Leviticus 23:5-16

5 “The LORD ’s Passover begins at sundown on the fourteenth day of the first month.
6 On the next day, the fifteenth day of the month, you must begin celebrating the Festival of Unleavened Bread. This festival to the LORD continues for seven days, and during that time the bread you eat must be made without yeast.
7 On the first day of the festival, all the people must stop their ordinary work and observe an official day for holy assembly.
8 For seven days you must present special gifts to the LORD . On the seventh day the people must again stop all their ordinary work to observe an official day for holy assembly.”
9 Then the LORD said to Moses,
10 “Give the following instructions to the people of Israel. When you enter the land I am giving you and you harvest its first crops, bring the priest a bundle of grain from the first cutting of your grain harvest.
11 On the day after the Sabbath, the priest will lift it up before the LORD so it may be accepted on your behalf.
12 On that same day you must sacrifice a one-year-old male lamb with no defects as a burnt offering to the LORD .
13 With it you must present a grain offering consisting of four quarts of choice flour moistened with olive oil. It will be a special gift, a pleasing aroma to the LORD . You must also offer one quart of wine as a liquid offering.
14 Do not eat any bread or roasted grain or fresh kernels on that day until you bring this offering to your God. This is a permanent law for you, and it must be observed from generation to generation wherever you live.
15 “From the day after the Sabbath—the day you bring the bundle of grain to be lifted up as a special offering—count off seven full weeks.
16 Keep counting until the day after the seventh Sabbath, fifty days later. Then present an offering of new grain to the LORD .

Leviticus 23:5-16 Meaning and Commentary

INTRODUCTION TO LEVITICUS 23

In this chapter an account is given of the several holy days, times, and seasons, appointed by God, under the general names of feasts and holy convocations; and first of the sabbath, Le 23:1-4; then of the passover and feast of unleavened bread, Le 23:5-8; to which is annexed the sheaf of the firstfruits, Le 23:9-14; after that of the feast of weeks or pentecost, Le 23:15-22; and of the feast of trumpets, Le 23:23-25; and of the day of atonement, Le 23:26-32; and of the feast of tabernacles, Le 23:33-44.

Footnotes 3

  • [a]. This day in the ancient Hebrew lunar calendar occurred in late March, April, or early May.
  • [b]. Hebrew of an ephah [4.4 liters]; also in 23:17 .
  • [c]. Hebrew of a hin [1 liter].
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