Leviticus 23:27
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While we often think of "afflicting your souls" as just fasting, the original language implies a deeper humbling of the self. It's not just about abstaining from food, but a profound turning inward, acknowledging one's need before God, which then fuels the offering for atonement.
“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.
English Standard Version (ESV)
This verse is part of a larger section in Leviticus 23 where God lays out the annual feasts and holy days for Israel, marking them as sacred appointments. It follows the Feast of Trumpets (the first of the month) and directly precedes the Feast of Tabernacles, positioning the Day of Atonement as a solemn, central event within this seventh month's observances. The text emphasizes its singular purpose: to make atonement for the entire nation.
The Day of Atonement demands more than just an empty stomach. It calls for a deep, internal reckoning.
The command to 'afflict your souls' on the Day of Atonement (Yom Kippur) wasn't just about abstaining from food. It was a profound call to internal repentance, sorrow, and humility.
A Deeper Reckoning
This wasn't about self-punishment, but about a focused, painful examination of the heart in preparation for atonement.
Every sin has a consequence, but on this day, God Himself provided the way for those consequences to be met.
Leviticus 23:27 establishes the Day of Atonement as a pivotal moment in Israel's sacred calendar. It's named precisely for its purpose: atonement, the covering or expiation of sin.
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Divine Provision
This day served as a solemn reminder that sin separates us from God, but also as a powerful testament to His provision for bridging that gap.
Understand the original words
Yom ha-Kippurim · Hebrew Noun Phrase
A designated day of unique ritual significance. In this context, it refers to Yom Kippur, the most solemn day in the Israelite calendar, dedicated to national cleansing from sin.
miqra qodesh · Hebrew Noun Phrase
A set-apart gathering or assembly of the people of Israel for the purpose of worship or responding to God's command. It implies a sacred, official summons.
anah · Hebrew Verb
The act of denying one's physical appetites, often through fasting, as an outward expression of repentance, humility, and submission before God. It signifies the recognition of one's need for divine mercy.
isheh · Hebrew Noun
A sacrifice offered to God, usually involving the burning of animal parts, which produces a pleasing aroma to the Lord, signifying dedication, propitiation, or fellowship.
This passage provides the foundational instructions for the Day of Atonement, detailing the specific rituals and the command to 'afflict your souls,' directly elaborating on the verse in Leviticus 23.
Numbers 29:7-11This passage outlines the specific sacrificial offerings required on the Day of Atonement, complementing Leviticus 23:27 by detailing the 'food offering' that was to be presented to the LORD.
Isaiah 58:3-7This prophetic passage critiques a superficial fast, highlighting that true affliction of the soul involves more than just abstaining from food; it calls for justice and compassion, providing a spiritual depth to the command to 'afflict yourselves'.
Acts 27:9This New Testament passage references 'the fast' in the context of a dangerous sea voyage, showing how the Day of Atonement, as 'the fast,' was understood and observed by early Christians as a solemn period of repentance.
calvinLeviticus 23:1-44: "And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying,"
Speak unto the children of Israel, and say unto them, When ye be come into the land which I give unto you, and shall reap the harvest thereof, then ye shall bring a sheaf of the firstfruits of your harvest unto the priest:
Alloquere filios Israel, et dic eis, Quum ingressi fueritis terrain quam ego do vobis, et messueritis messem ejus, tunc offeretis omnes primitias messis vestrae ad sacerdotem.
And he shall wave the shea…
ellicottLeviticus 23:27: "Also on the tenth day of this seventh month there shall be a day of atonement: it shall be an holy convocation unto you; and ye shall afflict your souls, and offer an offering made by fire unto the LORD."
(27) Also on the tenth. —See Leviticus 16:29 . And ye shall afflict your souls.—That is, fast. (See Leviticus 16:29.) And offer an offering.—See Numbers 29:8-11.
While we often think of "afflicting your souls" as just fasting, the original language implies a deeper humbling of the self. It's not just about abstaining from food, but a profound turning inward, acknowledging one's need before God, which then fuels the offering for atonement.
This verse is part of a larger section in Leviticus 23 where God lays out the annual feasts and holy days for Israel, marking them as sacred appointments. It follows the Feast of Trumpets (the first of the month) and directly precedes the Feast of Tabernacles, positioning the Day of Atonement as a solemn, central event within this seventh month's observances. The text emphasizes its singular purpose: to make atonement for the entire nation.
This verse is part of a larger section in Leviticus 23 where God lays out the annual feasts and holy days for Israel, marking them as sacred appointments. It follows the Feast of Trumpets (the first of the month) and directly precedes the Feast of Tabernacles, positioning the Day of Atonement as a solemn, central event within this seventh month's observances. The text emphasizes its singular purpose: to make atonement for the entire nation.
"“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." — While we often think of "afflicting your souls" as just fasting, the original language implies a deeper humbling of the self. It's not just about abstaining from food, but a profound turning inward,…
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Last reviewed October 2026
