Leviticus 23:21

 Leviticus 23:21

And ye shall proclaim on the selfsame day, that it may be an holy convocation unto you: ye shall do no servile work therein: it shall be a statute for ever in all your dwellings throughout your generations.

a. ASV: And ye shall make proclamation on the selfsame day; there shall be a holy convocation unto you; ye shall do no servile work: it is a statute for ever in all your dwellings throughout your generations.  [Thomas Nelson & Sons first published the American Standard Version in 1901. This translation of the Bible is in the public domain.]

b. YLT: And ye have proclaimed on this self-same day: a holy convocation is to you, ye do no servile work -- a statute age-during in all your dwellings, to your generations.  [The Young's Literal Translation was translated by Robert Young, who believed in a strictly literal translation of God's word. This version of the Bible is in the public domain.]

c. Classic Amplified: You shall make proclamation the same day, summoning a holy assembly; you shall do no servile work that day. It shall be a statute forever in all your dwellings throughout your generations.   [Amplified Bible, Classic Edition (AMPC) Copyright © 1954, 1958, 1962, 1964, 1965, 1987 by The Lockman Foundation]

d. NLT: That same day will be proclaimed an official day for holy assembly, a day on which you do no ordinary work. This is a permanent law for you, and it must be observed from generation to generation wherever you live. [Scripture quotations marked (NLT) are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2007. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.]

e. Stone Edition THE CHUMASH, Rabbinic Commentary: You shall convoke on this very day--there shall be a holy convocation for yourselves--you shallot do no laborious work; it is an eternal decree in your dwelling places for your generations. [The Artscroll Series/Stone Edition, THE CHUMASH Copyright 1998, 2000 by MESORAH PUBLICATIONS, Ldt.]

f. NOTE: Leviticus 23:15-22 describes the offering of the firstfruits after the harvest is complete. The firstfruits of the offering during the week of Unleavened bread is the firstfruits of raw grain, while the offering of the firstfruits 50 days later is the offering of two loaves made from the new grain.

1. “And ye shall proclaim on the selfsame day, that it may be an holy convocation unto you…”

a. [And ye shall] proclaim [Strong: 7121 qârâʼ, kaw-raw'; a primitive root (rather identical with H7122 through the idea of accosting a person met); to call out to (i.e. properly, address by name, but used in a wide variety of applications):—bewray (self), that are bidden, call (for, forth, self, upon), cry (unto), (be) famous, guest, invite, mention, (give) name, preach, (make) proclaim(-ation), pronounce, publish, read, renowned, say.]

b. [on] the [Strong: 2088 zeh, zeh; a primitive word; the masculine demonstrative pronoun, this or that:—he, × hence, × here, it(-self), × now, × of him, the one...the other, × than the other, (× out of) the (self) same, such (a one) that, these, this (hath, man), on this side...on that side, × thus, very, which.]

c. selfsame [Strong: 6106 ʻetsem, eh'tsem; from H6105; a bone (as strong); by extension, the body; figuratively, the substance, i.e. (as pronoun) selfsame:—body, bone, × life, (self-) same, strength, × very.]

d. day [Strong: 3117 yôwm, yome; from an unused root meaning to be hot; a day (as the warm hours), whether literal (from sunrise to sunset, or from one sunset to the next), or figurative (a space of time defined by an associated term), (often used adverb):—age, always, chronicals, continually(-ance), daily, ((birth-), each, to) day, (now a, two) days (agone), elder, × end, evening, (for) ever(-lasting, -more), × full, life, as (so) long as (... live), (even) now, old, outlived, perpetually, presently, remaineth, × required, season, × since, space, then, (process of) time, as at other times, in trouble, weather, (as) when, (a, the, within a) while (that), × whole ( age), (full) year(-ly), younger.]

e. [that it] may be [Strong: 1961 hâyâh, haw-yaw; a primitive root (compare H1933); to exist, i.e. be or become, come to pass (always emphatic, and not a mere copula or auxiliary):—beacon, × altogether, be(-come), accomplished, committed, like), break, cause, come (to pass), do, faint, fall, follow, happen, × have, last, pertain, quit (one-) self, require, × use.]

f. [an] holy [Strong: 6944 qôdesh, ko'-desh; from H6942; a sacred place or thing; rarely abstract, sanctity:—consecrated (thing), dedicated (thing), hallowed (thing), holiness, (× most) holy (× day, portion, thing), saint, sanctuary.]

g. convocation [unto you] [Strong: 6944 qôdesh, ko'-desh; from H6942; a sacred place or thing; rarely abstract, sanctity:—consecrated (thing), dedicated (thing), hallowed (thing), holiness, (× most) holy (× day, portion, thing), saint, sanctuary.]

2. “..ye shall do no servile work therein: it shall be a statute for ever in all your dwellings throughout your generations.”

a. [ye shall] do [Strong: 6213 ʻâsâh, aw-saw'; a primitive root; to do or make, in the broadest sense and widest application:—accomplish, advance, appoint, apt, be at, become, bear, bestow, bring forth, bruise, be busy, × certainly, have the charge of, commit, deal (with), deck, displease, do, (ready) dress(-ed), (put in) execute(-ion), exercise, fashion, feast, (fight-) ing man, finish, fit, fly, follow, fulfill, furnish, gather, get, go about, govern, grant, great, hinder, hold (a feast), × indeed, be industrious, journey, keep, labour, maintain, make, be meet, observe, be occupied, offer, officer, pare, bring (come) to pass, perform, pracise, prepare, procure, provide, put, requite, × sacrifice, serve, set, shew, × sin, spend, × surely, take, × thoroughly, trim, × very, vex, be (warr-) ior, work(-man), yield, use.]

b. no [Strong: 3808 lôʼ, lo; or לוֹא lôwʼ; or לֹה lôh; (Deuteronomy 3:11), a primitive particle; + not (the simple or abstract negation); by implication, no; often used with other particles:—× before, + or else, ere, + except, ig(-norant), much, less, nay, neither, never, no((-ne), -r, (-thing)), (× as though...,(can-), for) not (out of), of nought, otherwise, out of, + surely, + as truly as, + of a truth, + verily, for want, + whether, without.]

c. servile [Strong: 5656 ʻăbôdâh, ab-o-daw'; or עֲבוֹדָה ʻăbôwdâh; from H5647; work of any kind:—act, bondage, bondservant, effect, labour, ministering(-try), office, service(-ile, -itude), tillage, use, work, × wrought.]

d. work [therein] [Strong: 4399 mᵉlâʼkâh, mel-aw-kaw'; from the same as H4397; properly, deputyship, i.e. ministry; generally, employment (never servile) or work (abstractly or concretely); also property (as the result of labor):—business, cattle, industrious, occupation, ( -pied), officer, thing (made), use, (manner of) work((-man), -manship).]

e. [it shall be a] statute [Strong: 2708 chuqqâh, khook-kaw'; feminine of H2706, and meaning substantially the same:—appointed, custom, manner, ordinance, site, statute.]

f. forever [Strong: 5769 ʻôwlâm, o-lawm'; or עֹלָם ʻôlâm; from H5956; properly, concealed, i.e. the vanishing point; generally, time out of mind (past or future), i.e. (practically) eternity; frequentatively, adverbial (especially with prepositional prefix) always:—alway(-s), ancient (time), any more, continuance, eternal, (for, (n-)) ever(-lasting, -more, of old), lasting, long (time), (of) old (time), perpetual, at any time, (beginning of the) world (+ without end).]

g. [in] all [Strong: 3605 kôl, kole; or (Jeremiah 33:8) כּוֹל kôwl; from H3634; properly, the whole; hence, all, any or every (in the singular only, but often in a plural sense):—(in) all (manner, (ye)), altogether, any (manner), enough, every (one, place, thing), howsoever, as many as, (no-) thing, ought, whatsoever, (the) whole, whoso(-ever).]

h. [your] dwellings [Strong: 4186 môwshâb, mo-shawb'; or מֹשָׁב môshâb; from H3427; a seat; figuratively, a site; abstractly, a session; by extension an abode (the place or the time); by implication, population:—assembly, dwell in, dwelling(-place), wherein (that) dwelt (in), inhabited place, seat, sitting, situation, sojourning.]

i. [throughout your generations [Strong: 1755 dôwr, dore; or (shortened) דֹּר dôr; from H1752; properly, a revolution of time, i.e. an age or generation; also a dwelling:—age, × evermore, generation, (n-) ever, posterity.]

1). I got born again November 10th 1976. During many of those years I attended a church for a total 31 years and for about 22 of those years I had the responsibility of praying over the offering. Every time an offering was given during those years, I prayed over it and helped collect it and a majority of those times helped count it. Because of that responsibility I was led of the Lord frequently to do various studies of giving in the Bible. The giving of the tithes (all three of them), the offerings, the sacrifices, any example of giving I would study, some more exhaustive than others. During those years I cited many different passages that instruct on offering and giving to encourage believers in their giving, especially about giving their tithe. Around 1995 I received the revelation that the tithe and the firstfruits were different offerings. And I began to teach it as such. Over the years. I have seen and heard many times Proverbs 3:9, and I probably said it myself also, using Proverbs 3:9 interchangeably with giving the tithe. As a result, a good many Christians believe as I did at one time, that the tithe and the firstfruits are one in the same. Scripture though, gives a different perspective

2). Kenneth E. Hagin, in his book, The Midas Touch, A Balanced Approach to Biblical Prosperity, said this about the firstfruits. “Making a New Testament application of Old Testament technicalities violates every principle of Bible interpretation, especially when there isn’t a single New Testament usage of the word “firstfruits” in the context in which it is being preached by some ministers. The concept of firstfruits is not used in the New Testament in reference to financial giving. There is not even the vaguest hint of it by any New Testament writer in reference to money or the support of ministers.”