1Jehovah habló a Moisés diciendo: 2"Habla a los hijos de Israel y diles que las fiestas solemnes de Jehovah, mis fiestas solemnes que proclamaréis como asambleas sagradas, son éstas: 3"Seis días se trabajará, pero el séptimo día será sábado de reposo, y habrá una asamblea sagrada. Ningún trabajo haréis; es el sábado consagrado a Jehovah, dondequiera que habitéis. 4"Estas son las fiestas solemnes de Jehovah, las asambleas sagradas que convocaréis a su debido tiempo. 5El día 14 del mes primero, al atardecer, es la Pascua de Jehovah. 6El día 15 de este mes es la fiesta de los panes sin levadura, celebrada a Jehovah. Durante siete días comeréis panes sin levadura. 7El primer día tendréis una asamblea sagrada; no haréis ningún trabajo laboral. 8Presentaréis a Jehovah una ofrenda quemada durante siete días. El séptimo día habrá una asamblea sagrada; no haréis ningún trabajo laboral." 9Jehovah habló a Moisés diciendo: 10"Habla a los hijos de Israel y diles: ‘Cuando hayáis entrado en la tierra que yo os doy y hayáis segado su mies, traeréis al sacerdote un manojo de espigas como primicia de vuestra siega. 11Este mecerá el manojo delante de Jehovah, para que seáis aceptados. El sacerdote lo mecerá el día siguiente del sábado. 12El día que presentéis el manojo, ofreceréis en holocausto a Jehovah un cordero de un año, sin defecto, 13con su ofrenda vegetal de dos décimas de efa de harina fina amasada con aceite. Esta es una ofrenda quemada a Jehovah, de grato olor. Su libación será la cuarta parte de un hin de vino. 14No comeréis pan, ni grano tostado, ni grano fresco hasta ese mismo día en que presentéis la ofrenda a vuestro Dios. Esto es un estatuto perpetuo a través de vuestras generaciones, dondequiera que habitéis. 15"‘Contaréis siete semanas completas desde la mañana siguiente al sábado, desde el día en que presentasteis el manojo de espigas de la ofrenda mecida. 16Contaréis cincuenta días hasta la mañana siguiente al séptimo sábado. Entonces presentaréis una ofrenda vegetal nueva a Jehovah. 17Desde los lugares donde habitéis traeréis dos panes para ofrenda mecida, que serán de dos décimas de efa de harina fina, cocidos con levadura, como primicias a Jehovah. 18Ofreceréis con el pan siete corderos de un año, sin defecto, un novillo y dos carneros. Serán el holocausto a Jehovah, junto con sus ofrendas vegetales y sus libaciones. Esta es una ofrenda quemada de grato olor a Jehovah. 19Ofreceréis además un macho cabrío como sacrificio por el pecado y dos corderos de un año como sacrificio de paz. 20El sacerdote los presentará como ofrenda mecida delante de Jehovah. Junto con el pan de las primicias, los dos corderos serán cosa sagrada a Jehovah, para el sacerdote. 21En este mismo día convocaréis una asamblea sagrada; no haréis ningún trabajo laboral. Este es un estatuto perpetuo a través de vuestras generaciones, dondequiera que habitéis. 22"‘Y cuando seguéis la mies de vuestra tierra, no segarás hasta el último rincón de tu campo, ni recogerás las espigas en tu campo segado. Las dejarás para el pobre y el extranjero. Yo, Jehovah, vuestro Dios.’" 23Jehovah habló a Moisés diciendo: 24"Habla a los hijos de Israel y diles: ‘El primer día del mes séptimo tendréis una fiesta sabática, una conmemoración con estrépito de trompetas y una asamblea sagrada. 25No haréis ningún trabajo laboral, y presentaréis una ofrenda quemada a Jehovah.’" 26Jehovah habló a Moisés diciendo: 27"El 10 de este mes séptimo será el día de la Expiación; tendréis asamblea sagrada. Os humillaréis a vosotros mismos y presentaréis una ofrenda quemada a Jehovah. 28Ningún trabajo haréis en ese mismo día, porque es el día de la Expiación, para hacer expiación por vosotros delante de Jehovah vuestro Dios. 29Ciertamente toda persona que no se humille en ese mismo día será excluida de su pueblo. 30Toda persona que haga cualquier trabajo en ese mismo día, yo la destruiré de entre su pueblo. 31Ningún trabajo haréis. Este es un estatuto perpetuo para vosotros, a través de vuestras generaciones, dondequiera que habitéis. 32Será para vosotros una fiesta sabática solemne, y os humillaréis a vosotros mismos a partir del anochecer del noveno día del mes. Del anochecer al anochecer guardaréis vuestro reposo." 33Jehovah habló a Moisés diciendo: 34"Habla a los hijos de Israel y diles que el día 15 de este mes séptimo será la fiesta de los Tabernáculos celebrada a Jehovah, durante siete días. 35El primer día habrá asamblea sagrada. No haréis ningún trabajo laboral. 36Siete días presentaréis una ofrenda quemada a Jehovah. El octavo día tendréis una asamblea sagrada y presentaréis una ofrenda quemada a Jehovah. Es asamblea festiva; no haréis ningún trabajo laboral. 37"Estas son las fiestas solemnes de Jehovah en las que convocaréis asambleas sagradas para presentar ofrenda quemada a Jehovah: holocausto y ofrenda vegetal, sacrificios y libaciones; cada cosa en el día que corresponda. 38Esto habrá, además de lo de los sábados de Jehovah, además de vuestros presentes, además de todas vuestras ofrendas votivas y además de todas vuestras ofrendas voluntarias que deis a Jehovah. 39"Pero el día 15 del mes séptimo, cuando hayáis almacenado los productos de la tierra, celebraréis la fiesta de Jehovah durante siete días. El primer día será una fiesta sabática, y el octavo día será una fiesta sabática. 40El primer día tomaréis para vosotros fruto de árbol hermoso: ramas de palmera, ramas de árboles frondosos y de sauces de los arroyos; y os regocijaréis delante de Jehovah vuestro Dios durante siete días. 41Celebraréis fiesta a Jehovah durante siete días cada año. Esto es un estatuto perpetuo para vosotros, a través de vuestras generaciones. La celebraréis en el mes séptimo. 42Siete días habitaréis en cabañas. Todo natural de Israel habitará en cabañas, 43para que vuestros descendientes sepan que yo hice habitar a los hijos de Israel en cabañas cuando los saqué de la tierra de Egipto. Yo, Jehovah, vuestro Dios." 44Así habló Moisés a los hijos de Israel acerca de las fiestas solemnes de Jehovah.
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.