Numbers 28:26
“On the day of the firstfruits, when you offer a grain offering of new grain to the LORD at your Feast of Weeks, you shall have a holy convocation. You shall not do any ordinary work,
English Standard Version (ESV)
This page isn't yet indexed by search engines.
The verse doesn't just mandate stopping work; it calls for a "holy convocation," emphasizing that this "day of firstfruits" isn't just about what not to do, but what to do—gathering together to acknowledge God's provision and seek Him. It's a clear reminder that our rest should be intentionally dedicated to Him, not just an absence of labor.
This passage is part of a detailed instruction manual for Israel's worship, specifically outlining the sacrifices for various feasts. Coming after regulations for daily and monthly offerings, it now focuses on a significant harvest festival, the Feast of Weeks, which celebrated the first fruits of the wheat harvest. The verse emphasizes that this day, like others, required a holy gathering and a cessation from ordinary labor, highlighting its sacred importance in the cycle of Israelite festivals.
Did you know that the Bible talks about counting weeks not just for time, but for a specific celebration? This verse highlights a holy appointment tied to a period of weeks.
This verse points to the Feast of Weeks, also known as Pentecost. It wasn't just a random holiday; it was meticulously planned.
Counting Towards Celebration
God instructed the Israelites to count seven full weeks (49 days) starting from the day after the Passover Sabbath. This period, culminating in the Feast of Weeks, was a time to celebrate the wheat harvest.
A New Beginning
The offering of 'new grain' and 'two loaves' symbolized the very beginning of the wheat harvest, acknowledging that all abundance comes from God. This timing also became profoundly significant later, marking the outpouring of the Holy Spirit in Acts 2.
Imagine a day set completely apart, where the usual hustle and bustle is replaced by sacred assembly. This verse calls for just that.
Ask a follow-up
Ask Sola things like:
Live chat about Numbers 28:26 is available in the Sola app.
The command 'You shall not do any ordinary work' is a powerful instruction about the nature of holy days.
Sacred Assembly
The verse calls for a 'holy convocation.' This means a sacred gathering, a set-apart meeting where the community would come together to worship God.
Resting from Labor
'Ordinary work' (or 'servile work' as some translations note) meant refraining from the typical tasks of daily life, especially those that were laborious or tied to business. This wasn't about idleness, but about dedicating the day entirely to God – to worship, thanksgiving, and remembrance of His provision.
Understand the original words
bikkurim · Hebrew Noun
Refers to the initial portion of the harvest, presented to God as an act of thanksgiving and acknowledgment that the entire harvest belongs to Him. It signifies the consecration of the whole by offering the first part.
miqra · Hebrew Noun
A sacred assembly or a formal calling together of the people of God for the purpose of worship, instruction, or observance of a feast. It implies a setting apart from common activities for divine service.
This verse is part of the detailed instructions given to the Israelites during their wilderness journey, setting the rhythm of their worship and national life even before they entered the Promised Land.
c. 1445-1405 BC— this verse
Wilderness Wanderings and Law Given
The Israelites are wandering in the Sinai desert after their exodus from Egypt. God gives them the Law, including detailed instructions for festivals and sacrifices through Moses.
c. 1400 BC
Completion of the Tabernacle
The portable sanctuary, the Tabernacle, is completed and set up, serving as the central place for Israel's worship and sacrifice during their journey.
c. 1400 BC
Census and Tribal Organization
Two censuses are taken, organizing the Israelite tribes for their journey and future inheritance of the Promised Land.
This passage details the Feast of Weeks, highlighting the offering of the firstfruits and the requirement for a holy convocation, directly correlating with the verse from Numbers.
Exodus 23:16This verse also describes the Feast of Weeks as the 'feast of harvest, the firstfruits of your labours,' emphasizing the offering of firstfruits and linking it to a day of rest and celebration.
Acts 2:1The New Testament narrative shows the fulfillment of the Feast of Weeks (Pentecost) with the coming of the Holy Spirit, illustrating the spiritual significance of the day of firstfruits.
1 Corinthians 15:20This verse speaks of Christ as the 'firstfruits of them that are asleep,' connecting the Old Testament concept of firstfruits offerings to the resurrection of Jesus and its implications for believers.
Romans 8:23The Apostle Paul uses the imagery of 'firstfruits of the Spirit,' drawing a parallel between the early harvest offerings and the initial experience of the Holy Spirit given to believers, anticipating future glory.
bensonNumbers 28:26: "Also in the day of the firstfruits, when ye bring a new meat offering unto the LORD, after your weeks be out, ye shall have an holy convocation; ye shall do no servile work:"
Numbers 28:26 . Also in the day of the first-fruits — In the feast of pentecost, Acts 2:1 . The weeks — The seven weeks which you are to number from the passover. This fifth stated and national sacrifice was also annual, namely, at the harvest festival, when the first-fruits of corn were to be offered up, E…
calvinNumbers 28:16-31: "And in the fourteenth day of the first month is the passover of the LORD."
After this manner ye shall offer daily, throughout the seven days, the meat of the sacrifice made by fire, of a sweet savour unto the LORD: it shall be offered beside the continual burnt offering, and his drink offering.
Secundum haec facietis singulis diebus septem dierum, panem oblationis ignitae odoris quietis Jehovae: ultra holocaustum juge fiet, et libamen ejus.
And on the seventh da…
The verse doesn't just mandate stopping work; it calls for a "holy convocation," emphasizing that this "day of firstfruits" isn't just about what not to do, but what to do—gathering together to acknowledge God's provision and seek Him. It's a clear reminder that our rest should be intentionally dedicated to Him, not just an absence of labor.
This passage is part of a detailed instruction manual for Israel's worship, specifically outlining the sacrifices for various feasts. Coming after regulations for daily and monthly offerings, it now focuses on a significant harvest festival, the Feast of Weeks, which celebrated the first fruits of the wheat harvest. The verse emphasizes that this day, like others, required a holy gathering and a cessation from ordinary labor, highlighting its sacred importance in the cycle of Israelite festivals.
This passage is part of a detailed instruction manual for Israel's worship, specifically outlining the sacrifices for various feasts. Coming after regulations for daily and monthly offerings, it now focuses on a significant harvest festival, the Feast of Weeks, which celebrated the first fruits of the wheat harvest. The verse emphasizes that this day, like others, required a holy gathering and a cessation from ordinary labor, highlighting its sacred importance in the cycle of Israelite festivals.
"“On the day of the firstfruits, when you offer a grain offering of new grain to the LORD at your Feast of Weeks, you shall have a holy convocation. You shall not do any ordinary work," — The verse doesn't just mandate stopping work; it calls for a "holy convocation," emphasizing that this "day of firstfruits" isn't just about what not to do, but what to do—gathering together to a…
Get the original Greek and Hebrew, verse-by-verse context, and related passages inside the app.
