Read & explore together
Israel's Festivals
This passage lists several of Yahweh’s appointed festivals for Israel. It shows set times for rest, worship, offerings, harvest remembrance, and rejoicing, with each festival named and ordered within the year.
Understanding the passage
Understanding the setting
Leviticus 23 presents Yahweh’s words to Moses for the children of Israel about “set feasts” and “holy convocations”. In this selected part, the passage begins with the weekly Sabbath, then names Passover, Unleavened Bread, first fruits, the fifty-day counting to a new offering, the memorial of trumpets, and the feast of booths.
Leviticus 23:1–25; Leviticus 23:33–44Main takeaway
These appointed times were holy gatherings for Israel, marked by rest, offerings, harvest rhythms, and remembrance before Yahweh.
Explore the instructions
Open a card to explore the full explanation and its Bible references.
01Appointed times begin with the SabbathYahweh calls these festivals “my set feasts” and says they are to be proclaimed as “holy convocations”.
Explanation
Yahweh calls these festivals “my set feasts” and says they are to be proclaimed as “holy convocations”. The pattern starts with the weekly Sabbath: six days for work, then a seventh day of solemn rest with no work. Even before the yearly festivals, the passage highlights regular holy time in every dwelling.
02First month festivals: Passover and Unleavened BreadThe first named annual feast is Yahweh’s Passover on the fourteenth day of the first month.
Explanation
The first named annual feast is Yahweh’s Passover on the fourteenth day of the first month. On the fifteenth day begins the feast of unleavened bread for seven days. The first and seventh days are holy convocations, and regular work is not to be done on those days.
03Harvest offerings and counting fifty daysWhen Israel comes into the land and reaps the harvest, the first sheaf is brought to the priest and waved before Yahweh.
Explanation
When Israel comes into the land and reaps the harvest, the first sheaf is brought to the priest and waved before Yahweh. No bread or grain is eaten before this offering. Then the people count seven Sabbaths and fifty days to a new meal offering, with bread, animals, and a holy convocation. The gleanings are left for the poor and the foreigner.
04Seventh month: trumpets and boothsIn the seventh month, the first day is a solemn rest, a memorial of blowing of trumpets, and a holy convocation.
Explanation
In the seventh month, the first day is a solemn rest, a memorial of blowing of trumpets, and a holy convocation. Later that month comes the feast of booths for seven days, with rests on the first and eighth days. The people are to rejoice, dwell in temporary shelters, and remember that Yahweh made Israel dwell in shelters after bringing them out of Egypt.
Questions to explore
Pause, look back at the verses and talk together.
01What repeated phrase shows these festivals belong to Yahweh rather than being chosen by the people?
Look for the words used at the start and summary of the list, where the feasts are called Yahweh’s appointed times.
02How does the passage connect worship with the harvest?
Notice the first sheaf, the rule about not eating the grain before the offering, the later bread offering, and the command about leaving gleanings.
03Why were the people told to live in temporary shelters during the feast of booths?
The reason is stated directly in the text as something future generations should know.
Read the Bible passages
World English Bible ClassicScripture quotation · Public domain
Leviticus 23:1–25
1Yahweh spoke to Moses, saying,
2“Speak to the children of Israel, and tell them, ‘The set feasts of Yahweh, which you shall proclaim to be holy convocations, even these are my set feasts.
3“ ‘Six days shall work be done, but on the seventh day is a Sabbath of solemn rest, a holy convocation; you shall do no kind of work. It is a Sabbath to Yahweh in all your dwellings.
4“ ‘These are the set feasts of Yahweh, even holy convocations, which you shall proclaim in their appointed season.
5In the first month, on the fourteenth day of the month in the evening, is Yahweh’s Passover.
6On the fifteenth day of the same month is the feast of unleavened bread to Yahweh. Seven days you shall eat unleavened bread.
7In the first day you shall have a holy convocation. You shall do no regular work.
8But you shall offer an offering made by fire to Yahweh seven days. In the seventh day is a holy convocation. You shall do no regular work.’ ”
9Yahweh spoke to Moses, saying,
10“Speak to the children of Israel, and tell them, ‘When you have come into the land which I give to you, and shall reap its harvest, then you shall bring the sheaf of the first fruits of your harvest to the priest.
11He shall wave the sheaf before Yahweh, to be accepted for you. On the next day after the Sabbath the priest shall wave it.
12On the day when you wave the sheaf, you shall offer a male lamb without defect a year old for a burnt offering to Yahweh.
13The meal offering with it shall be two tenths of an ephah of fine flour mixed with oil, an offering made by fire to Yahweh for a pleasant aroma; and the drink offering with it shall be of wine, the fourth part of a hin.
14You must not eat bread, or roasted grain, or fresh grain, until this same day, until you have brought the offering of your God. This is a statute forever throughout your generations in all your dwellings.
15“ ‘You shall count from the next day after the Sabbath, from the day that you brought the sheaf of the wave offering: seven Sabbaths shall be completed.
16The next day after the seventh Sabbath you shall count fifty days; and you shall offer a new meal offering to Yahweh.
17You shall bring out of your habitations two loaves of bread for a wave offering made of two tenths of an ephah of fine flour. They shall be baked with yeast, for first fruits to Yahweh.
18You shall present with the bread seven lambs without defect a year old, one young bull, and two rams. They shall be a burnt offering to Yahweh, with their meal offering and their drink offerings, even an offering made by fire, of a sweet aroma to Yahweh.
19You shall offer one male goat for a sin offering, and two male lambs a year old for a sacrifice of peace offerings.
20The priest shall wave them with the bread of the first fruits for a wave offering before Yahweh, with the two lambs. They shall be holy to Yahweh for the priest.
21You shall make proclamation on the same day that there shall be a holy convocation to you. You shall do no regular work. This is a statute forever in all your dwellings throughout your generations.
22“ ‘When you reap the harvest of your land, you must not wholly reap into the corners of your field. You must not gather the gleanings of your harvest. You must leave them for the poor and for the foreigner. I am Yahweh your God.’ ”
23Yahweh spoke to Moses, saying,
24“Speak to the children of Israel, saying, ‘In the seventh month, on the first day of the month, there shall be a solemn rest for you, a memorial of blowing of trumpets, a holy convocation.
25You shall do no regular work. You shall offer an offering made by fire to Yahweh.’ ”
Leviticus 23:33–44
33Yahweh spoke to Moses, saying,
34“Speak to the children of Israel, and say, ‘On the fifteenth day of this seventh month is the feast of booths for seven days to Yahweh.
35On the first day shall be a holy convocation. You shall do no regular work.
36Seven days you shall offer an offering made by fire to Yahweh. On the eighth day shall be a holy convocation to you. You shall offer an offering made by fire to Yahweh. It is a solemn assembly; you shall do no regular work.
37“ ‘These are the appointed feasts of Yahweh which you shall proclaim to be holy convocations, to offer an offering made by fire to Yahweh, a burnt offering, a meal offering, a sacrifice, and drink offerings, each on its own day—
38in addition to the Sabbaths of Yahweh, and in addition to your gifts, and in addition to all your vows, and in addition to all your free will offerings, which you give to Yahweh.
39“ ‘So on the fifteenth day of the seventh month, when you have gathered in the fruits of the land, you shall keep the feast of Yahweh seven days. On the first day shall be a solemn rest, and on the eighth day shall be a solemn rest.
40You shall take on the first day the fruit of majestic trees, branches of palm trees, and boughs of thick trees, and willows of the brook; and you shall rejoice before Yahweh your God seven days.
41You shall keep it as a feast to Yahweh seven days in the year. It is a statute forever throughout your generations. You shall keep it in the seventh month.
42You shall dwell in temporary shelters for seven days. All who are native-born in Israel shall dwell in temporary shelters,
43that your generations may know that I made the children of Israel to dwell in temporary shelters when I brought them out of the land of Egypt. I am Yahweh your God.’ ”
44So Moses declared to the children of Israel the appointed feasts of Yahweh.