Leviticus 23:11 kjv
And he shall wave the sheaf before the LORD, to be accepted for you: on the morrow after the sabbath the priest shall wave it.
Leviticus 23:11 nkjv
He shall wave the sheaf before the LORD, to be accepted on your behalf; on the day after the Sabbath the priest shall wave it.
Leviticus 23:11 niv
He is to wave the sheaf before the LORD so it will be accepted on your behalf; the priest is to wave it on the day after the Sabbath.
Leviticus 23:11 esv
and he shall wave the sheaf before the LORD, so that you may be accepted. On the day after the Sabbath the priest shall wave it.
Leviticus 23:11 nlt
On the day after the Sabbath, the priest will lift it up before the LORD so it may be accepted on your behalf.
Leviticus 23 11 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Lev 23:5-8 | "In the first month, on the fourteenth day...the Passover...And on the fifteenth day...the Feast of Unleavened Bread..." | Context of Passover and Unleavened Bread |
| Lev 23:10 | "When you come into the land...you shall bring a sheaf of the firstfruits of your harvest to the priest." | Precursor to the wave offering |
| Lev 23:12 | "On the day when you wave the sheaf, you shall offer a male lamb a year old without blemish as a burnt offering..." | Associated offerings with Firstfruits |
| Lev 23:14 | "You shall eat neither bread nor grain until this same day, until you have brought the offering of your God..." | Prohibits consumption before the offering |
| Lev 23:15-16 | "You shall count seven full weeks from the day after the Sabbath, from the day that you brought the sheaf...until the day after the seventh Sabbath you shall count fifty days." | Leads to the Feast of Weeks (Pentecost) |
| Exod 29:24 | "You shall wave them as a wave offering before the Lord." | General instruction for wave offerings |
| Num 6:20 | "...and the priest shall wave them as a wave offering before the Lord; this is holy for the priest..." | Example of a wave offering ceremony |
| Deut 26:10 | "And now, behold, I have brought the first of the fruit of the ground, which you, O Lord, have given me." | Israelites' grateful acknowledgment of firstfruits |
| Prov 3:9-10 | "Honor the Lord with your wealth and with the firstfruits of all your produce..." | Principle of offering firstfruits for blessing |
| Rom 11:16 | "If the dough offered as firstfruits is holy, so is the whole lump..." | Holiness of firstfruits consecrating the whole |
| 1 Cor 15:20 | "But in fact Christ has been raised from the dead, the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep." | Christ explicitly called the "firstfruits" |
| 1 Cor 15:23 | "But each in his own order: Christ the firstfruits, then at his coming those who belong to Christ." | Christ's resurrection guarantees future resurrection |
| Rom 8:23 | "And not only so, but we ourselves, who have the firstfruits of the Spirit..." | Believers possess the "firstfruits of the Spirit" |
| Jam 1:18 | "Of his own will he brought us forth by the word of truth, that we should be a kind of firstfruits of his creatures." | Believers as spiritual firstfruits |
| Rev 14:4 | "It is these who follow the Lamb wherever he goes. These were redeemed from mankind as firstfruits for God and the Lamb." | Redeemed saints as spiritual firstfruits |
| Matt 28:1 | "Now after the Sabbath, toward the dawn of the first day of the week, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary went to see the tomb." | Jesus' resurrection on "the first day of the week" |
| Mark 16:2 | "And very early on the first day of the week, when the sun had risen, they went to the tomb." | Jesus' resurrection on "the first day of the week" |
| Luke 24:1 | "But on the first day of the week, at early dawn, they went to the tomb..." | Jesus' resurrection on "the first day of the week" |
| John 20:1 | "Now on the first day of the week Mary Magdalene came to the tomb early, while it was still dark..." | Jesus' resurrection on "the first day of the week" |
| John 20:17 | "Jesus said to her, 'Do not cling to me, for I have not yet ascended to the Father; but go to my brothers...'" | Jesus' brief pre-ascension appearances, a wave offering of Himself |
| Heb 7:17 | "For it is testified of him, 'You are a priest forever, after the order of Melchizedek.'" | Christ as the High Priest performing the ultimate offering |
| Eph 2:6 | "And raised us up with him and seated us with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus..." | Believers partake in Christ's resurrected life |
Leviticus 23 verses
Leviticus 23 11 Meaning
Leviticus 23:11 prescribes a ceremony to be performed during the Feast of Unleavened Bread: the waving of a sheaf of the first harvested grain before the Lord by the priest. This act served as a foundational dedication of the harvest, signifying God's ownership and ensuring His blessing upon the agricultural year. It was a tangible expression of faith and dependence on God for provision, making the entire harvest acceptable in His sight. Prophetically, it prefigures the resurrection of Jesus Christ as the "firstfruits" of those who sleep, validating His atoning sacrifice and guaranteeing the future resurrection of all believers.
Leviticus 23 11 Context
Leviticus chapter 23 meticulously outlines the seven annual "appointed feasts of the Lord" (mo'adim Yahweh) which God commanded Israel to observe. These feasts, including Passover, Unleavened Bread, Firstfruits, Weeks (Pentecost), Trumpets, Atonement, and Booths (Tabernacles), served as a sacred calendar, commemorating God's past redemptive acts and pointing forward to future divine intervention, particularly through the Messiah.
Verse 11 is specifically nestled within the instructions for the Feast of Unleavened Bread, which immediately followed Passover (Lev 23:5-8). It introduces the unique offering of the "sheaf of the firstfruits," linking Israel's physical sustenance directly to God's providence and demonstrating their covenant relationship. This offering, preceding the commencement of the new harvest consumption, establishes a critical principle: God is honored first, and then His blessings can be fully enjoyed. Historically and culturally, agricultural societies understood the profound significance of the first harvest as a pledge of the entire crop's success. This ritual would have deeply resonated with an agrarian people as a profound act of worship and trust.
Leviticus 23 11 Word analysis
- And he shall wave: The Hebrew verb is nûph (נוּף), meaning to "wave" or "sway." It denotes a ceremonial movement, specifically a horizontal back-and-forth motion followed by an up-and-down motion, performed before the altar. This gesture signifies the presentation of something to God, dedicating it to Him, and by extension, acknowledging that the worshiper receives it back as blessed from God's hand.
- the sheaf: The Hebrew word is ʿōmer (עֹמֶר), referring to a dry measure of grain, typically barley, the first grain to ripen. It's not a general harvest but a specific quantity of the earliest mature stalks, representing the very firstfruits. This small measure symbolized the entire upcoming harvest.
- before the LORD: The phrase liphnēy Yahweh (לִפְנֵי יְהוָה) indicates performance in the divine presence, at the sanctuary, before the altar of God. It underscores that the act is directed solely to God, emphasizing His authority and sovereignty over all creation and provision.
- to be accepted for you: The Hebrew lirtṣōnkhem (לִרְצֹנְכֶם) means "for your acceptance" or "that it may be acceptable for you." This denotes that the offering makes not just the sheaf but the entire harvest acceptable and blessed in God's sight, and more broadly, the people themselves, securing God's favor. It speaks to divine approval and the removal of any potential impediment to His blessing.
- on the day after the Sabbath: This crucial phrase, mimmoḥŏrat haššabbat (מִמָּחֳרַת הַשַּׁבָּת), is foundational. It directly refers to the first day of the week. There has been debate whether "Sabbath" here refers to the weekly seventh-day Sabbath or the special "high Sabbath" that was the first day of the Feast of Unleavened Bread (Nisan 15). The dominant interpretation, particularly in light of New Testament fulfillment and ancient Jewish traditions outside of the Karaites, points to the weekly Sabbath that fell within the seven days of Unleavened Bread. This would place the Firstfruits offering on a Sunday. This specific timing is deeply significant for its prophetic alignment.
- the priest shall wave it: The designated agent for this holy act is the priest (hak-kōhēn), a descendant of Aaron. The priest mediates between God and the people, performing the ritual correctly to ensure divine acceptance. His role signifies that sacred acts must be done according to God's prescribed order and through His appointed servants.
Leviticus 23 11 Bonus section
- Polemics against contemporary beliefs: This command could subtly counter common pagan fertility rituals where crops were offered to gods in hopes of coercing a good harvest. By demanding the offering to Yahweh, on His terms and in His presence, Israel was reminded that the harvest was a gift from the one true God, not dependent on fickle idols or human manipulation. It instilled dependence on God alone, recognizing His sovereign control over seasons and provision, rather than superstitious practices of surrounding nations.
- Significance of the "day after the Sabbath": This phrase has been a point of considerable debate throughout Jewish history, particularly between the Pharisees and Sadducees/Boethusians, and later between Rabbinic Jews and Karaites. The Karaites (and some Sadducees) interpreted "Sabbath" as the weekly Sabbath within the Feast of Unleavened Bread, leading to Firstfruits always falling on a Sunday. Rabbinic Judaism, however, interpreted it as the first day of Unleavened Bread, which was a high Sabbath, making Firstfruits consistently fall on Nisan 16, regardless of the day of the week. The New Testament's explicit accounts of Jesus' resurrection on the "first day of the week" (Sunday) align directly with the Karaitic/Pharisaic understanding that pinpoints this very day. This strongly supports the interpretation that the wave offering on "the day after the Sabbath" foreshadowed Christ's resurrection.
- Practical Impact for Israel: Until this firstfruits sheaf was presented and waved, no new produce from the spring harvest could be eaten (Lev 23:14). This emphasized their absolute reliance on God and taught patience and trust, ensuring that acknowledgment of divine provision preceded personal consumption. It fostered a corporate awareness that their well-being stemmed directly from their obedient relationship with God.
Leviticus 23 11 Commentary
Leviticus 23:11, detailing the offering of the firstfruits sheaf, reveals profound spiritual truths. It teaches Israel, and us, that God is the ultimate source of all provision; our labor is blessed only through His generosity. By presenting the initial part of the harvest, Israel consecrated the entire yield to God, recognizing His ownership and authority over their very livelihood. This act of faith, offering the first and best, secures divine favor and blessing upon the remaining, larger portion. The specific timing, "on the day after the Sabbath," is pivotal. Historically, this meant the first day of the week following the Passover Sabbath. Theologically, this timing points with striking precision to the resurrection of Jesus Christ on the first day of the week (Sunday), after His sacrifice on Passover. Just as the firstfruits sheaf guarantees a full harvest, Christ's resurrection as the "firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep" (1 Cor 15:20) guarantees the future resurrection and ultimate triumph of all believers. This ritual thus transcends its agricultural context, becoming a powerful prophetic symbol of new life and the inauguration of God's redemptive harvest through His resurrected Son. The acceptance of this initial offering signified the acceptance of all who would later come, secured by the one perfect wave offering of Christ Himself.