Leviticus 23:22

22 "'When you harvest your crops on your land, do not harvest all the way to the corners of your field. If grain falls onto the ground, don't gather it up. Leave it for poor people and foreigners in your country. I am the Lord your God.'"

Leviticus 23:22 Meaning and Commentary

Leviticus 23:22

And when ye reap the harvest of your land
This law is repeated from ( Leviticus 19:9 Leviticus 19:10 ) ; 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 writers F1 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).


FOOTNOTES:

F1 In Torat Cohenim, apud Yalkut in loc. & Jarchi.

Leviticus 23:22 In-Context

20 "'The priest will present the two lambs as an offering before the Lord, along with the bread from the first wheat of the harvest. They are holy to the Lord, and they will belong to the priest.
21 On that same day you will call a holy meeting; you must not do any work that day. This law will continue for you from now on, wherever you live
22 "'When you harvest your crops on your land, do not harvest all the way to the corners of your field. If grain falls onto the ground, don't gather it up. Leave it for poor people and foreigners in your country. I am the Lord your God.'"
23 Again the Lord said to Moses,
24 "Tell the people of Israel: 'On the first day of the seventh month you must have a special day of rest, a holy meeting, when you blow the trumpet for a special time of remembering.
Scripture taken from the New Century Version. Copyright © 1987, 1988, 1991 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.