Leviticus 23 10

Leviticus 23:10 kjv

Speak unto the children of Israel, and say unto them, When ye be come into the land which I give unto you, and shall reap the harvest thereof, then ye shall bring a sheaf of the firstfruits of your harvest unto the priest:

Leviticus 23:10 nkjv

"Speak to the children of Israel, and say to them: 'When you come into the land which I give to you, and reap its harvest, then you shall bring a sheaf of the firstfruits of your harvest to the priest.

Leviticus 23:10 niv

"Speak to the Israelites and say to them: 'When you enter the land I am going to give you and you reap its harvest, bring to the priest a sheaf of the first grain you harvest.

Leviticus 23:10 esv

"Speak to the people of Israel and say to them, When you come into the land that I give you and reap its harvest, you shall bring the sheaf of the firstfruits of your harvest to the priest,

Leviticus 23:10 nlt

"Give the following instructions to the people of Israel. When you enter the land I am giving you and you harvest its first crops, bring the priest a bundle of grain from the first cutting of your grain harvest.

Leviticus 23 verses

Leviticus 23 10 Meaning

Leviticus 23:10 commands the Israelites, once they enter and begin to cultivate the land promised to them by God, to present a symbolic offering of the first sheaf of their barley harvest to the priest. This act served as a primary acknowledgment of God's ownership over the land and its bounty, and His sole provision of their sustenance, consecrating the entire subsequent harvest.

Leviticus 23 10 Context

Leviticus 23 details the divine calendar of "appointed times" (moedim), the Lord's feasts or holy convocations. It begins with the weekly Sabbath, then moves chronologically through the annual feasts, starting with Passover and Unleavened Bread (spring), then the Feast of Firstfruits (Lev 23:9-14), followed by Pentecost (Feast of Weeks), and then the fall festivals: Trumpets, Day of Atonement, and Tabernacles. This verse specifically introduces the requirements for the Feast of Firstfruits.

Historically and culturally, Israel was about to transition from nomadic life in the wilderness to an agrarian society in the Promised Land. The command to bring firstfruits immediately upon reaping underscores that all fertility and sustenance from the land are gifts from Yahweh, the true sovereign over nature. This implicitly polemicizes against pagan fertility cults prevalent in Canaan (e.g., Baal worship), redirecting all thanks and worship solely to the one God who provides the harvest, not to local deities or human effort alone. The principle established is that God must be acknowledged first in all new blessings, setting the spiritual tone for their new life in the land.

Leviticus 23 10 Word analysis

• "Speak to the children of Israel" (דַּבֵּר֙ אֶל־בְּנֵ֣י יִשְׂרָאֵ֔ל, dabbēr ʾel-bĕnê yiśrāʾēl): This is a direct divine command, emphasizing the importance and universal application of the instruction to the entire covenant community.
• "when you come into the land" (כִּ֣י תָבֹ֣אוּ אֶל־הָאָ֗רֶץ, kî ṯāvōʾû ʾel-hāʾāreṣ): This phrase establishes a crucial precondition. The law is not for the wilderness wanderings but for settled, agricultural life in Canaan, which is consistently referred to as "the land." It signifies entry and possession.
• "which I give you" (אֲשֶׁ֤ר אֲנִי֙ נֹתֵ֣ן לָכֶ֔ם, ʾăšer ʾănî nōṯēn lāḵem): Highlights God's unilateral action and generosity. The land is not conquered by human might but graciously bestowed by God, reinforcing His absolute ownership and sovereignty.
• "and reap its harvest" (וּקְצַרְתֶּ֖ם אֶת־קְצִירָ֑הּ, ūqṣartem ʾeṯ-qṣîrāh): Refers to the physical act of harvesting. In the spring, this primarily indicated the barley harvest, the first grain crop to ripen in the Land of Israel.
• "then you shall bring" (וַהֲבֵאתֶ֥ם, vahăvêtem): An imperative action required from the people, signifying a mandatory obligation rather than a voluntary option.
• "a sheaf" (עֹ֛מֶר, ʿōmer): This specific Hebrew term refers to a small bundle or measure of grain (an omer was about 2.2 liters or two quarts). It denotes a tangible, physical offering, symbolizing the beginning of the crop.
• "of the firstfruits" (רֵאשִׁ֥ית, rēʾšîṯ): From reshith, meaning "beginning," "first," or "chief part." This signifies not just any part of the harvest, but the very earliest and initial portion. It encapsulates the principle that God receives the first and best, consecrating the remainder.
• "of your harvest" (קְצִירְכֶ֖ם, qəṣîrkem): Refers to the overall yield of grain. The offering of the omer of reshith of their qetzir meant dedicating the initial output to secure blessing over the whole.
• "to the priest" (אֶל־הַכֹּהֵֽן, ʾel-hakkōhēn): The offering was to be presented to the designated intermediary, the priest, who would then perform the necessary ritual (waving, Lev 23:11) before the Lord on behalf of the people. This highlights the orderly and prescribed nature of worship.

Leviticus 23 10 Bonus section

• The timing of this offering was critically important: it was to be performed "on the day after the Sabbath" during the Feast of Unleavened Bread (Lev 23:11), traditionally understood as the day after the first annual Sabbath of Passover week. This precision allowed for the correct calculation of 50 days until the Feast of Weeks (Pentecost).
• While this verse commands the bringing of the sheaf, the following verse (Lev 23:11) details the priest's action: the "wave offering" of the omer. This ritual signified the Lord’s ownership of the land and its increase, consecrating the rest of the harvest to follow.
• The prohibition in Leviticus 23:14 explicitly states that Israel was not allowed to eat any new produce (bread, parched grain, or fresh grain) from the harvest until this firstfruit offering was presented. This underscores the necessity and priority of honoring God with the first.

Leviticus 23 10 Commentary

Leviticus 23:10 inaugurates the Feast of Firstfruits, a crucial spring festival in Israel's liturgical calendar. This command, given while Israel was still in the wilderness, anticipates their future life as an agrarian nation in the Promised Land. It establishes the principle that God must always receive the first of their produce. This was more than a tithe; it was the dedication of the initial yield of the land's bounty, specifically the barley harvest. By offering a "sheaf of the firstfruits" to the priest to be waved before the Lord, the Israelites formally acknowledged Yahweh as the ultimate Giver of the harvest and Sustainer of their lives. This act of giving the first portion sanctified the entire subsequent harvest, demonstrating faith, gratitude, and dependence, and was a prerequisite before any new grain could be consumed. This practice stood in stark contrast to the idolatrous fertility rituals of surrounding cultures, ensuring that Israel's loyalty and devotion were solely to their God, not to Baal or other false deities. The physical firstfruits foreshadow the spiritual reality of Christ as the "firstfruits from the dead" (1 Cor 15:20), guaranteeing the resurrection of all believers.