Leviticus 23:9-14·~1 min

The Feast of Firstfruits

The LORD commands that the first sheaf of harvest be brought and waved before Him, with accompanying offerings, and that no new grain be eaten until this act of firstfruits has been made.

A⁹nd the LORD said to Moses, ¹⁰“Speak to the Israelites and say, ‘When you enter the land that I am giving you and you reap its harvest, you are to bring to the priest a sheaf of the firstfruits of your harvest. ¹¹And he shall wave the sheaf before the LORD so that it may be accepted on your behalf; the priest is to wave it on the day after the Sabbath. ¹²On the day you wave the sheaf, you shall offer a year-old lamb without blemish as a burnt offering to the LORD, ¹³along with its grain offering of two-tenths of an ephah of fine flour mixed with oil — a food offering to the LORD, a pleasing aroma — and its drink offering of a quarter hin of wine. ¹⁴You must not eat any bread or roasted or new grain until the very day you have brought this offering to your God. This is to be a permanent statute for the generations to come, wherever you live.

Section summaryWhen Israel enters the land and begins its harvest, the first sheaf belongs before the LORD before any new grain is eaten. The offering of firstfruits is joined to sacrifice, grain, and wine, so the harvest begins with presentation and acceptance before God.

Role in the chapterThis section turns the calendar toward the land Israel will receive. It teaches that harvest is not simply gathered and consumed; it is first brought before the LORD in acknowledgment and dependence.