Numbers 28:26

Num 28:26. Also in the day of the first-fruits — In the feast of pentecost, Act 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, Exo 23:16. This festival was two-fold; first, the barley- harvest first-fruits, beginning at the passover; and then, at seven weeks’ end, the wheat-harvest festival, called the feast of weeks, which is here intended. When ye bring a new meat or bread-offering — That is, two loaves made of the first wheat flour, as the first-fruits of the said wheat- harvest.

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

OFFERINGS AT THE FEAST OF FIRSTFRUITS, Num_28:26-31.

26. Firstfruits — Called the feast of harvest, Exo_23:16; of weeks, Exo_34:22; and day of Pentecost, Act_2:1. See Lev_23:15-21, notes.

A new meat offering — New in respect to the former offered at the passover. Lev_23:16, note.

After your weeks — Fifty days after the passover.

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

28:26-31 The Festival of Harvest was later called the Festival of Pentecost (see Acts 2:1); see also Lev 23:15-22. It celebrated the end of the barley harvest and the beginning of the wheat harvest in early summer (May~June). The Greek name Pentecost means “fiftieth day” (i.e., after Passover; see Acts 20:16; 1 Cor 16:8).

Tyndale Open Study Notes — © Tyndale Open Resources, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0. Text via the HelloAO Bible API.

In counting seven weeks from the Passover to Whitsuntide, as Lev. 23:15.

Geneva Bible (1599) marginal notes — public domain. Text via Bolls.life.

in the day of the first-fruits . . . offer the burnt offering--A new sacrifice is here ordered for the celebration of this festival, in addition to the other offering, which was to accompany the first-fruits (Lev 23:18).

Next: Numbers Chapter 29

Jamieson, Fausset & Brown — Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API.

Verse 26. Day of the first-fruits] Called also the feast of weeks, and the feast of pentecost. See it explained, Clarke "Ex 23:14", and "Le 23:15".

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible (1810–1826) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.

(26) In the day of the firstfruits.—See Exo_23:16; Exo_34:22; Lev_23:15-21, and Notes.

A new meat offering . . . —See Lev_23:16.

After your weeks be out.—Hebrew, in your weeks—i.e., at the expiration of a week of weeks from the morrow after the chief day of the feast of the Passover.

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

But ye shall offer the burnt offering for a sweet savour unto the Lord,.... Which was of the same kind, and was of the same number of creatures as on the first day of the month, and on the seven days of unleavened bread, Num 28:11, and the meat offering which went along with this was of the same quantity of flour to each creature as in the above mentioned sacrifices; and on this day also was offered a kid of the goats for a sin offering; and there were also peace offerings which are not mentioned here, nor is there any mention of any in the whole chapter; see Lev 23:19.

Numbers 28:31

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

The festival offering at the season of first-fruits was to be offered on one day only; and was the same with that of the new moon and Passover. It nearly though not entirely accords with the sacrificial offering prescribed in Lev 23:18 ff.

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

The day of Pentecost, seven weeks after the Passover, was the next in solemnity, to thank God for the wheat harvest, of which the first-fruits were now presented. (Haydock) --- Two loaves, made with leaven, were given to the priests. (Lamy.) See Leviticus xxiii. 17.

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).

In the day of the first-fruits; in the feast of pentecost, Act 2:1.

A new meat-offering; new fruits, two loaves made of your new corn, Lev 23:16.

Your weeks, i.e. the seven weeks which you are to number from the passover, Lev 23:15 Heb. in the weeks, in being put for after, as it is Isa 20:1; Luk 9:36; 11:37.

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

In the day of the first-fruits. The feast of weeks, or day of Pentecost. (Lev_23:15-21)

Vers. 26-31. The feast of the first-fruits.

I A RECOGNITION OF THE ANNUAL SUPPLY OF FOOD FROM GOD. The day of the first-fruits was the day for bringing "a new meat offering unto the Lord" (verse 26). This meat offering was to consist of two wave loaves made of fine flour. (Lev_23:17) Hence by this an indication was given that the chief constituent of the daily meat offering would not be lacking during the following twelve months. Corn is appropriately singled out above all the fruits of the earth as furnishing the staple of man"s food. Other things, even the oil and the wine, are to be counted as luxuries in comparison. The prominence here given to bread accords with our Lord"s teaching, when he tells us to pray not for daily food in general, but for the daily bread. It was a good thing thus to mark in a special way the completion of the corn harvest, that which had been "sown in the field," and not to wait and merely include it when the labours of the year had been gathered in. (Exo_23:16) God"s mercy in the daily bread flows out of his mercy in the annual harvest. We are called upon to behold him, year after year, filling the storehouse whence day by day he draws and distributes the daily supply. As we behold the annual harvest we can join the appreciative souls of the world in thanking God for the production of bread. And then in the daily offering we equally thank him for the distribution of what has been produced.

II A RECOGNITION OF GOD"S EFFECTUAL BLESSING ON HUMAN INDUSTRY, How much in the way of combined effort is suggested by the sight of a tiny grain of corn! What mighty forces are represented there heat, light, air, moisture, soil all acting on a living germ! And not only these. That grain also represents human industry, forethought, attention, patience, all crowned with the blessing of God. (1Co_3:6) And if we look upon the grain now, we see the light of modern science brought to bear upon its growth and increase in addition to all the other necessary effort. We may be quite sure that God will bless all honest: intelligent, and sedulous effort to increase the fruits of the earth. After all these centuries, man hardly yet seems to appreciate the scope of that command, "Subdue the earth". (Gen_1:28) Man has rather learnt to replenish the earth with those who use it as a vantage ground whereon to subdue and devour one another.

III To a Christian the feast of the first-fruits must ever bring to mind THE ALL-IMPORTANT EVENT WHICH HAPPENED AT THE FIRST PENTECOST AFTER THE ASCENSION or CHRIST. There was doubtless some weighty reason for choosing the time when the day of Pentecost was fully come as the time when the disciples were to be all filled with the Holy Ghost. There was a close connection, we know, between the Passover feast and the Pentecost feast. A complete week of weeks, a perfect period, intervened between that day of the Passover feast when a sheaf of the harvest firstfruits was waved before the Lord (Leviticus 23), and the day of Pentecost, when the full meat offering was presented. Thus in this interval the harvest was gathered in, and then by the Pentecostal service it was signified that in the strength of the food which he had gathered man could go on for another year. And as God chose the Passover season, when the great deliverance from Egypt was celebrated, for that death and resurrection of Christ whereby he delivers his people from guilt, and spiritual bondage, and helplessness, so he chose Pentecost for the entrance of that Holy Spirit who makes the deliverance to be followed by such unspeakable positive consequences. The risen Saviour gives liberty to those who believe in him, and then he gives the Holy Spirit, that the right of liberty may not be a barren gift. What is even a free man without daily food? What advantage is it to a man if you liberate him from prison merely to turn him into a sandy desert? The forgiven sinner with his awakened spirit and new needs has the evident fullness of God"s Spirit to which he may continually apply himself. God availed himself of the place which Pentecost naturally held in the minds of the disciples to teach them a great lesson. Hebrew Christians were not likely to give up their old times and seasons, and so the Passover feast was still further glorified by the recollection of Jesus dying for them, and the Pentecost feast by the recollection of how the Spirit had been poured upon all flesh. It is very certain that we do not sufficiently appreciate the practical significance of that memorable Pentecost. It ought to stand in our minds side by side with that other memorable day when the Word that became flesh first breathed at Bethlehem the air of this sin-tainted world. Is it not a matter of the greatest significance that after Pentecost the Holy Spirit of God was among men as he was not before? What a blessing, and yet what a responsibility, to feel that thus and then he came, and, as he came, still remains! Y.

The Pulpit Commentary (1880–1919), ed. H.D.M. Spence-Jones & Joseph S. Exell — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

The day of the first fruits - In the feast of pentecost, Acts ii, 1. Your weeks - The seven weeks which you are to number from the passover.

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

The same number of sacrifices is appointed for the day of the first-fruits, i.e., for the feast of Weeks or Harvest feast (cf. Lev 23:15-22). The festal burnt-offering and sin-offering of this one day was independent of the supplementary burnt-offering and sin-offering of the wave-loaves appointed in Lev 23:18, and was to be offered before these and after the daily morning sacrifice.

Keil & Delitzsch — Biblical Commentary on the Old Testament (1861–1891) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API. (Old Testament only.)

The Sacrifices of Pentecost

v. 26. Also in the day of the first-fruits, when ye bring a new meat-offering, of the flour of the new harvest, unto the Lord, after your weeks be out, the seven weeks after the sixteenth of Nisan, ye shall have an holy convocation; ye shall do no servile work;

v. 27. but ye shall offer the burnt offering for a sweet savor unto the Lord: two young bullocks, one ram, seven lambs of the first year, as on the other festivals;

v. 28. and their meat-offering of flour mingled with oil, three-tenth deals unto one bullock, two-tenth deals unto one ram,

v. 29. a several tenth deal unto one lamb, throughout the seven lambs;

v. 30. and one kid of the goats, to make an atonement for you, for that was the purpose of the sin-offering.

v. 31. Ye shall offer them beside (in addition to) the continual burnt offering and his meat-offering (they shall be unto you without blemish) and their drink-offerings. These sacrifices were made in addition to the characteristic offering of the day, that of the two wave-loaves prepared from the flour of the new harvest, Lev 23:18. The directions of the Lord were very detailed and explicit, for He wanted these ordinances observed with great exactness, since His honor was thereby exalted.

Paul E. Kretzmann, Popular Commentary of the Bible (1921–1924) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

General Information:

Yahweh continues telling Moses what the people must do.

the day of the firstfruits

"the day of the firstfruits, that is the day." This refers to the day during the Festival of Weeks when they offer the grain offering to Yahweh.

have a holy assembly to honor Yahweh

"gather together to worship and honor Yahweh." The phrase "a holy assembly" means the people gather together to worship Yahweh. Worshiping Yahweh is a holy event.

mixed with oil

This can be stated in active form. AT: "which you have mixed with oil" (See: Active or Passive)

three-tenths of an ephah

"Three tenths" means three parts out of ten equal parts. This can be written in modern measurements. AT: "six liters" or "three-tenths of an ephah (which is about six liters)" (See: Fractions and Biblical Volume)

three-tenths of an ephah

"Three tenths" means three parts out of ten equal parts. This can be written in modern measurements. AT: "six liters" or "three-tenths of an ephah (which is about six liters)" (See: Fractions and Biblical Volume)

two-tenths

The words "of an ephah of fine flour" are understood from the previous phrase and can be repeated. "Two-tenths" means two parts out of ten equal parts. This can be written in modern measurements. AT: "four and a half liters of fine flour" or "two-tenths of an ephah of fine flour (which is about 4.5 liters)" (See: Ellipsis and Fractions and Biblical Volume)

translationWords

firstfruits

grain offering

Yahweh

Pentecost

day

cow

ewe

lamb

year

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

וביום הבכורים AND ON THE DAY OF THE FIRSTLINGS — The Feast of Weeks is called the firstlings of the wheat harvest (Exodus 34:22) because of the two loaves (Leviticus 23:17) which were the first of the wheat meal offerings which were brought from the new grain (Menachot 84b).

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.