| Back to Home Page | Back to Book Index
|
Leviticus
Chapter Twenty-three
New King James Version (NKJV)
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
Leviticus 23:1; then
of the passover and feast of unleavened bread
Leviticus 23:5; to
which is annexed the sheaf of the firstfruits
Leviticus 23:9;
after that of the feast of weeks or pentecost
Leviticus 23:15;
and of the feast of trumpets
Leviticus 23:23;
and of the day of atonement
Leviticus 23:26;
and of the feast of tabernacles
Leviticus 23:33.
Leviticus 23:1. And
the Lord
spoke to Moses
saying
YLT 1And Jehovah speaketh unto Moses
saying
And the Lord spake unto Moses
.... Much about the same
time as before; and having delivered to him various laws concerning the
holiness of the people of Israel
who were to serve him
and of the holiness of
the priests
that were to minister in holy things to him
and of the purity and
perfections of their sacrifices
he here appoints various times and seasons
for the more special worship and service of him:
saying; as follows.
Leviticus 23:2.
2 “Speak to the children of
Israel
and say to them: ‘The feasts of the Lord
which you
shall proclaim to be holy convocations
these are My feasts.
YLT 2`Speak unto the sons of Israel
and thou hast
said unto them
Appointed seasons of Jehovah
which ye proclaim
holy
convocations
[are] these: they [are] My appointed seasons:
Speak unto the children of Israel
and say unto them
.... Speak to
them to gather together
and then say unto them what follows
they all being
obliged to keep the feasts
and observe the solemnities hereafter directed to;
though it may be the heads of the tribes and the elders of the people were
summoned together
and the following things were delivered to them
and by them
to the people:
concerning the feasts of
the Lord
which ye shall proclaim to be holy convocations
even
these are my feasts; appointed and ordered by God
and to be
kept to the honour of his name; these are the general names for the particular
holy times and seasons after appointed; they are in general called
"feasts"
though one of them
the day of atonement
was
strictly
speaking
a fast; yet being a cessation from all work
and opposed to working
days
days of labour and business
it is comprehended in this general title:
nor is it unusual with other nations to call a fast a feast; so AelianusF8Var.
Hist. l. 5. c. 20. relates of the Tarentines
that having been besieged by the
Romans
and delivered from them
in memory of their sufferings appointed a
feast which was called a fast: the word used has the signification of stated
fixed
appointed times and seasons
and of convening or meeting together at
such times
and that for the performance of solemn worship and service
which
is true of them all; for there are certain times of the week and month fixed
for them
and when the people in bodies assembled together
and in a solemn
manner worshipped the Lord; and these are called "convocations"
because the people were called together at those times by the priests
and that
with the sound of a trumpet
Numbers 10:2; and
"holy"
because separated from other days
and set apart for holy
services: the words may be rendered
as they are by manyF9Pagninus
Montanus
Junius & Tremellius
Piscator
Drusius. : "the solemnities
of the Lord
which ye shall proclaim holy convocations
these are my solemnities";
times for holy
religious
and solemn service
of his appointment and for his
glory: Aben Ezra seems to understand all this of the sabbath only
which is
next mentioned
expressed in the plural number
because
as he observes
there
are many sabbaths in a year; and indeed the general title of the rest of the
feasts is afterwards given
Leviticus 23:4.
Leviticus 23:3. 3 ‘Six
days shall work be done
but the seventh day is a Sabbath of solemn
rest
a holy convocation. You shall do no work on it; it is the
Sabbath of the Lord
in all your dwellings.
YLT 3six days is work done
and in the seventh day
[is] a sabbath of rest
a holy convocation; ye do no work; it [is] a sabbath to
Jehovah in all your dwellings.
Six days shall work be done
.... Or may be done by
men
any sort of lawful work and honest labour
for the sustenance of
themselves and families:
but the seventh day is the sabbath of rest; from all
bodily labour and work of any kind; typical of rest by Christ and in him:
an holy convocation; when the people were
called to holy exercises
to pray and praise
and hear the word
and offer
sacrifice:
ye shall do no work therein; not any at all
see Exodus 31:15
it is the sabbath of the Lord in all your dwellings: other feasts
were kept in the sanctuary
in the tabernacle or temple
or where they were;
but this was not only observed there and in their synagogues
but in their
private houses
or wherever they were
whether
travelling by sea or land; and
so the Targum of Jonathan and Aben Ezra interpret it.
Leviticus 23:4. 4 ‘These
are the feasts of the Lord
holy convocations which
you shall proclaim at their appointed times.
YLT 4`These [are] appointed seasons of Jehovah
holy convocations
which ye proclaim in their appointed seasons:
These are the feasts of the Lord
even holy convocations
.... What
follow besides the sabbath mentioned:
which ye shall proclaim in their seasons; the proper
times of the year
the day or days
and month in which they are to be observed;
these were to be proclaimed by the priests with the sound of trumpet
namely
what follow
for they are put together
which had been before for the most part
singly delivered.
Leviticus 23:5. 5 On
the fourteenth day of the first month at twilight is the Lord’s Passover.
YLT 5in the first month
on the fourteenth of the
month
between the evenings
[is] the passover to Jehovah;
In the fourteenth day of the first month
.... The month
Nisan
the same with Abib
the month in which the children of Israel came out
of Egypt
for which reason it was made the first month in the year
answering
to part of our March and part of April; and for the same reason was the
passover kept at this time
as follows:
at even is the Lord's passover; that is
that
was the time for the keeping the passover
even "between the two
evenings"
as it may be rendered; from the sixth hour and onward
as
Jarchi
trial is
after noon or twelve o'clock the middle of the day
as
Gersom
when the sun began to decline; See Gill on Exodus 12:6.
Leviticus 23:6. 6 And
on the fifteenth day of the same month is the Feast of Unleavened Bread
to the Lord;
seven days you must eat unleavened bread.
YLT 6and on the fifteenth day of this month [is]
the feast of unleavened things to Jehovah; seven days unleavened things ye do
eat;
And on the fifteenth day of the same month is the feast of
unleavened bread unto the Lord
.... Which was the day the children of
Israel went out of Egypt with their dough and leaven
having not time to leaven
it; in remembrance of which this feast was appointed:
seven days ye must eat unleavened bread; see Exodus 12:15.
Leviticus 23:7. 7 On
the first day you shall have a holy convocation; you shall do no customary work
on it.
YLT 7on the first day ye have a holy convocation
ye do no servile work;
In the first day ye shall have an holy convocation
.... That is
on the first of the seven days of the feast of unleavened bread
even the
fifteenth day of the month Nisan; this was separated from the other days of the
festival
and more particularly devoted to religions exercises
see Exodus 12:16
ye shall do no servile work therein; such as agriculture
or
any manufacture or mechanical business
which they and their servants were at
other times employed in; but they might bake bread
and boil or roast their
meat
and walk abroad
which they might not do on their sabbaths; and therefore
it is so expressed as to distinguish it from the work forbidden on that day.
Leviticus 23:8. 8 But
you shall offer an offering made by fire to the Lord for seven
days. The seventh day shall be a holy convocation; you shall do no
customary work on it.’”
YLT 8and ye have brought near a fire-offering to
Jehovah seven days; in the seventh day [is] a holy convocation; ye do no servile
work.'
But ye shall offer an offering made by
fire unto the Lord seven
days
.... A burnt offering was to be offered unto the Lord on everyone
of the seven days
which were two young bullocks
one ram
and seven lambs;
besides a meat offering
and a goat for a sin offering
Numbers 28:19
in the seventh day is an holy convocation
ye shall do no
servile work therein; as on the first day
that was on account of
the Israelites going out of Egypt; and this is said
on account of Pharaoh and
his host being drowned on it; See Gill on Exodus 12:16.
Leviticus 23:9. 9 And
the Lord
spoke to Moses
saying
YLT 9And Jehovah speaketh unto Moses
saying
And the Lord spake unto Moses
.... At the same time
for what follow are the other feasts and holy convocations before spoken of:
saying; as follows.
Leviticus 23:10. 10 “Speak
to the children of Israel
and say to them: ‘When you come into the land which
I give to you
and reap its harvest
then you shall bring a sheaf of the
firstfruits of your harvest to the priest.
YLT 10`Speak unto the sons of Israel
and thou hast
said unto them
When ye come in unto the land which I am giving to you
and
have reaped its harvest
and have brought in the sheaf
the beginning of your
harvest unto the priest
Speak unto the children of Israel
and say unto them
.... What is
next observed
it being incumbent on them to do what is enjoined:
when ye be come into the land which I give unto you: the land of
Canaan
which God had given by promise to their fathers and to them
and which
they were now going to inherit: as yet they were in a wilderness
where there
were no sowing nor reaping
nor any harvest; so that the following law
though
now given
could not take place till they came into the land of Canaan:
and shall reap the harvest thereof; the barley harvest
which was about this time
the month Nisan
and which had the name Abib
from
the barley being then in the ear
see Exodus 9:31; for
the wheat harvest was not till seven weeks after:
then ye shall bring a sheaf of the firstfruits of your harvest unto
the priest; to with it as after directed: this is called an omer in the
text
which was the tenth part of an ephah
Exodus 16:36; and
so Jarchi interprets it here; according to the Jewish writers
when the sheaf
was reaped
the corn was beat out and winnowed
and dried by the fire
and then
ground in a mill
and an omer
or a tenth part of an ephah of the flour of it
was taken
and oil and frankincense put upon it
an handful of which being put
upon the altar
the rest was the priest's; and with this pretty much agrees the
account Josephus gives
who says
on the second day of unleavened bread
which
is the sixteenth (day of Nisan)
of the fruits they have reaped they take a
part; for they do not touch them before
accounting it just to honour God
first
from whom they receive the plenty of these things; and bring the
firstfruits of the barley after this manner
having dried the handful of ears
and bruised them
and cleansed them from the bran
they bring to the altar a
tenth part to God
and casting one handful of it on the altar
they leave the
rest for the use of the priests; and from thence forward it is lawful to reap
publicly and privatelyF11Antiqu. l. 3. c. 10. sect. 5. : this has
been in some part imitated by the Heathens: the Egyptians
who ascribe the
invention of the fruits of the earth
particularly wheat and barley
to Isis
and Osiris
in memory of it
and as a testimony of their gratitude for it
at
the time of harvest
bring an handful of the first ears of corn
and beating
themselves near them
call upon Isis; and in some cities
at the feast of Isis
vessels of wheat and barley were carried about in great pomp
as Diodorus
SiculusF12Bibliothec. l. 1. p. 13. relates.
Leviticus 23:11. 11 He shall wave the sheaf
before the Lord
to be accepted on your behalf; on the day after the Sabbath the priest shall
wave it.
YLT 11then he hath waved the sheaf before Jehovah
for your acceptance; on the morrow of the sabbath doth the priest wave it.
And he shall wave the sheaf before the Lord
.... Or the
omer of barley; this was done by the priest in the tabernacle and temple
where
was the presence of God
and that before the handful of it was put upon the
altar; which agitation or waving was
as Gersom says
towards the cast; it was
moved to and fro
backwards and forwards
upwards and downwards
to make an
acknowledgment to the Lord of heaven and earth
that the fruits of the earth
and the plentiful harvest were of him
and to give him the praise and glory of
it:
to be accepted for you; of the Lord
as a
thanksgiving to him
for the harvest now ripe
and the appointed time of it
and the plenty thereof; and that the remainder might be sanctified and blessed
to them
and they have leave to gather it in
which they had not till this was
done:
on the morrow after the sabbath the priest shall wave it; not after the
seventh day
but after the first day of the feast of unleavened bread
which
was a sabbath
in which no servile work was to be done
Leviticus 23:7; and
so the Targum of Jonathan calls it the day after the first good day of the
passover
which was the sixteenth of Nisan
as Josephus expressly says
in the
place above referred to; and so it is generally understood by Jewish writersF13Jarchi
& Ben Gersom in loc. Jarchi in Misn. Succah
c. 3. sect. 12. the account
given of this affair is this; the messengers of the sanhedrim went out (from
Jerusalem over the brook Kidron to the fields near it) on the evening of the
feast
(i.e. at the going out of the fifteenth) and at the beginning of the
sixteenth of Nisan
and bound the standing corn in bundles
that so it might be
the more easily reaped; and all the neighbouring cities gathered together
there
that it might be reaped in great pomp; and when it was dark
one said to
them
is the sun set? they said
yes. With this sickle (shall I reap?) they
said
yes. In this basket (shall I put it?) they said
yes. If on a sabbath
day
he said to them
On this sabbath day (shall I do it?) they said
yesF14Misn.
Menachot
c. 10. sect. 3
4. . These questions were put and answered three
times; then they reaped it and put it into the baskets
and brought it to the
court
where they parched it before the fire
to fulfil the commandment of
parched corn; then they put it in mills for grinding beans
and took out of it
a tenth part (of an ephah)
which was sifted with eighteen sieves; then oil and
frankincense were poured upon it
being mixed; and it was waved
and brought
and a handful taken and burnt
and the rest was eaten by the priests; and when
they had offered the omer
they went out and found the streets of Jerusalem
full of meal and parched cornF15Ib. sect. 4
5.
there being now
full liberty to reap what they would: now this sheaf of the firstfruits was
typical of Christ; it being of barley
may denote the mean estate of Christ in
his humiliation; and but one sheaf for all the people
may signify that Christ
is the one Mediator
Saviour
and Redeemer: yet as a sheaf comprehends many
stalks and grains
so Christ has a complication of blessings in him; yea
he
had all his people representatively in him
when he was offered for the whole
body of his mystical Israel
all the children of God scattered abroad; the
manner of reaping it
by persons deputed by the sanhedrim on the eve of a festival
of the passover
in the sight of much people
without Jerusalem
near Kidron
exactly agrees with the apprehending of Christ in the night near Kidron
by
persons sent from the Jewish sanhedrim
and his suffering publicly without the
gates of Jerusalem; it being brought to the priests in the court
and threshed
winnowed
dried
and parched by the fire
and ground in mills
may denote the
various dolorous sufferings of Christ
by means of the priests and elders of
the people; and oil and frankincense being put on it
may denote the
acceptableness of his sacrifice to God; and the waving of it
his resurrection
from the dead
which was on the very day this sheaf was waved; who is the
firstfruits of them that sleep in him
and which sanctifies the whole body of
them
and ensures their resurrection unto eternal life; see 1 Corinthians 15:20.
Leviticus 23:12. 12 And
you shall offer on that day
when you wave the sheaf
a male lamb of the first
year
without blemish
as a burnt offering to the Lord.
YLT 12`And ye have prepared in the day of your
waving the sheaf a lamb
a perfect one
a son of a year
for a burnt-offering
to Jehovah
And ye shall offer that day
when ye wave the sheaf
.... Besides
the daily sacrifice of the morning and evening
and the additional offerings
made on everyone of the seven days of the feast of unleavened bread:
an he lamb without blemish of the first year
for a burnt offering
unto the Lord; typical of the perfect and immaculate Lamb of God
whose
sufferings are fitly signified by a burnt offering; and which were endured at
the time he became the firstfruits of his people
and sanctified them.
Leviticus 23:13. 13 Its
grain offering shall be two-tenths of an ephah of fine flour
mixed with oil
an offering made by fire to the Lord
for a sweet
aroma; and its drink offering shall be of wine
one-fourth of a hin.
YLT 13and its present two tenth deals of flour
mixed with oil
a fire-offering to Jehovah
a sweet fragrance
and its drink-offering
wine
a fourth of the hin.
And the meat offering thereof shall be two tenth deals of
fine flour mingled with oil
.... The usual measure of flour to a meat
offering was one tenth deal
Exodus 29:40; but
here it is doubled: some Jewish writers sayF16Chaskuni. one tenth
was on account of the lamb that was offered at this time
and the other as was
suitable for a meat offering; but the true reason seems to be
because it was
on account of the fruits of the earth and the plenty thereof; and therefore a
double measure of fine flour mixed with oil was required as a token of
gratitude; for thankfulness ought to be in proportion to mercies:
an offering made by fire unto the Lord for a sweet savour; an handful of
it was burnt upon the altar
and was received with acceptance by the Lord
and
the rest was eaten by the priests
Leviticus 2:2
and the drink offering thereof shall be of wine
the fourth
part of an hin; which was the common quantity for a drink offering
Exodus 29:40; for
as Jarchi observes
though the meat offering was doubled
the drink offering
was not; the reason of which seems to be
because these offerings were on
account of the harvest and not the vintage: the Targum of Jonathan calls it
wine of grapes
to distinguish it from wine that might be made of other things
but not to be used in drink offerings
only the pure juice of the grape.
Leviticus 23:14. 14 You
shall eat neither bread nor parched grain nor fresh grain until the same day
that you have brought an offering to your God; it shall be a statute
forever throughout your generations in all your dwellings.
YLT 14`And bread and roasted corn and full ears ye
do not eat until this self-same day
until your bringing in the offering of
your God -- a statute age-during to your generations
in all your dwellings.
And ye shall eat neither bread
nor parched corn
nor green ears
.... That is
they were not allowed to make bread of the new corn
as Aben Ezra and Gersom
explain it; for they were obliged to eat unleavened bread at this time: but it
might not be made of the new corn
until the above offering was made; nay
they
were not allowed to parch any of the grains of corn
and eat them; yea
even
they might not pluck and eat the green ears
though of ever so small a
quantity. The Jews sayF17Maimon. Hilchot Maacolot Asurot
c. 10.
sect. 2
3.
if it was the quantity of an olive of either of these
a man was
to be beaten for it:
until the selfsame day that ye have brought an offering unto your
God; which includes all the offerings on this account
the offering
of the firstfruits
the offering of the he lamb
and the meat offering and the
drink offering; until these were offered up
the new corn might not be eaten in
any form:
it shall be a statute for
ever throughout your generations; until the Messiah came
who is the substance of these shadows:
in all your dwellings; not at Jerusalem only
but in the several parts of the land of Canaan; yea
as Ben Gersom says
whether in the land
or without the land; a later writer says
it is forbidden
to eat of the new corn at this time
whether bread
parched corn
or green
ears
until the beginning of the night of the eighteenth of Nisan
and in the
land of Israel
until the beginning of the night of the seventeenth of NisanF18Schulchan
Aruch
par. 1. c. 489. sect. 10. so Lebush
c. 489. sect. 10. .
Leviticus 23:15. 15 ‘And
you shall count for yourselves from the day after the Sabbath
from the day
that you brought the sheaf of the wave offering: seven Sabbaths shall be
completed.
YLT 15`And ye have numbered to you from the morrow
of the sabbath
from the day of your bringing in the sheaf of the
wave-offering: they are seven perfect sabbaths;
And ye shall count unto you from the morrow after the sabbath
.... Not the
seventh day sabbath in the passover week
nor the whole feast of unleavened
bread
but the first day of it
which was an holy convocation
a sabbath in
which no servile work was to be done
Leviticus 23:7; and
it was from the day after this
even the sixteenth of Nisan
that the following
count was to be made; so the Targum of Jonathan
after the first feast day of
the passover: and JosephusF19Antiqu. l. 3. c. 10. sect. 6. is very
clear in it
that Pentecost
or the feast of weeks
was the fiftieth day from
the sixteenth of Nisan
when the above offerings were made:
from the day that ye brought the sheaf of the wave offering; which plainly
points out the express day from whence the count was to begin
even on the day
when the sheaf of the firstfruits of the barley harvest was offered:
seven sabbaths shall be complete; or seven weeks
that is
forty nine days; and hence
Jarchi says
we learn that the count began from the
evening
or otherwise the weeks would not be complete; and Gersom thinks the
day in which the sheaf was offered is included in the days counted; for the
count began from the day after the first of the passover
and lo
seven days
are seven weeks of days
which make forty nine days.
Leviticus 23:16. 16 Count
fifty days to the day after the seventh Sabbath; then you shall offer a new
grain offering to the Lord.
YLT 16unto the morrow of the seventh sabbath ye do
number fifty days
and ye have brought near a new present to Jehovah;
Even unto the morrow after the seventh sabbath
.... Or weeks
forty nine days being counted
the following was the fiftieth day
or
Pentecost:
shall ye number fifty days; from whence this feast
had the name of Pentecost
Acts 2:1; all in
Israel were obliged to number those days
except women and servantsF20Maimon.
Hilchot Tamidin Umusaphim
c. 7. sect. 24. : the manner of doing it was thisF21Schulchan
Aruch
par. 1. c. 489. sect. 1. & Lebush
ut supra
(c. 489.) sect. 1. ; on
the night of the second (day of the passover)
after the evening prayer
they
began to number; but if anyone forgot to number at the beginning of the night
he went and numbered all the night; for the commandment is for everyone to
number by himself
and he ought to number standing
and to bless first
and
number the days and weeks: How? on the first day he says
This is one day
until he comes to seven days
and then he says
This is the seventh day
which
is one week; and on the eighth day he says
This is the eighth day
which is
one week and one day
and so till he comes to the fourteenth; then he says
This is the fourteenth day
which make two weeks; and in this way he numbers
and goes on until the forty ninth day: and ye shall offer a new meat offering
unto the Lord; that is
of new corn
as the Targum of Jonathan and Jarchi
explain it
and this was of wheat; for it was the offering for the wheat
harvest
which was offered on the fiftieth day from the offering of the sheaf
or omer of the barley harvest.
Leviticus 23:17. 17 You
shall bring from your dwellings two wave loaves of two-tenths of an
ephah. They shall be of fine flour; they shall be baked with leaven. They
are the firstfruits to the Lord.
YLT 17out of your dwellings ye bring in bread of a
wave-offering
two [loaves]
of two tenth deals of flour they are
[with] yeast
they are baken
first-[fruits] to Jehovah.
And ye shall bring out of your habitations two wave loaves of two
tenth deals
.... Out of their habitations in the land of Canaan; and not out
of those without the land
as Jarchi observes; and not out of all of them
as
Ben Gersom remarks; though the Vulgate Latin version has it
out of
"all" of our habitations
but wrongly; and indeed out of no one
particular habitation
because it was at the public expense; but they were
brought from some part of the country or another
even the quantity of two
tenth parts of an ephah
or two omers of wheat flour made into two loaves
which were to be
and were waved before the Lord
and hence so called; and are
the same with the new meat offering
or rather bread offering
made of the new
corn
in the preceding verse
so Jarchi:
they shall be of fine flour; of wheat flour
the
finest of it
of which all meat or bread offerings were made; and this was
particularly on account of the wheat harvest
and therefore it was proper that
the finest of the wheat should be used on this occasion; See Gill on Leviticus 2:1; each
loaf or cake
according to MaimonidesF23Hilchot Tamidin
&c. c.
8. sect. 10.
was seven hands' breadths long
four hands' breadths broad
and
four fingers high:
they shall be baked with leaven; the common meat offering
was unleavened
part of which was burnt on the altar
where no leaven might be
burnt
Leviticus 2:4; and
from hence it may be concluded that no part of these loaves was to be burnt
but the whole of them fell to the share of the priests:
they are the
firstfruits unto the Lord; which he claimed as his
and gave unto his
priests; and it was but right and just he should have them
as an
acknowledgment of all coming from his hands
and as expressive of gratitude for
them
and for the sanctification of the rest; hence this is called the feast of
the firstfruits of wheat harvest
Exodus 34:22.
Leviticus 23:18. 18 And
you shall offer with the bread seven lambs of the first year
without blemish
one young bull
and two rams. They shall be as a burnt offering to the Lord
with their
grain offering and their drink offerings
an offering made by fire for a sweet
aroma to the Lord.
YLT 18`And ye have brought near
besides the bread
seven lambs
perfect ones
sons of a year
and one bullock
a son of the herd
and two rams; they are a burnt-offering to Jehovah
with their present and
their libations
a fire-offering of sweet fragrance to Jehovah.
And ye shall offer with the bread seven lambs without blemish
of the first year
.... That is
with the two wave loaves
the
meat or bread offering: and besides these:
and one young bullock
and two rams; in Numbers 28:27 it is
two young bullocks
and one ram; and Aben Ezra suggests
that this was at the
will and option of the priest
whether one bullock and two rams
or two
bullocks and one ram; but according to MaimonidesF24Ut supra
(Hilchot Tamidin
&c. c. 8.) sect. 1.
these sacrifices were distinct from
them; they are sacrifices of the day
as being a feast day
and these belonged
to the loaves; so that according to him
and so he expresses it
there were to
be offered on this day
besides the daily sacrifices
three bullocks
three
rams
and fourteen lambs
twenty beasts in all
for burnt offerings; and two
goats for sin offerings to be eaten
and two lambs for peace offerings to be
eaten; and with this account agrees JosephusF25Antiqu. l. 3. c. 10.
sect. 6.
they sacrifice for burnt offerings
he says
three bullocks
and two
rams
(or
as Dr. Bernard thinks
it should be read three rams
) and fourteen
lambs
and two goats for sin offerings:
they shall be for a burnt offering unto the Lord
with their meat
offering
and their drink offering; each of the said beasts
were offered
unto the Lord on the altar of burnt offering
and burnt thereon;
and to every beast they offered
there was a meat offering and a drink
offering: the meat offering consisted of three tenth deals
or omers
of fine
flour
to a bullock
two to a ram
and one to a lamb; and the drink offering
was half an hin of wine to a bullock
the third part of one to a ram
and a
fourth part to a lamb
as Jarchi observes
which appears from Numbers 28:12
even an offering
made by fire of a sweet savour unto the Lord; an acceptable burnt
offering to God.
Leviticus 23:19. 19 Then
you shall sacrifice one kid of the goats as a sin offering
and two male lambs
of the first year as a sacrifice of a peace offering.
YLT 19`And ye have prepared one kid of the goats
for a sin-offering
and two lambs
sons of a year
for a sacrifice of
peace-offerings
Then ye shall sacrifice one kid of the goats for a sin offering
.... Which was
for the sin of the whole congregation
typical of Christ
whose soul was made
an offering for sin; in virtue of which all other sacrifices become acceptable
to God
and believers enjoy the fruits and blessings of divine grace:
and two lambs of the first year for a sacrifice of peace offerings; which Gersom
says were the most holy things
and were only slain in the north
and only
eaten by males
as the rest of the holy things
and are the only peace
offerings of the congregation that were offered throughout the whole year.
Leviticus 23:20. 20 The
priest shall wave them with the bread of the firstfruits as a wave
offering before the Lord
with the two lambs. They shall be holy to the Lord for the
priest.
YLT 20and the priest hath waved them
besides the
bread of the first-[fruits] -- a wave-offering before Jehovah
besides the two
lambs; they are holy to Jehovah for the priest;
And the priests shall wave them with the bread of the firstfruits
.... The two
loaves called the two wave loaves
Leviticus 23:17;
with which were waved the two lambs of the peace offerings; and these alive
as
Jarchi and Ben Gersom intimate. The Jewish doctorsF26In Torat
Cohenim
apud Yalkut in loc. dispute
whether
in waving
the lambs were put
above the bread
or the bread above the lambs; which some reconcile by
observing
that the bread was put by the side of the lambs:
for a wave offering before
the Lord; being waved this way and that way
upwards and downwards
and
towards the several quarters of the world
showing that the fruits of the earth
were owing to the providential goodness of God everywhere:
with the two lambs; not that all the above sacrifices were
waved
or any part of them
along with the lambs
but the wave loaves
and they
were waved together
as one wave offering to the Lord:
they shall be holy to the Lord for the priests; both the
loaves and the lambs
these were separated and devoted wholly to the Lord
and
to be eaten by his priests; the peace offerings of a single person were light holy
things
as Jarchi says; but the peace offerings of the congregation
as these
were
are the most holy things
and so to be eaten only by the priests
and by
the males only
in the court of the tabernacle.
Leviticus 23:21. 21 And you shall proclaim on
the same day that it is a holy convocation to you. You shall do no
customary work on it. It shall be a statute forever in all your
dwellings throughout your generations.
YLT 21and ye have proclaimed on this self-same day:
a holy convocation is to you
ye do no servile work -- a statute age-during in
all your dwellings
to your generations.
And ye shall proclaim on the selfsame day
that it may be
an holy convocation unto you
.... This proclamation was made by the
priests with the sound of a trumpet
that the people might observe that this
fiftieth day
or day of Pentecost
was devoted to sacred service
and that they
were called to holy exercises in it:
ye shall do no servile work therein; what was not
necessary for food
as Ben Gersom observes
but what was necessary on that
account
as kindling a fire
&c. might be done
see Leviticus 23:7; for
this was to be kept in like manner as the first and seventh days of the feast
of unleavened bread; the general design of which was to express thankfulness
for the appointed weeks of the harvest
and to honour the Lord with the
firstfruits of the increase of the earth: and the Jews say
as Ben Gersom
observes
that this fiftieth day
being reckoned from the sixteenth of Nisan
fell upon the sixth of Sivan
on which day
they say
the law was given
which
is another reason for the observance of it: and it is remarkable
that on this
same day the Word of the Lord went out of Zion
and the law or doctrine of the
Lord
even the everlasting Gospel
went out of Jerusalem
published by the
apostles of Christ to the people of all nations
Acts 2:14; when
they were favoured with the firstfruits of the Spirit
after our Lord's
ascension to heaven
and receiving gifts for men
which he now in an extraordinary
manner bestowed on his disciples
Acts 2:1; and which
were the firstfruits of all others
after to be given forth in the course of
time
and of the effusion of the Spirit in the latter day; and when there was a
number of souls converted
as the firstfruits of after conversions among Jews
and Gentiles
Acts 2:41; and
particularly of the conversion of the Jews in the latter day
and of the
harvest of souls in the end of the world
Matthew 13:30
it shall be a statute for
ever all your dwellings throughout your generations; so long as
they dwelt in the land of Canaan
and had their harvest in it
even until the
Messiah came
in whom all those types and figures had their accomplishment.
Leviticus 23:22. 22 ‘When
you reap the harvest of your land
you shall not wholly reap the corners of
your field when you reap
nor shall you gather any gleaning from your harvest.
You shall leave them for the poor and for the stranger: I am the Lord your God.’”
YLT 22`And in your reaping the harvest of your land
thou dost not complete the corner of thy field in thy reaping
and the gleaning
of thy harvest thou dost not gather
to the poor and to the sojourner thou dost
leave them; I Jehovah [am] your God.'
And when ye reap the harvest of your land
.... This law
is repeated from Leviticus 19:9; and
as Aben Ezra observes
the feast of weeks being the feast of the firstfruits of
the wheat harvest
it is repeated
that they might not forget what God had
commanded them to do at that time
namely
to leave somewhat for the poor; and
the Jewish writersF1In Torat Cohenim
apud Yalkut in loc. &
Jarchi. observe
that this law
being put among the solemn feasts of the
passover
pentecost
and tabernacles
and the beginning of the year
and the
day of atonement
teaches
that he that observes it
and leaves the corner of
the field and the gleanings to the poor
it is as if he built the sanctuary
and offered his sacrifices in the midst of it; but a much better reason may be
given for it
which was
to teach them that when they expressed their
thankfulness to God
they should exercise charity and liberality to the poor:
thou shalt not make clean riddance of the corners of thy field
when thou reapest
neither shalt thou gather any gleaning of thy harvest: See Gill on Leviticus 19:9
thou shalt leave them unto the poor
and to the stranger: I am
the Lord your God; See Gill on Leviticus 19:10.
Leviticus 23:23. 23 Then
the Lord
spoke to Moses
saying
YLT 23And Jehovah speaketh unto Moses
saying
And the Lord spake unto Moses
.... At the same time
in
a continued discourse
concerning some other days
which were to be observed in
a sacred manner:
saying; as follows.
Leviticus 23:24. 24 “Speak
to the children of Israel
saying: ‘In the seventh month
on the first day
of the month
you shall have a sabbath-rest
a memorial of blowing of
trumpets
a holy convocation.
YLT 24`Speak unto the sons of Israel
saying
In
the seventh month
on the first of the month
ye have a sabbath
a memorial of
shouting
a holy convocation;
Speak unto the children of Israel
.... For all the people
of Israel were concerned in the following precept
and obliged to observe it
even priests
Levites
Israelites
proselytes
and freed servants; though other
servants
and women
and children
were not obliged to hear the sound of the
trumpetsF2Maimon. Hilchot Shophar ve Succah
c. 2. sect. 1.
and
which were blown not in Jerusalem only
but in all cities and towns where the
sanhedrim wasF3Ibid. sect. 8. ; and it was the hearing of them the
people were bound unto
and not less than nine distinct soundings were they
obliged to hearF4Ib. ch. 3. sect. 1. Schulchan Aruch
par. 1. No.
590. sect. 1. ; to which perhaps respect is had in Psalm 89:15
in the seventh month; the month Tisri
as the
Targum of Jonathan
which was the seventh from the month Nisan or Abib; which
was appointed the first month of the year
on account of the Israelites coming
out of Egypt in it; otherwise
before
this month Tisri was the first
and so
it still continued
for the fixing the years
and settling the sabbatical and
jubilee years
and for the planting of trees and herbsF5Misn.
Roshhashanah
c. 1. sect. 1. :
in the first day of the month shall ye have a sabbath; not entirely
as the weekly sabbath
in which no manner of work at all was to be done
but in
which no servile work was to be done; and was observed in like manner as the
first and seventh days of unleavened bread
and the day of pentecost
Leviticus 23:7
a memorial of blowing of trumpets; which
according to the
Jewish writers
was continued from sun rising to sun settingF6Schulchan
Aruch
par. 1. c. 588. sect. 1. Lebush
par. 2. c. 588. sect. 1. ; but what
this blowing of trumpets was a memorial of is not easy to say; some think it
was in memory of the wars the people of Israel had with their enemies the
Amalekites and Canaanites
and the victories they obtained over them
and
particularly in remembrance of the walls of Jericho falling down at the sound
of rams' horns; but then it must be by anticipation: it is more commonly
received with the JewsF7R. Alphes
par. 1. fol. 346. 2. & Jarchi
in loc. that it was on the account of the binding of Isaac on this day
being
delivered through a ram being sacrificed in his stead; and on this account it
is said
that the trumpets blown on this day were made of rams horns
and no
other might be usedF8; yea
that ram's head was used to be eaten on
this day
in remembrance of the ram of Isaac
and also to intimate that the
Jews would be the head and not the tailF9Schulchan Aruch
ib. c.
583. sect. 2. Lebush
ib. 583. sect. 2. : the Jews also say
that this day
every year
was a sort of day of judgment
in which God sat and judged men
and
also determined all events of the following yearF11Misn.
Roshhashanah
c. 1. sect. 2. T. Bab. Roshhashanah
fol. 16. 2. ; and this was
attended with blowing of trumpets
to strike a terror into them
and put them
in mind of the judgment of God
and to induce them to repent of their sinsF12Leo
Modena's History of Rites of the present Jews
par. 3. c. 5. sect. 7. : and it
may be observed
that the resurrection of the dead
in order to the last
general judgment
will be attended with the voice of the archangel and the
trumpet of God
1 Corinthians 15:52;
whether this is so represented in reference to this notion
let it be
considered: but as this was New Year's Day
as before observed
this ceremony
seems to have been appointed to express joy for all the mercies and blessings
of the last year; and the rather
at this time of the year all the fruits of
the earth were gathered in
not only the barley and the wheat
but the oil and
wine
and under such grateful acknowledgment
to expect the divine blessing to
attend them the following year; and besides
at this time of the year
it was
generally thought by the JewsF13T. Bab. Roshhashanah
fol. 10. 2.
and by others
that the world was created
and this blowing of trumpets might
be in memory of that
and as an emblem of the shoutings of the sons of God
the
angels
the morning stars
who sang for joy when the foundations of the earth
were laid
Job 38:6; to which
it may be added
this seventh month was very memorable for holy solemnities
as
the day of atonement on the tenth
and the feast of tabernacles
which began on
the fifteenth
and therefore was ushered in with blowing of trumpets to make it
the more significant
and particularly to put the people in mind to prepare for
the day of atonement near at hand; and so Gersom observes
that as the sound of
a trumpet strikes men with fear
the design of this precept was
to fill the
mind with fear
and to excite to repentance and brokenness of heart
and
humiliation for sin
and to search their works and actions
and correct what
was amiss
and so be ready for the day of atonement: hence Ainsworth thinks
that this was a figure of the ministry of John the Baptist preaching the
baptism of repentance for the remission of sins; but rather it seems to be an
emblem of the Gospel
and the ministry of it
in the acceptable year of the
Lord
or the Gospel dispensation
which is sometimes signified by the blowing
of the great trumpet
and by the ministers of it lifting up their voice like a
trumpet
Isaiah 27:13; by
which sinners are roused and awakened to a sense of their sin and danger
and
to hear a joyful sound of love
grace
mercy
peace
pardon
righteousness
and
salvation through Christ: the Jews sayF14Targum Jon. in Numb. xxix.
1. R. Alphes
par. 1
fol. 346. 2. T. Bab. Roshhashanah
fol. 16. 2.
this
blowing of trumpets was to disturb Satan
when he came to accuse the
Israelites; it is certain there is nothing gives him more disturbance than the
pure and powerful preaching of the Gospel
which he endeavours to obstruct as
much as possible
and there is nothing like what that brings to silence his
accusations
see 2 Corinthians 4:3
an holy convocation; on which the people were
called together to holy exercises; and so the Jews observe it to this day; for
after they return home from attendance to the blowing of the trumpets in their
synagogues
they sit down to meat
and spend the rest of the day in hearing
sermons
and in other religious exercisesF15.
Leviticus 23:25. 25 You
shall do no customary work on it; and you shall offer an offering made
by fire to the Lord.’”
YLT 25ye do no servile work
and ye have brought
near a fire-offering to Jehovah.'
Ye shall do no servile work therein
.... Only such
as was necessary for dressing food
but not any manual work
such as servants
were employed in on other days
as agriculture or any mechanic business:
but ye shall offer an offering made by fire unto the Lord; a burnt
offering
and what that was may be seen in Numbers 29:1.
Leviticus 23:26. 26 And
the Lord
spoke to Moses
saying:
YLT 26And Jehovah speaketh unto Moses
saying
And the Lord spake unto Moses
.... This phrase
which
is a kind of preface to each precept
seems to be used to distinguish one from
another
as the preceding one from the feast of Pentecost; and here
the day of
atonement from that of the blowing of the trumpets; and afterwards
the feast
of tabernacles from the day of atonement; the reason why it is not used before
the feast of Pentecost seems to be
because
as Aben Ezra observes
that
depended upon the wave sheaf
and was reckoned from it:
saying; as follows.
Leviticus 23:27. 27 “Also
the tenth day of this seventh month shall be the Day of
Atonement. It shall be a holy convocation for you; you shall afflict your
souls
and offer an offering made by fire to the Lord.
YLT 27`Only -- on the tenth of this seventh month
is a day of atonements; ye have a holy convocation
and ye have humbled
yourselves
and have brought near a fire-offering to Jehovah;
Also on the tenth day of this seventh month
.... Tisri
the same as before
answering to part of our September
and part of October:
there shall be a day of
atonement; for all the sins of the year past; see Leviticus 16:29
it shall be an holy convocation unto you: when they
should be called together for the exercise of holy duties:
and ye shall afflict your souls; their souls
by
repentance
contrition
and humiliation for sin
and their bodies by fasting;
and
as the Targum of Jonathan paraphrases it
"by abstaining from eating
and drinking
and the advantage of bathing and wiping
and the use of the bed
and sandals;'hence called the fast
Acts 27:9; See Gill
on Leviticus 16:29
and offer an offering made by fire unto the Lord; a burnt
offering
of which see Numbers 29:8.
Leviticus 23:28. 28 And
you shall do no work on that same day
for it is the Day of Atonement
to make atonement for you before the Lord your God.
YLT 28and ye do no work in this self-same day
for
it is a day of atonements
to make atonement for you
before Jehovah your God.
Ye shall do no work in that same day
.... No more
than on the weekly sabbath:
for it is a day of atonement
to make atonement for you before the
Lord your God: See Gill on Leviticus 16:30;
Aben Ezra's note is
"for you only
'that is
for the Israelites
and not
the Gentiles; but the atonement of Christ
the antitype of this
was not for
the sins of the Jews only
but for the sins of the whole world
of all his
people in it
1 John 2:2.
Leviticus 23:29. 29 For
any person who is not afflicted in soul on that same day shall be cut
off from his people.
YLT 29`For any person who is not humbled in this
self-same day hath even been cut off from his people;
For whatsoever soul it be that shall not be afflicted in
that same day
.... That is
as the Targums of Jonathan and Jerusalem explain
it
which can fast and does not fast; for a sick person
and a child under nine
years of age
were not obliged to fast on this dayF16Maimon. Hilchot
Shebitat Ashur
c. 2. sect. 8
10. :
he shall be cut off from among his people; by an
untimely death
by the hand of God; the Targum of Jonathan says
by the
pestilence.
Leviticus 23:30. 30 And
any person who does any work on that same day
that person I will destroy from
among his people.
YLT 30and any person who doth any work in this
self-same day I have even destroyed that person from the midst of his people;
And whatsoever soul it be that doeth any work in that same
day
.... Any sort of work whatever; for
as before observed
it was
to be kept as strictly as the weekly sabbath:
the same soul will I destroy from among his people; with the
pestilence
as the above Targum; it seems to be but another phrase for cutting
them off
and to signify the same thing.
Leviticus 23:31. 31 You shall do no manner of
work; it shall be a statute forever throughout your generations in all
your dwellings.
YLT 31ye do no work -- a statute age-during to your
generations in all your dwellings.
Ye shall do no manner of work
.... Which is repeated
that it might be observed
and to show how strictly God required this day
should be kept
and how careful men should be of breaking the command in this
respect
and how much he should resent it if they did:
it shall be a statute for
ever
throughout your generations
in all your dwellings; unto the
coming of the Messiah
who
by the atoning sacrifice of himself
would answer
to this law
and put an end to it.
Leviticus 23:32. 32 It
shall be to you a sabbath of solemn rest
and you shall afflict
your souls; on the ninth day of the month at evening
from evening to
evening
you shall celebrate your sabbath.”
YLT 32It [is] a sabbath of rest to you
and ye have
humbled yourselves in the ninth of the month at even; from evening till evening
ye do keep your sabbath.'
It shall be unto you a sabbath of rest
.... See Gill
on Leviticus 16:31;
and this is thought by someF17R. Alphes
par. 1. Yom Hacippurim
c.
1. fol. 357. 2. to be the sabbath spoken of in Isaiah 58:13
and ye shall afflict your souls; in the ninth day of the
month at even; the fast was to begin at the close of the ninth day
and to
continue to the end of the tenth; so MaimonidesF18Ut supra
(Maimon.
Hilchot Shebitat Asher) c. 1. sect. 6. : he begins to fast and afflict himself
at the evening of the ninth next to the tenth; and so at the going out of it he
continues in his affliction a little while of the night of the eleventh
next
to the tenth
which is confirmed by what follows:
from even unto even shall ye celebrate your sabbath; which some
understand of the sabbath in general; but it seems to have a particular respect
to the sabbath of the day of atonement
which was to last from the evening of
the ninth to the evening of the tenth day.
Leviticus 23:33. 33 Then
the Lord
spoke to Moses
saying
YLT 33And Jehovah speaketh unto Moses
saying
And the Lord spake unto Moses
.... Concerning the feast
of tabernacles here repeated and enlarged upon:
saying; as follows.
Leviticus 23:34.
34 “Speak
to the children of Israel
saying: ‘The fifteenth day of this seventh month shall
be the Feast of Tabernacles for seven days to the Lord.
YLT 34`Speak unto the sons of Israel
saying
In
the fifteenth day of this seventh month [is] a feast of booths seven days to
Jehovah;
Speak unto the children of Israel
saying
.... Giving
them directions about keeping a feast
in which the whole body of them had a
very special and particular concern:
the fifteenth day of this seventh month; the month
Tisri or September:
shall be the feast of
tabernacles for seven days unto the Lord; the design of which was
partly to give thanks for the fruits of the earth
now all gathered in
Leviticus 23:39;
but chiefly to commemorate the dwelling of the children of Israel in tents and
booths
during their forty years' abode in the wilderness
Leviticus 23:43;
whereby their posterity in later times would be led to observe the difference
between them and their forefathers
who lived in tents or booths
pitched
sometimes in one place
and sometimes in another
in the open fields
in
wastes
and deserts; whereas they dwelt in spacious cities
fortified towns
and magnificent houses; and were possessed of various kingdoms and nations
as
was the land of Canaan: the reason
the Jews sayF19Buxtorf. Synagog.
Jud. c. 21. p. 447.
why this feast was kept at this time of the year and not
at the season when they went out of Egypt and first dwelt in booths
as at
Succoth which had its name from thence
Exodus 12:37
was
this; because then the summer season began when men commonly used to build
tabernacles to shelter them from the heat of the sun
wherefore
if the feast
had been kept at that time
it would not have been known that it was kept at
the command of God
and in remembrance of the above circumstance; but the month
Tisri or September being usually a cold and rainy season in those parts
men
were wont to leave their tabernacles and go into their houses; and so it was a
plain case that the feast was observed not for convenience or through custom
but that it was at the command of God they went out of their houses into
tabernacles at this season of the year
in commemoration of the miraculous
benefit of dwelling in tents under the clouds of glory: and they also say
that
for this reason it was ordered to begin on the fifteenth day
because it was on
the fifteenth day of the month (though of another month) they went out of
Egypt
and the clouds began to protect and accompany them; and this was enjoined
them seven days
to teach them that the miraculous benefits of God are always
and every day to be remembered: the Jews have a whole treatise in their Misnah
called "Succah"
the "booth" or "tabernacle"; in
which they give an account of the form and fabric and measure of their
tabernacles
and of their dwelling and dining in them; and of the branches they
carry in their hands
and of the manner of carrying and shaking them; and of
the pouring out of water at this time
and of their piping and singing and
other rites and ceremonies attending this feast; See Gill on John 7:2; besides
the uses of this feast before mentioned
it was typical of spiritual and
evangelical things
and especially of the incarnation of Christ
whose human
nature is the true tabernacle
in distinction from those typical ones
and in
which he is expressly said to "tabernacle" among us
John 1:14; and it
is highly probable that his incarnation or birth was at the time of this feast;
at which time the temple of Solomon
a type of Christ's body
was also
dedicated; and this season of the year suits better than that in which it is
usually placed; and his baptism and the time of his death show it; see Luke 1:1; and as
Christ
our passover
was sacrificed for us at the exact time of the passover
and the firstfruits of the Spirit were given on the very day of Pentecost
or
feast of firstfruits; so it is most likely
that Christ was born
or first
began to tabernacle in human nature at the feast of tabernacles
which we
in
Gospel times
are to keep
by believing in the incarnate Saviour
and by
attending to the Gospel ordinances he has appointed
to commemorate the
benefits of his incarnation
sufferings
and death
Zechariah 14:16;
moreover
the dwelling of the children of Israel in booths in the wilderness
and so at this feast in commemoration of it
may be an emblem of the
tabernacles of the saints in their present wilderness state: this world
through which they are passing
is like a wilderness to them; their bodies are
called tabernacles
which are pitched for a while; and their state and
condition here is that of sojourners
pilgrims
and travellers; yea
these
tents and tabernacles may be figures of the several particular churches of
Christ
in the present state of things
which are set up for a while for the
convenience
comfort
refreshment
and joy of the spiritual Israel of God; see Psalm 46:4.
Leviticus 23:35. 35 On
the first day there shall be a holy convocation. You shall do no
customary work on it.
YLT 35on the first day [is] a holy convocation
ye
do no servile work
On the first day shall be an holy convocation
.... When they
should be called together to holy exercises
to prayer
praising
and reading
the law; and at this present time they observe this day
by rising early in the
morning and going to the synagogue
where they sing and pray much; and everyone
takes a bundle of branches of palm tree
olive
&c. in the right hand
and
a pome citron in the left
and says
blessed be thou
O Lord our God
the Lord
of the world
who has sanctified us by thy precepts
and hath commanded us to
carry the palm tree bundle; then they shake it
and give a great shout
according to Psalm 96:12; all
which they frequently repeat on this day
as well as bring out the book of the
law
attended with various ceremonies
and read some passages in itF20Buxtorf.
ut supra. (Synagog. Jud. c. 21. p. 447.) :
ye shall do no servile work therein; as on the
first and seventh days of unleavened bread
the day of Pentecost
and of the
blowing of trumpets; but what was necessary for preparing and dressing food
might be done.
Leviticus 23:36. 36 For seven days you shall
offer an offering made by fire to the Lord. On the eighth day you
shall have a holy convocation
and you shall offer an offering made by fire to
the Lord.
It is a sacred assembly
and you shall do no customary work on
it.
YLT 36seven days ye bring near a fire-offering to
Jehovah
on the eighth day ye have a holy convocation
and ye have brought near
a fire-offering to Jehovah; it [is] a restraint
ye do no servile work.
Seven days ye shall offer an offering made
by fire unto the Lord
.... A burnt
offering; what this was
and how many were offered on each day
see at large in
Numbers 29:13
on the eighth day shall be an holy convocation unto you; as on the
first day; See Gill on Leviticus 23:35
and ye shall offer an offering made by fire unto the Lord; which was
different from that on all the other days
being one bullock only
&c. Numbers 29:35
it is a solemn assembly; of all the people
when
they were gathered together before the Lord. Some render the word used a
"restraint" or "detention"
and interpret it of restraining
or detaining them from servile work
as in the next clause; so Aben Ezra and
Gersom; but this sense seems to make that clause unnecessary and is never used
elsewhere where that is:
ye shall do no servile work therein; as on the
first day; See Gill on Leviticus 23:35.
Leviticus 23:37. 37 ‘These
are the feasts of the Lord which you shall proclaim to
be holy convocations
to offer an offering made by fire to the Lord
a burnt
offering and a grain offering
a sacrifice and drink offerings
everything on
its day—
YLT 37`These [are] appointed seasons of Jehovah
which ye proclaim holy convocations
to bring near a fire-offering to Jehovah
a burnt-offering
and a present
a sacrifice
and libations
a thing of a day
in its day
These are the feasts of the Lord
.... Besides
the sabbath
as Gersom observes; even the passover
the seven days of
unleavened bread the day of Pentecost
the day of blowing the trumpets
the day
of atonement
and the seven days of the feast of tabernacles:
which ye shall proclaim to be holy convocations: as they had
been directed
Leviticus 23:2
to offer an offering made by fire unto the Lord; which is
explained by
a burnt offering
and a meat offering
which went
along with it:
a sacrifice
which the Targums of Onkelos and Jonathan call the sacrifice of
holy things; according to Gersom it was the sacrifice of the peace offerings;
but rather it seems to be the sacrifice of the sin offering
which was ordered
along with the rest in all those feasts:
and drink offerings; which also accompanied
the meat offerings:
everything upon his day; there being different
sacrifices on one day than on another
everyone was to be offered peculiar to
the day as was ordered; of which see Numbers 28:29.
Leviticus 23:38. 38 besides
the Sabbaths of the Lord
besides your gifts
besides all your vows
and besides all your freewill
offerings which you give to the Lord.
YLT 38apart from the sabbaths of Jehovah
and apart
from your gifts
and apart from all your vows
and apart from all your
willing-offerings
which ye give to Jehovah.
Beside the sabbaths of the Lord
.... The seventh day
sabbaths
which were of his appointing
and sacred to his service and worship;
on which
when any of the feasts fell
it did not hinder the observance of
them
or the offering of the several sacrifices on them; nor were those of the
sabbath to be omitted on the account of them:
and beside your gifts; either of the whole
congregation
or of a private person
which they thought well to give of their
own good will on these festivals
over and above the sacrifices enjoined:
and beside all your vows
and beside all your freewill offerings
which ye give unto the Lord; which seem to explain what is meant before
by gifts.
Leviticus 23:39. 39 ‘Also
on the fifteenth day of the seventh month
when you have gathered in the fruit
of the land
you shall keep the feast of the Lord for
seven days; on the first day there shall be a sabbath-rest
and
on the eighth day a sabbath-rest.
YLT 39`Only -- in the fifteenth day of the seventh
month
in your gathering the increase of the land
ye do keep the feast of
Jehovah seven days; on the first day [is] a sabbath
and on the eighth day a
sabbath;
Also in the fifteenth day of the seventh month
.... The month
Tisri or September
the same month
and the same day of the month before
observed; only another end and use of this feast is remarked
which was to give
thanks for the fruits of the earth gathered in
as follows:
when ye have gathered in the fruit of the land; the barley
wheat
oil and wine
and all others
this being now autumn
when the several
fruits were ripe and gathered: ye shall keep a feast unto the Lord seven days;
not different from that before mentioned
but the same
one design of which is
here suggested
to give thanks for the fruits of the earth: hence this feast is
sometimes called the feast of ingathering
Exodus 23:16; as
another use of it is after mentioned
to commemorate the children of Israel dwelling
in booths in the wilderness:
on the first day shall be a sabbath
and on the eighth day shall
be a sabbath; because on both there was a cessation from servile work
Leviticus 23:35.
Leviticus 23:40. 40 And
you shall take for yourselves on the first day the fruit of beautiful trees
branches of palm trees
the boughs of leafy trees
and willows of the brook;
and you shall rejoice before the Lord your God for seven days.
YLT 40and ye have taken to yourselves on the first
day the fruit of beautiful trees
branches of palms
and boughs of thick trees
and willows of a brook
and have rejoiced before Jehovah your God seven days.
And ye shall take you the boughs of goodly trees
.... Which the
three Targums interpret
of citrons; and so Jarchi and Aben Ezra; and the Jews
are so tenacious of observing this
that in those countries where this fruit
grows not
they will send for it from Spain
where there is plenty of it: the
Targum of Jonathan
paraphrases it
"ye shall take of yours";
suggesting these boughs must be their own
or the bundle of them
with others
they call the "lulab"
must be their own property
and not another's;
though it is saidF21Misn. Succah
c. 3. sect. 13. & Maimon.
& Bartenora in ib. R. Alphes
par. 1. Succah
c. 2. fol. 376. 1.
if it is
a gift it will do
even though it is given on condition to be returned again:
branches of palm trees: which were very common
in the land of Judea
and especially about Jericho; see John 12:13; the
Targums of Jonathan and Jerusalem call them "lulabs"
which is the
name the Jews give to the whole bundle they carried in their hands on this day:
and the boughs of thick trees; which the Targums and
Jewish writers in general understand of myrtles
being full of branches and
leaves:
and willows of the brook; a sort of trees which
delight to grow by brooks and rills of water: these
according to the Jewish
writers
were not taken to make their booths of
though that seems to be the
use of them
from Nehemiah 8:15; but
to tie up in bundles
and carry in hands; the citron in their left hand
and a
bundle made of the other three sorts of boughs of trees in the right hand
which they called the "lulab":
and ye shall rejoice before the Lord your God seven days; because of
the blessings of his goodness bestowed upon them in the plentiful harvest and
vintage they had been favoured with
and in remembrance of past mercies
showed
to their fathers in the wilderness
giving them food and drink
and guiding and
protecting them with the pillar of cloud and fire; and at the same time
also
thankful for the different circumstances they were in
having cities
towns
and houses to dwell its
and fields and vineyards to possess
when their
fathers lived in a wilderness for forty years together; and especially such of
them expressed their joy before the Lord
who had any knowledge of this being a
type of the Messiah tabernacling in human nature
they had the promise of
to
be their spiritual Redeemer and Saviour: these seven days are kept by the Jews
now
chiefly in carnal mirth
and so for ages past
as by carrying the above
boughs in their hands
and going round about the altar with them
and
shaking
them
and crying Hosanna
and by making use of all sorts of music
vocal and
instrumental
piping
dancing
leaping
skipping
and various gestures
even by
persons of the highest rank
and of the greatest character for sobrietyF23Maimon.
Hilchot Lulab. c. 7. sect. 10. c. 13
& c. 8. sect. 12
13
14
15. ; and
particularly by fetching water from Siloah
when in their own land
and pouring
it with wine upon the altar
which was attended with such expressions of joy
that it is said
that he who never saw the rejoicing of drawing of water
never
saw any rejoicing in his lifeF24Misn. Succah
c. 5. sect. 1. 4. :
the Jews give this reason of the ceremony
because at this feast was the time
of the rains
see Targum of Jonathan on Leviticus 23:36;
and therefore the holy blessed God said
pour water before me
that the rains
of the year may be blessed unto youF25R. Alphes
par. 1.
Roshhashanah
c. 1. fol. 346. 2. ; but others have thought there was something
more mysterious in it
and that it had respect to the pouring out of the Holy
Ghost; for
they sayF26T. Hieros. Succah
fol. 55. 1.
the place of
drawing water was so called
because they drew the Holy Ghost
as it is said
"ye shall draw water with joy out of the wells of salvation"
Isaiah 12:3; to
this our Lord is thought to allude; see Gill on John 7:37
John 7:38
some of
the ceremonies used at this feast have been imitated by the Heathens: StraboF1Geograph.
l. 10. p. 322. says
the carrying branches of trees
dances
and sacrifices
were common to the gods
and particularly to Bacchus; and there was such a
likeness between these and the rites of Bacchus
that PlutarchF2Sympos.
l. 1. prob. 3. thought the Jews at this time kept two feasts to the honour of
him; whereas
as Bishop Patrick observes
the profane Bacchanalia of the
Gentiles were only a corruption of this festival.
Leviticus 23:41. 41 You shall keep it as a
feast to the Lord
for seven days in the year. It shall be a statute forever in your
generations. You shall celebrate it in the seventh month.
YLT 41`And ye have kept it a feast to Jehovah
seven days in a year -- a statute age-during to your generations; in the
seventh month ye keep it a feast.
And ye shall keep it a feast unto the Lord seven days in the year
.... Every
year it was to be kept for the space of seven days
beginning on the fifteenth
and ending on the twenty second of the month Tisri or September:
it shall be a statute for
ever in your generations; until the Messiah should come and tabernacle among men
the
substance of this shadow
on whose coming it was to flee away:
ye shall celebrate it in the seventh month; which is
repeated for the confirmation of it
and that no mistake might be made.
Leviticus 23:42. 42 You
shall dwell in booths for seven days. All who are native Israelites shall dwell
in booths
YLT 42`In booths ye dwell seven days; all who are
natives in Israel dwell in booths
Ye shall dwell in booths seven days
.... So that it seems
they were not obliged to dwell in them on the eighth day
which was an holy
convocation
a sabbath in which no servile work was to be done as the first
Leviticus 23:36.
The eighth day was a day by itself
a sort of an appendage to the feast of
tabernacles
when they went into their houses again
and kept it as an holy
day; and perhaps principally in giving thanks for the ingathering of the fruits
of the earth
to which this seems to be appropriated from Leviticus 23:39.
According to the Jewish writers
they did not go out of their booths until they
had dined in them on this day; and as they went out used to say
"may it be
the will of God that we may be worthy the next year to dwell in the booth of
LeviathanF3Lebush
par. 2. c. 668. sect. 5. ;'that is
to feast with
the Messiah in the world to come. And to those days the Jews have added a
ninth
which they call "the joy of the law"
and which they keep for
joy of having finished the reading of the law; which being divided into as many
sections or lessons as weeks in the year
were so ordered to be read as to be
finished at this timeF4Buxtorf. Synagog. Jud. c. 27. Leo Moden's
History of the Rites of the Jews
par. 3. c. 7. sect. 6. :
all that are Israelites born shall dwell in booths; the Targum of
Jonathan is
"all the males in Israel
and even the little ones
that do
not need their mothers
sit in the shades blessing their Creator
when they
enter there.'And
according to the MisnahF5Misn. Succah
c. 2. sect.
6.
women
servants
and little ones
are free from the booths (i.e. are not
obliged to dwelt in one)
but a little one
who hath no need of its mother
is
obliged to dwell in the booths: and elsewhere it is said
that sick persons
and such as wait upon them
are not obliged
nor messengers upon any business
nor travellers and watchmen in cities
and keepers of gardens and orchards; if
such travel
or keep watch in the day
they are obliged to be in them at night
and if in the night
then they are to dwell in them in the dayF6R.
Alphes
par. 1. Succah
c. 2. fol. 374. 2. 375. 1. . Jarchi says
that everyone
born in Israel comprehends proselytes
who were bound by this law.
Leviticus 23:43. 43 that
your generations may know that I made the children of Israel dwell in booths
when I brought them out of the land of Egypt: I am the Lord your God.’”
YLT 43so that your generations do know that in
booths I caused the sons of Israel to dwell; in my bringing them out of the
land of Egypt; I
Jehovah
[am] your God.'
That your generations may know that I made the children of Israel
to dwell in booths
.... Which by the providence of God the Israelites were obliged
to make for themselves to dwell in:
when I brought them out of the land of Egypt; for the very
first place they came to
when they departed from thence
was called Succoth
from the booths they there built:
I am the Lord your God; who brought them out of
Egypt
made them to dwell in booths in the wilderness
and enjoined them the
observance of the feast of tabernacles in memory of it
in which he expected to
be obeyed.
Leviticus 23:44. 44 So
Moses declared to the children of Israel the feasts of the Lord.
YLT 44And Moses speaketh [concerning] the appointed
seasons of Jehovah unto the sons of Israel.
And Moses declared unto the children of Israel the feasts of the
Lord. The several feasts before recited
the order of them
the manner
of observing them
and the time.
──《John Gill’s
Exposition of the Bible》