Leviticus 23 18

Leviticus 23:18 kjv

And ye shall offer with the bread seven lambs without blemish of the first year, and one young bullock, and two rams: they shall be for a burnt offering unto the LORD, with their meat offering, and their drink offerings, even an offering made by fire, of sweet savor unto the LORD.

Leviticus 23:18 nkjv

And you shall offer with the bread seven lambs of the first year, without blemish, one young bull, and two rams. They shall be as a burnt offering to the LORD, with their grain offering and their drink offerings, an offering made by fire for a sweet aroma to the LORD.

Leviticus 23:18 niv

Present with this bread seven male lambs, each a year old and without defect, one young bull and two rams. They will be a burnt offering to the LORD, together with their grain offerings and drink offerings?a food offering, an aroma pleasing to the LORD.

Leviticus 23:18 esv

And you shall present with the bread seven lambs a year old without blemish, and one bull from the herd and two rams. They shall be a burnt offering to the LORD, with their grain offering and their drink offerings, a food offering with a pleasing aroma to the LORD.

Leviticus 23:18 nlt

Along with the bread, present seven one-year-old male lambs with no defects, one young bull, and two rams as burnt offerings to the LORD. These burnt offerings, together with the grain offerings and liquid offerings, will be a special gift, a pleasing aroma to the LORD.

Leviticus 23 verses

Leviticus 23 18 Meaning

Leviticus 23:18 describes the specific burnt offerings that were to be presented to the Lord during the Feast of Weeks (Shavuot or Pentecost), offered with the two wave loaves of firstfruits from the new grain harvest. These offerings included a detailed list of perfect, prime animals – seven lambs, one young bullock, and two rams – along with their requisite grain (meat) offerings and drink offerings. These were consumed by fire, ascending as a pleasing aroma, signifying God's acceptance of the worship and atonement offered. The precise nature and quantity of the sacrifices underscored the richness of God's provision and the people's complete dedication and gratitude.

Leviticus 23 18 Context

Leviticus 23 details the Lord's appointed festivals (mo'adim) for Israel, establishing a sacred calendar around key agricultural and historical events. This particular verse is set within the instructions for the Feast of Weeks (Shavuot or Pentecost), which follows the offering of the firstfruits from the barley harvest at Passover (Lev 23:9-14) by seven complete weeks, culminating on the fiftieth day (Lev 23:15-16). The preceding verse (v.17) introduces the central unique offering for this feast: two loaves of leavened bread, made from the finest flour of the new grain harvest, waved before the Lord as firstfruits for the entire community. Verse 18 then specifies the precise animal offerings that were to accompany these bread offerings. The historical context reflects an agrarian society where annual harvests were directly tied to sustenance and divine blessing, making the celebration of God's provision through precise sacrifices central to their covenant relationship with Yahweh. This regulated system of worship served as a contrast to contemporary pagan fertility rites and unregulated religious practices, emphasizing the singular, holy God and His prescribed ways of approach.

Leviticus 23 18 Word analysis

• And ye shall offer: The imperative tone, a divine command, establishing the specific ritual. This is not optional but a required act of worship from the Israelite community, directed by God Himself.
• with the bread: Hebrew 'al ha-lechem (עַל־הַלֶּחֶם). The preposition 'al can mean "on," "with," or "in addition to." This clearly links these substantial animal sacrifices to the unique wave offering of two leavened loaves (Lev 23:17), which represented the harvested new grain and symbolically, the redeemed community before God. The leaven in the bread, unlike almost all other offerings, signifies the ordinary (though made holy) human condition presented alongside perfect atonement.
• seven lambs: Hebrew shiv'ah kevashim (שִׁבְעָה כְבָשִׂים). The number 'seven' often signifies completion, perfection, or divine fullness in biblical symbolism. These lambs are distinct, young, and of particular ritual significance, indicative of the high value placed on this specific sacrifice.
• without blemish: Hebrew temimim (תְמִימִים). This adjective means "perfect," "whole," "complete," or "sound." It was a non-negotiable requirement for all sacrificial animals (e.g., Lev 1:3). Such a requirement ensures that only the best, untainted, and most fitting offering is presented to a holy God, reflecting His own perfect character and foreshadowing Christ's blameless nature.
• of the first year: Hebrew bene shanah (בְּנֵי שָׁנָה), literally "sons of a year." This refers to young animals, less than a year old. It indicates peak vitality, prime condition, and freshness, symbolizing the dedication of the new and vigorous. It also links to the Passover lamb requirement.
• one young bullock: Hebrew par ben-baqar (פַר בֶּן־בָּקָר). A more significant and costly animal, typically indicating an offering of substantial atonement or worship, often on behalf of the whole congregation or priests.
• and two rams: Hebrew yelim (אֵילִים). Rams were also valuable animals, often associated with burnt or peace offerings, further adding to the abundance and variety of the sacrificial offering.
• they shall be for a burnt offering: Hebrew le'olah (לְעֹלָה). The 'olah was completely consumed by fire on the altar, symbolizing total dedication, complete surrender, and propitiation. Its rising smoke symbolized the worshiper's devotion ascending to God.
• unto the Lord: Hebrew l'Yahweh (לַיהוה). This emphasizes the divine recipient and ultimate purpose of the offering—it is entirely consecrated to the holy God of Israel.
• with their meat offering: Hebrew u-minchatam (וּמִנְחָתָם). This refers to the grain (or meal) offering, an accompaniment of flour, oil, and frankincense, which was typically offered alongside animal sacrifices as an act of thanksgiving and acknowledgment of God's provision (see Lev 2).
• and their drink offerings: Hebrew ve-niskeyhem (וְנִסְכֵּיהֶם). These were libations, usually of wine, poured out on the altar. They often symbolized complete devotion and pouring out of one's life before God, accompanying burnt offerings (Num 15:5).
• even an offering made by fire: Hebrew isheh (אִשֶּׁה). This term highlights that these offerings were consecrated through burning on the altar, a divinely ordained method for purification and communication with God.
• of a sweet savour: Hebrew re'ach nichoach (רֵיחַ נִיחוֹחַ). This phrase translates to a "pleasing aroma" or "soothing aroma." It signifies God's gracious acceptance and approval of the sacrifice, indicating that the offering was well-pleasing in His sight, effective for atonement, and demonstrated true devotion. It is not about a literal smell but a metaphor for divine favor.

Word-Groups analysis:

• "And ye shall offer with the bread": This group connects the grain offerings from the previous verse to the animal sacrifices. It stresses that the human labor (the harvest symbolized by bread) is to be accompanied by the prescribed blood atonement, demonstrating God's sovereign hand in both physical provision and spiritual redemption.
• "seven lambs without blemish of the first year, and one young bullock, and two rams": This enumeration emphasizes the diversity, quality, and quantity of the animals required. The large number and variety signify abundant generosity, representing the wholeness of the community and the comprehensive nature of God's blessings. The criteria ("without blemish," "first year") underscore purity and prime offering to a holy God.
• "they shall be for a burnt offering unto the Lord, with their meat offering, and their drink offerings": This highlights the integrated nature of the offerings. It's not just the animals, but the comprehensive ritual (total consumption, alongside grain and liquid) that constitutes complete devotion and atonement to Yahweh. The multi-faceted offerings communicate different aspects of dependence and gratitude.
• "even an offering made by fire, of a sweet savour unto the Lord": This concluding phrase reaffirms the sacrificial mechanism (fire) and the divine outcome (acceptance). The 'sweet savour' encapsulates God's favorable reception of His people's obedient and sincere worship and their proper approach to His holiness.

Leviticus 23 18 Bonus section

• Christological Fulfilment: The meticulous demands for blemish-free animals in this verse find their ultimate fulfillment in Jesus Christ, "the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world" (Jn 1:29). He was "without blemish and without spot" (1 Pet 1:19), offering Himself once for all as a sacrifice pleasing to God (Eph 5:2).
• Feast of Weeks and Pentecost: While these animal sacrifices accompanied the wave offering of leavened bread representing the firstfruits of the harvest (which included humanity, now made holy by God's command), the Feast of Weeks itself was fulfilled by the outpouring of the Holy Spirit on Pentecost (Acts 2). This event inaugurated the Church, which consists of imperfect humans (represented by the leaven) made holy and presented to God through the perfect sacrifice foreshadowed by these offerings.
• Numerical Symbolism: The total of ten animals (seven lambs + one bullock + two rams) can be significant in biblical numerology, often symbolizing completion, divine order, or judgment, suggesting the comprehensive nature of this offering to God. The number "seven" consistently denotes spiritual completeness and perfection, reinforcing the dedication element of the sacrifices.
• Polemics against Paganism: In contrast to the wild, often hedonistic, and defiling rituals of surrounding pagan cultures aimed at coercing gods of fertility, Israel's precise and ordered sacrifices for the Feast of Weeks established God as the sovereign giver of harvest, worshipped through strict adherence to His holy commands. The clear boundaries on who, what, and how to offer underscored God's transcendence and ethical demands.

Leviticus 23 18 Commentary

Leviticus 23:18 describes the rich tapestry of sacrifices integral to the Feast of Weeks, highlighting Israel's thanksgiving for the physical harvest alongside the profound spiritual truths embodied in their worship. The complexity of the required animals—seven flawless lambs, a prime bullock, and two rams—was not arbitrary. It demonstrated the costly, abundant, and complete dedication required from a people blessed by God's provision. Each element, from the unblemished state to the specific age of the animals, served to underscore the holiness of God and the necessary perfection of any approach to Him.

These extensive burnt offerings, accompanied by their grain and drink counterparts, symbolized comprehensive devotion: the burning flesh rising as smoke represented total surrender and propitiation; the grain acknowledged God as the source of all sustenance; and the drink offering signified the pouring out of oneself. The phrase "sweet savour unto the Lord" signifies God's acceptance and pleasure in His people's obedience, which ultimately points forward to Christ. As the ultimate perfect sacrifice, His life and death were fully pleasing to the Father, fulfilling the shadows of these Old Testament rituals. This verse therefore reveals God's meticulous demands for worship, His gracious acceptance of properly offered sacrifices, and foreshadows the one perfect sacrifice that fully reconciles imperfect humanity to a holy God.