Leviticus 23

Leviticus 23:2

HOly convocations] Called and met together for an holy businesse; for hearing of the Law, and for putting up prayers, and giving prayes to God.

Leviticus 23:3

Sabbath of rest] Heb. rest of rest.

no worke] Worke in the generall is forbidden on the Sabbath, and in particular the dressing of meat on the Sabbath is forbidden; and the like restraint is partly exprest, and partly understood of the day of expiation. But for other festivals, worke in generall is not forbidden, but servile worke; that is, worke of a mans worldly calling, wherein servants chiefly, though not onely, were employed.

in all your dwellings] The observation of the Sabbath was not onely in the Sanctuary, as other Feasts were, but in private habitations, tents, or houses, as other Feasts were not: for that purpose there were built divers Synagogues, not onely in Jerusalem, but in divers other Cities, Acts 15:21.

Leviticus 23:4

seasons] The Sabbath was kept every weeke, and the other Convocations but once a yeare.

Leviticus 23:5

first moneth] The moneth Nisan, which answereth to part of March, and part of Aprill; which was made the beginning of the moneths, Exod. 12. vers. 2. for Ecclesiasticall account, though for Civill matters the yeare was reckoned from Tizri, which answereth to September.

at even] The feast of unleavened bread began with the Passeover, on the fourteenth day of the moneth, but at the second of the two evenings (whereof see Annot. on Exodus 12:6.) which was the beginning of the fifteenth day, and continued seven dayes, during which time, no bread but unleavened was to be eaten.

Leviticus 23:7

servile worke] Or bodily labour, saving about that which every one must eate, Exodus 12:16.

Leviticus 23:8

seventh day] The first day of the feast, and the seventh were to be kept holy; in the rest they might worke, unlesse the Sabbath fell on any of them; yet all of them had the same number of sacrifices, above the ordinary preparation of every day. See Numbers 28:24.

Leviticus 23:10

When ye be come] It appeareth hereby, that though these lawes were ordained in the Desert, they were not generally and punctually to be observed there, (though some of them were, as that of the Sabbath) but in the Land of Canaan.

harvest] That is, Barley harvest, which is ripe about the end of March, and the beginning of Aprill, but especially about Jericho, for there the corne is ripe sooner by fifteen dayes, then about Jerusalem, or any other part of the land of Canaan: Joseph. Antiq. lib. 3. chap. 10.

a sheafe of] Hebr. an Omer. For before it was offered it was dryed, and threshed, and the graine separated from the chaffe, as Joseph. sheweth lib. 3. cap. 10. and punned or ground to meale, and that sifted, that onely the fine flowre might be offered; and so it might be measured in an Omer: and after this they were allowed to reape for themselves, which before they might not doe; at least they might not dresse any of the new corne for food, before this oblation were made. But since the word Omer, signifieth also an handfull, Deuteronomy 24:19. some would have it taken here for a sheafe, as vers. 14.

Leviticus 23:11

on the morrow after the Sabbath] Not the weekely Sabbath, but the holy day of the feast of unleavened-bread, called a Sabbath, vers. 7. and the second day of the feast, which is the sixteenth day of the moneth Nisan; from which day were reckoned the fifty dayes ended at Pentecost, or Whitsontide, reckoning that second day inclusively. Pentecost, or Whitsontide was kept in memoriall, first of the Israelites coming out of Egypt, Deut. 16. 10, 12. secondly, of the Law given at Mount Sinai: thirdly, for gratefull acknowledgement of the fruitfulnesse of the Land of Canaan. Some make a mysticall allusion hereof, to the giving of the Evangelicall law at Jerusalem in the feast of Pentecost, Act. 2. 1, 2, 3. and to the first fruits of the Christian converts, reaped by the Ministery of the Apostles, according to our Saviours saying, Joh. 4. 37, 38.

Leviticus 23:12

an he lambe] At this feast were served in three courses of sacrifices; first, the continuall daily sacrifice: secondly, the septenary sacrifice offered every of the seven dayes: and thirdly, this offered with the first-fruits, prefiguring Christ who was the first-borne of every creature, Col. 1. 15. and the first-fruits of them that slept, 1 Corinthians 15:20. Col. 1. 18. and by whom these first-fruits were sanctified.

Leviticus 23:13

two tenth deales] Which is the fifth part of an Ephah, or two Omers: see Annot. on Exod. 16. vers. 16. and therefore two or double to the usuall proportion of a lambe, Numbers 15:4. because here was added another occasion of the acrifice, viz. a gratulation for the fruits of the earth, and therefore was the meale doubled, not the Lambe, because it came of the fruits of the earth, as the Lambe did not.

Hin] See Annot. on Exodus 29:40.

Leviticus 23:14

untill] Untill they have offered unto God, as to their Maker, and maintainer, a portion of his owne increase, as a tribute, or chiefe rent, for that they have and hold under him; they were not to take any thing for their owne use.

Leviticus 23:15

morrow after] See Annot. on vers. 11.

seven Sabbaths] That is, seven weeks; for that being the principall day in the week, carrieth the name of the whole weeke; (as the soule the chiefe part of man, stands for the whole man). So the Pharisee is to be understood, when he saith, he fasted twice a Sabbath, that is, twice a weeke, Luke 18:12. for twice a day he could not keepe a fast.

Leviticus 23:17

two wave loaves] At the feast of Pentecost every family (as some conceive) was to bring two leavened loaves, as the first-fruits of their increase to the Priests, because it is said, they should bring them out of their habitations; but that notwithstanding others take it that it would be too great a proportion of bread for them, and that so many could not be waved by the Priest with the peace-offering, as is appointed, 5: 20. therefore it is more probable that they were a common oblation, made at the publique charge, and offered also in the name of all the people in covenant with God. Against this is objected, that they were to bring it out of their habitations, which imports a pluralitie; for two loaves were too few to come out of many habitations: to which it is answered, that it must be of the wheat of the land of Canaan, not of a foraine Countrey where they had no habitations; and yet it might be that this common charge might by course be so distributed among the people, that it might be rather accounted a common or generall thing, then of particular cost or concernment of particular persons.

with leaven] Because the Priest should eate them, as Chap. 7. 13. and they should not be offered to the Lord upon the Altar; for no leaven was there presented. See Annot. on Chap. 2. vers. 11.

Leviticus 23:18

seven lambs] To these in the feast of Pentecost were added other oblations, whereof see Numbers 28:27.

Leviticus 23:20

wave them] See Annot. on Exodus 29:24.

holy to the Lord] They were said to be holy to the Lord, because the Priest as his servant, should be maintained by the wages and allowance of his Lord and Master.

for the Priests] Wholly for the Priest, because being offered for the whole congregation, it was too little for every one to have a part, and no man in such a common interest, having right to challenge a singular portion to himselfe, all was assigned to the Priest; though in other peace offerings be had onely a part, Chap. 7. 32, 33.

Leviticus 23:22

thou when thou reapest] The charge is intimated first in the plurall number, when ye; but presently changed to the singular number, thou: to direct every one to make a particular application of the generall to himselfe.

Leviticus 23:24

seventh moneth] That is, about the end of September.

a Sabbath] Or an holy day, or solemne feast unto the Lord.

Trumpets] This was on the first day of the moneth Tizri, that is, of September; the first moneth for civill account: See Annot. on Chap. 25. vers. 3. And yet this seventh moneth, as if it had beene the Sabbath of moneths, as the weekely Sabbath was the seventh of dayes, was eminent for the multitude of solemnities above any other; for in that moneth was the feast of Trumpets, of Tabernacles, and the solemne Atonement or Expiation observed. This feast of Trumpets was kept, at least the first day of it (as it is received by tradition among the Jewes) in remembrance of Isaacs deliverance from slaughter, when his father was ready to offer him up in sacrifice, Genesis 22:11-12. and it is called a memoriall of blowing of Trumpets, because it was in the beginning of that moneth, which had many feasts in it, to which the people were to be called together by blowing of Trumpets; and for that the Trumpets were to sound at the oblation of the sacrifice on dayes of rejoycing, and other solemne dayes, especially in the New moone, Numbers 10:10. Psalms 81:3. and this joyfull noise was made, with a speciall memoriall of the yeere of Jubilee, which was begun in this moneth; and when it begun the solemnitie of it is supposed to be such, that the Trumpets were sounded not at Jerusalem onely where the sacrifices were offered, but throughout all the Cities of Israel. Some thinke it was called the feast of Trumpets, with reference to the Ram by which Isaac was ransomed from death; because some Trumpets were made of rams horns, Joshua 6:20. Others say this feast beares the memoriall of the miraculous victorie over Jericho, at the Israelites first entrance into the Land of Canaan, when the wals of it fell downe at the sound of rams hornes, Josh. in the place fore mentioned.

Leviticus 23:27

afflict your soules] By fasting, mourning in confession of sinne, and supplication for pardon: see Leviticus 16:29. This is thought to be the memoriall of the sinne about the golden Calfe, and of the pardon granted upon the repentance of the people.

Leviticus 23:32

from Even to] That is, from Sunne setting, to Sunne setting; so was the old Sabbath and other feasts measured: in Christianity as the day is changed, by occasion of the resurrection of Christ; so also is the time of the beginning of it changed from evening to morning, and that upon the same ground; for Christ rose not in the evening, but in the morning. Matthew 28:1.

Leviticus 23:34

Tabernacles] This feast was to be kept in gratefull memoriall of Gods providence, and protection of the Israelites in the wildernesse, where they had no houses, but moveable habitations, as Tabernacles, Tents, and Boothes, Winter and Summer, for fourtie yeares together, vers. 43. And it was instituted also, for thankesgiving to God for the fruits which the yeare before brought forth; not onely their corne, but the fruit of their vines and olives, and were all usually gathered at this time, to wit, in September, when this feast was celebrated, Deut. 16. 13, 14. See Exodus 23:16. They that turne this History into Mystery make an allusion of it to Christ and to Christians; to Christ taking our tabernacle of flesh, John 1:14. to Christians, as they are pilgrims and strangers in the world, having no certaine habitation, Hebrews 11:13. but travelling in this world toward heaven, as the Israelites in the wildernesse towards Canaan, 2 Corinthians 5:1. See Zach. 14. 16, 19.

Leviticus 23:36

on the eight day] The feast of Tabernacles consisted of seven dayes, vers. 34. yet when those were past, (though the formalitie of the feast were finished) the eighth day was kept with publique solemnitie, and it may be with so much the more, because untill that time twelve-moneth it was not to returne; for that reason, (though in constitution it were but equall with the first day) in observation it might exceed it, and so be called the great day of the feast, John 7:37. In this it is probable they had a gratefull remembrance of their peaceable settlement in the land of Canaan, after their many intricate and troublesome windings, and wandrings in the wildernesse.

Leviticus 23:38

Besides the Sabbaths of the Lord] If other solemnities were coincident with the Sabbath, the oblations belonging to the Sabbath did not excuse the cost of the concurrent festivall; for the oblations belonging to it were to be performed, as if it had happened singly by it selfe.

beside your gifts, and beside all your vowes] No oblations that were voluntary, whether with vow, or without vow, would suffice to discharge the cost of the sacrifice, due to the solemnitie of any speciall festivitie.

Leviticus 23:43

boothes] Built of boughs, which in the generall were made of goodly trees, and thicke trees, vers. 40. fit for shelter and shadow against the weather: in particular they are named, Palme-trees, and Willowes of the brook, in the same verse; which might be usefull to binde the boughs together: and in Nehemiah, there are mentioned branches of thick trees in generall; and in speciall, Olive branches, and Myctle branches, Nehem. 8. 15. these were set upon the roofes of their houses, and in their courts, and in the courts of the House of God, and in the streets, Nehem. 8. vers. 16. their use was as hath been noted vers. 34. In this feast of Tabernacles they carried boughs in their hands, Joseph. Antiq. lib. 3. chap. 10. Among these feasts there is no mention of the feast of new moones; whereof see Numbers 28:11. To all these in after times, were added, the feast of Purim, for remembrance of the deliverance of the Jews from the conspiracie of Haman, Esth. 9. vers. 17, 26, 28. and two more of lesse warrant, 1 Mac. 4. 56. & 2 Mac. 1. 18. These Boothes were not to be set up out of their Towns, or Cities, but out of their houses, in the streets, and in gardens; and sometimes they were placed on the tops of houses, as Nehem. 8. 16. and this feast of Tabernacles continued seven dayes, during all which time, they did not wholly forbeare all bodily labour, but spent the most of it in feasting and rejoycing.