EasyEnglish Bible Commentaries
Leviticus 23:1-44
Leviticus
*Worship the *LORD in the Beauty of *Holiness
Leviticus
Gordon Churchyard
This commentary has been through Advanced Checking.Words in boxes are from the Bible, except for the words in brackets (…).
Chapter 23
Special Days in the *Jewish Calendar
v1 The *LORD said (this) to Moses.
v2 ‘Speak to the *Israelites and say (this) to them. “The *LORD has decided that you must have special times to give honour to him. You must announce these special days. They are holy days, when the *Israelites should meet (to *worship God).
v3 You must do your work for 6 days. But you must rest on the 7th day. You must not do any work (on the 7th day). It is the *Sabbath Day. It is a holy day when you should meet (to *worship God). You must gather together on the *Sabbath Day with the *LORD, wherever you are living.
v4 These are the special days that the *LORD wants you to have. You should meet (to *worship God) on these holy days. You must announce (these days) at the right time.
v5 (The first special day is) the *LORD’s *Passover. It will be on the 14th day of the first month. It begins at the time when the sun sets.
v6 On the 15th day of this (same) month is the *LORD’s special Time of *Unleavened Bread. You must eat this *unleavened bread for 7 days.
v7 On the first (of these) days, you must gather together. It is a holy day when you should meet (to *worship God). You must not do any of your usual work (on this day).
v8 You must offer gifts by fire to the *LORD for 7 days. On the 7th (of these) days, you must gather together. It is a holy day when you should meet (to *worship God). And you must not do any of your usual work.” ’
v9 The *LORD said (this) to Moses.
v10 ‘Speak to the *Israelites and say (this) to them. “(Soon) you will come to the land that I will give to you. When you gather its (First) Harvest, you must bring some of the *first fruits of the corn to the priest.
v11 He will wave these *first fruits in front of the *LORD so that (the *LORD) will accept them on your behalf. On the day after the *Sabbath, the priest will wave them (for you).
v12 When you wave the *first fruits of the corn, you must also offer a male sheep to the *LORD. It must be one year old and perfect. It will be a *whole offering (to the *LORD).
v13 (With the sheep, give) a mixture of 4½ litres of good flour and *oil as the *corn offering. It is a gift to the *LORD (that the priests will offer) by fire. It has a smell that pleases the *LORD. The *offering of drink that is with it must contain a litre of wine.
v14 You must not eat any bread until the day when you bring this *offering to your God. Neither must you eat fresh corn or corn that you have cooked. This rule will always be important for all your *descendants wherever they live.
v15 You must count 7 complete weeks (until *Pentecost; Second Harvest) from the day after (this) *Sabbath. That is, (from the day) when you brought the *first fruits of the corn. (The priest) waved them in front of the *LORD.
v16 You must count 50 days until the day after the 7th *Sabbath. Then you must give a new *corn offering to the *LORD.
v17 From the places where you live, you must bring two loaves of bread for the *LORD. (The priest) must wave them as *first fruits (in front of the *LORD). You must make the loaves with 4½ litres of good flour. You will bake (the loaves) with *yeast.
v18 Also, with the bread, you must offer 7 young male sheep. They must be one year old and perfect. (You must also offer) one young *bull and two male sheep. They will be a *whole offering to the *LORD that you offer by fire. With the *offering of corn and drink, the smell of this *offering will please the *LORD.
v19 You must also offer one male goat. This will be a *sin offering. And you must offer two male sheep that are one year old. This will be a *peace offering.
v20 The priest will (lift them up) with the corn that is just ripe. (He will) wave them in front of the *LORD. It is a *wave offering. (He will) offer the two young sheep. They will be holy to the *LORD; they will belong to the priest.
v21 You must declare on the day itself (what day it is). It is a holy day when you should meet (to *worship God). You must not do any of your usual work. This rule will always be important for all your *descendants, wherever they live.
v22 When you gather the harvest from your fields, you must not gather completely from the corners of your fields. And do not gather the fruits that you leave behind. You must leave them for poor people and for foreigners. I am the *LORD (who is) your God.” ’
v23 The *LORD said (this) to Moses.
v24 ‘Speak to the *Israelites (and say this to them). “On the first day of the 7th month, you must have a special day when you rest. The (Day of) *Trumpets will remind people (that this is a special day). It is a holy day when you should meet (to *worship God).
v25 You must not do any of your usual work. You must offer gifts to the *LORD by fire.” ’
v26 The *LORD said (this) to Moses.
v27 ‘Also, on the 10th day of the 7th month is the Day of *Atonement. It is a holy day when you should meet (to *worship God). You must not eat food. You must offer gifts to the *LORD by fire.
v28 You must not do any work on this day, because it is the Day of *Atonement. (On this day, (the chief priest) will make *atonement for you in front of the *LORD your God.
v29 (The *LORD) will *cut off from the people (the *Israelites) anybody who eats food on this day.
v30 I will cause any of (the *Israelites) who works on this day to die.
v31 You must not do any work (on the Day of *Atonement). This rule will always be important for all your *descendants, wherever they live.
v32 (This day) is (like) an important *Sabbath for you, when you must rest. You must not eat food. On the evening of the 9th day of this month, until the next evening, will be your *Sabbath.’
v33 The *LORD said (this) to Moses.
v34 ‘Speak to the *Israelites and say (this) to them. “On the 15th day of the 7th month is the time for Tent Parties. (You must live) for 7 days (in tents) for the *LORD.
v35 The first of these days is a special day. It is a holy day when you should meet (to *worship God). (On this day) you must not do any of your usual work.
v36 You must offer gifts to the *LORD by fire for 7 days. On the 8th day, you must all gather together. It is a holy day when you should meet (to *worship God). You must offer gifts to the *LORD by fire. It is a special time and a time for a holy meeting. (On this day) you must not do any of your usual work.
v37 These are the special times that the *LORD wants you to have (each year). You will announce that they are special times. Tell people that they must meet (to *worship God) at these holy times. They must offer (these) gifts by fire to the *LORD: *whole offerings, *corn offerings, *sacrifices and drink *offerings. You must offer the correct *offerings for each day.
v38 Also, you must give (special) *offerings for the *LORD’s *Sabbaths. And you may offer your own special gifts and *offerings to the *LORD. These include when you make a special promise (to the *LORD).
v39 So, on the 15th day of the 7th month, you must give honour to the *LORD for 7 days. You must do this when you have gathered the (final) Harvest from your fields. The 1st and 8th days must be special days when you rest.
v40 On the first of these days, you must take fruit from splendid trees. (You must take) branches from *palm trees and from trees with many leaves. You must take (branches from) *willow trees (that grow) by the river. You must be happy in front of the *LORD (who is) your God for 7 days.
v41 You must have a happy party with the *LORD for 7 days in each year. All your *descendants must always do it in the 7th month.
v42 You must live for 7 days in tents that you make from tree branches. All the *Israelites must live in these special tents.
v43 This will tell your *descendants (what happened many years ago). I made the *Israelites live in special tents when I brought them out of (the country called) Egypt. I am the *LORD (who is) your God.” ’
v44 Moses told all the *Israelites about the *LORD’s special times.
Notes
This chapter contains a list of the holy days for the *Jewish people. They include the important *Jewish holidays which are usually in April, June and October. And there is the *Sabbath Day, which is in every week through the whole year.
All of these holy days and special times are still important for the *Jews today.
| Special Time | Date in our Calendar | Bible reference |
| *Sabbath Day | 7th day of every week (our Saturday) | |
| *Passover | The day of the full moon, in March or April | Exodus chapter 12 |
| *Unleavened Bread | The week after the *Passover | |
| First Harvest | During the week of *Unleavened Bread | |
| Second Harvest (*Pentecost) (Also called Shavuoth.) | 50 days after the *Passover (so, during May or June) | |
| Day of *Trumpets (Also called Rosh Hashana or the *Jewish New Year’s Day). | The day of the new moon before the Tent Parties and Final Harvest (during September or October) | |
| Day of *Atonement (Also called Yom Kippur) | 9 days after the Day of *Trumpets | Leviticus chapter 16 |
| Tent Parties and Final Harvest (Also called Tabernacles, Sukkoth, or the Feast of Shelters) | 6 months after the *Passover (so, during September or October) |
Here are some notes on each of these special times.
Verses 2-3 The *Sabbath. This is the 7th day of the week, our Saturday. The word ‘*sabbath’ means ‘day of rest’. It is a special opportunity for God’s people to *worship him each week. In Genesis 2:3, God made the *Sabbath (or 7th day) very special. After he created the world, he himself rested on that day. When the *Jews went from Egypt to *Israel, God provided their food. He gave them a special, extra amount of the food called manna before each *Sabbath, Exodus 16:22-30. He did that so that they were able to rest and to *worship him on the *Sabbath. So they did not even have to make food or to collect food on the *Sabbath. (Manna was something like bread that God sent from heaven.)
The *Jews could only do simple jobs on the *Sabbath. They could not do any of their usual work whatever. It was their special day to *worship God. They rested from their work so that they had time to *worship him.
Most Christians *worship God on the 1st day of the week, that is, Sunday. They do this because Jesus became alive after his death on a Sunday. That is why many Christians keep Sunday as a *Sabbath. They do not work on this day. Instead, it is their special day for rest and *worship.
Verses 4-5 The *Passover. This was a most important time for the *Jews. It was during March or April. In it, the *Jews remembered the event just before God freed them from Egypt.
God allowed a terrible trouble to happen in Egypt. We call that event ‘the 10th *plague’. The oldest son in every family in Egypt died, in just one night. But God told each *Israelite family to kill a *lamb and to put its blood round their door. When God saw the blood, he would ‘pass over’ that house. That is why the day was called the *Passover. On that day, God saved the *Israelites from death (Exodus chapter 12).
The *Passover is important for Christians, as well as *Jews. But Christians call it ‘Easter’. Jesus died on the Friday before Easter day. The Bible calls Jesus: ‘the *lamb of God, who takes away the *sins of the world.’ On Easter Sunday, Jesus became alive again after his death.
Verses 6-8 The Time of *Unleavened Bread. People usually add *yeast to bread to make it ‘rise’. They do this before they cook it. ‘*Unleavened’ means that there is no *yeast in the bread. Thus, it does not ‘rise’ or ‘get bigger’. Bread that does not rise is flat.
At the Time of *Unleavened Bread, the *Jews remember the events immediately after the first *Passover. God led them out of Egypt at once. He did it so quickly that there was not even enough time for their bread to rise. They had to work hard like slaves when they lived in Egypt. But God made them free at once. That was the time when the *Jews became a nation.
Verses 9-14 The First Harvest. There are several types of grain. The first one that becomes ripe in Israel is called barley. Ruth 1:22 tells us that Naomi returned home ‘at the start of the barley harvest’. The priest had to hold up (or wave, verse 11) a bundle of barley plants in front of the *LORD. This was also called a ‘*wave offering’. It was God who provided all the crops in the *Israelites’ new country. God gave them that country after they left Egypt. And that country (Canaan, afterwards called Israel) had good land. So, by this ceremony, the *Israelites gave the first grain of each harvest back to God. And with it, they gave a *whole offering (chapter 1) and a *corn offering (chapter 2).
Verses 15-21 *Pentecost and the Second Harvest. The word ‘*Pentecost’ means ‘50th’. If we include the first and last days, this means 7 weeks. Here, the harvest is for grain that we call wheat. People use it to make bread. *Pentecost was a special occasion at the beginning of the wheat harvest. Again, it reminded people that their food came from God.
*Pentecost is very important for Christians. They sometimes call it ‘the church’s birthday’. It was on the day called *Pentecost that God sent his *Holy Spirit. You can read about that event in Acts chapter 2.
Verse 22 The *Israelites should not just thank God for their harvest by means of a ceremony. Also, they should thank God by means of the way that they harvested their crops. They should leave some food in the fields so that poor people and foreigners would find something to eat. They should always remember to provide for poor people. Ruth 2:7-8 describes how people did this.
Verses 23-25 Day of *Trumpets. Today we make *trumpets from a metal called brass. And we use them to make music. The *Jews did not use brass. They made their *trumpets from the *horns of animals like cows. *Horns grow on the heads of these animals. Numbers 10:1-10 also mentions silver *trumpets. The *Jews used the *trumpets to sound an alarm. Also, they sounded *trumpets on any important national occasion.
The Day of *Trumpets was at the beginning of the 7th month in the *Jewish calendar. As the 7th day of the week was special and holy, so was the 7th month. The Day of *Atonement, Tent Parties and Final Harvest happened during this month. The *trumpets reminded people about these things:
The *trumpets should remind the *Israelites that, in the future, God will rule his people as their king. Each year, God dealt with his people’s *sins on the Day of *Atonement. But at a future time, God will deal with all *sin. He will come to live among his people.
For Christians, this should remind them about Jesus’ return. He has promised to come back to this world. He will overcome *sin, death, and the devil’s power. And Jesus will rule with the authority and power of God the Father.
Verses 26-32 The Day of *Atonement. Leviticus chapter 16 tells us what the chief priest did on the Day of *Atonement. He put blood into the most holy place, as a special *sacrifice, so that God would forgive the people’s *sins.
Here we read what the ordinary people did. The words ‘to *atone’ mean ‘to make at one’. (In other words, to be united as friends with God.) It was the day when people were sorry for their *sins. They saw their *sins as God saw them. They were ‘at one’ with God, in other words, they agreed with his opinion. Christians believe that *atonement can only happen by the death of Jesus. His death means that now we do not have to offer the gifts in the Book of Leviticus.
Verses 27, 29 and 32 contain the rule that the *Jews must not eat on this day. In fact, the *Hebrew words are much stricter than what appears in our translation. People should not do anything to give themselves pleasure. See our notes on 16:29-31.
This day is not usually a Saturday, so it would not normally be a *Sabbath. But the *LORD told the people that it would be a day for rest, like the *Sabbaths (verse 32).
Verses 33-43 Tent Parties and Final Harvest. This was the time when the *Jews gathered the last of the harvest from the fields and gardens. They also remembered that God had ‘gathered’ them at last from Egypt. They lived in tents as they went from Egypt to *Israel. To remember this, they lived in shelters or tents for a week during September or October. But they did not make their ‘tents’ for this week from animal skins, as people usually did. Instead, they used the branches of trees to make ‘tents’ (that is, shelters). That is why verse 40 refers to various trees, like the *palm tree and the *willow. This time became a really happy party. The *LORD will complete all that he is doing for his people. And that is a wonderful reason to be joyful in front of the *LORD.
For Christians, the harvest is a very important occasion. It is the time when Christians thank God for their food. But each church chooses a different day in Autumn for this event. Many churches put fruit, food and flowers in the church and they have a happy ceremony. They thank God for all the good things that he provides. Afterwards, Christians take the fruit, food, and flowers away. They give these things to poor people, to ill people, or to old people who live near the church. So Christians share the good things that God has given to them.
Jesus told some parables (stories) about the harvest. For him, the harvest described well the events at the end of the present age. For example, see the story in Matthew 13:24-30, which Jesus explained in Matthew 13:36-40. He described how weeds and wheat may grow together in the same field until the harvest. But at the harvest, the farmer separates them. He destroys the weeds and he saves the wheat. And so, at the end of the age, God will be the judge of everyone. He will save the people who belong to him. But he will punish the people who serve the devil.
Something to do
1. Read Genesis 1:1-2, which tells us about the origin of the *Sabbath. Here are some other verses about the *Sabbath: Numbers 28:9 and Numbers 28:19; Leviticus 24:5-9; Numbers 15:32-36; Nehemiah 10:31 and Nehemiah 13:15-22.
2. Read the Book of Ruth, which refers to the First and Second Harvests of grain.
3. Read Exodus chapter 12, which tells us about the first *Passover.
4. Read Acts 2:1-4. It tells us what happened at *Pentecost to the first Christians.
worship ~ to praise someone (usually God). You tell him that you believe him to be very, very great. Also, you love him and you will obey him.
LORD ~ a special name for God. In the Hebrew Bible it translates YHWH. YHWH probably means ‘he is always alive’. So the word LORD (which means ‘master’) is not a proper translation.
Hebrew ~ the language that the Jews spoke.
Jews ~ another word for the Israelites.
Israelites ~ the LORD’s people whom Moses led out of Egypt. Afterwards, they lived in the countries called Judah and Israel.
Judah ~ the name of the southern part of the country where the Jews went to live.
Israel ~ the name of the country where the Jews went to live, especially the northern part of that country.
holiness ~ the quality of somebody who is holy, or very, very good.
holy ~ very, very good; only God is really holy. Or, a description of something that belongs to God.
Jewish ~ a word that describes Jews and what they do.
Jews ~ another word for the Israelites.
Israelites ~ the LORD’s people whom Moses led out of Egypt. Afterwards, they lived in the countries called Judah and Israel.
LORD ~ a special name for God. In the Hebrew Bible it translates YHWH. YHWH probably means ‘he is always alive’. So the word LORD (which means ‘master’) is not a proper translation.
Judah ~ the name of the southern part of the country where the Jews went to live.
Israel ~ the name of the country where the Jews went to live, especially the northern part of that country.
Hebrew ~ the language that the Jews spoke.
Israelites ~ the LORD’s people whom Moses led out of Egypt. Afterwards, they lived in the countries called Judah and Israel.
LORD ~ a special name for God. In the Hebrew Bible it translates YHWH. YHWH probably means ‘he is always alive’. So the word LORD (which means ‘master’) is not a proper translation.
Judah ~ the name of the southern part of the country where the Jews went to live.
Israel ~ the name of the country where the Jews went to live, especially the northern part of that country.
Hebrew ~ the language that the Jews spoke.
Jews ~ another word for the Israelites.
worship ~ to praise someone (usually God). You tell him that you believe him to be very, very great. Also, you love him and you will obey him.
unleavened ~ something that contains no yeast. The Time of Unleavened Bread is a special holiday that begins immediately after Passover. It lasts for a week. During the week, the Jews do not eat bread that contains yeast.
yeast ~ the substance that makes bread ‘rise’, that is, to get bigger in the oven.
Passover ~ the special day when the Israelites remembered that God led them out of Egypt.
Jews ~ another word for the Israelites.
Israelites ~ the LORD’s people whom Moses led out of Egypt. Afterwards, they lived in the countries called Judah and Israel.
LORD ~ a special name for God. In the Hebrew Bible it translates YHWH. YHWH probably means ‘he is always alive’. So the word LORD (which means ‘master’) is not a proper translation.
Judah ~ the name of the southern part of the country where the Jews went to live.
Israel ~ the name of the country where the Jews went to live, especially the northern part of that country.
Hebrew ~ the language that the Jews spoke.
'first fruits ~ the first fruits or grains that you pick each year.'whole offering ~ an offering that the priests burned completely on the altar. See the explanation in the note called ‘The 5 sacrifices’ near the beginning of this commentary.offering ~ gift.
altar ~ a special table where the priests burned incense, grain and animals.
sacrifice ~ something that people burned on an altar for God; or to burn on an altar for God. People also gave sacrifices to false gods.
incense ~ a material that gives a good smell when people burn it.
oil ~ a type of oil that comes from an oily fruit called the olive. People used this oil in their food and they burnt it in lamps.'corn offering ~ a gift of grain to the LORD. See the explanation in the note called ‘The 5 sacrifices’ near the beginning of this commentary.
LORD ~ a special name for God. In the Hebrew Bible it translates YHWH. YHWH probably means ‘he is always alive’. So the word LORD (which means ‘master’) is not a proper translation.
sacrifice ~ something that people burned on an altar for God; or to burn on an altar for God. People also gave sacrifices to false gods.
Hebrew ~ the language that the Jews spoke.
altar ~ a special table where the priests burned incense, grain and animals.
Jews ~ another word for the Israelites.
incense ~ a material that gives a good smell when people burn it.
Israelites ~ the LORD’s people whom Moses led out of Egypt. Afterwards, they lived in the countries called Judah and Israel.
Judah ~ the name of the southern part of the country where the Jews went to live.
Israel ~ the name of the country where the Jews went to live, especially the northern part of that country.
offering ~ gift.
descendant ~ members of your family who live after you live.
yeast ~ the substance that makes bread ‘rise’, that is, to get bigger in the oven.
bull ~ the male animal of the same kind as a cow.
sin ~ to do wrong things; not to obey God’s rules. Or, the things we do when we sin. Evil thoughts, words and deeds are all sin, whether we do them on purpose or not.
peace ~ absence of war. Or, the calm and content attitude that one receives because of a right relationship with God and with other people.'wave offering ~ a gift that the priest waves in front of the LORD.
LORD ~ a special name for God. In the Hebrew Bible it translates YHWH. YHWH probably means ‘he is always alive’. So the word LORD (which means ‘master’) is not a proper translation.
Hebrew ~ the language that the Jews spoke.
Jews ~ another word for the Israelites.
Israelites ~ the LORD’s people whom Moses led out of Egypt. Afterwards, they lived in the countries called Judah and Israel.
Judah ~ the name of the southern part of the country where the Jews went to live.
Israel ~ the name of the country where the Jews went to live, especially the northern part of that country.
trumpet ~ a musical instrument.
atonement ~ another word for what happens when God forgives us. After God forgives us, we are ‘at one’ with him. In other words, we are united as friends (or have friendly relations) with him.
atonement ~ another word for what happens when God forgives us. After God forgives us, we are ‘at one’ with him. In other words, we are united as friends (or have friendly relations) with him.'cut off ~ to give someone a punishment that separates that person from his family or nation. That punishment may be death. But it may be to force that person to live abroad.
sacrifice ~ something that people burned on an altar for God; or to burn on an altar for God. People also gave sacrifices to false gods.
altar ~ a special table where the priests burned incense, grain and animals.
incense ~ a material that gives a good smell when people burn it.
palm ~ a type of tree.
willow ~ a type of tree.
Jews ~ another word for the Israelites.
Israelites ~ the LORD’s people whom Moses led out of Egypt. Afterwards, they lived in the countries called Judah and Israel.
LORD ~ a special name for God. In the Hebrew Bible it translates YHWH. YHWH probably means ‘he is always alive’. So the word LORD (which means ‘master’) is not a proper translation.
Judah ~ the name of the southern part of the country where the Jews went to live.
Israel ~ the name of the country where the Jews went to live, especially the northern part of that country.
Hebrew ~ the language that the Jews spoke.
Passover ~ the special day when the Israelites remembered that God led them out of Egypt.
Israelites ~ the LORD’s people whom Moses led out of Egypt. Afterwards, they lived in the countries called Judah and Israel.
LORD ~ a special name for God. In the Hebrew Bible it translates YHWH. YHWH probably means ‘he is always alive’. So the word LORD (which means ‘master’) is not a proper translation.
Judah ~ the name of the southern part of the country where the Jews went to live.
Israel ~ the name of the country where the Jews went to live, especially the northern part of that country.
Hebrew ~ the language that the Jews spoke.
Jews ~ another word for the Israelites.
unleavened ~ something that contains no yeast. The Time of Unleavened Bread is a special holiday that begins immediately after Passover. It lasts for a week. During the week, the Jews do not eat bread that contains yeast.
yeast ~ the substance that makes bread ‘rise’, that is, to get bigger in the oven.
Passover ~ the special day when the Israelites remembered that God led them out of Egypt.
Jews ~ another word for the Israelites.
Israelites ~ the LORD’s people whom Moses led out of Egypt. Afterwards, they lived in the countries called Judah and Israel.
LORD ~ a special name for God. In the Hebrew Bible it translates YHWH. YHWH probably means ‘he is always alive’. So the word LORD (which means ‘master’) is not a proper translation.
Judah ~ the name of the southern part of the country where the Jews went to live.
Israel ~ the name of the country where the Jews went to live, especially the northern part of that country.
Hebrew ~ the language that the Jews spoke.
pentecost ~ 50th. The Day of Pentecost was a special party at the beginning of the wheat harvest. It was 50 days after Passover.
Passover ~ the special day when the Israelites remembered that God led them out of Egypt.
Israelites ~ the LORD’s people whom Moses led out of Egypt. Afterwards, they lived in the countries called Judah and Israel.
LORD ~ a special name for God. In the Hebrew Bible it translates YHWH. YHWH probably means ‘he is always alive’. So the word LORD (which means ‘master’) is not a proper translation.
Judah ~ the name of the southern part of the country where the Jews went to live.
Israel ~ the name of the country where the Jews went to live, especially the northern part of that country.
Hebrew ~ the language that the Jews spoke.
Jews ~ another word for the Israelites.
Israel ~ the name of the country where the Jews went to live, especially the northern part of that country.
Jews ~ another word for the Israelites.
Israelites ~ the LORD’s people whom Moses led out of Egypt. Afterwards, they lived in the countries called Judah and Israel.
LORD ~ a special name for God. In the Hebrew Bible it translates YHWH. YHWH probably means ‘he is always alive’. So the word LORD (which means ‘master’) is not a proper translation.
Judah ~ the name of the southern part of the country where the Jews went to live.
Hebrew ~ the language that the Jews spoke.
plagues ~ bad things that happen to people. The ‘10 Plagues’ were 10 punishments that the inhabitants of Egypt suffered. This happened at the time of Moses.
lamb ~ a young sheep.
holy ~ very, very good; only God is really holy. Or, a description of something that belongs to God.
trumpet ~ a musical instrument.
horn ~ hard material that grows on the heads of some animals like cows and goats. Or, the points that were on the corners of the altars.
altar ~ a special table where the priests burned incense, grain and animals.
incense ~ a material that gives a good smell when people burn it.
horn ~ hard material that grows on the heads of some animals like cows and goats. Or, the points that were on the corners of the altars.
altar ~ a special table where the priests burned incense, grain and animals.
incense ~ a material that gives a good smell when people burn it.
atone ~ to forgive.
Hebrew ~ the language that the Jews spoke.
Jews ~ another word for the Israelites.
Israelites ~ the LORD’s people whom Moses led out of Egypt. Afterwards, they lived in the countries called Judah and Israel.
LORD ~ a special name for God. In the Hebrew Bible it translates YHWH. YHWH probably means ‘he is always alive’. So the word LORD (which means ‘master’) is not a proper translation.
Judah ~ the name of the southern part of the country where the Jews went to live.
Israel ~ the name of the country where the Jews went to live, especially the northern part of that country.