And in the fourth year all its fruit shall be holy, an offering of praise to the LORD.
English Standard Version (ESV)
All verses
Leviticus 19:24
What does Leviticus 19:24 mean?
This page isn't yet indexed by search engines.
Leviticus 19:24
This page isn't yet indexed by search engines.
This verse highlights that the fruit of the fourth year wasn't just given away, but was meant to be a direct, tangible expression of praise to God, enjoyed in Jerusalem. It was about bringing your abundance back to the holy city to celebrate His goodness, often shared with others, making praise a communal feast.
And in the fourth year all its fruit shall be holy, an offering of praise to the LORD.
English Standard Version (ESV)
This verse comes amidst instructions for agricultural practices that reveal God's heart for the poor and His desire for His people to remain distinct. It follows laws about not stealing, not lying, and not defrauding neighbors, and precedes commands about honest dealings and showing respect to the elderly and foreigners. The rules for fruit trees specifically detail how the harvest from the fourth year was to be consecrated to the Lord, often through a joyful feast in Jerusalem that included the needy.
Imagine a young vineyard, three years old, its branches bare of fruit. Then comes the fourth year – a year of abundance! But this harvest isn't just for you. What makes this fruit so special?
In ancient Israel, fruit from a newly planted tree or vine had a specific cycle. The first three years' fruit was considered orlah, meaning 'uncircumcised' or 'unusable,' and was forbidden. But in the fourth year, a shift occurred. All the fruit from this tree or vine was declared 'holy' – set apart for God.
This wasn't just a passive donation; it was an active act of thanksgiving. The word used here for 'praise' implies a vocal and joyful recognition of God's goodness. It was a way to publicly and joyfully acknowledge that God, not just nature, was the source of this life-giving bounty.
This holy fruit wasn't just for priests or distant authorities. It was meant to be enjoyed, but with a specific purpose. Who was invited to this special meal?
While the fruit was 'holy' and dedicated to the LORD, it didn't necessarily mean it was entirely consumed by priests. Many commentators suggest this fourth-year fruit was brought to Jerusalem to be enjoyed by the owner, but in a context of fellowship and generosity.
It was an opportunity to share the bounty with the poor, the widows, and the fatherless. Some traditions even allowed for the fruit to be redeemed with money, which was then used in Jerusalem to host a feast for the needy. This transformed a personal harvest into a communal celebration of God's provision, ensuring that His goodness was recognized and shared.
Ask a follow-up
Understand the original words
qodesh · Hebrew Adjective
Set apart for God’s exclusive use; possessing a divine quality. It describes the character of God and anything that reflects His presence or belongs to Him.
hillulim · Hebrew Noun
An offering intended to express gratitude and adoration to God for His character and His acts of salvation. It is a sacrifice of worship.
This passage also speaks to the tithe system, highlighting how a portion was set aside for the poor, widows, and fatherless, mirroring the charitable aspect of the fourth-year fruit mentioned in Leviticus.
Psalm 136:1The phrase 'an offering of praise to the LORD' connects directly to this psalm which repeatedly calls for thanksgiving to God, emphasizing His enduring love and faithfulness for His provisions.
Colossians 3:17This verse encourages doing everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, which resonates with Leviticus 19:24's instruction to dedicate the fruit of the fourth year for God's praise, showing how daily actions and harvests can be acts of worship.
Judges 9:27This verse describes how the people of Shechem went out into the fields, gathered their produce, and celebrated with feasting and 'praise in the house of their god,' offering a cultural parallel to dedicating harvest fruits for communal and celebratory praise.
bensonLeviticus 19:24: "But in the fourth year all the fruit thereof shall be holy to praise the LORD withal."
Leviticus 19:24 . Holy — Consecrated to the Lord, as the first-fruits and tithes were, and therefore given to the priests and Levites, Numbers 18:12 , 13; Deuteronomy 18:4 ; yet so that part of them were communicated to the poor widows, and fatherless, and strangers, see Deuteronomy 14:28 ; to bless the Lord, by whose power and goodness the trees bring forth fruit to perfection.
gillLeviticus 19:24: "But in the fourth year all the fruit thereof shall be holy to praise the LORD withal."
But in the fourth year all the fruit thereof shall be holy,.... Separated and devoted to the service of God, to be given to the priest, or to be bought again of him; wherefore the Targum of Jonathan adds, at the end of the verse, "redeemed from the priest", a redemption price being given to the priest; and, as Jarchi observes, as the tithe was not eaten without the walls of Jerusalem, but by…
This verse highlights that the fruit of the fourth year wasn't just given away, but was meant to be a direct, tangible expression of praise to God, enjoyed in Jerusalem. It was about bringing your abundance back to the holy city to celebrate His goodness, often shared with others, making praise a communal feast.
This verse comes amidst instructions for agricultural practices that reveal God's heart for the poor and His desire for His people to remain distinct. It follows laws about not stealing, not lying, and not defrauding neighbors, and precedes commands about honest dealings and showing respect to the elderly and foreigners. The rules for fruit trees specifically detail how the harvest from the fourth year was to be consecrated to the Lord, often through a joyful feast in Jerusalem that included the needy.
This verse comes amidst instructions for agricultural practices that reveal God's heart for the poor and His desire for His people to remain distinct. It follows laws about not stealing, not lying, and not defrauding neighbors, and precedes commands about honest dealings and showing respect to the elderly and foreigners. The rules for fruit trees specifically detail how the harvest from the fourth year was to be consecrated to the Lord, often through a joyful feast in Jerusalem that included the needy.
"And in the fourth year all its fruit shall be holy, an offering of praise to the LORD." — This verse highlights that the fruit of the fourth year wasn't just given away, but was meant to be a direct, tangible expression of praise to God, enjoyed in Jerusalem. It was about bringing your ab…
Get the original Greek and Hebrew, verse-by-verse context, and related passages inside the app.
Last reviewed October 2026