Leviticus 23:12 kjv
And ye shall offer that day when ye wave the sheaf an he lamb without blemish of the first year for a burnt offering unto the LORD.
Leviticus 23:12 nkjv
And you shall offer on that day, when you wave the sheaf, a male lamb of the first year, without blemish, as a burnt offering to the LORD.
Leviticus 23:12 niv
On the day you wave the sheaf, you must sacrifice as a burnt offering to the LORD a lamb a year old without defect,
Leviticus 23:12 esv
And on the day when you wave the sheaf, you shall offer a male lamb a year old without blemish as a burnt offering to the LORD.
Leviticus 23:12 nlt
On that same day you must sacrifice a one-year-old male lamb with no defects as a burnt offering to the LORD.
Leviticus 23 12 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Lev 23:9-11 | Speak unto the children of Israel...when ye reap the harvest...ye shall bring a sheaf of the firstfruits of your harvest unto the priest...he shall wave the sheaf... | Instructions for Firstfruits offering. |
| Exod 23:16 | And the feast of harvest, the firstfruits of thy labours... | General command for Firstfruits. |
| Exod 34:22 | And thou shalt observe the feast of weeks, of the firstfruits of wheat harvest... | Later firstfruits offering (wheat). |
| Num 28:26-27 | Also in the day of the firstfruits, when ye bring a new meal offering unto the LORD...Ye shall offer one young bullock, one ram, seven lambs of the first year without blemish. | Additional offerings on Firstfruits day. |
| Deut 26:1-10 | And it shall be, when thou art come in unto the land...that thou shalt take of the first of all the fruit of the earth...and shalt put it in a basket, and shalt go unto the place... | Ritual for bringing firstfruits into Canaan. |
| Rom 11:16 | For if the firstfruit be holy, the lump is also holy... | Holiness of the whole by consecration of part. |
| 1 Cor 15:20 | But now is Christ risen from the dead, and become the firstfruits of them that slept. | Christ's resurrection as the ultimate Firstfruits. |
| 1 Cor 15:23 | But every man in his own order: Christ the firstfruits; afterward they that are Christ's at his coming. | Christ leading the resurrection. |
| Jas 1:18 | Of his own will begat he us with the word of truth, that we should be a kind of firstfruits of his creatures. | Believers as God's spiritual firstfruits. |
| Rev 14:4 | These were redeemed from among men, being the firstfruits unto God and to the Lamb. | The 144,000 as firstfruits of redemption. |
| Exod 12:5 | Your lamb shall be without blemish, a male of the first year... | Requirement for the Passover Lamb. |
| Lev 1:3 | If his offering be a burnt sacrifice of the herd, let him offer a male without blemish... | General requirement for burnt offerings. |
| Lev 22:19-21 | Ye shall offer at your own will a male without blemish... | Emphasis on unblemished male animals. |
| Num 28:3 | ...two lambs of the first year without spot day by day, for a continual burnt offering. | Daily unblemished lamb offering. |
| Isa 53:7 | He was oppressed, and he was afflicted, yet he opened not his mouth: he is brought as a lamb to the slaughter... | Prophecy of Christ's sacrifice as a lamb. |
| John 1:29 | The next day John seeth Jesus coming unto him, and saith, Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world. | Christ identified as the sacrificial Lamb. |
| 1 Pet 1:18-19 | Forasmuch as ye know that ye were not redeemed with corruptible things...but with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot. | Redemption through Christ, the perfect Lamb. |
| Heb 9:14 | How much more shall the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself without spot to God... | Christ's blameless, perfect sacrifice. |
| Lev 1:9 | ...the priest shall burn all on the altar, to be a burnt sacrifice, an offering made by fire, of a sweet savour unto the LORD. | Nature and purpose of a burnt offering. |
| Psa 51:19 | Then shalt thou be pleased with the sacrifices of righteousness, with burnt offering and whole burnt offering... | Righteousness linked to accepted sacrifices. |
| Rom 12:1 | I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service. | New Testament equivalent of full devotion. |
| Exod 29:24 | And thou shalt wave them for a wave offering before the LORD... | Example of wave offering during priestly consecration. |
| Lev 7:30 | ...that it may be waved for a wave offering before the LORD. | Part of the priest's portion in peace offering. |
| Num 6:20 | And the priest shall wave them for a wave offering before the LORD... | Wave offering in the Nazarite vow completion. |
Leviticus 23 verses
Leviticus 23 12 Meaning
Leviticus 23:12 outlines a specific command for the Feast of Firstfruits, immediately following the Passover and Feast of Unleavened Bread. On the day the "omer" (first sheaf of the barley harvest) is brought and presented as a wave offering to the LORD, an additional sacrifice is required: a male lamb, without physical defect, of its first year. This lamb is to be offered as a burnt offering, signifying complete devotion, propitiation, and acknowledgment of God's ownership and provision over the land and its harvest.
Leviticus 23 12 Context
Leviticus Chapter 23 outlines the sacred "Feasts of the LORD" (mo'adim, "appointed times"), a divine calendar marking holy convocations throughout the year. These feasts were divinely appointed periods for Israel to remember God's faithfulness, celebrate His provision, and worship Him. Verse 12 is situated within the instructions for the Feast of Firstfruits (Leviticus 23:9-14). This feast immediately follows the Passover and the Feast of Unleavened Bread, highlighting a progression from redemption (Passover) to consecration (Unleavened Bread) and then to the dedication of the harvest and future provision (Firstfruits).
Historically and culturally, ancient Israel was an agrarian society deeply dependent on rainfall and successful harvests. The Feast of Firstfruits ensured that the first portion of the barley harvest, essential for sustenance, was presented to the LORD. This practice acknowledged Him as the ultimate Provider, not human effort or pagan deities common in surrounding cultures. This instruction implicitly stood as a polemic against pagan fertility cults that sought to ensure good harvests through immoral rites, reinforcing Israel's exclusive devotion to Yahweh and His pure, prescribed worship.
Leviticus 23 12 Word analysis
- And ye shall offer (וְהִקְרַבְתֶּם, vehiqravtem): A strong command, indicating a mandatory bringing near or presentation. It's not optional but a divine obligation.
- that day (בַּיּוֹם הַהוּא, bayyom hahu): Emphasizes a precise, appointed timing for this particular sacrifice. This sacrifice is inseparable from the specific day of the omer's wave offering.
- when ye bring the omer (בְּהָבִיאֲכֶם אֶת־עֹמֶר, behāḇīʾăḵem ʾet-ʿōmer): The
omer(עֹמֶר) is a specific measure, approximately 2.3 liters or the amount of barley that could be held in a cupped hand, signifying a single sheaf of the initial harvest. This clause establishes the trigger for the lamb sacrifice—it accompanies the grain offering. - for a wave offering (תְּנוּפָה, tenuphah): This offering was ritually waved by the priest before the altar, symbolizing the offering being lifted up and presented directly to the LORD, signifying His ownership and acknowledgment of His blessing upon the entire harvest. It also could represent life offered to God from whom all life comes.
- an he lamb (כֶּבֶשׂ זָכָר, keves zakar): Specifies a young male sheep, a commonly required sacrificial animal. Male animals were generally preferred for their perceived strength and vitality, indicating a high-value sacrifice.
- without blemish (תָּמִים, tamim): This term means "whole," "perfect," "sound," or "unblemished." Sacrifices to God were always to be of the highest quality, representing purity and unworthiness of the worshipper in contrast to the perfect holiness of God. It ensures the integrity of the sacrifice and its acceptability.
- of the first year (בֶּן־שְׁנָתוֹ, ben-shenāṯō): Signifies that the lamb is young, in its prime, and yet without defect, full of life and vitality. This specific age is also notably linked to the Passover lamb (Exod 12:5).
- for a burnt offering (לְעֹלָה, leʿōlāh): The
olah(עֹלָה) or burnt offering was one of the most significant sacrifices, characterized by the entire animal being consumed by fire on the altar. It symbolized complete dedication and surrender to God, and also provided general atonement for sin. - unto the LORD (לַיהוָה, la YHVH): Explicitly states the divine recipient of the sacrifice, emphasizing its sacredness and the holiness of the ritual. All honor and credit for the harvest belonged to Yahweh.
Words-Group Analysis:
- "that day when ye bring the omer for a wave offering": This phrase precisely links the animal sacrifice to the specific agrarian rite of bringing the first barley sheaf. It ensures the animal sacrifice is understood as part of the broader firstfruits celebration, a multi-faceted expression of gratitude and reliance.
- "an he lamb without blemish of the first year": This group of words defines the strict qualitative and age requirements for the animal, emphasizing perfection and vitality. These specifications foreshadow the absolute perfection required of the ultimate sacrifice, Jesus Christ.
- "for a burnt offering unto the LORD": This concluding phrase articulates the ultimate purpose and divine recipient. It means complete surrender, propitiation, and acknowledgement that all is from and belongs to God.
Leviticus 23 12 Bonus section
The Feast of Firstfruits (Leviticus 23:9-14) is sometimes referred to as the "Waving of the Omer" because of the central ritual described. The "morrow after the Sabbath" (Lev 23:11), on which this feast falls, provides a prophetic calendar marker for Christ's resurrection. If Passover lambs were sacrificed on Friday afternoon (Nisan 14) and consumed that evening (beginning of Nisan 15, the first day of Unleavened Bread), then "the Sabbath" referred to could be the regular weekly Sabbath during the Feast of Unleavened Bread. The "morrow after that Sabbath" would then be the first day of the week, Sunday. This specific timing places Jesus' resurrection squarely on the day the firstfruits of the harvest were traditionally offered, reinforcing His identity as the ultimate "firstfruits" and establishing a profound link between the agricultural and redemptive histories. The emphasis on "life" (young lamb, first of harvest) points to resurrection life and new spiritual beginnings in Christ.
Leviticus 23 12 Commentary
Leviticus 23:12 presents a foundational aspect of Israel's worship in the Feast of Firstfruits. While the wave offering of the omer dedicated the harvest, the accompanying burnt offering of the unblemished male lamb deepened this act. The burnt offering's nature, consumed entirely by fire, symbolized complete dedication and absolute dependence on God. It was a plea for God's continued blessing and general atonement for the community. The specific requirements for the lamb—male, perfect, and in its first year—spoke to purity, vitality, and a spotless quality that prefigured the Messiah.
This ritual points powerfully to Christ. The Feast of Firstfruits itself falls "on the morrow after the Sabbath" following Passover, which became the day of Jesus' resurrection. Christ is the ultimate "firstfruits" (1 Cor 15:20, 23), rising from the dead to consecrate a new harvest of resurrected believers. He is the "Lamb of God" (John 1:29), the "he lamb without blemish" (1 Pet 1:18-19), whose perfect sacrifice fulfills all the types and shadows of the Levitical burnt offerings. He offered Himself "without spot" (Heb 9:14), providing a once-for-all atonement and complete dedication to God (Rom 12:1). Thus, this ancient ritual not only taught Israel dependence and dedication but also looked forward to the perfect, living sacrifice that would secure redemption for all who believe.