Leviticus 23:33-44

The Festival of Tabernacles

33 The LORD said to Moses,

34 “Say to the Israelites: ‘On the fifteenth day of the seventh month the LORD’s Festival of Tabernacles begins, and it lasts for seven days.

35 The first day is a sacred assembly; do no regular work.

36 For seven days present food offerings to the LORD, and on the eighth day hold a sacred assembly and present a food offering to the LORD. It is the closing special assembly; do no regular work.

37 (“ ‘These are the LORD’s appointed festivals, which you are to proclaim as sacred assemblies for bringing food offerings to the LORD—the burnt offerings and grain offerings, sacrifices and drink offerings required for each day.

38 These offerings are in addition to those for the LORD’s Sabbaths and^[a] in addition to your gifts and whatever you have vowed and all the freewill offerings you give to the LORD.)

39 “ ‘So beginning with the fifteenth day of the seventh month, after you have gathered the crops of the land, celebrate the festival to the LORD for seven days; the first day is a day of sabbath rest, and the eighth day also is a day of sabbath rest.

40 On the first day you are to take branches from luxuriant trees—from palms, willows and other leafy trees—and rejoice before the LORD your God for seven days.

41 Celebrate this as a festival to the LORD for seven days each year. This is to be a lasting ordinance for the generations to come; celebrate it in the seventh month.

42 Live in temporary shelters for seven days: All native-born Israelites are to live in such shelters

43 so your descendants will know that I had the Israelites live in temporary shelters when I brought them out of Egypt. I am the LORD your God.’ ”

44 So Moses announced to the Israelites the appointed festivals of the LORD.

Leviticus 23:33-44 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. 1 Kings 8:2; Haggai 2:1
• 2. S Exodus 23:16; Deuteronomy 16:13; Ezra 3:4; Nehemiah 8:14; Zechariah 14:16; John 7:2
• 3. ver 2
• 4. ver 3
• 5. S ver 24; 1 Kings 8:2; 2 Chronicles 7:9; Nehemiah 8:18; John 7:37
• 6. S Leviticus 1:9
• 7. ver 13; ver 2,4
• 8. S Leviticus 1:2
• 9. S Exodus 20:10; 2 Chronicles 2:4; Ezekiel 45:17
• 10. S Leviticus 7:16
• 11. Isaiah 62:9
• 12. S Exodus 23:16; Deuteronomy 16:13
• 13. Psalms 118:27
• 14. Nehemiah 8:14-17; Psalms 137:2; Isaiah 44:4
• 15. Deuteronomy 12:7; Deuteronomy 14:26; Deuteronomy 28:47; Nehemiah 8:10; Psalms 9:2; Psalms 66:6; Psalms 105:43; Joel 2:26
• 16. S Exodus 23:16; Nehemiah 8:14-16
• 17. Deuteronomy 31:13; Psalms 78:5

Footnotes

• [a]. Or "These festivals are in addition to the " Lord"’s Sabbaths, and these offerings are"