Leviticus 23:4-14

Listen to Leviticus 23:4-14

The Passover

4 1“These are the appointed feasts of the Lord, the 2holy convocations, which you shall proclaim at the time appointed for them.
5 3In the first month, on the fourteenth day of the month at twilight, [a] is the Lord’s Passover.
6 And on the fifteenth day of the same month is the Feast of Unleavened Bread to the Lord; for seven days you shall eat unleavened bread.
7 4On the first day you shall have a holy convocation; you shall not do any ordinary work.
8 But you shall present a food offering to the Lord for seven days. On the seventh day is a holy convocation; you shall not do any ordinary work. ”

The Feast of Firstfruits

9 And the Lord spoke to Moses, saying,
10 “Speak to the people of Israel and say to them, 5When you come into the land that I give you and reap its harvest, you shall bring the sheaf of 6the firstfruits of your harvest to the priest,
11 and he shall 7wave the sheaf before the Lord, so that you may be accepted. On the day after the Sabbath the priest shall wave it.
12 And on the day when you 8wave the sheaf, you shall offer a 9male lamb a year old without blemish as a burnt offering to the Lord.
13 10And the grain offering with it shall be two tenths of an ephah[b] of fine flour mixed with oil, a food offering to the Lord with a pleasing aroma, 11and the drink offering with it shall be of wine, a fourth of a hin. [c]
14 And you shall eat neither bread nor grain 12parched or 13fresh until this same day, until you have brought the offering of your God: it is a statute forever throughout your generations in all your dwellings.

Leviticus 23:4-14 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.

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Cross References 13

  • 1. 23:4 [See ver. 2 above]
  • 2. 23:4 Ex. 12:16
  • 3. 23:5 Ex. 13:3, 10; 23:15; 34:18; Num. 9:2, 3; 28:16, 17; Josh. 5:10; 2 Kgs. 23:21; Ezra 6:19; [Num. 9:10, 11; 2 Chr. 30:2, 13, 15]; See Ex. 12:2-14; Deut. 16:1-8
  • 4. 23:7 Ex. 12:16; Num. 28:18, 25
  • 5. 23:10 Ex. 23:19; 34:26; Num. 15:18, 19; 28:26; Deut. 26:1, 2
  • 6. 23:10 ver. 17
  • 7. 23:11 ver. 15, 20; Ex. 29:24
  • 8. 23:12 [See ver. 11 above]
  • 9. 23:12 ch. 1:10
  • 10. 23:13 ch. 2:14-16
  • 11. 23:13 Ex. 29:40
  • 12. 23:14 [ch. 2:14]
  • 13. 23:14 [ch. 2:14]

Footnotes 3

  • [a] 23:5 Hebrew 'between the two evenings'
  • [b] 23:13 An 'ephah' was about 3/5 bushel or 22 liters
  • [c] 23:13 A 'hin' was about 4 quarts or 3.5 liters
The Holy Bible, English Standard Version® (ESV®) © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. All rights reserved. ESV Text Edition: 2025