A Help for the Understanding of the Holy Scriptures, Leviticus · Chapter 23
CHAP. XXIII.
Verſ. 2. COncerning the feasts of the Lord, which y… ſhall proclaim to be holy convocations, even theſe are my feaſts, &c.]
That is, theſe are the feaſts which you my people ſhall cauſe to be proclaimed as holy convocations, to wit, by the prieſts; for it is generally held that the prieſts did by ſounding of the trumpets proclaim theſe feſtivals. The Lord having before given direction for ſacrifices, now gives order for feſtivall times whereon many ſacrifices were uſually offered.
Verſ. 3. The ſeventh day is the Sabbath of rest, an holy convocation; yè ſhall do no work therein.]
That is, no work appertaining to their earthly buſineſſes or imployments: upon other feſtivall dayes, they were not tyed ſo ſtrictly, except onelyonly the day of Expiation; for upon other feſtivall dayes the reſtraint is, ye ſhall do no ſervile work therein, as we may ſee verſ. 7, 8, 21, &c. but upon the Sabbath and the day of Expiation, verſ. 28. the Law runnes, ye ſhall do no work therein: and the difference betwixt theſe is commonly held to be this, that on the other feſtivals they were forbidden all ſervile work, that is, all work appertaining to their worldly callings, wherein uſually on other dayes their ſervants were imployed, but were allowed any work in providing food for the day; and ſo indeed that which was forbidden on the firſt day of unleavened bread in the ſeventh verſe of this chapter under the name of ſervile work, In the firſt day ye ſhall have an holy convocation, ye ſhall do no ſervile work therein, is expreſſed thus, Exod. 12. 16. And in the first day there ſhall be an holy conv…ation: no manner of work ſhall be done in them, ſave that which every man must eat, and that onelyonly may be done of you. But on the Sabbath day, and day of atonement, they were reſtrained from all bodily labour, yea even that of providing or dreſſing their food, as is evident Exod. 16. 23. and Exod. 35. 3. where they were forbidden to kindle a fire, or to dreſſe that which they ſhould eat on the Sabbath day: yet did not the Jews underſtand this law ſo, as to reſtrain them from thoſe works which were neceſſarily to be done, and therefore they uſed to water their catel, as our Saviour faith, Luke 13. 15. on the Sabbath day, and if need were would pull out of a pit either ox or aſſe that were fallen into it, Luke 14. 5.
It is the Sabbath of the Lord in all your dwellings.]
That is, to be obſerved in all your dwellings. The other feaſts were eſpecially to be kept before the Sanctuary, whither all the men of Iſrael were to aſſemble, Exod. 23. 14. Three times thou ſhalt keep a feaſt unto me in the year; and verſ. 17. Three times in the year all thy males are to appear before the Lord God. Deut. 16. 5, 6. Thou mayeſt not ſacrifice the Paſſeover within any of the gates which the Lord thy God hath given thee. But at the place which the Lord thy God ſhall chuſe to place his name in, there ſhalt thou ſacrifice the Paſſeover; and verſ. 16. Three times in a year ſhall all thy males appear before the Lord thy God in the place which he ſhall chuſe: But the Sabbaths were to be ſanctified in all places where they dwelt, to which purpoſe their Synagogues were built, Acts 15. 21. Moſes of old time hath in every city them that preach him, being read in the Synagogues every Sabbath day.
Verſ. 7. In the firſt day ye ſhall have an holy convocation, ye ſhall do no ſervile work therein.]
See the firſt note upon verſ. 3.
Verſ. 8. But ye ſhall offer an offering made by fire unto the Lord ſeven dayes.]
What the ſacrifices were that were to be offered on each of theſe ſeven dayes of unleavened bread, we may ſee Numb. 28. 18, 24.
Verſ. 10. When ye be come into the land which I give unto you, and ſhall reap the harveſt thereof, &c.]
That is, and ſhalt addreſſe thy ſelf to reap the harveſt thereof: for the ſheaf of the firſt-fruits of this harveſt, which they were here enjoyned to bring unto the prieſt, was to be the firſt corn they cut down when they began to put the ſicle to the corn, as it is expreſſed Deut. 16. 9. Nor might they reap their harveſt, till this ſheaf of firſt-fruits was brought unto the Lord.
Verſ. 11. On the morrow after the prieſt ſhall wave it.]
That is, on the ſixteenth day of the firſt monethmonth called Niſan, the ſecond of the ſeven dayes of unleavened bread: Upon the fourteenth day of that monethmonth the Paſſeover was kept; the fifteenth day was the firſt day of the feaſt of unleavened bread, which day was a Sabbath of reſt, verſ. 7. and is called, the feaſt, Numb. 28. 17. and this is the Sabbath here meant: for on the morrow after, being the ſixteenth day of that monethmonth, the ſheaf of the firſt-fruits was by the care of the Magiſtrate, in the name of all the people, brought unto the prieſt, and this ſheaf was of barley, for that was firſt ripe in the land of Canaan, Ruth. 2. 23. She kept faſt by the maydens of Boaz to glean unto the end of barley-harveſt and of wheat-harvest; and Exod. 9. 31, 32. The barley was in the ear, and the flax was bolled; but the wheat and the rie were not ſmitten, for they were not grown up, to wit, at the feaſt of the Paſſeover, but wheat-harveſt was after, at Pentecoſt or the feaſt of weeks, as we may ſee Exod. 34. 22. where the feaſt of Pentecoſt, or the feaſt of weeks is alſo called the feaſt of the firſt-fruits of wheat-harvest.
Verſ. 12. And ye ſhall offer, the day when ye wave the sheaf, an he lamb without blemiſh, &c.]
To wit, beſides the dayly morning and evening ſacrifice, which upon no occaſion were intermitted, and beſides the ſacrifices appointed for every of the ſeven dayes of this ſolemn feaſt of unleavened bread, Numb. 28. 23, 24. For this was appointed peculiarly to accompany this ſheaf of the firſt-fruits, and it figured Chriſt by whom thoſe firſt-fruits were ſanctifyed.
Verſ. 13. And the meat-offering thereof shall be two tenth deals of fine flowre▪ &c.]
To wit, two tenth deals of an Ephah, that is, two Omers, and this was double to the uſuall proportion in all other ſacrifices of lambs, which was but one tenth deal, Numb. 15. 4. He that offereth his offering unto the Lord, ſhall bring a meat-offering of a tenth deal of flowre; the reaſon whereof may be, becauſe this was a gratulatory ſacrifice for the fruits of the earth.
Verſ. 15. And ye shall count unto you from the morrow after the Sabbath, &c.]
Here direction is given how they ſhould know on what day they were to keep the next great feaſt after that of unleavened bread, to wit the feaſt of weeks, or Pentecoſt, namely, that they were to number from the morrow after the Sabbath, that is, from the ſixteenth day of the monethmonth Niſan (as is before ſaid in the note upon verſ. 11.) which was the very day that they brought the ſheaf of the wave-offering, ſeven compleat Sabbaths, that is ſeven compleat weeks, which was nine and fourty dayes, and that then on the morrow after the ſeventh Sabbath, that is, after the ſeventh week, which was the fiftieth day, they were to keep the feaſt of weeks or Pentecoſt, and to offer a new meat-offering unto the Lord: which ſhows the reaſon why this feaſt was called the feaſt of weeks, namely, becauſe it was ſeven weeks after the Paſſeover, or the beginning of the feaſt of unleavened bread; as alſo why it was afterward called in the New Teſtament, Pentecost, Acts 2. 1. to wit, from the Greek word foreign, which ſignifieth fifty, becauſe it was fifty dayes after the firſt and great day of unleavened bread: for they began to number theſe fifty dayes from the morrow after that Sabbath incluſively, which was the ſecond day of unleavened bread, the day whereon the ſheaf of firſt-fruits was offered.
Verſ. 17. Ye shall bring out of your habitations two wave-loaves, of two tenth deals, &c.]
That is, on the feaſt of Pentecoſt you ſhall bring this offering, which was to be offered as the firſt-fruits of their wheat-harveſt, as the ſheaf offered at the Paſſeover, mentioned verſ. 10. was brought as the firſt-fruits of their barley-harveſt: now it is expreſſed, that theſe two wave-loaves were to be brought out of their habitations, either to ſignifie that theſe two loaves were to be made of the new wheat of their own land, not of forein corn or bought of ſtrangers; or elſe to ſignifie that though there were but one ſheaf of firſt-fruits offered at the Paſſeover in the name of all the people, yet now every family was to bring two wave-loaves of firſt-fruits out of their ſeverall habitations. But indeed becauſe the ſacrifices mentioned in the following verſe, that were offered together with theſe loaves, were not brought ſeverally by every family, but provided at the common charge, and offered in the name of the whole Church; and becauſe that it is ſaid expreſly verſ. 20. that theſe two loaves of the firſt-fuits were waved by the prieſt together with the peace-offerings▪ which could not be if every familie in Iſrael brought two loaves, therefore I onelyonly think that the onelyonly reaſon why it is ſaid, Ye shall bring two wave-loaves out of your habitations, was to ſignifie that the loaves were to be made of the wheat of their own land.
They ſhall be of fine flowre, they ſhall be baken with leaven, they are the firſt-fruits unto the Lord.]
Thusthere is a difference made betwixt the meat-offerings which were in part burnt upon the altar, and were therefore ever without leaven, Levit. 2. 11. and theſe of the firſt-fruits, which where wholly for the prieſts food, and therefore allowed to be leavened.
Verſ. 18. And ye shall offer with the bread, ſeven lambes, without blemish, of the firſt year, and one young bullock, &c.]
In Numb. 28. 27. there is appointed two bullocks and one ramme, here one bullock and two rammes; the reaſon of this difference we may conceive was this: Thoſe were as the peculiar ſacrifices of that feaſt-day, theſe are a further addition in reſpect of the two loaves, as a particular teſtimony of their thankfulneſſe for the fruits of the earth, and of their faith in Chriſt, by whom they were reſtored to the uſe of the creatures, and their ſacrifices of praiſe made acceptable to God.
Verſ. 19. Then ye shall ſacrifice one kid of the goats for a ſinne-offering, &c.]
Lev. 4. 14. a bullock is preſcribed for a ſinne-offering of the people, and nothing was to be eaten thereof, it was to be burnt without the camp: But this was for ſome ſpeciall ſinne of the congregation, whereas the ſacrifice here appointed was in generall for all their ſinnes, and was therefore in the kind of a common ſacrifice, whence a goat is appointed, and the prieſt to have the remainder.
Verſ. 20. They shall be holy to the Lord for the priest.]
Whereas ordinarily the prieſt had but the breaſt and the right ſhoulder of the peace-offerings, Lev. 7. 32, 33. &c. The breast shall be Aarons and his ſonnes: And the right shoulder shall ye give unto the prieſt of the ſacrifices of your peace-offerings, &c. Here he had all, becauſe this was offered in generall for all the congregation, and ſo no particular man had right to eat thereof, therefore it belonged to the prieſt wholly.
Verſ. 21. And ye shall proclaim on the ſelf ſame day, that it may be an holy convocation unto you, &c.]
This was the feaſt-day of Pentecoſt, or of Weeks, whereon the two loaves and the ſacrifices before mentioned were offered unto the Lord; and it was inſtituted partly as a memoriall of their coming out of Egypt, Deut. 16. 10, 12. Thou shalt keep the feaſt of Weeks unto the Lord thy God, according as he hath bleſſed thee. And thou shalt remember thou wast a bondman in Egypt, and shalt obſerve and do theſe ſta…utes; and of the giving of the Law at this time of the year at mount Sinai, Exod. 19. 11. and partly by way of thankfulneſſe for the fruitfulneſſe of the Land. One thing prefigured might be the giving of the Law of Chriſt by the Apoſtles, when the holy Ghoſt came down upon them, the firſt-fruits of the Spirit, in the likeneſſe of cloven tongues, Act 2. 1, 2, 3. whereupon they went forth to reap that which the Prophets had ſown, John 4.
Verſ. 22. And when ye reap the harvest of your land, thou shalt not make clean riddance, &c.]
Speaking of the feaſts in the harveſt, he repeateth this Law concerning the poore▪ whoſe relief he joyns with his own ſervice.
Verſ. 24. In the ſeventh monethmonth, in the first day of the monethmonth shall ye have a Sabbath.]
For Eccleſiaſticall buſineſſes God hath appointed the monethmonth Niſan or Abib to be the fi…ſt mone…h of the year to the Iſ…elites, which anſwere… to part of our March and Aprill, and that in remembrance of their coming then out of Egypt, Exod. 12. 2. and ſo the ſeventh monethmonth from that was this here ſpoken of, which they called Tiſri, and agreeth in part with our September, and had been formerly the firſt monethmonth of their year; yea and ſo ſtill con…inued for civil affairs, and therefore the year of Jubile begun ſtill at this monethmonth, and ſo was on this monethmonth proclaimed, chap. 25. 9. Then shalt thou cauſe the trumpet of the Jubile to ſound on the tenth day of the ſeventh monethmonth, &c. Now the firſt day of this monethmonth God here appoints them to keep a Sabbath, that is, a ſolemn feaſt-day; and it was called the feaſt of trumpets, becauſe it was …olemnized with blowing of trumpets. Indeed the firſt day of every monethmonth, which was their new Moon, they kept as an holy day, a day of ſpeciall ſolemnity, and thereon the prieſts did blow with their ſilver trumpets over their ſacrifices, Numb. 10. 10. In the beginnings of your moneths ye shall blow with your trumpets over your burnt-offerings, &c. But the firſt day of this ſeventh monethmonth was kept as a farre more ſolemn feſtivall, and that with blowing of trumpets in way of rejoycing, as it may probably be thought, throughout all the cities of Iſrael. And the end of this feſtivall was, 1. to be a memoriall that this was the firſt day, the beginning of their New year for civil afairs, whereon it was therefore fitting that they ſhould with rejoycing acknowledge the bleſſings injoyed in the foregoing year; 2. to be a memoriall to them when they were come into Canaan of the ſeverall victories which God had given them over their enemies, where the prieſts with the holy trumpets did ſound an alarm. See Numb. 31. 6. 3. That it might be a preparation for the following day of atonement, their ſolemn faſt-day on the tenth day of this monethmonth, that ſo by the ſounding of the trumpets they might be put in mind to wake out of the ſleep of ſinne, and with trembling faſting and prayer to turn unto the Lord: and 4. to put them in mind of the ſpeciall holineſſe of this monethmonth; for as the ſeventh day of every week was a Sabbath, and every ſeventh year was kept holy as a Sabbaticall year; ſo the Lord would have the ſeventh monethmonth of every year to be holy in ſome ſingular manner above the reſt of the moneths: and therefore though it was not wholly ſpent in ſacred feſtivities, yet there were more holy-dayes in this monethmonth then in all the year beſides, to wit, the feaſt of trumpets, the feaſt of expiation, and the feaſt of tabernacles.
Verſ. 25. Ye shall do no ſervile work therein; but ye shall offer an offering made by fire unto the Lord.]
What the ſacrifices appointed for this feaſt of trumpets were, ſee Numb. 29. 2▪ 6.
Verſ. 27. And ye shall afflict your ſouls, and offer an offering made by fire before the Lord.]
See that note upon Lev. 16. 29. and Numb. 29. 7. where the ſeverall ſacrifices of this day are alſo deſcribed.
Verſ. 34. The fifteenth day of this ſeventh monethmonth shall be the feast of tabernacles for ſeven dayes unto the Lord.]
It was called the feast of tabernacles, or, of booths, becauſe when the Iſraelites came up to Jeruſalem to keep this feaſt, during the feaſt they dwelt not in houſes, but onelyonly in booths, or arbours made of boughs, it is afterwards more fully expreſſed, ver. 40. and it was kept, 1. in remembranc… of Gods ſhadowing protection over them for fourty years together, both ſummer and winter, in their travelling through the wilderneſſe, whilſt they dwelt in tents and booths, and were not yet come to their place of reſt, as is expreſſed ver. 43. (and hereby it is evident that they never kept this feaſt till they were ſettled in the land of Canaan, becauſe they kept it in remembrance of their dwelling in booths whilſt they wandred through the wilderneſſe) 2. to teſtifie there thankfulneſſe to God for the fruits of the earth▪ which this monethmonth they gathered in, Deut. 16. 13, 14. Thou shalt obſerve the feast of tabernacles, ſeven dayes after that thou haſt gathered in thy corn and thy wine; and thou shalt rejoyce in thy feaſt, &c. and 3. as a figure both of Chriſts incarnation, who coming into the world about this time of the year to dwell in the tabernacle of our fleſh, was made fleſh, & dwelt (or pitched his tent) amongſt us, John 1. 14. and alſo of our condition, who are ſtrangers and pilgrims here on earth, Heb. 11. 13. dwelling in earthly tabernacles which muſt be di…ſolved, untill our labours being ended we come at length to a place of reſt, that dwelling of God eternall in the heavens, 2. Cor. 5. 1. and ſhould therefore with thankfulneſſe remember how Gods hand is continually over us to protect us in our pilgrimage; of which ſpirituall keeping the feaſt of tabernacles Zachary ſpeaketh, Zach. 14. 16, 19. As for the time allotted to the keeping of this feaſt, to wit, ſeven dayes, this compleat number ſignified that all the dayes of our pilgrimage in this frail tabernacle of our bodies ſhould be conſecrated as holy to the Lord.
Verſ. 36. Seven dayes ye ſhall offer an offering made by fire unto the Lord.]
What ſacrifices were appointed for this feaſt, and in what manner they were to be offered, ſee Numb. 29. 13, 38.
On the eighth day ſhall be an holy convocation unto you, &c.]
Though this eighth day was a part of the feaſt of tabernacles, or at leaſt belonged thereto, and therefore is called the last and great day of the feaſt, John 7. 37. yet moſt properly the firſt ſeven dayes were onelyonly counted as the dayes of the feaſt of tabernacles, as is before ſaid, ver. 34. The fifteenth day ſhall be the feaſt of tabernacles for ſeven dayes unto the Lord, and that becauſe they dwell in tabernacles or booths onelyonly during thoſe firſt ſeven dayes, but on the eighth day they met together in the Temple to keep there an holy aſſembly, as it were in remembrance of their being ſettled in peace, in the land of Canaan, after their long travels through the wilderneſſe: and ſo this eighth day was rather an appendix to the feaſt of tabernacles, then any part properly of the feaſt it ſelf.
Verſ. 37. A ſacrifice, and drink-offerings, every thing upon his day, &c.]
Amongſt the ſeverall ſacrifices appointed for theſe feaſts, one is called peculiarly a ſacrifice, which comprehend both ſinne-offerings and peace-offerings.
Verſ. 38. Beſide the Sabbath of the Lord.]
That is, beſide the weekly Sabbaths and the ſacrifices thereto belonging. Two things are implyed in theſe words: 1. that as God required the keeping of theſe ſolemn …eaſts, ſo alſo eſpecially the ſanctifying of the Sabbath; 2. that when any of theſe feaſt-dayes lighted on a Sabbath, they muſt not think to make the Sabbath ſacrifices ſerve for theſe feſtivals.
Beſide the gif…s, and beſide all your vows, &c.]
By gifts are meant the firſtborn cattel and firſt-fruits, and all other contributions and gifts which of their own free will they were wont to give to the prieſts; by vows are meant vowed ſacrifices; the drift of this is to prevent any covetous thoughts which might ariſe in their minds of thinking with ſuch gifts or vowed ſacrifices to ſupply the extraordinary ſacrifices of theſe feſtivals: for theſe God requires over and above their gifts and vows and freewill-offerings; if they offered ever a whit the leſſe becauſe of the ſacrifices of theſe feaſts, they ſhould be judged as men that dealt fraudul…ntly with God.
Verſ. 39. Alſo in the fifteenth day of the ſeventh monethmonth, when ye have gathered in the fruit of the land, &c.]
Now he proceeds to ſet down more particularly how that feaſt of tabernacles was to be ſolemnized, whereof he had begun to ſpeak ver. 34. and firſt by mentioning that this feaſt was to be kept when they had gathered in the fruit of the land, he puts them in mind that they might be the better at leiſure to keep this extraordinary Sabbath, and withall implies that one main end of it was to return thanks for the fruit of the land which they had now gathered: where alſo by the fruit of the land, is meant not their corn, which was gathered long before, in the time of Pent…coſt; but the latter fruit of their vines and olives, &c. whereupon this feaſt is called the feaſt of ingathering, Exod. 23. 16.
Verſ. 40. And ye ſhall take you on the firſt day the boughs of goodly trees, &c.]
That is, upon the firſt day of the feaſt of tabernacles, which was the fifteenth day of the ſeventh monethmonth, ver. 34. This day it ſeems they made their booths, or tabernacles, ſome upon the roofs of their houſes, ſome in the ſtreets and courts of Jeruſalem, &c. as is largely …xpreſſed, Neh. 8. 15, 16. Go forth unto the mount, and fetch olive-branches, and pine-branches, &c. to make booths as it is written; ſo that the boughs they are here appointed to take were it ſeems to make or at leaſt to adorn the booths they were to dwell in: yet withall that is not unlikely which the Jews ſay, that they carried boughs and branches alſo in their hands in ſigne of joy. And to make their booths the more beautifull, and that all things might repreſent a glad and joyfull time, they are appointed to chooſe the boughs of the goodlieſt trees, ſuch as are the olive, pine, myrtle, mentioned, Neh. 8. 15. and the boughs of thick trees (for the thicker they were the more glorious ſhew they made, and the fitter they were to make booths or arbours for a ſhadow and ſhelter) and willows of the brook, to intimate a land well watered, which might be of uſe to bind the other boughs, &c. and alſo to be either in the hand or on the booths, ornaments and ſignes of joy, and that eſpecially for the fruitfulneſſe of the land wherein God had planted them, whereof theſe ſeverall boughs of goodly trees were a… evident ſigne.
Verſ. 43. That your generations may know that I made the children of Iſrael to dwell in booths, &c.]
S…e Exod. 12. 37.