Leviticus 23:32 kjv
It shall be unto you a sabbath of rest, and ye shall afflict your souls: in the ninth day of the month at even, from even unto even, shall ye celebrate your sabbath.
Leviticus 23:32 nkjv
It shall be to you a sabbath of solemn rest, and you shall afflict your souls; on the ninth day of the month at evening, from evening to evening, you shall celebrate your sabbath."
Leviticus 23:32 niv
It is a day of sabbath rest for you, and you must deny yourselves. From the evening of the ninth day of the month until the following evening you are to observe your sabbath."
Leviticus 23:32 esv
It shall be to you a Sabbath of solemn rest, and you shall afflict yourselves. On the ninth day of the month beginning at evening, from evening to evening shall you keep your Sabbath."
Leviticus 23:32 nlt
This will be a Sabbath day of complete rest for you, and on that day you must deny yourselves. This day of rest will begin at sundown on the ninth day of the month and extend until sundown on the tenth day."
Leviticus 23 32 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Lev 16:29-31 | "This shall be a statute forever for you: In the seventh month, on the tenth day...you shall afflict your souls... It is a Sabbath of solemn rest for you... and you shall afflict your souls." | Core commandment for Day of Atonement, paralleling Lev 23:32. |
| Lev 23:27-28 | "Also the tenth day of this seventh month shall be the Day of Atonement...you shall afflict your souls...You shall do no work on that same day..." | Reiteration of the day's purpose and prohibitions. |
| Num 29:7 | "On the tenth day of this seventh month you shall have a holy convocation. You shall afflict your souls..." | Reinforces the call for affliction and holy assembly. |
| Isa 58:3-5 | "Why have we fasted... and you do not notice? ...is it a fast that I choose... a day for a person to afflict himself?" | Explains what true affliction (fasting) should entail – humility, justice, kindness. |
| Ps 35:13 | "But as for me, when they were sick, my clothing was sackcloth; I humbled myself with fasting..." | Connects 'afflicting the soul' with fasting and humbling. |
| Ps 69:10 | "When I wept and humbled myself with fasting, it became my reproach." | Links affliction with weeping and humility through fasting. |
| Ezra 8:21 | "Then I proclaimed a fast there, at the river Ahava, that we might humble ourselves before our God..." | Example of corporate humbling through fasting for divine favor. |
| Neh 9:1 | "On the twenty-fourth day of this month the people of Israel were assembled with fasting and in sackcloth, and with earth on their heads." | Illustrates a practical response to affliction—public repentance and fasting. |
| Joel 1:14 | "Consecrate a fast; call a solemn assembly. Gather the elders...and cry out to the Lord." | Example of a call to affliction/fasting for repentance in a time of crisis. |
| Jonah 3:5-7 | "And the people of Nineveh believed God; they proclaimed a fast and put on sackcloth..." | Collective humbling and fasting in response to prophetic warning. |
| Dan 10:3 | "I ate no choice food, no meat or wine entered my mouth, and I anointed myself with no oil at all, for three full weeks." | Daniel's extended fast, demonstrating personal affliction/self-denial. |
| Zech 7:5 | "When you fasted and mourned in the fifth and seventh months these seventy years, did you really fast for Me—for Me?" | Questions the sincerity of affliction, pointing to a spiritual dimension beyond ritual. |
| 1 Cor 7:5 | "Do not deprive each other except perhaps by agreement for a limited time, that you may devote yourselves to prayer..." | While not strictly fasting, the concept of temporary self-deprivation for spiritual devotion. |
| Acts 27:9 | "When much time had been spent, and sailing was now dangerous because the Fast was already over..." | Historical reference to Yom Kippur, confirming its recognition as a fasting day. |
| Heb 4:9-10 | "So then, there remains a Sabbath rest for the people of God... for whoever has entered God's rest has also rested from his works as God did from his." | Theological fulfillment of Sabbath rest, pointing to a deeper spiritual rest in Christ. |
| Ex 20:8-10 | "Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy... you shall not do any work..." | General Sabbath commandment, illustrating the basis for cessation from work on holy days. |
| Ex 31:15 | "Six days may work be done, but on the seventh is a Sabbath of solemn rest, holy to the Lord. Whoever does any work on the Sabbath day shall surely be put to death." | Highlights the seriousness of keeping a "Sabbath of solemn rest." |
| Isa 58:13-14 | "If you turn back your foot from the Sabbath, from doing your pleasure on my holy day...then you shall take delight in the Lord..." | Calls for refraining from personal pleasure on God's holy days. |
| Eph 5:16 | "making the best use of the time, because the days are evil." | Implies conscious devotion of specific times to spiritual purposes. |
| 1 Pet 5:6 | "Humble yourselves, therefore, under the mighty hand of God so that at the proper time he may exalt you." | Echoes the spiritual purpose of 'afflicting the soul' (humbling oneself). |
| Jas 4:10 | "Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will exalt you." | Direct New Testament command for humbling, linking to spiritual affliction. |
Leviticus 23 verses
Leviticus 23 32 Meaning
Leviticus 23:32 defines the precise duration and nature of the Day of Atonement, a divinely appointed holy day. It emphasizes that this day is a "Sabbath of rest" (a particularly sacred and complete cessation from work) and commands the Israelites to "afflict their souls" (primarily understood as fasting and humble repentance). This solemn observance begins at sunset on the ninth day of the seventh month and continues until sunset on the tenth day, establishing a full 24-hour period of dedicated solemnity and spiritual reflection.
Leviticus 23 32 Context
Leviticus chapter 23 meticulously lists and describes the "appointed times" or "feasts of the Lord" (mo'adim, מועדים), which were annual convocations and holy days for the Israelite community. These feasts structured their religious calendar and provided opportunities for corporate worship, remembrance, and covenant renewal with God.
Leviticus 23:32 is part of the section detailing the Day of Atonement (Yom Kippur), arguably the most solemn day of the Israelite year. It immediately follows the primary instructions for this day in verses 27-31, specifically emphasizing the strict 24-hour timeframe for the "Sabbath of rest" and the "affliction of souls." This day was crucial for the expiation of national and individual sins, through the specific rituals performed by the High Priest in the Most Holy Place, accompanied by the people's humble repentance.
Historically, this command reinforced Israel's unique covenant relationship with God. Unlike surrounding pagan cultures that might practice ecstatic rituals or self-mutilation to appease their deities, the "affliction of the soul" in Israel was a prescribed, disciplined act of humbling and internal spiritual focus. The strict "Sabbath of rest" for 24 hours (from evening to evening) stood in contrast to typical pagan festivals often marked by revelry or limited ceremonial duration, underscoring the profundity and sacredness of God's prescribed day of reconciliation. It served as a strong polemic against idolatrous practices by dictating a disciplined, introspective, and holy approach to divine appeasement, rooted in God's command rather than human frenzy.
Leviticus 23 32 Word analysis
- It shall be to you: This phrase highlights the divine institution and the personal obligation of the command to the individual Israelite, making it a collective yet personal observance.
- a Sabbath: Hebrew: Shabbat (שַׁבַּת). Signifies a cessation from work, a holy rest, divinely ordained for sacred purposes. It implies setting aside normal activities to focus on God.
- of rest: Hebrew: Shabbaton (שַׁבָּתוֹן). Often translated as "solemn rest" or "complete rest." When combined with Shabbat, Shabbat Shabbaton (שַׁבַּת שַׁבָּתֹון) forms an intensified expression, meaning "a Sabbath of ultimate rest" or "a great Sabbath." This signifies a level of holiness and required cessation of work even beyond the weekly Sabbath, typically encompassing all creative labor (melakhah, מְלָאכָה). It emphasizes the utmost importance and sacredness of the Day of Atonement.
- and you shall afflict: Hebrew: v'initem (וְעִנִּיתֶם). This is the Piel form of the verb anah (עָנָה), which fundamentally means "to humble oneself," "to bring low," "to put down," "to deal hardly with," or "to oppress." In the context of the Day of Atonement, authoritative rabbinic tradition and broader biblical usage (e.g., Ps 35:13, Isa 58:3, Ezra 8:21) firmly interpret this as a command to fast, abstaining from food and drink. It also encompasses the broader sense of spiritual humility, repentance, and self-denial. It does not refer to physical self-mutilation.
- your souls: Hebrew: nafshotechem (נַפְשֹׁתֵיכֶם), plural of nefesh (נֶפֶשׁ). While often translated as "soul" or "life," nefesh in Hebrew refers to the whole person, the inner being, the vital essence, appetite, or even the throat as the locus of hunger. To "afflict the nefesh" implies afflicting the body (by withholding food/drink), thereby impacting the whole person, focusing on humbling the appetites and desires to bring the individual into a state of deep contrition and dependence on God.
- on the ninth day: This specification is critical. The Jewish day begins at sunset. Thus, observing the tenth day "from evening until evening" necessitates commencing the affliction on the evening of the ninth. This detail ensures a full 24-hour period of solemnity.
- of the month: Refers to the seventh month (Tishrei), which marks the autumn festivals in the Jewish calendar.
- at evening: Hebrew: Ba'erev (בָּעֶרֶב). Specifies the precise commencement of the holy day and the fasting. This follows the biblical custom of reckoning days from sunset to sunset (Gen 1:5, Neh 13:19).
- from evening: Hebrew: Mē'erev (מֵעֶרֶב). Indicates the starting point of the full 24-hour duration.
- until evening: Hebrew: 'ad 'erev (עַד עֶרֶב). Indicates the endpoint of the full 24-hour duration.
- you shall celebrate your Sabbath: Hebrew: tishb'tū shabbatchem (תִּשְׁבְּתוּ שַׁבַּתְּכֶם). This phrase reiterates the command for rest and reinforces that the entire 24-hour period, from start to finish, is to be treated as this supreme, sacred day of cessation from work and solemnity. It highlights the completeness and strictness of the observance.
Leviticus 23 32 Bonus section
The designation "Sabbath of Sabbaths" (שַׁבַּת שַׁבָּתֹון) is uniquely applied to Yom Kippur (Lev 16:31; 23:32) and also the weekly Sabbath (Ex 16:23; 31:15; 35:2). This reinforces that Yom Kippur held a status akin to the weekly Sabbath, being a complete rest day with prohibitions on all labor, not just vocational work. However, unlike the weekly Sabbath, it uniquely includes the "affliction of the soul" (fasting), marking it as distinct in its severity and spiritual focus.
The phrase "from evening until evening" (מֵעֶרֶב עַד עֶרֶב) is pivotal as it explicitly defines the 24-hour timeframe. This ancient Israelite reckoning of the day from sunset to sunset (found in creation narrative in Gen 1 and applied consistently for festival observances) underscores the sanctity of the full period, encompassing the dark and light, day and night, in devotion. This strict timing ensured complete separation from secular pursuits, fostering uninterrupted focus on the divine and communal repentance. The "affliction of soul" truly became a whole-person, whole-day commitment.
Leviticus 23 32 Commentary
Leviticus 23:32 solidifies the solemnity and unique demands of the Day of Atonement. It combines two critical aspects: absolute cessation from work ("a Sabbath of rest, a solemn Sabbath") and the practice of "afflicting your souls." The emphasis on "Sabbath of Sabbaths" underscores that this day transcends even the weekly Sabbath in its sacredness and the comprehensive nature of its required rest; no normal activity should infringe upon it.
The command to "afflict your souls" is understood primarily as complete fasting (abstaining from food and drink) from sunset on the ninth to sunset on the tenth. This physical discipline served as an outward expression of an inward state of humility, repentance, and earnest spiritual self-examination before God. It was not intended as a means to earn forgiveness but as a response of contrite hearts, recognizing their sinfulness and utter dependence on God's provision for atonement. The full 24-hour period from evening to evening ensured a complete day consecrated to this profound purpose, reflecting a deliberate and undistracted focus on national and individual reconciliation with the divine. This communal act of repentance and humility provided the backdrop for the High Priest's atoning work in the Most Holy Place.
In the New Covenant, the ultimate atonement for sins was achieved once for all by Jesus Christ's sacrifice (Heb 9:11-14). Therefore, the specific ritualistic practices of Yom Kippur, including the prescribed affliction/fasting for atonement, are seen as shadows fulfilled in Christ. However, the spiritual principles underlying this command remain eternally relevant: humility, repentance, self-denial for spiritual purposes, solemn introspection, and reverent devotion to God. Believers are still called to humble themselves before God (Jas 4:10, 1 Pet 5:6), confess their sins (1 Jn 1:9), and prioritize spiritual devotion (Col 3:1-3), reflecting the deep internal disposition sought by God from His people.