1Y habló Jehovah (el Eterno) a Moisés, al decir: 2Habla a los hijos de IsraeL, y diles: Las solemnidades de Jehovah (el Eterno), a las cuales convocaréis santas convocaciones, serán estas mis solemnidades. 3Seis días se trabajará, y el séptimo día sábado de holganza será, convocación santa: ninguna obra haréis, sábado es de Jehovah (el Eterno) en todas vuestras habitaciones. 4Estas son las solemnidades de Jehovah (el Eterno), las convocaciones santas a las cuales convocaréis en sus tiempos. 5En el mes primero, a los catorce del mes, entre las dos tardes, Pasada a Jehovah (el Eterno). 6Y a los quince días de este mes, la celebración de los panes sin levadura a Jehovah (el Eterno): siete días comeréis panes sin levadura. 7El primer día tendréis santa convocación; ninguna obra servil haréis. 8Y ofreceréis a Jehovah (el Eterno) siete días ofrenda encendida: el séptimo día será santa convocación: ninguna obra servil haréis. 9También, habló Jehovah (el Eterno) a Moisés, al decir: 10Habla a los hijos de IsraeL, y diles: Cuando hubiereis entrado en la tierra, que yo os doy, y segareis su segada, traeréis al ministro un omer del primer fruto de vuestra segada. 11El cual mecerá el omer delante de Jehovah (el Eterno) para que seáis aceptos: el siguiente día del sábado lo mecerá el ministro. 12Y el día que ofreciereis el omer, ofreceréis un cordero perfecto de un año en holocausto a Jehovah (el Eterno). 13Y su ofrenda, dos décimos de flor de harina amasada con aceite en ofrenda encendida a Jehovah (el Eterno) para olor de holganza, y su derramadura de vino, la cuarta de un hin. 14Y no comeréis pan, ni espiga tostada, ni tierna hasta este mismo día, hasta que vengáis con la ofrenda de vuestros ELohei (Potentes): estatuto perpetuo por vuestras edades en todas vuestras habitaciones. 15Y contaréis desde el siguiente día del sábado, desde el día en que ofrecisteis el omer de la mecedura, siete semanas cumplidas serán. 16Hasta el siguiente día del sábado séptimo contaréis cincuenta días: entonces ofreceréis presente nuevo a Jehovah (el Eterno). 17De vuestras habitaciones traeréis el pan de la mecedura: dos décimos de flor de harina serán, con levadura será cocido, primeros frutos para Jehovah (el Eterno). 18Y ofreceréis con el pan siete corderos perfectos de un año, y un novillo hijo de vaca, y dos carneros, serán holocausto a Jehovah (el Eterno): y su presente, y sus derramaduras, en ofrenda encendida de olor grato a Jehovah (el Eterno). 19También, ofreceréis un macho cabrío de cabras por expiación, y dos corderos de un año en sacrificio de paces. 20Y el ministro los mecerá con el pan de los primeros frutos, con mecedura delante de Jehovah (el Eterno), con los dos corderos: santidad serán de Jehovah (el Eterno) para el ministro. 21Y convocaréis en este mismo día, santa convocación os será: ninguna obra servil haréis: estatuto perpetuo en todas vuestras habitaciones por vuestras edades. 22Y cuando segareis la segada de vuestra tierra, no acabarás de segar el rincón de tu campo, y no espigarás la espiga de tu segada; las dejarás para el pobre y para el extranjero. Yo Jehovah (el Eterno), vuestros ELohei (Potentes). 23También, habló Jehovah (el Eterno) a Moisés, al decir: 24Habla a los hijos de IsraeL, y diles: En el mes séptimo, al primero del mes tendréis sábado, memoria de aclamación, santa convocación. 25Ninguna obra servil haréis, y ofreceréis ofrenda encendida a Jehovah (el Eterno). 26También, habló Jehovah (el Eterno) a Moisés, al decir: 27Empero a los diez de este mes séptimo será el día de las expiaciones; tendréis santa convocación, y afligiréis vuestras personas, y llevaréis ofrenda encendida a Jehovah (el Eterno). 28Ninguna obra haréis en este mismo día, porque es día de expiaciones, para reconciliaros delante de Jehovah (el Eterno), vuestros ELohei (Potentes). 29Porque toda persona, que no se afligiere en este mismo día, será cortada de sus pueblos: 30Y cualquiera persona, que hiciere cualquiera obra en este mismo día, yo destruiré a aquella persona de entre su pueblo. 31Ninguna obra haréis: estatuto perpetuo será por vuestras edades en todas vuestras habitaciones. 32Sábado de holganza será a vosotros, y afligiréis vuestras personas a los nueve del mes en la tarde, de tarde a tarde holgaréis vuestro sábado. 33También, habló Jehovah (el Eterno) a Moisés, al decir: 34Habla a los hijos de IsraeL, y diles: A los quince de este mes séptimo será la solemnidad de las cabañas a Jehovah (el Eterno) por siete días. 35El primer día será santa convocación: ninguna obra servil haréis. 36Siete días ofreceréis ofrenda encendida a Jehovah (el Eterno): el octavo día tendréis santa convocación, y ofreceréis ofrenda encendida a Jehovah (el Eterno): fiesta es: ninguna obra servil haréis. 37Estas son las solemnidades de Jehovah (el Eterno) a las cuales convocaréis santas convocaciones, para ofrecer ofrenda encendida a Jehovah (el Eterno), holocausto y presente, sacrificio y derramaduras cada cosa en su tiempo: 38Además de los sábados de Jehovah (el Eterno), y además de vuestros dones, y además de todas vuestras promesas, y además de todas vuestras ofrendas voluntarias, que daréis a Jehovah (el Eterno). 39Empero a los quince del mes séptimo, cuando hubiereis allegado el fruto de la tierra, haréis fiesta a Jehovah (el Eterno) por siete días: el primer día, sábado: y el día octavo, sábado. 40Y tomaréis el primer día del fruto de algún árbol hermoso: ramas de palmeras, y ramo de árbol espeso, y sauces de los arroyos, y siete días haréis alegría delante de Jehovah (el Eterno), vuestros ELohei (Potentes). 41Y haréis a él fiesta, a Jehovah (el Eterno), por siete días cada un año, y estatuto perpetuo será por vuestras edades: en el mes séptimo la haréis. 42En cabañas habitaréis siete días: todo natural en IsraeL habitará en cabañas; 43Para que sepan vuestros descendientes, que en cabañas hice yo habitar a los hijos de IsraeL, cuando los saqué de la tierra de Mizraim. Yo Jehovah (el Eterno), vuestros ELohei (Potentes). 44Y Moisés habló a los hijos de IsraeL de las solemnidades de Jehovah (el Eterno).
Jamieson Fausset Brown Bible Commentary 2 OF SUNDRY FEASTS. (
Lev 23:1-
Lev 23:4)
Speak unto the children of Israel, . . . concerning the feasts of the Lord--literally, "the times of assembling, or solemnities" (
Isa 33:20); 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" (
Ps 89:15). 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
Exod 20:8). 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.
5 THE PASSOVER. (
Lev 23:5-
Lev 23:8)
the Lord's passover--(See
Exod 12:2,
Exod 12:14,
Exod 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 [
Lev 23:7-
Lev 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
Num 28:19), while unleavened bread was to be eaten in families all the seven days (see
1Cor 5:8).
10 THE SHEAF OF FIRST FRUITS. (
Lev 23:9-
Lev 23:14)
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 (
Rom 11:16). At the same time, this feast had a typical character, and pre-intimated the resurrection of Christ (
1Cor 15:20), who rose from the dead on the very day the first-fruits were offered.
15 FEAST OF PENTECOST. (
Lev 23:15-
Lev 23:22)
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
Exod 23:16;
Deut 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
Exod 34:22). 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
Lev 19:9). 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.
24 FEAST OF TRUMPETS. (
Lev 23:23-
Lev 23:25)
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 (
Lev 23:25) to be religiously observed (see
Num 29:3), and of preparing the people for the approaching solemn feast.
27 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
Lev 16:29-
Lev 16:34). It is here only stated that the severest penalty was incurred by the violation of this day.
34 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!" (
Ps 118:15,
Ps 118:25-
Ps 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 (
John 7:37). 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 [
Exod 23:16;
Exod 34:22], and, as the conclusion of one of the great festivals, it was kept as a sabbath.