Chapter Twenty-Three
God's Appointed Times
23:1 The LORD spoke to Moses, saying, 2 “Speak to the people of Israel and say to them, These are the appointed feasts of the LORD that you shall proclaim as holy convocations; they are my appointed feasts.
God continues to speak to Moses regarding instructions for the priests and the people of Israel. In addition to the regulations for holy living, an annual calendar of events is to be established. The phrase, “appointed feasts,” is translated (both times it is used in verse two) from the Hebrew word ‘mô·’ēḏ’,[1] a noun referring to an appointed time or place (the reference to these events as being called a feast comes from the use of the Hebrew word ‘ḥǎḡ’,[2] used four times in this chapter, see verses 6, 34, 39, and 41, referring to a feast, festival, or celebration). Several of the following appointed days have already been established, while others will be introduced. Each was to be a holy convocation (Hebrew ‘miq·rā(‘)’,[3] referring to a meeting, a gathering, an assembly, etc.) A holy meeting that was appointed by God.
God’s annual calendar is important for a number of reasons. The first one should get everyone’s attention; and that is God is the one who appointed them. They all commemorate something God has done in the past, with emphasis on praise and thanksgiving. With the exception of perhaps the Sabbath, the festivals listed can also be considered as signs[4] that refer to a past event that were, in each case, a model for a future event. Making the event both a memorial and an anticipation. For example, four of the appointed feasts have seen the future event transpire, each on the very day it was celebrated. Does that mean the remaining three appointed times will be fulfilled on the day appointed? Undoubtedly, yes.
Another reason God’s calendar is so important is that it helps to remind His people of who He is, what He has done, and keep them focused on Him. Do God’s people need reminding about God? Sadly, yes, life has many distractions and temptations.[5] These events help God’s people (both in the past and now today) to remember to praise, give thanks and to understand what God has done, what He is doing today and what He will do in the future.
The protocols used to celebrate each of these appointed feasts have varied through the years. Some of the changes were influenced by physical changes (such as the transition from the Tabernacle to the Temple and later after the destruction of the Temple), others were made due to political differences, but most, if not all, were deemed necessary by man’s thinking and may not reflect God’s intention. There appears to be three major influential periods where there was some variation embraced:
The Sabbath Day
23:3 “Six days shall work be done, but on the seventh day is a Sabbath of solemn rest, a holy convocation. You shall do no work. It is a Sabbath to the LORD in all your dwelling places.
The term ‘Sabbath’ was introduced in Exodus chapter 16,[7] although the concept of six days of work followed by one day of rest was first established during creation (see Genesis 2:1-3). The reminder to keep the Sabbath is frequently found in Scripture, including being one of the Ten Commandments (see Exodus 20:8-10, see also Exodus 23:12; 31:12-17; 34:21; 35:1-3; Leviticus 19:3; 30).
It was to be a day of rest, and it was to be celebrated at home. Instead of a public assembly, it was a holy gathering of the family at home. It is the only weekly-observed festival listed in this chapter’s ‘catalog’ of holy meetings. Some like to point out that the Sabbath was so important that it needed to be celebrated every week.
Two questions that quickly surface are, “What is God’s definition of work?” and, “How does one celebrate this?” While tradition has answered both of these questions in many and varied ways, the key purpose of the Sabbath is both discovered in the name, and in the instructions, namely, to rest.[8] Beyond it being a standalone day (the seventh day of the week), the term also applies to the Day of Atonement (see Leviticus 16:31; 23:32), the Feast of Trumpets (see Leviticus 23:24), and the first and eighth days of the Feast of Booths (see Leviticus 23:39), where each occasion closely resembles the Sabbath. It is interesting to note that the week-long celebration of the Feast of Unleavened bread also begins and ends with Sabbath-like days (see Exodus 12:16; Leviticus 23:7-8, referring to an assembly with no work).
The concept of a Sabbath (being six periods of time followed by a seventh period of rest) is also applied to land (see Exodus 23:10-11, which will be amplified later in Leviticus chapters 25 and 26).
Considerations
During the Talmudic period (estimated to be from 300 B.C. to 500 A.D.),[9] many new ideas had surfaced through a variety of rabbis, designed primarily to embellish the Biblical idea of a day of rest. An entire tractate in the Mishnah is dedicated to the Sabbath that adds several man-made rules (procedural as well as more restrictions) for Jews to follow, many still comply to these rules today.
Trick Question: How many Sabbaths in a year?
Since several of the appointed feasts have one or more day of rest associated with the celebration, there can be more than 52 Sabbath days per year. If the first day of Unleavened Bread is considered a Sabbath, that could explain why in Matthew 28:1 when it opens with, “Now after the Sabbath,” the Greek word for Sabbath is plural. Allowing one Sabbath being used to identify the first day of the Feast of Unleavened Bread followed by a second, normal end-of-week Sabbath. It is interesting to note that this interpretation could allow for Jesus to spend three full days and three full nights in the tomb (see Matthew 12:40).[10]
There is an ongoing debate among Christians regarding the amount of time Jesus was in the grave. When Jesus was asked to provide a ‘sign’ to prove that He indeed has authority from God, He responded using the story of Jonah being in the belly of a great fish as a reference for His answer: “But Jesus replied, “Only an evil, adulterous generation would demand a miraculous sign; but the only sign I will give them is the sign of the prophet Jonah. For as Jonah was in the belly of the great fish for three days and three nights, so will the Son of Man be in the heart of the earth for three days and three nights.” (Matthew 12:39-40) Note the time period: three days (Greek ‘treís’[11] and ‘hēméra’)[12] and three nights (Greek ‘treís’[13] and ‘núx’).[14] Most Christian traditions teach that Jesus was crucified on Friday and then raised from the dead on Sunday morning, which conflicts with the time period stated here in verse 40.
How can this dilemma be resolved knowing that there are additional ‘Sabbaths’ per year other than those on the last day of the week? First, let’s establish that each of the gospels clearly state that Jesus rose from the dead on the first day of the week (see Matthew 28:1; Mark 16:9; Luke 24:1; John 20:1), a day better known today as Sunday. So in order to have Jesus “in the heart of the earth for three days and three nights,” His crucifixion must have been earlier.
In Luke’s account he mentioned that when Jesus died, “It was the day of Preparation, and the Sabbath was beginning.” (Luke 23:54) The apostle John’s account also states that it was the day before the Sabbath: “Since it was the day of Preparation, and so that the bodies would not remain on the cross on the Sabbath (for that Sabbath was a high day), the Jews asked Pilate that their legs might be broken and that they might be taken away.” (John 19:31) Note also how John refers to “that Sabbath was a high day,” (the Greek word ‘mégas,’[15] translated here as ‘high’ appears in the New Testament 215 times and is most often translated as ‘great’). Seeing that the Feast of Unleavened Bread (the day after the day of Passover, truly a ‘great’ day according to Scripture) begins with a “Sabbath-like day” and is often simply called a ‘Sabbath’, we see how the crucifixion could have occurred on Thursday instead of on Friday. Which would also explain the plural use of Sabbaths in Matthew 28:1.
In Exodus we learned that “Whoever does any work on the Sabbath day shall be put to death,” (see Exodus 31:15b). This was a regulation that was indeed enforced, as we later see an example in the book of Numbers, “While the people of Israel were in the wilderness, they found a man gathering sticks on the Sabbath day. And those who found him gathering sticks brought him to Moses and Aaron and to all the congregation. They put him in custody, because it had not been made clear what should be done to him. And the LORD said to Moses, “The man shall be put to death; all the congregation shall stone him with stones outside the camp.” And all the congregation brought him outside the camp and stoned him to death with stones, as the LORD commanded Moses.” (Numbers 15:32-36)
Then later when Jesus and His disciples were seen walking through a grain field on a Sabbath, the disciples were seen plucking the heads of grain and rubbing them in their hands and eating the grain. Soon the Pharisees stopped Jesus and asked Him, “Look, why are they doing what is not lawful on the Sabbath?” (Mark 2:24b). They considered the effort made to pluck and rub the grain in their hands as being work. After reminding the Pharisees about an incident involving David, Jesus said, “The Sabbath was made for man, not man for the Sabbath.” (Mark 2:27, see also Matthew 12:1-8; Mark 2:23-28; Luke 6:1-5), pointing out that the Sabbath was for man’s benefit, truly a day of rest. If that were so, then why would someone die for not resting?
There are several things to consider, the first being that keeping the Sabbath day is part of God’s law. While it is difficult to comprehend the need for a mandatory rest, God knows humanity better than anyone else as He is the Creator. However, understanding that keeping the Sabbath is part of God’s law doesn’t help us understand why the punishment is so severe. It is interesting to see in the story above, about the man picking ups sticks, that the people did not know what should be done to him. If they didn’t know, chances are that the man who was guilty of violating the Sabbath was also unaware of the penalty, making the story even more difficult to comprehend. So, what is missing? As we know and just stated, God is our Creator, His ways are not our ways,[16] we are not capable of ever fully understanding God and His ways, we simply are not ‘wired’ to comprehend as He does. But with that said, could we possibly be missing something?
Throughout man’s existence, mankind has tried to ‘connect’ to God. While often using parameters given to us from God, we can only relate and comprehend from a human perspective. If God wants His people not to work on the Sabbath, they don’t work. If God wants a sacrifice done in a certain way, it is done in a certain way. People can get trapped in the protocol; the procedure then becomes more important than anything else. That is why so many traditions and man-made rules were developed through the years, essentially to keep one from inadvertently violating God’s law. Man rationalizes that protocol must be what God wants. But is it? Does God want only blind obedience? We need to remember that He does not look at people the same way people look at people. He sees and knows their motivation. It is not about things done or not done, it is about one’s love and heart for God. We are told a number of times in the Bible about the connection of obedience and love.
For example, in Matthew’s account of the story mentioned above about Jesus and the disciples walking through a grain field, Jesus provides the connection: “At that time Jesus went through the grainfields on the Sabbath. His disciples were hungry, and they began to pluck heads of grain and to eat. But when the Pharisees saw it, they said to him, “Look, your disciples are doing what is not lawful to do on the Sabbath.” He said to them, “Have you not read what David did when he was hungry, and those who were with him: how he entered the house of God and ate the bread of the Presence, which it was not lawful for him to eat nor for those who were with him, but only for the priests? Or have you not read in the Law how on the Sabbath the priests in the temple profane the Sabbath and are guiltless? I tell you, something greater than the temple is here. And if you had known what this means, ‘I desire mercy, and not sacrifice,’ you would not have condemned the guiltless. For the Son of Man is lord of the Sabbath.” (Matthew 12:1-8) Jesus was quoting Hosea 6:6, “For I desire steadfast love and not sacrifice, the knowledge of God rather than burnt offerings.” This statement should stun anyone who is seeking to please God through actions, or the following of any protocol manmade or even given by God.[17] Man can be fooled that love exists by actions, but God cannot, as He sees the heart of man. So, going back to why the death penalty for picking up sticks, God could see the motivation of the man. Was the man defiant towards God and willfully disobedient? The text does not clarify, but it does seem likely. While the penalty of death still seems excessive, we can see that God knows those that will obey and love Him, as well as those who won’t. And since God is outside of time (He created time, He is not influenced by time) and is omniscient (knowing all things), He knew before the beginning of time if someone would accept Him or His Son as their Savor or not.
Passover and the Feast of Unleavened Bread
23:4 “These are the appointed feasts of the LORD, the holy convocations, which you shall proclaim at the time appointed for them. 5 In the first month, on the fourteenth day of the month at twilight, is the LORD’s Passover. 6 And on the fifteenth day of the same month is the Feast of Unleavened Bread to the LORD; for seven days you shall eat unleavened bread. 7 On the first day you shall have a holy convocation; you shall not do any ordinary work. 8 But you shall present a food offering to the LORD for seven days. On the seventh day is a holy convocation; you shall not do any ordinary work.”
Since both festivals have previously been thoroughly explained with all the necessary instructions on what food offerings (sacrifices) were to be offered (see Exodus 12:1-28; 13:3-16), the text here only provides the basic calendar information. Passover was to begin at twilight of the fourteenth day of the first month (remember that God ordained each day to begin when the sun goes down).[18] The Feast of Unleavened Bread was to begin on the next day and continue for seven days. The first day of the feast (the 15th) and the seventh day (the 21st) were to be Sabbath-like days, being a holy convocation with no ordinary work to be done. The words translated here as ‘ordinary’ and ‘work’ are the Hebrew words ‘ǎḇō·ḏā(h)’[19] (meaning labor, work, most often translated as service) and ‘melě(’)’·ḵěṯ’,[20] respectively (meaning work, occupation, workmanship). The combined meaning is the subject of some debate, everything from the complete cessation of all work to the stopping of servant or slave labor only has been suggested.
Passover and the Feast of Unleavened Bread, as back-to-back festivals, are often mentioned together,[21] while related, they are two separate festivals commemorating two separate past events that are, in turn, pointing to two separate future events. Passover, as celebrated, was to remind the people of Israel what God did in Egypt by having the ‘destroyer’ pass over their homes after blood from a lamb was applied to their doorposts and lintel to prevent the deaths of their first-born (see Exodus 12:23); an event that pointed to the future crucifixion and death of Jesus on the cross, so that mankind could be saved.
The Feast of Unleavened Bread celebrates how God lead the people of Israel out of the land of Egypt. To prepare for their departure, God had them eat only unleavened bread. Since leaven represents corruption and sin[22], and Egypt is often synonymous in Scripture referring to the way of the world, the model points to God ultimately delivering mankind from the captivity of sin, through His Son Jesus, who lived a sin-less life, and since being without sin He could fulfill the requirements of God’s law. The apostle Paul wrote, “For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.” (2 Corinthians 5:21) We need to remember that the process of delivering the people of Israel out of Egypt as recorded in Exodus began when the Passover lambs were killed at twilight (see Exodus 12:6) and later that night the tenth plague occurred. In the morning they began to leave Egypt, spending their first night at Etham, near the edge of the wilderness (see Exodus 13:20) and while still in Egypt, they spent the next night in front of Pi-hahiroth before the Red Sea (see Exodus 14:2). On the next day they were delivered out of the hands of the Pharaoh after crossing the Red Sea (see Exodus 14:30). Just as it took three days and three nights to deliver the people of Israel from Pharaoh and the Egyptians, Jesus was buried for three nights and three days (see Matthew 12:40) for the deliverance of all mankind.[23]
The celebration of the Feast of Unleavened Bread commemorates the journey out of Egypt and anticipates the coming Messiah who would live a sin-less life and be willing to substitute His life for mankind. Jesus indeed lived an innocent life, suffered, died on the cross, and was buried. His substitutionary death and burial would allow others to have eternal life instead of eternal damnation, but that could only happen if another event was to take place, namely His resurrection.
The Feast of Unleavened Bread was the first out of three mandatory-to-attend festivals.[24] Once the people of Israel began to settle in their land, all male adults able to travel would pilgrimage to wherever the Tabernacle was located for this festival, then later to Jerusalem after the Temple was built.
Considerations
Passover is mainly celebrated in a seder dinner, which has significant prophetic elements. Much of how Passover is celebrated by Jews today had its origins in the Talmud. Here is an introduction to the Pesahim (also spelled Pesachim, Hebrew for “Passover Lambs”) tractate of the Talmud, also written by Dr. Jacob Neusner. Like the introduction to the Shabbat tractate, it offers some insight to how the text was interpreted at the time. Sadly, many of the traditions then as well as those practiced today are focused on the procedures and protocol and not who they pointed to, God’s Son, Jesus.
Tractate Pesahim presents the topics in logical order. The first deals with the prohibition of leaven and other preparations for the festival, and the second deals with offering the Passover sacrifice, then roasting and eating it. The law thus focuses upon the cult, even though it does so in connection with a rite that is carried out in the home. A third rather perfunctory section takes up the rite of the seder, the Passover meal itself. The law in Pesahim takes for granted knowledge of the existence of a Passover ritual such as is contained in the haggadah. The tractate provides no rules for conduct on the festival days, for these occur at tractates Mo’ed Qatan and Besah and cover all festival days equally. The topical program of the law addresses only two subjects, leaven and its removal, and the Passover offering. It moves, therefore, from household to Temple, with the brief appendix of the third section reverting to activities in the household. Removing leaven from the household aligns it with the Temple, where baked products served to God do not contain leaven (or sweetening). Requiring the consumption of the Passover offering’s meat at home introduces considerations of cultic cleanness. The result is that on Passover the Israelite household, insofar as possible, is treated as analogous to the Temple. Scripture has supplied the facts. Pesahim has expanded upon them and drawn out what is implicit in them.
The law in Pesahim for the seder presupposes not much more than is spelled out: a festive meal with much wine, a rite of eating not only the sacrificial meat but appropriate herbs, as Scripture requires, and a narrative or haggadah focused upon the rites of eating the bitter herbs and roasted meat. The meal further encompasses a recitation of the Hallel Psalms, but at this stage the law in Pesahim does not attend to the narrative of the Exodus such as occupies the Passover haggadah as it is practiced today. If we were to reconstruct the Passover haggadah from the law before us, we should find ourselves missing most of what is now at the heart of the rite.[25]
Note: The Haggadah or “the telling,” is the narrative text that sets the order of a Passover seder. Each generation has the responsibility to pass on the story of the Passover to the next generation. There are many variations, including several Christian (Messianic Jew) Haggadahs.
Feast of Firstfruits
23:9 And the LORD spoke to Moses, saying, 10 “Speak to the people of Israel and say to them, When you come into the land that I give you and reap its harvest, you shall bring the sheaf of the firstfruits of your harvest to the priest, 11 and he shall wave the sheaf before the LORD, so that you may be accepted. On the day after the Sabbath the priest shall wave it. 12 And on the day when you wave the sheaf, you shall offer a male lamb a year old without blemish as a burnt offering to the LORD. 13 And the grain offering with it shall be two tenths of an ephah of fine flour mixed with oil, a food offering to the LORD with a pleasing aroma, and the drink offering with it shall be of wine, a fourth of a hin. 14 And you shall eat neither bread nor grain parched or fresh until this same day, until you have brought the offering of your God: it is a statute forever throughout your generations in all your dwellings.
Since this festival pertained to crops planted and harvested, it would only be applicable after the people of Israel were in the Promised Land and have cultivated the land. There are two feasts associated with harvests, this one, the Feast of Firstfruits, although barley is the first harvest of the year, the term ‘firstfruits’ instead refers to the first or initial portion of the harvest, considered the best part of any harvest[26]. A sheaf of the grain (Hebrew word ‘ō’·měr’,[27] in some Bible versions is simply transliterated as an ‘omer’, referring to a unit of dry measure, approximately two quarts)[28] was to be waved before YHWH by a priest on the day after the Sabbath. On the same day a one-year-old male lamb without blemish was to be sacrificed as a burnt offering. In addition to the burnt offering, a grain offering of two-tenths of an ephah of flour mixed with oil was to be offered, plus a fourth of a hin of wine was to be given as a drink offering. No one was to eat bread or any form of grain that day until the offering was made.
It is interesting to note that the day after the Sabbath would be Sunday, the first day of the week (the Bible never refers to it as a ‘Sunday’, it is only referred to as either the day after the Sabbath or the first day of the week). Also, of further note is that the Sunday after Jesus’ death will later be renamed Easter (or Resurrection) Sunday by Christians. The Feast of Firstfruits would be God’s name for the day Jesus was resurrected (appropriate especially since Jesus is the firstfruits, see 1 Corinthians 15:23). However, there are some that debate which Sabbath the text is referring to. As pointed out earlier there are a number of Sabbaths associated with these festivals (see commentary and Considerations under verse three above).
Since the first and last days of the Feast of Unleavened Bread are often referred to as Sabbaths, some argue that this could be reference to one of them and not the last day of the week. If that is true, then the Feast of Firstfruits occurred on the 16th day of the first month. Others argue that since Passover could also be called a Sabbath, it would make the festival on the same day of the beginning of the Feast of Unleavened Bread (the 15th day). The Septuagint does not offer much help as it states, “on the day after the first,” with no additional hint. When a potential dilemma is found in Scripture basic Biblical hermeneutics needs to be applied.[29] In this case it might be helpful to remember the need for interpreting consistent use of terms and understanding of context. In the next section below, beginning with the next verse (regarding the Feast of Weeks), the use of the term ‘Sabbath’ implies that the author is referring to the weekly Sabbath and not the festival Sabbath. Some point out that if two festivals were to consistently start on the same day that the language would undoubtedly be more precise and concise. Although the Talmud[30] and the Targum of Jonathan Ben Uzziel (a Jewish commentary) on the Book of Leviticus[31] supports the concept of a festival related Sabbath, some believe that these and other similar efforts were deliberately made to distant Christianity from Judaism.
Passover, the Feast of Unleavened Bread and the Feast of Firstfruits, form what is often referred to as the “Spring Feasts.”
Considerations
There are few items within Christianity that rival the controversy of the title given to resurrection Sunday. The term ‘Easter’ is believed to have a Saxon origin, from the name of their goddess of the east, Estera. Some prefer to argue that the name comes from the Mesopotamian love and fertility goddess named Ishtar (also known as Inanna, Aphrodite, Durga, and Astarte). Although, how the name Easter came about is difficult to trace, due to multiple conflicting historical accounts. Some blame the emperor Constantine, while others are quick to point to the early Roman Catholic Church. Perhaps the correct answer is both. According to some accounts of the meeting of various church leaders known as the Council of Nicaea in A.D. 325, one of the items to discuss was the topic of what day should Christendom celebrate the resurrection of Jesus, so that they could further separate Christianity from Judaism. Apparently another one of their goals was to find a way for the resurrection to be celebrated on the same day of the week every year, preferably on a Sunday.
Regardless of blame or motivation, there are two items that should be remembered. The first one that as a result of what could potentially be described as a total disregard for God’s Word and His instruction (such as revising the church calendar), Christianity has lost much of its Jewish roots through man-driven efforts like these over a period of years in the name of organized religion (that pertains to both Christian and Judaic efforts, as both sides often desire to repel the other). Secondly, regardless of past reasons and any potential connection to pagan gods, goddesses, or rituals, Easter now represents the resurrection of Jesus Christ, and as such deserves the full support and participation of every Christian.
Feast of Weeks
23:15 “You shall count seven full weeks from the day after the Sabbath, from the day that you brought the sheaf of the wave offering. 16a You shall count fifty days to the day after the seventh Sabbath.
The Hebrew word translated in verse 15 as ‘weeks’ is a variation (or inflection) of the word ‘Sabbath’ (listed here as ‘šǎb·bā·ṯôṯ’),[32] referring to a period of seven consecutive days starting on Sunday evening. Counting seven weeks, or forty-nine days (plus one day after the seventh Sabbath) from the day the sheaf of barley grain was waved (referring to the day of the Feast of Firstfruits), on that day, the people of Israel were to present a grain offering to YHWH. This festival, known by several names, a couple being: Feast of Weeks (being a week of weeks)[33] and Pentecost (from the Greek word ‘pentēkostē’,[34] meaning ‘fifty’, referring to the fifty days).[35] The title for the festival is first mentioned in Exodus 34:22, using the Hebrew word ‘šā·ḇǔ·’ôṯ’,[36] meaning a group of ‘sevens’.[37]
You can probably guess a potential problem with this festival even before going any further. If the day on which the sheaf of the barley wave offering occurs is debated (Feast of Firstfruits), how do we know what day the Feast of Weeks is to be celebrated? Later, when much of God’s law is reiterated in Deuteronomy, the text seems to suggest a different date, “You shall count seven weeks. Begin to count the seven weeks from the time the sickle is first put to the standing grain.” (Deuteronomy 16:9) Technically they are the same date as the barely grain would have been cut on the same day it would have been offered as a wave offering, although, it does not answer the question, nor does it supply any additional information for a better way to set the date. However, using the reference to the regular weekly Sabbath to interpret verse eleven is further supported by the use and context of the ‘Sabbaths’ in these verses.
23:16b Then you shall present a grain offering of new grain to the LORD. 17 You shall bring from your dwelling places two loaves of bread to be waved, made of two tenths of an ephah. They shall be of fine flour, and they shall be baked with leaven, as firstfruits to the LORD. 18 And you shall present with the bread seven lambs a year old without blemish, and one bull from the herd and two rams. They shall be a burnt offering to the LORD, with their grain offering and their drink offerings, a food offering with a pleasing aroma to the LORD. 19 And you shall offer one male goat for a sin offering, and two male lambs a year old as a sacrifice of peace offerings. 20 And the priest shall wave them with the bread of the firstfruits as a wave offering before the LORD, with the two lambs. They shall be holy to the LORD for the priest. 21 And you shall make a proclamation on the same day. You shall hold a holy convocation. You shall not do any ordinary work. It is a statute forever in all your dwelling places throughout your generations.
This festival would be near the beginning of summer during the wheat harvest. A grain offering of the freshly harvested wheat grain was to be presented to God and from their homes the people were to bring two loaves of bread prepared with two tenths of an ephah of recently harvested fine wheat flour[38] baked with leaven, to be waved as firstfruits to YHWH. Along with the grain offering and the bread prepared from their homes, to celebrate this event, the community was to present a series of sacrifices and offerings on this day.
Beginning with a burnt offering consisting of seven one-year old lambs without any blemishes, one bull, and two rams. The burnt offering combined with the associated grain and drink offerings was to create a pleasing aroma to YHWH (regulations regarding the requirement of grain offerings and drink offerings with burnt offerings will be stated later in Numbers 15:1-21).
Next, one male goat was to be offered as a sin offering, then two male one-year old lambs as peace offerings. The bread that was prepared, along with the meat of the two lambs sacrificed as a peace offering, was to be waved before YHWH and then eaten by the priest. Followed by making a proclamation (Hebrew word ‘qerā(‘)·ṯěm’,[39] meaning to call, to invite, to declare), it is to be a holy convocation. Most believe the proclamation is about the assembly, getting the word out to the people. Unlike the other three times this word ‘proclamation’ appears in this chapter, it appears specific to this event. To proclaim something, but what? It is interesting to note that this event was fulfilled fifty days after Jesus’ resurrection, the day the church was born. The church was the ‘mechanism’ that God set into motion to proclaim the truth about the gospel message. Perhaps the ‘proclamation’ of this festival was to declare one’s dedication to God, just as the church is to declare Jesus as Lord and Savior.
No ordinary work was to be done on this day, same wording regarding the first and last day of the Feast of Unleavened Bread.[40] The Feast of Weeks was the second festival that required mandatory attendance.[41]
23:22 “And when you reap the harvest of your land, you shall not reap your field right up to its edge, nor shall you gather the gleanings after your harvest. You shall leave them for the poor and for the sojourner: I am the LORD your God.”
God reminds the people of Israel that when they reap the harvest of their land, to not harvest the entire field nor gather all the grain after the harvest, leaving some for the poor and those traveling through.[42]
Many believe it was on this day that God gave Moses the Torah, God’s law, however, there is no reference or connection of the two events in Scripture.
Considerations
Many Christians are unaware that the Pentecost mentioned in Acts chapter two is the same Pentecost (Feast of Weeks) ordained by God several hundred years earlier. The people of Israel were to gather near the Tabernacle, or later in Jerusalem, as it was the second of three, annual celebrations that were mandatory for all able adult males to attend. It was during this day when both the believers and a large crowd of Jews heard something strange and very different. “Suddenly, there was a sound from heaven like the roaring of a mighty windstorm, and it filled the house where they were sitting. Then, what looked like flames or tongues of fire appeared and settled on each of them. And everyone present was filled with the Holy Spirit and began speaking in other languages, as the Holy Spirit gave them this ability.” (Acts 2:2-4, NLT) This event is considered the birth of the church, after the sound got everyone’s attention, the apostle Peter gave a sermon and several thousand Jews became believers, all on the first day of the existence of the church (see Acts 2:1-47).
The Feast of Weeks highlighted bread made from the wheat and leaven, a substance that was banned by God at every other festival and sacrifice, so why is it allowed here? Or perhaps more importantly, why is it being required here? If leaven (yeast) represents sin and corruption, what could it represent before a perfect and sinless God? The quick answer would be us! Jesus fulfilled the first three festivals in the past (He died, He was buried, and He arose from the dead), He was able to conquer sin and death because He lived a sin-less life (He knew no sin, see 2 Corinthians 5:21). Requiring leaven would be the equivalent of inviting sin. Since the role of the church (the church as described as the “body of Christ,” referring to all believers in Jesus as their Savior) is to equip believers (see Ephesians 4:12; 2 Corinthians 5:20), and there are two components necessary for a church to operate correctly:
And since believers still retain their sinful bodies after being forgiven, believers continue to struggle with sin prior to being with Jesus in heaven. Therefore, the leaven in the bread simply acknowledges the presence of sin (it is definitely not an endorsement or acceptance of sin). “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come. All this is from God, who through Christ reconciled us to himself and gave us the ministry of reconciliation; that is, in Christ God was reconciling the world to himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and entrusting to us the message of reconciliation. Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ, God making his appeal through us. We implore you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God. For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.” (2 Corinthians 5:17-21)
Feast of Trumpets
23:23 And the LORD spoke to Moses, saying, 24 “Speak to the people of Israel, saying, In the seventh month, on the first day of the month, you shall observe a day of solemn rest, a memorial proclaimed with blast of trumpets, a holy convocation. 25 You shall not do any ordinary work, and you shall present a food offering to the LORD.”
The Feast of Trumpets is the first of the “Fall Festivals,” and it is to be celebrated on the first day of the seventh month (‘Tishri’, which is the first month of the Jewish civic year).[43] It was to be a day of solemn rest with no work to be done, a holy assembly of people and a memorial proclaimed (same Hebrew word used to memorialize an event, can be a marker such as a monument or an action performed) with a blast of trumpets (the Hebrew word ‘terû·’ā(h)’,[44] refers to making noise, sounding an alarm, shouting for joy, blowing a trumpet, etc., the word is used in a variety of ways in Scripture). A food offering is to be made to YHWH, the text here does not offer which of the sacrifices are required, as the term “food offering” is a generic term for any sacrifice made on the bronze altar[45]. However, additional information is provided later in Numbers 29:1-6, where we learn that several sacrifices will be required: a burnt offering of one bull, one ram, and seven male lambs along with their affiliated grain offerings; and a sin offering of a male goat; plus the normal required new moon offerings (on the occasion of a new moon, on the first of each month, additional sacrifices will be required later in Numbers 28:11-15, which can also be accompanied by the blowing of a trumpet, see Psalm 81:3).
There is very little else known about this festival, perhaps this is the reason the tradition of celebrating the civic new year, Rosh Hashanah (meaning “head of the year”), has become a more prominent component of the celebration. While the name of Rosh Hashanah is not referenced in Scripture, much of the instructions given here in the text has been merged in the traditional Jewish Rosh Hashanah celebration, as indicated in the Rosh Hashanah tractate of the Talmud. The tractate also indicated that the month of Tishri also commemorates the beginning of life and all creation. It also states it was the month of a number significant events (see Folio 10B).[46]
For many Jews, this is also the first day of the “Ten Days of Repentance,” a time to prepare for the coming Day of Atonement (Yom Kippur). Many repentance protocols have been developed through the years by several different rabbis. Some of the recommended procedures include early morning prayers, acts of charity, self-reflection, fasting, symbolic bathing, etc.
Considerations
There are a number of references to trumpet blowing and noise making in Scripture. Some are to alert people of an approaching enemy or pending disaster (such as Jeremiah 4:19; 6:1; Ezekiel 33:3-6), however, most references to blowing the shofar or trumpet in the Bible are in connection with a display of God’s power and might. Perhaps most dramatically was during the time the people of Israel gathered in front of Mount Sinai (see Exodus 19:16-20; 20:18-21). Scripture also records trumpets blowing at the coming of God (see Joel 2:1, 15; Zephaniah 1:16; Zechariah 9:14). The trumpet will announce the last days when God is calling His people (see Matthew 24:31; 1 Corinthians 15:51-52; 1 Thessalonians 4:16). The apostle Paul describes in his first epistle to the church in Thessalonica, “For the Lord himself will descend from heaven with a cry of command, with the voice of an archangel, and with the sound of the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first. Then we who are alive, who are left, will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so we will always be with the Lord.” (1 Thessalonians 4:16-17) After the trumpet sounds believers still alive during this time will be “caught up” together (Greek word ‘harpázō’,[47] meaning “to snatch away,” in the Latin language the word can be translated as ‘rapturo’, where the term ‘rapture’ comes from). Many believe that the Feast of Trumpets points to the coming event of believers being removed prior to God’s judgment of the world (a Futurist point of view).[48]
Regardless of interpretation of Biblical eschatology, the last three appointed times given to Moses anticipates the Second Coming of Christ, an extremely important series of yet-future events.
Bible Study Tip No. 3
Bible study tip number one pointed to the consistent use of words in Scripture (see tip under Genesis 1:2), and Bible study tip number two discussed the interpretation of the words.[49] This Bible study tip is about the importance of not ignoring text. If a verse is difficult to understand or somehow does not ‘fit’ your interpretation, try not to discount or disregard. Many scholars use the simple premise that, “God means what He says, and says what He means.” The premise can be used two ways, the first way is to understand that the text should be interpreted correctly (see discussion on hermeneutics in Bible study tip number two) and secondly is that everything in the Bible is important. Difficult sections should never be ignored or left behind in a study. If a section of the Bible is too difficult or poses a challenge, instead of moving on, highlight the section or verse, then pray asking the Holy Spirit to reveal the correct interpretation and then later return to the highlighted section. God delights in answering, “If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God, who gives generously to all without reproach, and it will be given him. But let him ask in faith, with no doubting, for the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea that is driven and tossed by the wind. For that person must not suppose that he will receive anything from the Lord; he is a double-minded man, unstable in all his ways.” (James 1:5-8)
Much of the various interpretations of God’s Word, especially regarding end-times, have a tendency to leave portions of Scripture out, either considered unimportant or simply ignored completely. In some cases, vast amounts of pages are ignored. It is interesting to note that the Futurist prophetic viewpoint does not require ignoring sections of Scripture.
Day of Atonement
23:26 And the LORD spoke to Moses, saying, 27 “Now on the tenth day of this seventh month is the Day of Atonement. It shall be for you a time of holy convocation, and you shall afflict yourselves and present a food offering to the LORD. 28 And you shall not do any work on that very day, for it is a Day of Atonement, to make atonement for you before the LORD your God. 29 For whoever is not afflicted on that very day shall be cut off from his people. 30 And whoever does any work on that very day, that person I will destroy from among his people. 31 You shall not do any work. It is a statute forever throughout your generations in all your dwelling places. 32 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.”
The procedure for the day of atonement was previously outlined in Leviticus chapter 16. Considered the most solemn holy day in God’s calendar, the serious nature and importance of atonement is emphasized again here. The Hebrew word that is translated here as ‘afflict’ is ‘in·nî·ṯěm’,[50] referring to being oppressed and humbled (can also imply fasting, see Ezra 8:21; Daniel 10:12). God clearly warns against disobedience, stating that any person that does not comply will be cut off from his people, plus anyone that continues to work on that day will be destroyed (Hebrew ‘hǎ·ǎḇǎḏ·tî’,[51] meaning ‘to perish’). God also clearly states that the day is to be considered a Sabbath beginning with sundown on the ninth day of the month.
Feast of Booths
23:33 And the LORD spoke to Moses, saying, 34 “Speak to the people of Israel, saying, On the fifteenth day of this seventh month and for seven days is the Feast of Booths to the LORD. 35 On the first day shall be a holy convocation; you shall not do any ordinary work. 36 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.
The Feast of Booths (also known as the Feast of Tabernacles or the Festival of Shelters, the root of this Hebrew word, ‘sǔk·kôṯ’ is ’sǔk·kā(h)’,[52] referring to a temporary shelter, first seen in Scripture as a city name,[53] the word does not refer to the Tabernacle) was the third and final festival that was compulsory for all adult male Israelites to attend.[54] Like the Feast of Unleavened Bread, the celebration extended beyond one day, however, in this case it lasted for a total of eight days.
The first day (the 15th day of the month) was to be considered holy and no one was to do any work. The people of Israel were to gather in a holy convocation (an assembly) and for each day during the festival they were to present food offerings to YHWH. Then on the eighth day (22nd day of the month) was another gathering of people with another food offering and no work. On this last day it was to be a solemn assembly, Hebrew word ‘ǎṣě·rěṯ’,[55] used here in Scripture for the first time, from the root meaning ‘restrain’, this assembly was to refrain from doing anything that was not appropriate or fitting.[56]
23:37 “These are the appointed feasts of the LORD, which you shall proclaim as times of holy convocation, for presenting to the LORD food offerings, burnt offerings and grain offerings, sacrifices and drink offerings, each on its proper day, 38 besides the LORD’s Sabbaths and besides your gifts and besides all your vow offerings and besides all your freewill offerings, which you give to the LORD.
During these eight days the people of Israel were to present the appropriate food offerings, burnt offerings, grain offerings, sacrifices, and drink offerings, following the specific daily instructions. Those instructions are not specified here, the details are found in Numbers 29:12-38. Even though considered a special time of celebration, all other operations of the Tabernacle continued. When the weekly Sabbath was to be observed, it was to be celebrated on the appropriate day. If someone wished to offer gifts or make other offerings, there was no need to delay and wait until the festival was over.
23:39 “On the fifteenth day of the seventh month, when you have gathered in the produce of the land, you shall celebrate the feast of the LORD seven days. On the first day shall be a solemn rest, and on the eighth day shall be a solemn rest. 40 And you shall take on the first day the fruit of splendid trees, branches of palm trees and boughs of leafy trees and willows of the brook, and you shall rejoice before the LORD your God seven days. 41 You shall celebrate it as a feast to the LORD for seven days in the year. It is a statute forever throughout your generations; you shall celebrate it in the seventh month. 42 You shall dwell in booths for seven days. All native Israelites shall dwell in booths, 43 that your generations may know that I made the people of Israel dwell in booths when I brought them out of the land of Egypt: I am the LORD your God.”
When the people of Israel are in their land and have harvested all the produce of the land, recognizing the end of the “growing season,” they are to celebrate the Feast of Booths. The first day and the eighth day are to be a time for solemn rest. However, on the first day they are to take the fruit of splendid trees (Hebrew word ‘hā·ḏār’,[57] meaning majestic, reflecting the goodness of God); palm fronds; leafy branches; and wood from willow (or poplar) trees and build temporary shelters to commemorate God’s guidance and protection during the trek between Egypt and the Promised Land. They were to live in these makeshift and temporary structures for seven days, so that future generations could learn and remember what they were currently experiencing.
23:44 Thus Moses declared to the people of Israel the appointed feasts of the LORD.
The instructions for the seven festivals were relayed to the people of Israel. These seven are often referred to as the “Mosaic Festivals,” as God gave them to the people through Moses.
Considerations
Following the “ten days of repentance” and the Day of Atonement, the Feast of Booths was considered a time of restored fellowship with God; a time of great joy, knowing their sins were forgiven, making it the most popular festival of the year. By ‘dwelling’ in huts or make-shift temporary buildings it was a time to remember God’s provision during the journey from Egypt to the Promised Land. It also was a time to celebrate the ingathering of the last harvest of the year, acknowledging God’s provision while they were in their land.
It was also the time, every seven years during the year of the “Sabbath of the Land” (see Leviticus 25:1-7), the Book of the Law was to be read to the people (see Deuteronomy 31:9-13).
In the introduction of Jesus in the gospel written by the apostle John, he wrote, “And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth.” (John 1:14) The Greek word translated here as ‘dwell’ is ‘eskēnóō’,[58] is the same Greek word that the Septuagint uses to translate the Hebrew ‘sǔk·kôṯ’. Some use this as a prophetic reference to the thousand-year period that follows after Jesus returns (see Revelation 20:1-10), a time when the promises to Israel that have not occurred in history will be fulfilled. Others equate the seven days of the festival (prior to Shemini Atzeret, see below) to the seven-year period of the tribulation (see Jeremiah 30:7; Daniel 9:24-27; 12:1; Matthew 24:15-30; Revelation 13:1-10).
Often called Shemini Atzeret (meaning “Eighth day of assembly”), it is considered by many to be a separate festival or appointed time. The observance as a separate, but related, festival began much later in history, possibly during the Babylonian captivity. The day was a time to consider continuing favorable fellowship with God, to remain and abide in Him, just as Christians are told to abide in Jesus (see John 15:4-7). The theme of remaining in fellowship with God is often thought to prophetically refer to spending eternity with Jesus.
The Feast of Booths was also considered the greatest and the grandest of all the Jewish celebrations. History records a daily early-morning water libation (sacrificial pouring of water) ceremony involving a procession of hundreds of musicians and worshipers. Then at night there was a Temple lighting ceremony with more singing and praise. The Sukkah tractate states, “Anyone who has not seen the rejoicing at the place of the water-drawing in his life has never seen rejoicing” (5.1)[59]
There are several other times God has appointed, including the year of Jubilee and the Sabbatical year, (both of which will be covered in Leviticus chapter 25); the beginning of each month (new-moon celebrations, see Numbers 10:10; 28:11-15); as well as daily sacrifices offered in the morning and in the evening (see Numbers 28:1-8).
Later in the Bible, during the story of Esther, a plot to kill all Israelites emerges. When the plot is successfully thwarted, a one-day celebration (sometimes celebrated over two days, first day representing the fast of Esther) known as Purim (also known as the feast of lots) was instituted as an annual celebration (see Esther 9:17-32).
Most are aware of Hanukkah, but not its origins. In the approximate 400-year period between the Old Testament and New Testament came several uprisings. The Medo-Persian empire (the setting for the story regarding Esther and Purim) was conquered by Alexander the Great, who established a sizable empire united under Hellenistic ideals including introducing the Greek pantheon of gods to many cultures.
Shortly after Alexander’s death, the empire was divided and controlled by four of his ‘generals’. Seleucus ruled Syria and Eastern Asia Minor; Ptolemy ruled Egypt; Lysimachus ruled Thrace and Western Asia Minor (essentially Turkey); and Cassander ruled Macedonia and Greece. Each were hungry for more land, especially the Seleucid and Ptolemaic dynasties. In 171 B.C. Antiochus the Fourth came into power in the Seleucid empire, he was a harsh, cruel, and often savage ruler. He referred to himself as “Antiochus Theos Epiphanes,” (meaning “Antiochus the visible god”) or just Antiochus Epiphanes. He was also known by his detractors as “Epimanes” or “madman.” He strongly desired to unite his land with a common language and culture, including religion.
As expected, the Jews strongly opposed his efforts to change their beliefs. After many conflicts and an embarrassing withdrawal from Egypt, in 168 B.C. Antiochus focused his attention on the Temple in Jerusalem, where he stole many items, erected a statue of Zeus on the bronze altar and later that year, on Zeus’ birthday (December 25th), sacrificed a pig on the altar. Understandably, this was unacceptable to most Jews, sparking a revolt that did not go well for the Israelites (see the Apocryphal book 1 Maccabees 1:39; 3:45). The indignation of how people were treated brought rise to another revolt lead by the great-grandson of a priest by the name of Mattathias and, after dying a year later, the leadership was passed down to his son Judah, who was also known as the Maccabee (believed to be a derivation of the Hebrew word for ‘hammer’). For three years the revolt continued but the group known as the Maccabees were finally victorious.
When they mended the Temple and removed the idol of Zeus (which interestingly had the face of Antiochus) from the altar, they wanted to rededicate the Temple on the same date in which it was desecrated three years before. But they could only find one-days’ worth of consecrated oil for the Temple’s Menorah (lamp stand). When used, the oil miraculously lasted eight days, long enough for a new supply of consecrated oil to be produced. It became a tradition to celebrate the feast of dedication (Hanukkah) for eight days. The festival is also known as the Feast of Lights. It is interesting to note that when Jesus was on His way to the Temple during this same festival, He was asked if He was the Christ (the Messiah, see John 10:22-42). If someone claims Jesus never said He was God, they clearly never read the Bible and must have missed His response completely.
When someone reads the Bible beginning with Genesis through to the end of Revelation, it is clear that Christianity is built on the Old Testament. In fact, the New Testament is difficult (if not impossible) to fully understand without some knowledge of the Old Testament. Everything from the beginning points to Jesus. But much of the Jewish community has not accepted Jesus and continues to deny Christianity (undoubtedly due to their temporary blindness, see Isaiah 6:10; Matthew 13:14-15; John 12:40; Romans 11:25-26; 2 Corinthians 3:14). Even though originally thought of as being another sect of Judaism, the Jews began to attempt stalling (or completely eradicating) the Christian movement shortly after it began. In the book of Acts one can read about several attempts on Paul’s life alone. As Christianity began to spread (and sadly began to deviate from Scripture), by the second century, the church desired to distance themselves from Judaism and any Judaic structure. Instead of embracing God’s appointed times as presented throughout the Torah, the church created their own set of times. The common church calendar used today slowly evolved through the years, where some events, even though perhaps celebrated on the same day, have different names (such as the feast of firstfruits is known as Easter or Resurrection Sunday and the feast of weeks is known as Pentecost, without Old Testament background). A typical church calendar today includes Epiphany, Ash Wednesday, Good Friday, Easter, Ascension Sunday, Pentecost, and Christmas (some denominations include a Lenten season, Maundy Thursday, an Advent season, etc.)
⇐Previous Chapter (Introduction/Index) Next Chapter⇒
[1] Strong’s Hebrew 4150.
[2] Strong’s Hebrew 2282.
[3] Strong’s Hebrew 4744.
[4] See Considerations under Genesis 1:14-19 for discussion regarding signs.
[5] See Considerations under Exodus 12:28 regarding reminders.
[6] See Considerations under Leviticus 26:46.
[7] See commentary under Exodus 16:22-23.
[8] See commentary under Exodus 16:22-23.
[9] See Considerations under Genesis 10:19-20.
[10] See Considerations under Genesis 22:15-19 regarding “Three Days;” the Considerations under Exodus 14:30-31 regarding “How Long Did it Take to Leave Egypt?” and the commentary under Exodus 23:4-8 for further discussion on Jesus being in the grave three days and three nights.
[11] Strong’s Greek 5140.
[12] Strong’s Greek 2250.
[13] Strong’s Greek 5140.
[14] Strong’s Greek 3571.
[15] Strong’s Greek 3173.
[16] See commentary under Exodus 5:22-23.
[17] See Considerations under Exodus 20:21 regarding legalism, see also Considerations under Exodus 29:45-46.
[18] See Considerations under Genesis 8:12-14 regarding the Hebrew Calendar and Considerations under Exodus 12:28 regarding the two calendar systems.
[19] Strong’s Hebrew 5656.
[20] Strong’s Hebrew 4399.
[21] See commentary under Exodus 12:15.
[22] See Considerations under Genesis 18:16-21 and commentary under Genesis 19:1-3.
[23] See Considerations under Exodus 14:30-31 regarding discussion on “How Long Did it Take to Leave Egypt?”
[24] See commentary under Exodus 23:14-15 and under Exodus 23:16-17.
[25] Neusner, J. (2011). The Babylonian Talmud: A Translation and Commentary (Vol. 4, pp. vii–viii). Peabody, MA: Hendrickson Publishers.
[26] See commentary under Exodus 23:19.
[27] Strong’s Hebrew 6016.
[28] See commentary under Exodus 16:16-21.
[29] See Bible Study Tip No. 2 before Genesis chapter six.
[30] Neusner, J. (2011). The Babylonian Talmud: A Translation and Commentary (Vol. 19, p. 336). Peabody, MA: Hendrickson Publishers.
[31] Etheridge, J. W. (Trans.). (1862–1865). The Targums of Onkelos and Jonathan ben Uzziel on the Pentateuch; With the Fragments of the Jerusalem Targum: From the Chaldee (Le 23). London: Longman, Green, Longman, and Roberts.; Longman, Green, Longman, Roberts, and Green.
[32] Strong’s Hebrew 7676.
[33] See Considerations under Genesis 29:25-30 regarding the word ‘week’.
[34] Strong’s Greek 4005.
[35] See commentary under Exodus 23:16-17.
[36] Strong’s Hebrew 7620.
[37] See Considerations under Genesis 29:25-30.
[38] See Considerations under Genesis 18:16-21 regarding an ephah.
[39] Strong’s Hebrew 7121.
[40] See commentary under verses 4-8 above.
[41] See commentary under Exodus 23:15-16.
[42] See commentary under Leviticus 19:9-10.
[43] See Considerations under Exodus 12:28 regarding the two-calendar system.
[44] Strong’s Hebrew 8643.
[45] See commentary under Exodus 29:15-18 and Leviticus 1:3-9.
[46] Neusner, J. (2011). The Babylonian Talmud: A Translation and Commentary (Vol. 6b, pp. 50–52). Peabody, MA: Hendrickson Publishers.
[47] Strong’s Greek 726.
[48] See Considerations under Genesis 49:27 for a brief summary of prophetic interpretations.
[49] See tip as the beginning of Genesis chapter six.
[50] Strong’s Hebrew 6031.
[51] Strong’s Hebrew 6.
[52] Strong’s Hebrew 5521.
[53] See commentary under Genesis 33:17.
[54] See commentary under Exodus 23:15-16.
[55] Strong’s Hebrew 6116.
[56] See also commentary under Numbers 29:35-38.
[57] Strong’s Hebrew 1926.
[58] Strong’s Greek 4637.
[59] Neusner, J. (2011). The Babylonian Talmud: A Translation and Commentary (Vol. 5b, p. 212). Peabody, MA: Hendrickson Publishers.