Leviticus 23 16

Leviticus 23:16 kjv

Even unto the morrow after the seventh sabbath shall ye number fifty days; and ye shall offer a new meat offering unto the LORD.

Leviticus 23:16 nkjv

Count fifty days to the day after the seventh Sabbath; then you shall offer a new grain offering to the LORD.

Leviticus 23:16 niv

Count off fifty days up to the day after the seventh Sabbath, and then present an offering of new grain to the LORD.

Leviticus 23:16 esv

You shall count fifty days to the day after the seventh Sabbath. Then you shall present a grain offering of new grain to the LORD.

Leviticus 23:16 nlt

Keep counting until the day after the seventh Sabbath, fifty days later. Then present an offering of new grain to the LORD.

Leviticus 23 verses

Leviticus 23 16 Meaning

Leviticus 23:16 commands the Israelites to meticulously count a period of fifty days, commencing from the day after the seventh Sabbath following the barley sheaf offering, culminating in the presentation of a new grain offering to the Lord. This prescribed count and subsequent offering delineate the timing of the Feast of Weeks, known as Shavuot, or later, Pentecost, marking the second harvest festival focusing on wheat and expressing gratitude for God's provision. It establishes a divine link between the early harvest (Passover/Unleavened Bread) and the main wheat harvest, symbolizing the completion of one agricultural cycle and the renewal of God's blessings.

Leviticus 23 16 Context

Leviticus chapter 23 meticulously outlines the Lord's appointed festivals (מֹעֲדֵי יְהוָה, mo'adei YHWH), the annual sacred times God ordained for Israel's worship and remembrance. These feasts serve as a divine calendar, unfolding God's redemptive plan through shadows and types. Verse 16 specifically concerns the counting period between two significant harvest festivals: the Feast of Unleavened Bread (which included the presentation of the barley omer, or sheaf of firstfruits) and the Feast of Weeks (Shavuot/Pentecost). This counting, known as Sefirat HaOmer (Counting of the Omer), directly connects the liberation from Egypt (Passover/Unleavened Bread) with the receiving of the Torah at Sinai (traditional understanding of Pentecost in Judaism) and, ultimately, the giving of the Holy Spirit (Christian fulfillment). Historically, it ensured that the Israelites' agricultural practices were consecrated to the Lord, serving as a reminder that God was the source of all provision, contrasting with surrounding pagan harvest rites that attributed fertility to various deities. The careful calculation emphasized precision in obedience to God's precise commands.

Leviticus 23 16 Word analysis

• You shall count (וּסְפַרְתֶּם, u-s'fartem): This is an imperative plural verb, emphasizing a direct command to the entire community of Israel. It denotes not a mere mental tally but a commanded, ongoing act of observation and reckoning. The root ספר (safar) means "to count, recount, narrate," highlighting the importance of acknowledging each day in sequence, making it a sacred obligation. This diligent counting reflects faithfulness and anticipation.
• fifty days (חֲמִשִּׁים יَوْם, chamishim yom): The precise numerical value, "fifty," marks a significant completed cycle. In biblical numerology, "fifty" can signify jubilee, release, completion, or new beginnings (e.g., Year of Jubilee, fifty-day period leading to Sinai/Pentecost). It represents a divinely appointed period of waiting and preparation, leading to a climactic event.
• to the day after the seventh Sabbath (עַד־מִמָּחֳרַת הַשַּׁבָּת הַשְּׁבִיעִית, ad mimmachorat ha-shabbat ha-sh'vi'it): This phrase is critical for determining the Feast of Weeks.
  • ממחרת (mimmachorat): "from the morrow of," "on the day after." This anchors the counting's end to the precise day following a Sabbath.
  • השבת השביעית (ha-shabbat ha-sh'vi'it): "the seventh Sabbath." There has been historical debate regarding whether this "Sabbath" refers to the weekly Sabbath occurring during the seven-week period or the first day of Unleavened Bread (which could also be called a Sabbath in a ceremonial sense). The predominant interpretation among ancient and modern scholars (and practiced by Orthodox Judaism and many Christian traditions) points to the weekly Sabbath occurring during the specified seven full weeks of counting, making the 50th day always fall on a Sunday. This ensures a consistent timeframe, always 50 days (7 weeks + 1 day) from the Omer offering. This period concludes a perfect seven sevens (49 days) plus one, making it a "fiftieth."
• then you shall present (תַּקְרִיבוּ, takrivu): Another imperative, from the root קרב (karav), "to draw near, bring close, present." This emphasizes the required action of bringing the specified offering into God's presence, signifying a direct act of worship and submission.
• a new grain offering (מִנְחָה חֲדָשָׁה, minchah chadashah):
  • מנחה (minchah): "grain offering, meal offering, tribute." This typically bloodless offering often symbolized dedication, thanksgiving, or sustenance.
  • חדשה (chadashah): "new, fresh." This signifies the offering's source from the recently matured wheat harvest, distinct from the omer (barley) offered earlier. It points to fresh provision, divine faithfulness, and a renewed covenant relationship. This offering typically consisted of two loaves made with leaven (Lev 23:17), which distinguished it from other unleavened offerings and could symbolize God accepting humanity with its imperfections, or even the inclusion of both Jews and Gentiles (like the two sticks or two nations later represented in prophetic imagery).
• to the Lord (לַיהוָה, La-YHWH): Reinforces that the entire observance, the count, and the offering are dedicated solely to the covenant God of Israel. It emphasizes that this is a sacred, God-ordained practice, distinct from any human agricultural tradition.

Words-group analysis:

• Counting a Period for the New Offering: The emphasis on "counting" a fixed period leads directly to the obligation of a specific "new grain offering." This shows that obedience in diligently observing God's times leads to the opportunity to give thanks and present the fruits of labor back to Him. The entire phrase demonstrates a temporal preparation for a cultic act of worship.
• From the Sabbath to the New Grain Offering: The "day after the seventh Sabbath" defines the exact completion of the harvest period from the "omer" (barley firstfruits). This links the early spring barley harvest, which represents initial produce and resurrection themes (firstfruits of Christ), to the later wheat harvest, symbolizing the fullness of provision and, spiritually, the outpouring of the Spirit and the harvest of souls.

Leviticus 23 16 Bonus section

The fifty-day counting period between Passover (Barley Harvest) and Shavuot (Wheat Harvest) marks a critical transition. The barley harvest symbolized initial deliverance and Christ as the "firstfruits of those who sleep" (1 Cor 15:20), offered with an unleavened sheaf. The subsequent wheat harvest, celebrated fifty days later, represented a more substantial, matured provision, embodied in two loaves made with yeast, possibly foreshadowing the unified body of Christ, comprised of both Jew and Gentile, in whom the Holy Spirit would indwell. This transition from singular, unleavened barley to plural, leavened wheat demonstrates an expansion and deeper embrace of humanity, signifying God's ability to redeem and sanctify imperfect individuals and incorporate them into His harvest. The intense focus on "counting" reflects a theological emphasis on patience, intentional observation, and preparation before a significant divine outpouring or revelation, whether the giving of the Law or the Spirit.

Leviticus 23 16 Commentary

Leviticus 23:16 serves as a pivot point in God's calendrical instruction to Israel, precisely bridging the celebration of Passover/Unleavened Bread with the Feast of Weeks (Pentecost). The command to "count fifty days" initiates a period of dedicated waiting and anticipation. This count, known as Sefirat HaOmer, symbolizes a spiritual journey from the liberation of Passover to the giving of the Law at Sinai, understood traditionally to be at Shavuot. The "new grain offering" of leavened wheat bread, contrasting with the unleavened offerings of Passover, represents the mature, abundant harvest and God's faithful provision. It points to a new season of blessing and renewed dedication.

From a New Testament perspective, this fifty-day count profoundly anticipates the outpouring of the Holy Spirit on the Day of Pentecost (Acts 2). Just as the firstfruits of barley at Passover prefigured Christ's resurrection (1 Cor 15:20), the full wheat harvest offering fifty days later perfectly shadowed the spiritual harvest initiated by the Spirit's descent. The Church, born on Pentecost, becomes God's "new grain offering" – a body made up of both Jews and Gentiles (the two loaves from various fields), empowered by the Spirit. This verse, therefore, highlights God's sovereignty over time, harvest, and the progression of His redemptive plan, showing that spiritual renewal and harvest are precisely timed divine events subsequent to salvation. It reminds believers of the continued work of the Spirit in empowering the church and bringing in a spiritual harvest (e.g., the spread of the Gospel).