Leviticus 23:42 kjv

Ye shall dwell in booths seven days; all that are Israelites born shall dwell in booths:

Leviticus 23:42 nkjv

You shall dwell in booths for seven days. All who are native Israelites shall dwell in booths,

Leviticus 23:42 niv

Live in temporary shelters for seven days: All native-born Israelites are to live in such shelters

Leviticus 23:42 esv

You shall dwell in booths for seven days. All native Israelites shall dwell in booths,

Leviticus 23:42 nlt

For seven days you must live outside in little shelters. All native-born Israelites must live in shelters.

Leviticus 23 verses

Leviticus 23 42 Meaning

Leviticus 23:42 commands all native-born Israelites to dwell in temporary booths or shelters for a period of seven days. This annual observance, part of the Feast of Booths (Sukkot), serves as a perpetual reminder of God's faithfulness and provision for His people during their forty-year journey through the wilderness after the exodus from Egypt, emphasizing their identity as pilgrims dependent on His sustaining hand.

Leviticus 23 42 Context

Leviticus chapter 23 meticulously outlines the Lord's "appointed times" (moedim), establishing the sacred rhythm of Israel's year. These feasts — Passover, Unleavened Bread, Firstfruits, Weeks (Pentecost), Trumpets, Day of Atonement, and Booths (Tabernacles) — are divinely mandated convocations for the people to meet with God. Leviticus 23:42 is a specific instruction for the Feast of Booths, the final feast in the annual cycle, marking the end of the agricultural year and a time of great rejoicing over God's abundant provision. Following closely after the solemn Day of Atonement (Yom Kippur), it transitions the people from repentance and atonement to joyful celebration and remembrance. The historical context roots the practice firmly in the Exodus experience, when the Israelites, freshly freed from slavery, lived in temporary shelters during their forty-year sojourn through the barren wilderness, relying entirely on God's miraculous sustenance. This commandment, therefore, ingrained into every generation the truth of their nomadic beginnings and their dependence on divine grace.

Leviticus 23 42 Word analysis

• You shall dwell (תֵּשְׁב֥וּ - teshevú): Derived from the Hebrew root יָשַׁב (yashav), meaning "to sit, to reside, to inhabit." While generally indicating a settled existence, its application here within "booths" paradoxically signifies a temporary and intentional displacement. It commands active participation in this re-enactment of wilderness living.

• in booths (בַּסֻּכֹּ֖ת - bassukkōt): From the plural of סֻכָּה (sukka), meaning "a booth," "tent," or "temporary shelter." The root סָכַךְ (sakak) means "to overshadow" or "to cover." These structures were flimsy, open to the elements, and provided minimal protection, deliberately contrasting with permanent homes. They served as tangible reminders of vulnerability, dependence on God's protection, and the temporary nature of life.

• for seven days (שִׁבְעַ֣ת יָמִ֑ים - shiv'at yamim): The number seven consistently denotes completeness, perfection, or divine order in biblical usage. A full week was chosen to provide an immersive and significant experience, allowing the lesson of reliance and remembrance to sink deeply into the hearts and minds of the participants, yet still being temporary enough to underline the fragile nature of the booths.

• All native Israelites (כָּל־הָֽאֶזְרָ֥ח בְּיִשְׂרָאֵ֖ל - kol-ha'ezrach b'Yisrael):

  • All (כָּל־ - kol): Emphasizes the universality of the command within the specified group. No one was exempt from this collective act of remembrance and humility.
  • native (הָֽאֶזְרָ֥ח - ha'ezrach): Refers to a native-born Israelite, one belonging to the established community, as opposed to a temporary sojourner or foreigner, though in later periods and specific contexts, resident aliens might also partake or be invited to observe the feast (cf. Num 9:14, Deut 16:14). It underscores the specific covenant identity tied to this command.
  • Israelites (בְּיִשְׂרָאֵ֖ל - b'Yisrael): "Children of Israel" or the covenant nation. This collective identity is crucial, as the experience being commemorated—the wilderness journey—was a foundational, nation-shaping event.

• Words-group analysis:

  • "You shall dwell in booths": This phrase creates a powerful paradox. "Dwelling" implies permanence and settling, while "booths" signify temporariness and fragility. This tension communicates that God's people, even when settled in their promised land, are spiritually pilgrims. Their ultimate security is not in their possessions or permanent homes but in God's continuing faithfulness and presence. It teaches humility and counteracts self-reliance.
  • "All native Israelites shall dwell in booths": The universality of the command across the entire nation reinforced unity and a shared history. Every family and every individual was to partake, ensuring that the historical memory of God's wilderness provision and their status as a people sustained by grace was ingrained collectively, transcending individual circumstances. This was a corporate act of national humility and gratitude.

Leviticus 23 42 Bonus section

• The design of the booths, often constructed with leafy roofs allowing a view of the stars, was traditionally understood to symbolize dependence on divine shelter rather than human strength, connecting to the biblical narrative of God leading Israel by night.
• The Feast of Booths (Sukkot) is uniquely prophetic, holding eschatological significance in the scriptures. Zechariah 14:16-19 envisions all nations coming to Jerusalem to celebrate this feast in a future kingdom era, suggesting a universal recognition of God's dwelling with humanity.
• From a New Testament perspective, the temporary dwelling of God among humanity finds its ultimate fulfillment in the Incarnation of Jesus Christ, as "the Word became flesh and dwelt [tabernacled] among us" (John 1:14). Jesus, in His earthly ministry, literally 'pitched His tent' with mankind.
• The themes of Sukkot resonate with the New Testament understanding of believers as "sojourners and exiles" (1 Pet 2:11) in this world, anticipating a "heavenly country" (Heb 11:16) and a future permanent dwelling with God where "the dwelling place of God is with man" (Rev 21:3).

Leviticus 23 42 Commentary

Leviticus 23:42 is more than a mere historical reenactment; it is a profound spiritual discipline and a vivid theological object lesson. By compelling every native Israelite to forsake the comforts of their settled homes for seven days and reside in fragile, temporary shelters, God ensures that the core truths of their national identity are passed down through generations. This annual pilgrimage into the "booth" serves to constantly recalibrate their perspective: first, reminding them of their origins as wanderers utterly dependent on God's daily manna, water, and miraculous preservation during their formative forty years in the wilderness. Second, it cultivates a spirit of humility, teaching them that their possession of the land was a gift of grace, not a self-achieved right. Third, it fostered trust in God's continuous provision, regardless of perceived instability. The "joy" associated with this harvest feast (Deut 16:13-15) transforms the remembrance of hardship into a celebration of God's enduring goodness. It reminds God's people, and through them, believers today, that life on earth is transient, a temporary sojourn, and that true, eternal security and ultimate dwelling are found not in material possessions or earthly structures, but in communion with God.