Deuteronomy 16:13
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This feast, the Feast of Booths, wasn't just a religious holiday; it was timed after all the hard work of harvest and vintage was done. It highlights that our times of deepest worship and gratitude to God often flow from the full ingathering of His blessings and provision in our lives.
“You shall keep the Feast of Booths seven days, when you have gathered in the produce from your threshing floor and your winepress.
English Standard Version (ESV)
This passage is part of a larger section detailing the three major pilgrimage feasts. Following instructions for the Feast of Unleavened Bread and the Feast of Weeks, Moses now outlines the Feast of Booths. This celebration marks the culmination of the agricultural year, occurring after all the crops and the wine harvest have been gathered and stored.
Imagine a time when your work is done, the fields are bare, and the last of the harvest is safely stored. What does this moment call for?
This verse places the Feast of Tabernacles, also known as the Feast of Booths, at a specific, significant time: after the completion of the harvest.
A Time of Fullness
It follows the gathering of grain and the pressing of grapes and olives. This wasn't just any time of year; it was the culmination of agricultural labor, a period when families could finally see the results of their hard work and provision for the year ahead.
Purpose of the Timing
Placing the feast here served a crucial purpose:
What does it mean to live in 'booths' or temporary shelters, especially when your harvest is in and you have permanent homes?
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The Feast of Booths required the Israelites to live in temporary shelters, or 'booths,' for seven days.
Remembering God's Provision
While commentators note that the original agricultural practice of using temporary shelters during harvest may have contributed to the name, the biblical reason is profound:
Understand the original words
chag · Hebrew Noun
A religious festival or assembly; often associated with times of gathering and celebration before the Lord.
sukkah · Hebrew Noun
A distinct religious festival (Sukkot) commemorating God's provision during the wilderness journey and the final harvest of the agricultural year.
This passage provides the foundational instructions for the Feast of Tabernacles (or Booths), explaining the dwelling in booths and its remembrance of Israel's time in the wilderness, directly informing the 'why' behind Deuteronomy's command.
Exodus 23:16This earlier mention of the Feast of Ingathering links it to the end of harvest, reinforcing the timing and purpose of the Feast of Tabernacles as a celebration of agricultural completion.
Nehemiah 8:15-17This passage shows the Feast of Tabernacles being re-established after the exile, with explicit instructions to build booths from various branches and dwell in them, illustrating the practical observance of this command in a later historical context.
John 7:2-10This New Testament account highlights Jesus' brothers encouraging Him to go to the Feast of Tabernacles, and Jesus' own initial absence, pointing to the feast's continued significance and its potential for deeper, spiritual fulfillment.
Zechariah 14:16-19This prophetic passage looks forward to a future time when all nations will go up to Jerusalem to worship the King, the LORD of hosts, and keep the Feast of Tabernacles, suggesting a Messianic and eschatological dimension to the feast.
pooleDeuteronomy 16:13: "Thou shalt observe the feast of tabernacles seven days, after that thou hast gathered in thy corn and thy wine:"
Of the feast of tabernacles, see on Exodus 23:16 Leviticus 23:34 Numbers 29:12 .
ellicottDeuteronomy 16:13: "Thou shalt observe the feast of tabernacles seven days, after that thou hast gathered in thy corn and thy wine:"
Deuteronomy 16:13-15 . THE FEAST OF TABERNACLES. (13) Thou shalt observe the feast of tabernacles seven days.—For details of the observance see the passages already referred to in Exodus, Leviticus and Numbers, but more especially Leviticus 23:33-43. (14) Thou, and thy son . . .—The rejoicing of the Feast of Tabernacles was proverbial among the Jews. On the person…
This feast, the Feast of Booths, wasn't just a religious holiday; it was timed after all the hard work of harvest and vintage was done. It highlights that our times of deepest worship and gratitude to God often flow from the full ingathering of His blessings and provision in our lives.
This passage is part of a larger section detailing the three major pilgrimage feasts. Following instructions for the Feast of Unleavened Bread and the Feast of Weeks, Moses now outlines the Feast of Booths. This celebration marks the culmination of the agricultural year, occurring after all the crops and the wine harvest have been gathered and stored.
This passage is part of a larger section detailing the three major pilgrimage feasts. Following instructions for the Feast of Unleavened Bread and the Feast of Weeks, Moses now outlines the Feast of Booths. This celebration marks the culmination of the agricultural year, occurring after all the crops and the wine harvest have been gathered and stored.
"“You shall keep the Feast of Booths seven days, when you have gathered in the produce from your threshing floor and your winepress." — This feast, the Feast of Booths, wasn't just a religious holiday; it was timed after all the hard work of harvest and vintage was done. It highlights that our times of deepest worship and gratitude…
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Last reviewed October 2026
