Numbers 28 26

Numbers 28:26 kjv

Also in the day of the firstfruits, when ye bring a new meat offering unto the LORD, after your weeks be out, ye shall have an holy convocation; ye shall do no servile work:

Numbers 28:26 nkjv

'Also on the day of the firstfruits, when you bring a new grain offering to the LORD at your Feast of Weeks, you shall have a holy convocation. You shall do no customary work.

Numbers 28:26 niv

"?'On the day of firstfruits, when you present to the LORD an offering of new grain during the Festival of Weeks, hold a sacred assembly and do no regular work.

Numbers 28:26 esv

"On the day of the firstfruits, when you offer a grain offering of new grain to the LORD at your Feast of Weeks, you shall have a holy convocation. You shall not do any ordinary work,

Numbers 28:26 nlt

"At the Festival of Harvest, when you present the first of your new grain to the LORD, you must call an official day for holy assembly, and you may do no ordinary work on that day.

Numbers 28 verses

Numbers 28 26 Meaning

Numbers 28:26 prescribes the offerings and requirements for the Feast of Weeks, known as Shavuot or Pentecost. On this sacred day, following the grain harvest, the Israelites were commanded to bring a "new grain offering" to the Lord, indicating fresh produce from the current year's harvest. This specific day was designated a "sacred assembly," requiring the people to gather for communal worship and to cease all "customary work," dedicating the day entirely to divine observance and celebration.

Numbers 28 26 Context

Numbers chapter 28, along with chapter 29, provides a comprehensive, re-emphasized list of prescribed offerings for the annual calendar of feasts and sacred days, intended to be observed once Israel settled in the Promised Land. This section acts as a liturgical blueprint, specifying the daily burnt offerings, Sabbath offerings, New Moon offerings, and offerings for the seven annual festivals (Passover/Unleavened Bread, Weeks, Trumpets, Atonement, Tabernacles). Numbers 28:26 specifically addresses the Feast of Weeks, highlighting its particular offering—a new grain offering—and the associated requirements of a sacred assembly and cessation of customary work, similar to other major festival days. This detailed codification served to embed worship and dedication to Yahweh at the heart of Israelite communal life, distinguishing their worship from surrounding pagan practices.

Numbers 28 26 Word analysis

• וּבְיוֹם (u've'yom): "And on the day of" or "Also on the day of". The prefix "וּ" (u) means "and" or "also," linking this instruction to the previous decrees, indicating continuity in the festival calendar. "יוֹם" (yom) means "day," specifying a particular timeframe for the observance.
• הַבִּכּוּרִים (ha'bikurim): "the firstfruits". This specific term refers to the first of the ripened wheat harvest, as opposed to the barley "firstfruits" brought during Passover (Lev 23:9-14). It signifies the initial, choicest part of the season's yield, sanctified to God.
• בְּהַקְרִיבְכֶם (be'hakrivechem): "when you bring near" or "when you offer". From the root קָרַב (karav), meaning "to approach," here in the Hiphil causative stem, "to cause to come near, to present, to offer." Emphasizes the act of offering.
• מִנְחָה חֲדָשָׁה (minchah chadashah): "a new grain offering". "מִנְחָה" (minchah) is a general term for a tribute or gift, often translated as "grain offering" in cultic contexts (Lev 2). "חֲדָשָׁה" (chadashah) means "new," stressing that the offering must come from the current, freshly harvested crop, not old stores.
• לַה' (la'YHWH): "to the Lord". The divine recipient of the offering, Yahweh, highlighting His ownership of all creation and the purpose of worship.
• בְּשָׁבֻעֹתֵיכֶם (be'Shavuoteichem): "in your Weeks (festival)". "שָׁבֻעֹת" (Shavuot) literally means "weeks," plural. This festival is named because it occurs seven weeks (fifty days) after the barley sheaf offering, coinciding with the wheat harvest.
• מִקְרָא קֹדֶשׁ (mikra kodesh): "a sacred assembly" or "a holy convocation". "מִקְרָא" (mikra) means "a calling, convocation" (from קָרָא qara, "to call"). "קֹדֶשׁ" (kodesh) means "holy, sacred." It designates the day as one set apart by divine summons for special worship and communal gathering.
• יִהְיֶה לָכֶם (yihyeh lachem): "it shall be for you". Emphasizes that this requirement is for the people, for their observance and benefit, reinforcing divine command.
• כָּל־מְלֶאכֶת עֲבֹדָה (kol-melechet avodah): "all customary work" or "any laborious work". "כָּל" (kol) means "all" or "any." "מְלָאכָה" (melakhah) generally refers to work or occupation. "עֲבֹדָה" (avodah) can mean "service" or "servile work" (referring to work done as a servant or in one's profession), distinguishing it from acts of necessity or piety. This prohibits the pursuit of one's regular occupation or livelihood.
• לֹא תַעֲשׂוּ (lo ta'asu): "you shall not do". A direct and emphatic negative command, indicating a strict prohibition on such work on this holy day.

• "On the day of the firstfruits...in your Weeks festival": These phrases clearly identify the Feast of Weeks (Shavuot/Pentecost) as the specific occasion, grounding the religious observance in the agricultural cycle of the wheat harvest. This dual agricultural and spiritual significance underscores God's provision and the community's thankful response.
• "new grain offering to the Lord": This phrase emphasizes the freshness and newness of the offering from the current harvest, highlighting thanksgiving for God's seasonal provision. The dedication "to the Lord" reiterates His ultimate ownership and the act of worship.
• "you are to have a sacred assembly; you are not to do any customary work": This paired instruction defines the character of the day. A "sacred assembly" demands communal gathering for worship, indicating a shared, corporate act of devotion. The prohibition on "customary work" ensures that the day is set apart from ordinary labor and worldly pursuits, enabling full focus on spiritual matters and God's commands. It transforms ordinary time into sacred time.

Numbers 28 26 Bonus section

The Feast of Weeks, while rooted in the agricultural cycle, took on immense theological significance. In Jewish tradition, it became associated with the giving of the Torah at Mount Sinai, highlighting the intertwined nature of God's physical provision (harvest) and spiritual revelation (Law). This dual nature emphasizes that Israel's identity was formed by both the land gifted by God and the laws ordained by Him. The mikra kodesh (sacred assembly) also points to a broader biblical principle of consecrated time; it's not merely a day off from work but a day on for divine communion. The New Testament profoundly reinterprets and fulfills this feast in the Christian observance of Pentecost (Acts 2). The "firstfruits" theme of the harvest finds its spiritual culmination in the outpouring of the Holy Spirit and the birth of the Church, making the apostles and early believers the initial spiritual harvest or "firstfruits" of God's new covenant. This progression from literal harvest to spiritual empowerment and community formation demonstrates God's continuing plan of redemption and growth for His people across covenant epochs.

Numbers 28 26 Commentary

Numbers 28:26 articulates a critical aspect of Israel's annual worship calendar, detailing the observance of the Feast of Weeks, or Shavuot. This verse is part of a larger section reinforcing God's detailed commands concerning offerings and festival observance, given in preparation for Israel's entry into the Promised Land. The injunction to bring a "new grain offering" speaks to the Israelites' dependence on God for the abundance of their land and their obligation to dedicate the first and best of their harvest back to Him in gratitude. This act of giving symbolizes acknowledgment of divine sovereignty over creation and provision. The designation of the day as a "sacred assembly" underscored the importance of corporate worship and community in Israel's relationship with God, reminding them that their faith was not merely individual but deeply communal. The prohibition against "customary work" was central to distinguishing holy time from ordinary time, mandating a cessation of their daily labor to allow for complete focus on spiritual matters, rest, and communion with God and one another. The verse emphasizes that true worship requires intentional dedication of both possessions and time, shaping the rhythm of Israelite life around divine appointment.

Examples for practical usage:

• Dedication of firsts: A Christian setting aside the first portion of their income (tithe) or the first fruits of their talent/time for God's service.
• Observance of rest: Prioritizing Sunday worship and family time, setting aside regular work on a specific day for spiritual renewal and focus.
• Communal gathering: Actively participating in church assemblies, acknowledging the importance of corporate worship and fellowship in faith.