Leviticus 23:26-44

The Day of Atonement

26 The LORD spoke to Moses, saying,

27 "On exactly ¹the tenth day of this seventh month is ²the day of atonement; it shall be a holy convocation for you, and you shall humble your souls and present an offering by fire to the LORD.

28 "You shall not do any work on this same day, for it is a ³day of atonement, ⁴to make atonement on your behalf before the LORD your God.

29 "If there is any person who will not humble himself on this same day, ⁵he shall be cut off from his people.

30 "As for any person who does any work on this same day, that person I will destroy from among his people.

31 "You shall do no * work at all. It is to be a perpetual statute throughout your generations in all your dwelling places.

32 "It is to be a sabbath of complete rest to you, and you shall humble your souls; on the ninth of the month at evening, from evening until evening you shall keep your sabbath."

33 Again the LORD spoke to Moses, saying,

34 "Speak to the sons of Israel, saying, 'On ⁶the fifteenth * of this seventh month is the ⁷Feast of Booths for seven days to the LORD.

35 'On the first day is a holy convocation; you shall do ⁸no * laborious work of any kind.

36 '⁹For seven days you shall present an offering by fire to the LORD. On ¹⁰the eighth day you shall have a holy convocation and present an offering by fire to the LORD; it is an assembly. You shall do no * laborious work

37 'These are ¹¹the appointed times of the LORD which you shall proclaim as holy convocations, to present offerings by fire to the LORD -burnt offerings and grain offerings, sacrifices and drink offerings, ¹²each day's matter on its own day -

38 besides * those of the sabbaths of the LORD, and besides * your gifts and besides * all your votive and freewill offerings, which you give to the LORD

39 'On exactly the fifteenth * day of the seventh month, ¹³when you have gathered in the crops of the land, you shall celebrate the feast of the LORD for seven days, with a rest on the first day and a rest on the eighth day.

40 'Now on the first day you shall take for yourselves the foliage of beautiful trees, palm branches and boughs of leafy trees and willows of the brook, and you shall rejoice before the LORD your God for seven days.

41 'You shall thus celebrate it as a feast to the LORD for seven days in the year. It shall be a perpetual statute throughout your generations; you shall celebrate it in the seventh month.

42 'You shall live ¹⁴in booths for seven days; all the native-born in Israel shall live in booths,

43 so that ¹⁵your generations may know that I had the sons of Israel live in booths when I brought them out from the land of Egypt. I am the LORD your God.' "

44 So Moses declared to the sons of Israel ¹⁶the appointed times of the LORD.

Leviticus 23:26-44 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.

Cross References

• 1. Leviticus 16:29; Leviticus 25:9; Numbers 29:7
• 2. Exodus 30:10; Leviticus 16:30; Leviticus 23:28; Numbers 29:7-11
• 3. Leviticus 23:27
• 4. Leviticus 16:34
• 5. Genesis 17:14; Leviticus 13:46; Numbers 5:2
• 6. Numbers 29:12
• 7. Leviticus 23:42, 43; Deuteronomy 16:13, 16; Ezra 3:4; Nehemiah 8:14; Zechariah 14:16; John 7:2
• 8. Leviticus 23:25
• 9. Numbers 29:12-34
• 10. Numbers 29:35-38
• 11. Leviticus 23:2
• 12. Num 28:1-29:38
• 13. Exodus 23:16
• 14. Leviticus 23:34
• 15. Deuteronomy 31:13; Psalms 78:5
• 16. Leviticus 23:37

Footnotes

• [a]. Lit "soul"
• [b]. Lit "vows, and besides all your"
• [c]. Lit "sabbath rest"
• [d]. Lit "sabbath rest"
• [e]. Lit "products, fruit"
• [f]. Lit "dwell"
• [g]. Lit "dwell"