos 5:21. Oth. Solemn assembly, holy day, oth. shutting, or closing-day, i.e. the last and chiefest day, wherewith the Feast was concluded: see Deuteronomy 16:8. John 7:37.] ye shall do no servile work.

37. These are the set high-times of the LORD, which ye shall proclaim (for) holy Convocations, for to offer unto the LORD fire-offering, burnt-offering, and meat-offering, slay-offering, and drink-offerings, each daily upon its day.

38. Besides the Sabbaths of the LORD, and besides your gifts, and besides all your vows, and besides all your free-will-offerings, which ye shall give unto the LORD.

39. But upon the fifteenth day of the seventh month, when ye shall have gathered in the income of the Land, ye shall celebrate the LORD’s Feast seven days: on the first day there shall be rest, and on the eight day there shall be rest.

40. And on the first day ye shall take boughs [Although the Hebrew word do properly signify fruits, yet 2 Kings 19:30. it is likewise taken for anything that shooteth and growth from the root. And that here the boughs are to be understood, appeareth sufficiently, by the sequel here, and out of Nehem. 8. 16. where more sorts of boughs and branches are specified; and of these they made their Leave-huts] of goodly trees, [as Olives, Myrtles, Palms, see Nehem. 8. 16.] palm boughs, [Heb. hands of palms] and bushes of tight trees, with brook-willows, [wherewith the fore-mentioned boughs and bushes, were to be fastened and held together, and some do conceive] and shall be cheerful seven days, before the face of the LORD your God.

41. And ye shall celebrate that Feast to the LORD seven days in the year: it is an everlasting institution for your generations: in the seventh month shall ye celebrate the same.

42. Seven days shall ye dwell in the Leave-huts: all in born in Israel, shall dwell in leave-huts:

43. That your Generations may know, that I made the children of Israel to dwell in Leave-huts, [viz. for the space of forty years, while they wandered in the wilderness, implying. That he had wonderfully kept and maintained them all that while, without houses, to inhabit, and without the fruits of the earth to feed them] when I led them forth out of the Land of Egypt. I am the LORD your God.

44. Thus Moseh pronounced the set high-times of the LORD, unto the children of Israel.