Leviticus 23 36

Leviticus 23:36 kjv

Seven days ye shall offer an offering made by fire unto the LORD: on the eighth day shall be an holy convocation unto you; and ye shall offer an offering made by fire unto the LORD: it is a solemn assembly; and ye shall do no servile work therein.

Leviticus 23:36 nkjv

For seven days you shall offer an offering made by fire to the LORD. On the eighth day you shall have a holy convocation, and you shall offer an offering made by fire to the LORD. It is a sacred assembly, and you shall do no customary work on it.

Leviticus 23:36 niv

For seven days present food offerings to the LORD, and on the eighth day hold a sacred assembly and present a food offering to the LORD. It is the closing special assembly; do no regular work.

Leviticus 23:36 esv

For seven days you shall present food offerings to the LORD. On the eighth day you shall hold a holy convocation and present a food offering to the LORD. It is a solemn assembly; you shall not do any ordinary work.

Leviticus 23:36 nlt

For seven days you must present special gifts to the LORD. The eighth day is another holy day on which you present your special gifts to the LORD. This will be a solemn occasion, and no ordinary work may be done that day.

Leviticus 23 verses

Leviticus 23 36 Meaning

Leviticus 23:36 describes the observance of the final, climactic day of the Feast of Tabernacles (Sukkot). It mandates a "sacred assembly," a special gathering for worship. On this day, a "food offering" is to be presented to the Lord, indicating specific sacrifices. It is designated as a "solemn assembly," marking its distinct and weighty spiritual significance as a closing festival. Crucially, the verse prohibits "ordinary work," emphasizing a complete cessation from labor to fully devote the day to divine communion and reflection, capping the entire festive period.

Leviticus 23 36 Context

Leviticus 23 details the "appointed times of the Lord," also known as the annual Feasts of Israel, which were central to their worship calendar. These feasts are not merely agricultural celebrations but divine appointments designed to teach Israel about God's character, salvation, and plan. Leviticus 23:33-36 specifically outlines the Feast of Tabernacles (Sukkot), a joyous seven-day harvest festival where the Israelites were commanded to dwell in booths (temporary shelters) to commemorate their wilderness wanderings and God's provision. The feast was celebrated after the harvest, making it a time of thanksgiving. Verse 36 focuses on the unique "eighth day," immediately following the seven days of Sukkot. This eighth day is understood by Jewish tradition as Shemini Atzeret, a distinct yet intrinsically linked day of "stopping" or "conclusion," extending the spiritual experience and sealing the festive cycle with a final, intensified day of worship and rest, emphasizing the spiritual importance of lingering in God's presence before returning to everyday life. It provided a powerful climax to the harvest festivities and wilderness remembrance, pointing to a permanent, abundant dwelling with God.

Leviticus 23 36 Word analysis

• On the eighth day:

  • Hebrew: בַּיּ֣וֹם הַשְּׁמִינִ֗י (bayyôm hashshəmînî) - "on the day, the eighth."
  • Significance: The number "eight" in scripture often signifies new beginnings, a new creation, or superabundance. It's beyond the perfect number seven. Here, it denotes a unique day after the seven-day Feast of Tabernacles, not merely an extension but a distinct concluding event, pointing towards a renewal or culmination. It's often linked to circumcision (Gen 17:12) and priestly consecration (Lev 9:1), underscoring a theme of perfection or renewal beyond a cycle.

• you shall hold / you shall have:

  • Implies a direct command, an obligation. The act is not optional but divinely mandated.

• a sacred assembly:

  • Hebrew: מִקְרָא־קֹ֫דֶשׁ (miqra-qodesh) - "a holy convocation" or "a summoning of holiness."
  • Significance: A commanded public gathering, set apart for divine purposes. It's a special occasion, distinct from everyday activities, where the community is called to assemble for corporate worship and instruction. It signifies God's direct call to His people for spiritual engagement. This term is used for all major festival days when work ceased (e.g., Lev 23:3, 7, 21, 24).

• and present a food offering:

  • Hebrew: וְהִקְרַבְתֶּ֤ם אִשֶּׁה֙ (wəhiqraḇtem ’iššeh) - "and you shall cause to draw near a fire offering."
  • Significance: Ishsheh refers to an offering made by fire, typically burnt sacrifices or parts of peace offerings. This emphasizes ritual obedience and communal participation in atonement and communion with God. While the exact sacrifices are detailed elsewhere (Num 29:36-38 specifies specific bulls, rams, and lambs), the mention here emphasizes that this day, like others, required dedicated offerings.

• to the Lord;

  • Hebrew: לַיהוָה֙ (lāYahweh) - "to Yahweh."
  • Significance: Reinforces that the assembly, the offerings, and the day itself are ultimately dedicated to God, for His glory and as an act of worship directed solely to Him.

• it is a solemn assembly;

  • Hebrew: עֲצֶ֕רֶת הִ֑יא (‘aṣeret hî) - "it is an atzeret."
  • Significance: Atzeret implies "a stopping," "a detaining," or "a concluding assembly." It signifies that God "held" His people for an additional, concluding day, urging them to prolong their fellowship with Him after the main feast. It’s a day of deep spiritual contemplation, of drawing inward, rather than outward celebration. This word can convey a sense of 'restraint' or 'retention', marking it as a unique 'holding' by God for spiritual intensity. This is sometimes seen as a miniature 'Yom Kippur' that closes the festive season on a reflective note after the joyful harvest celebrations.

• you shall do no ordinary work:

  • Hebrew: כָּל־מְלֶ֥כֶת עֲבֹדָ֖ה לֹ֣א תַעֲשֽׂוּ (kol-məlĕḵeṯ ‘ăḇoḏâ lō’ ta‘ăśû) - "any work of laborious service you shall not do."
  • Significance: Məleḵeṯ ‘ăḇoḏâ refers to occupational or laborious work, emphasizing that activities related to livelihood are prohibited. This is stronger than merely ceasing common activities; it is a command for a complete halt of creative or productive labor. This echoes the Sabbath prohibition (Exod 20:10) and is a consistent feature of "sacred assembly" days (Lev 23:3, 7, 8, 21, 24, 25, 28, 30, 31, 35). It demonstrates absolute dependence on God, reminding them that their sustenance and flourishing come from Him, not their own labor, freeing them for worship.

• Words-group Analysis:

  • "On the eighth day you shall hold a sacred assembly": Highlights the shift to a distinct, culminating day after the main week. The assembly is not casual but "sacred," a holy gathering by divine command. This final convocation carries a weight of spiritual closure and deepened commitment.
  • "and present a food offering to the Lord; it is a solemn assembly;": The act of sacrifice confirms the sacred nature of the day. The repetition and intensification of the "assembly" designation (first miqra qodesh, then atzeret) underscore its profound importance as a unique time of intense reflection and dedicated spiritual engagement following the week-long joyful celebration of Sukkot. It marks a period of deep communion with God before returning to regular life.
  • "you shall do no ordinary work": This absolute prohibition reinforces the sanctity of the day. It frees the people from daily concerns, compelling them to focus solely on their relationship with God and the significance of the just-concluded harvest and wilderness commemoration. It points to a foretaste of the complete rest found in God's presence.

Leviticus 23 36 Bonus section

The unique nature of the "eighth day" (Shemini Atzeret) following Sukkot is sometimes described as a personal encounter with God, where after hosting His people for a week, He invites them for one more intimate, special day, like a gracious host. This final day transitions the communal celebration into a deeply personal spiritual reflection, emphasizing an ongoing relationship beyond ritual. Rabbinic tradition often describes this as a day where Israel, having received all the benefits of the feasts, takes one more moment to delight in God’s presence alone, without specific agricultural themes or the symbol of the booths. This "lingering" reflects God's desire for sustained fellowship and quiet communion after the joyful exuberance of the preceding days. This emphasis on rest and spiritual deepening sets the Israelites' hearts and minds on a return to ordinary life, but now enriched and renewed by their sustained communion with the Divine throughout the appointed times.

Leviticus 23 36 Commentary

Leviticus 23:36 serves as the spiritual crescendo of the entire annual festival cycle, culminating the joyful Feast of Tabernacles with a unique "eighth day." While physically separate from the seven days of Sukkot, this day, Shemini Atzeret, is deeply connected, acting as a profound conclusion. It emphasizes an intense, final gathering (sacred assembly) for heightened devotion, signaled by specific food offerings. The repeated and strengthened designation as a solemn assembly (עֲצֶרֶת, atzeret) signifies God's intention to "hold back" or "retain" His people for a lingering spiritual moment, ensuring that the preceding days of joy and remembrance deeply root themselves in their hearts. The strict prohibition of ordinary work reinforces complete cessation from worldly pursuits, directing full attention to God's presence and providence. This "eighth day" beautifully prefigures ultimate rest and the new creation, as hinted by Jesus' "living water" declaration on "the last day, that great day of the feast" (John 7:37). It's a reminder that true spiritual nourishment comes from sustained engagement with God, preparing us to carry divine insights into our everyday lives, knowing that ultimate rest and fellowship with God await beyond this temporal existence.