Leviticus 23:42

Lev 23:42 Ye shall dwell in booths seven days; all that are Israelites born shall dwell in booths:

Ver. 42. Ye shall dwell in booths.] The siege of Jerusalem by the Romans lasted six months. It began at the passover, and ended at this feast of tabernacles. Ita festum illud fuit finis istius politiae.

John Trapp, A Commentary or Exposition upon All the Books of the Old and New Testament (1647–1656) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

Lev 23:42. In booths — Which were erected in their cities or towns, either in their streets, or gardens, or the tops of their houses. These were made flat, and therefore were fit for this use.

Joseph Benson's Commentary on the Old and New Testaments (1811–1818) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

(42) Dwell in booths seven days.—Because the eighth day was a separate festival, when the booths were no more used. (See Lev_23:36.)

A Bible Commentary for English Readers, edited by Charles John Ellicott (1878–1897) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

Ye shall dwell in booths seven days,.... So that it seems they were not obliged to dwell in them on the eighth day, which was an holy convocation, a sabbath in which no servile work was to be done as the first, Lev 23:36. The eighth day was a day by itself, a sort of an appendage to the feast of tabernacles, when they went into their houses again, and kept it as an holy day; and perhaps principally in giving thanks for the ingathering of the fruits of the earth, to which this seems to be appropriated from Lev 23:39. According to the Jewish writers, they did not go out of their booths until they had dined in them on this day; and as they went out used to say,"may it be the will of God that we may be worthy the next year to dwell in the booth of Leviathan (c);''that is, to feast with the Messiah in the world to come. And to those days the Jews have added a ninth, which they call "the joy of the law", and which they keep for joy of having finished the reading of the law; which being divided into as many sections or lessons as weeks in the year, were so ordered to be read as to be finished at this time (d):

all that are Israelites born shall dwell in booths; the Targum of Jonathan is,"all the males in Israel, and even the little ones, that do not need their mothers, sit in the shades blessing their Creator, when they enter there.''And, according to the Misnah (e), women, servants, and little ones, are free from the booths (i.e. are not obliged to dwelt in one), but a little one, who hath no need of its mother, is obliged to dwell in the booths: and elsewhere it is said, that sick persons, and such as wait upon them, are not obliged, nor messengers upon any business, nor travellers and watchmen in cities, and keepers of gardens and orchards; if such travel, or keep watch in the day, they are obliged to be in them at night, and if in the night, then they are to dwell in them in the day (f). Jarchi says, that everyone born in Israel comprehends proselytes, who were bound by this law.

(c) Lebush, par. 2. c. 668. sect. 5. (d) Buxtorf. Synagog. Jud. c. 27. Leo Moden's History of the Rites of the Jews, par. 3. c. 7. sect. 6. (e) Misn. Succah, c. 2. sect. 6. (f) R. Alphes, par. 1. Succah, c. 2. fol. 374. 2. 375. 1.

John Gill's Exposition of the Whole Bible (1746–1763) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API.

Booths - According to Jewish tradition, what were used at the Feast of Tabernacles were strictly “tabernacula,” structures of boards, with a covering of boughs.

The “booth” in which the Israelite kept the Feast, and the “tent” which was his ordinary abode in the wilderness, had this in common - they were temporary places of sojourn, they belonged to camp-life. The seven days of abode in the booths of the festival was thus a fair symbol of the forty years of abode in tents in the wilderness. The Feast might well become the appointed memorial of this period of their history for the ages to come.

All that are Israelites born - The omission of the foreigners in this command is remarkable. Perhaps the intention was that on this joyous occasion they were to be hospitably entertained as guests. Compare Deu 16:14.

Albert Barnes' Notes on the Bible (1834–1885) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.

Days. Tostat affirms they might pass the nights in their houses; but most people suppose, the Jews spent the whole octave in bowers.

George Leo Haydock (1774–1849), Haydock's Catholic Family Bible and Commentary, 1859 edition — public domain. Excludes Psalms (Douay-Rheims chapter numbering differs from Protestant) and Deuterocanonical books (Catholic canon only).

Booths were erected in their cities or towns, either in their streets or gardens, or the tops of their houses, Neh 8:16, which were made flat, and therefore were proper and fit for that use.

Matthew Poole's English Annotations on the Holy Bible (1683–1685) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.

42. Ye shall dwell in booths — This command excludes a cloth or skin covering, according to the decisions of Jewish expounders, and every thing pertaining to the animal and mineral kingdoms. Every thing withered, or faded, or of ill savour, or unclean, was also prohibited. The booths must be fresh and fragrant, in correspondence with the gladness of their tenants.

The first part of October, when this feast was celebrated, the weather in Palestine is neither hot nor cold, nor subject to storms, but admirably adapted to outdoor life.

All… Israelites… shall dwell — The word “shall” is here altogether too strong a translation of the Hebrew future, which is often rendered by may or can. “To insist on the absolute universality is to become a bond-slave to the letter.”

Daniel D. Whedon (gen. ed.), Commentary on the Old and New Testaments (1874–1909) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

In booths - Which were erected in their cities or towns, either in their streets, or gardens, or the tops of their houses. These were made flat, and therefore were fit for the use.

John Wesley, Explanatory Notes Upon the Whole Bible (1754–1765) — public domain. Text via the GEBible commentary corpus.

booths

The feast of Tabernacles, Lev 23:34-44 is (like the Lord’s Supper for the church) both memorial and prophetic --memorial as to redemption out of Egypt Lev 23:43 prophetic as to the kingdom-rest of Israel after her regathering and restoration, when the feast again becomes memorial, not for Israel alone, but for all nations. Zec 14:16-21.

The Scofield Reference Bible (1917 edition), notes by C. I. Scofield — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

General Information:

Yahweh continues his instructions for the Festival of Shelters.

your descendants, generation after generation, may learn

"Generation after generation" here is an idiom that refers to each generation that lives after another. AT: "your descendants belonging to all future generations may learn" or "all your descendants may learn forever" (See: Idiom)

translationWords

Israel

descend

generation

Egypt

Yahweh

God

appoint

festival

unfoldingWord translationNotes — © Distant Shores Media and the Door43 World Missions Community, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0. Source: git.door43.org/Door43/en_tn.

האזרח THE NATIVE — Since this word means native-born, the word בישראל, ANYONE IN ISRAEL, serves to include the proselytes (cf. Sifra, Emor, Chapter 17 9).

Rashi on the Tanakh — English translations: “The Judaica Press complete Tanach with Rashi, translated by A. J. Rosenberg” (CC BY 4.0); “Pentateuch with Rashi's commentary by M. Rosenbaum and A.M. Silbermann, 1929-1934” (public domain); “The Metsudah Tanach series, Lakewood, N.J” (CC BY 4.0); and “The Book of Joshua, Metsudah Publications, 1997” (CC BY 4.0). Text via Sefaria.

ALL ‘HA’EZRACH’ (THAT ARE NATIVE) IN ISRAEL SHALL DWELL IN BOOTHS. “Ezrach means native-born. Ha’ezrach [literally: ‘the’ native-born], this is to exclude women [from the obligation of dwelling in the booth, since the definite article denotes an exclusion. It was necessary that this exclusion be stated] so that you should not deduce from a similarity of expressions of the fifteenth day stated with reference to the Festival of Unleavened Bread, that women are obliged to dwell in a booth just as they are obliged to eat unleavened bread [on the night of Passover]. In Israel, this includes proselytes” [that they are obliged to dwell in a booth]. This is Rashi’s language. And in the Torath Kohanim it is stated: 17:9. “Ezrach, this is the native-born. Ha’ezrach, this is intended to exclude women. ‘All’ that are home-born, this is to include the proselytes and liberated slaves.” And in line with the plain meaning of Scripture, by way of tradition [there is no need for a special source in Scripture here to include proselytes]. For since Scripture has stated, ye shall have one law, both for the stranger, and for him that is born in the Land, 9:14. and it is further said, as ye are, so shall the stranger be before the Eternal, 15:15. there is no need to mention again in every place: “all that are native-born and the stranger.” Therefore He says all that are native in Israel, meaning all who are of Israel, from the greatest of them even to the least of them, [to teach] that it is not sufficient that one of a household should dwell in a booth and the rest dwell in homes, but they should all dwell in booths. It is possible that the verse [uses the word ezrach] to teach that all who are like a leafy tree in its native soil in their homes [are obliged to dwell in booths], except for those who are on a sea voyage, and those who travel on the road [who are exempt from dwelling in a booth].

Ramban (Nachmanides) on the Tanakh — English translation: “Commentary on the Torah by Ramban (Nachmanides). Translated and annotated by Charles B. Chavel. New York, Shilo Pub. House, 1971-1976” (CC BY 4.0). Text via Sefaria.