Deuteronomy 16:8 kjv
Six days thou shalt eat unleavened bread: and on the seventh day shall be a solemn assembly to the LORD thy God: thou shalt do no work therein.
Deuteronomy 16:8 nkjv
Six days you shall eat unleavened bread, and on the seventh day there shall be a sacred assembly to the LORD your God. You shall do no work on it.
Deuteronomy 16:8 niv
For six days eat unleavened bread and on the seventh day hold an assembly to the LORD your God and do no work.
Deuteronomy 16:8 esv
For six days you shall eat unleavened bread, and on the seventh day there shall be a solemn assembly to the LORD your God. You shall do no work on it.
Deuteronomy 16:8 nlt
For the next six days you may not eat any bread made with yeast. On the seventh day proclaim another holy day in honor of the LORD your God, and no work may be done on that day.
Deuteronomy 16 8 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Exod 12:15 | Seven days you shall eat unleavened bread... | Command for unleavened bread, removal of leaven |
| Exod 12:16 | On the first day you shall hold a holy convocation, and on the seventh day a holy convocation. No work shall be done... | First and seventh days as holy convocations with rest |
| Exod 13:6 | Seven days you shall eat unleavened bread, and on the seventh day there shall be a feast to the Lord. | Seven days of eating matzah, seventh as feast day |
| Lev 23:7-8 | On the first day you shall have a holy convocation; you shall not do any ordinary work... on the seventh day is a holy convocation; you shall not do any ordinary work. | Elaborates on the sacred nature of the days, no work |
| Num 28:17-18 | On the fifteenth day of this seventh month you shall have a holy convocation; you shall not do any ordinary work... For seven days you shall present offerings... | Laws for the feast's holy convocation & duration |
| Deut 16:3 | You shall eat no leavened bread with it; seven days you shall eat unleavened bread, the bread of affliction... | Unleavened bread as "bread of affliction" |
| Matt 26:17 | Now on the first day of Unleavened Bread... | NT recognition of the feast, before Jesus' Passover |
| 1 Cor 5:7 | Cleanse out the old leaven that you may be a new lump... For Christ, our Passover lamb, has been sacrificed. | Christ as Passover lamb, leaven symbolizing sin |
| 1 Cor 5:8 | Let us therefore celebrate the festival, not with the old leaven... but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth. | Christian "feast" of sincerity & truth |
| Heb 4:9 | So then, there remains a Sabbath rest for the people of God. | Spiritual rest principle echoed in "no work" |
| Col 2:16-17 | Therefore let no one pass judgment on you in questions of food and drink, or with regard to a festival, or a new moon, or a Sabbath... | Feasts as shadows, pointing to Christ |
| Mark 14:12 | And on the first day of Unleavened Bread, when they sacrificed the Passover lamb... | Timing of Passover/Feast connection |
| John 19:14 | Now it was the day of Preparation of the Passover. | Timing context in John's Gospel for Crucifixion |
| Exod 23:15 | You shall keep the Feast of Unleavened Bread. For seven days you shall eat unleavened bread... | Basic command for Feast of Unleavened Bread |
| Lev 23:2-3 | These are the appointed feasts of the Lord... Six days shall work be done, but on the seventh day is a Sabbath of solemn rest, a holy convocation. | General principle of solemn rest/convocation |
| Isa 1:13 | ...new moons and Sabbaths, you calling of convocations—I cannot endure iniquity and solemn assembly. | Highlights that true solemn assembly requires holiness |
| Joel 1:14 | Consecrate a fast; call a solemn assembly. Gather the elders... | Example of calling a solemn assembly |
| Acts 2:1 | When the day of Pentecost arrived, they were all together in one place. | Another festival (Pentecost) with solemn gathering |
| Luke 23:54 | It was the day of Preparation, and the Sabbath was beginning. | Shows overlap of Sabbath rest principle with festival day rest |
| Rom 6:4 | We were buried therefore with him by baptism into death... | New life walking in "newness of life," like unleavened |
| 2 Cor 7:1 | ...let us cleanse ourselves from every defilement of body and spirit, bringing holiness to completion in the fear of God. | "Cleansing out leaven" applies to spiritual purity |
Deuteronomy 16 verses
Deuteronomy 16 8 Meaning
This verse concludes the instructions for the Feast of Unleavened Bread, emphasizing two key elements for its final day. For six days, Israel was commanded to consume unleavened bread, a consistent reminder of the haste of their exodus from Egypt. The seventh day, however, transitioned from communal eating to a holy convocation, a special gathering dedicated solely to worship and remembrance of the Lord their God. This final day was marked by complete cessation of labor, signifying its sacred status as a day consecrated to God, distinct from typical workdays.
Deuteronomy 16 8 Context
Deuteronomy 16 opens by establishing the command for Israel to observe three annual pilgrim feasts: Passover/Feast of Unleavened Bread, Feast of Weeks (Pentecost), and Feast of Booths (Tabernacles). Verses 1-8 specifically detail the Feast of Unleavened Bread, often intertwined with Passover due to its immediate proximity and shared themes of deliverance. This section emphasizes the proper observance, including the location of the Passover sacrifice (chosen place of worship, not Egypt), the manner of eating the Passover meal, and the subsequent seven-day period of eating unleavened bread. Verse 8 functions as the climax for this feast, stipulating the behavior required on the seventh and final day, marking it as a special time of worship and rest following the initial period of symbolic eating. It underscores the sanctity of the conclusion of this foundational commemorative festival for Israel.
Deuteronomy 16 8 Word analysis
- Six days: (שֵׁשֶׁת יָמִים - sheishet yamim) Refers to the duration for consuming unleavened bread (the 15th through 20th of Nisan). It highlights the sustained, tangible remembrance of the hasty Exodus.
- you shall eat: (תֹּאכֵל - tokheil) A direct, mandatory command for every Israelite, signifying active individual and communal participation in the memorial.
- unleavened bread: (מַצּוֹת - matzot) Plural for matzah. This bread, made without yeast, symbolized the hurried departure from Egypt (Exod 12:34). Biblically, leaven can also represent sin or corruption (1 Cor 5:6-8), so matzah signifies purity and separation from sin.
- and on the seventh day: (וּבַיּוֹם הַשְּׁבִיעִי - ve-va-yom ha-shevi'i) Refers to the 21st day of Nisan, the concluding day of the Feast of Unleavened Bread. This day, like the first day of the feast, held the status of a holy convocation with work prohibitions.
- there shall be: (יִהְיֶה - yi-he-yeh) A verb emphasizing the certain and mandated occurrence of the assembly.
- a solemn assembly: (עֲצֶרֶת - atzeret) From a root meaning "to hold back" or "to restrain." In festival contexts, it denotes a sacred, culminating assembly or gathering, typically marking the conclusion of a feast and characterized by rest from work. It signifies a special, dedicated time for collective worship.
- to the Lord your God: (לַיהוָה אֱלֹהֶיךָ - la-YHWH Eloheykha) Specifies the divine recipient and ultimate focus of this assembly. The gathering is consecrated exclusively to the covenant God who redeemed Israel.
- You shall do no work on it: (לֹא תַעֲשֶׂה כָל־מְלָאכָה - lo ta'aseh chol melakha) A strict prohibition against "service-work" or "labor." This echoes the Sabbath commandment (Exod 20:10), emphasizing the supreme holiness of this festival day and the required cessation from ordinary life.
Words-group by words-group analysis:
- "Six days you shall eat unleavened bread": This phrase mandates a tangible and prolonged remembrance of the hasty exodus. The continuous eating of matzah served as a physical imprint of divine deliverance and a symbolic cleansing from spiritual impurities. It emphasized living out the memory of freedom.
- "and on the seventh day there shall be a solemn assembly to the Lord your God.": This signals a shift from ritual eating to concentrated worship. The "seventh day" is the sacred climax of the festival. "Solemn assembly" (atzeret) denotes a uniquely consecrated communal gathering, marking a deep pause for devotion and exclusive focus on YHWH, their redeeming God, signifying Israel’s covenant relationship with Him.
- "You shall do no work on it.": This injunction establishes the sanctity and dedicated nature of the seventh day. By prohibiting labor, God set this day apart as holy time belonging solely to Him, reinforcing His sovereignty over human time and toil. It mirrored the weekly Sabbath rest, indicating a complete surrender of typical activities for sacred observance.
Deuteronomy 16 8 Bonus section
The term atzeret (solemn assembly) is primarily associated with the concluding day of two major pilgrimage festivals: the Feast of Unleavened Bread (Deut 16:8) and the Feast of Tabernacles (Lev 23:36; Num 29:35). Its use signifies a uniquely important closing assembly, characterized by intense focus on God and abstention from work. It implies a 'holding back' or 'restraining' from daily activities to enter fully into the sacred. Unlike the initial days of these festivals, atzeret emphasizes the corporate presence and spiritual reflection over specific sacrificial rites, underscoring that the community's gathered devotion and cessation of labor are the core elements of its sanctity.
Deuteronomy 16 8 Commentary
Deuteronomy 16:8 functions as the concluding and climactic instruction for the Feast of Unleavened Bread. The six days of eating matzah reinforced the historical truth of Israel's swift departure from Egypt and spiritually called for purging the "leaven" of sin from their lives. However, the feast did not conclude with this consumption; rather, its ultimate purpose culminated on the seventh day with a "solemn assembly" dedicated "to the Lord your God." This final gathering was a mandated, complete cessation of work, elevating the day to the sacred status of a Sabbath. This highlighted that the purpose of their deliverance was not merely freedom, but to enter into consecrated worship and rest in their relationship with God. This practice set Israel apart from surrounding cultures, whose religious practices were often intertwined with daily activities, reinforcing their distinct calling as a holy nation dedicated to YHWH. For believers today, this echoes the spiritual freedom found in Christ, our sinless Passover Lamb (1 Cor 5:7), and calls us to a life of purity, spiritual rest, and intentional devotion to God, setting aside our own works and agendas to honor Him.