Leviticus 16:29
This page isn't yet indexed by search engines.
The command to "afflict your souls" isn't just about feeling sad for sins. It signifies an active, intentional process of humbling yourself, which included physical disciplines like fasting, demonstrating a deep inner grief and turning away from former wrongdoing. This wasn't a passive experience, but a chosen, active engagement with repentance.
“And it shall be a statute to you forever that in the seventh month, on the tenth day of the month, you shall afflict yourselves and shall do no work, either the native or the stranger who sojourns among you.
English Standard Version (ESV)
This verse is the concluding command for the Day of Atonement, which occurs in the seventh month on the tenth day. The entire chapter has detailed the complex rituals the high priest must perform to atone for the sins of the people and the sanctuary. This observance is set as an eternal statute, requiring complete rest and self-denial for everyone, Israelite or foreigner alike, signifying a profound national day of repentance and cleansing before God.
This command wasn't just about skipping meals. It called for a deep, intentional humbling of the entire self.
The instruction to 'afflict your souls' on the Day of Atonement (Leviticus 16:29) goes far beyond mere abstaining from food. It's a command for profound self-examination and repentance.
A Full Humbling
On this solemn day, all labor ceased. Why was this absolute rest so crucial for atonement?
The command to 'do no work at all' on the Day of Atonement was as critical as the self-affliction. It created an undivided focus on God and His provision for sin.
Ask a follow-up
Uninterrupted Devotion
Understand the original words
anah · Hebrew Verb
A voluntary or commanded act of spiritual discipline involving the sacrifice of one's own desires, personal comfort, or bodily needs, often manifested through fasting, to humble oneself before God and express repentance.
huqqa · Hebrew Noun
A divine decree or ordinance that is permanent, established, and binding for all generations of God’s people.
This passage expands on the meaning of 'afflicting your souls,' explaining that true fasting involves more than just outward ritual; it requires humility, repentance, and acts of justice and mercy.
Colossians 2:16-17Paul uses the Old Testament festivals, including the Day of Atonement, as shadows of Christ. This passage shows how these ancient observances find their ultimate fulfillment in Jesus, who is the reality they pointed to.
Hebrews 9:11-14The author of Hebrews directly connects the Levitical high priest's yearly entrance into the Most Holy Place on the Day of Atonement with Christ's once-for-all sacrifice. This passage highlights the inadequacy of the old covenant's rituals compared to Christ's perfect atonement.
1 Peter 3:18This verse emphasizes that Christ suffered for our sins, the righteous for the unrighteous, to bring us to God. It parallels the scapegoat's bearing of Israel's sins to the wilderness with Christ's atoning work to remove our sins.
Zechariah 8:19This prophecy, looking towards a future restoration, speaks of fasts becoming feasts. It shows a shift from the solemnity of atonement and repentance to joy in God's presence, pointing to the Messianic age.
bensonLeviticus 16:29: "And this shall be a statute for ever unto you: that in the seventh month, on the tenth day of the month, ye shall afflict your souls, and do no work at all, whether it be one of your own country, or a stranger that sojourneth among you:"
Leviticus 16:29 . The seventh month — Answering part to our September and part to our October; when they had gathered in all their fruits, and were most at leisure for God’s service. This time God chose for this and other feasts, herein gracio…
clarkeLeviticus 16:29: "And this shall be a statute for ever unto you: that in the seventh month, on the tenth day of the month, ye shall afflict your souls, and do no work at all, whether it be one of your own country, or a stranger that sojourneth among you:"
The seventh month, on the tenth day of the month - The commandment of fasting, and sanctifying this tenth day, is again repeated Leviticus 23:27-32 ; but in the last verse it is called the ninth day at even, because the Jewish day began with t…
The command to "afflict your souls" isn't just about feeling sad for sins. It signifies an active, intentional process of humbling yourself, which included physical disciplines like fasting, demonstrating a deep inner grief and turning away from former wrongdoing. This wasn't a passive experience, but a chosen, active engagement with repentance.
This verse is the concluding command for the Day of Atonement, which occurs in the seventh month on the tenth day. The entire chapter has detailed the complex rituals the high priest must perform to atone for the sins of the people and the sanctuary. This observance is set as an eternal statute, requiring complete rest and self-denial for everyone, Israelite or foreigner alike, signifying a profound national day of repentance and cleansing before God.
This verse is the concluding command for the Day of Atonement, which occurs in the seventh month on the tenth day. The entire chapter has detailed the complex rituals the high priest must perform to atone for the sins of the people and the sanctuary. This observance is set as an eternal statute, requiring complete rest and self-denial for everyone, Israelite or foreigner alike, signifying a profound national day of repentance and cleansing before God.
"“And it shall be a statute to you forever that in the seventh month, on the tenth day of the month, you shall afflict yourselves and shall do no work, either the native or the stranger who sojourns among you." — The command to "afflict your souls" isn't just about feeling sad for sins. It signifies an active, intentional process of humbling yourself, which included physical disciplines like fasting, demonstr…
Get the original Greek and Hebrew, verse-by-verse context, and related passages inside the app.
Last reviewed October 2026
