John Calvin Commentary Leviticus 23

When you come to the land. Moses now lays down rules concerning the second day of the festival, which was dedicated to the offering of the first-fruits. The ceremony is described: they were to deliver a handful into the hand of the priest, though some think that the measure signified was the tenth part of an Ephah. The word Omer³⁴⁵ means both. However, in this passage, the expression “handful” is most appropriate, since it vividly represented the beginning of the harvest, as it was not lawful to taste even parched grain before the offering of the first-fruits. The priest lifted it up before the altar, but with a waving motion. For this is how the Hebrews distinguish between the two modes:³⁴⁶ תרומה, therumah, which was lifted up, and תנופה, thenuphah, which is mentioned here, and which was waved towards the four points of the compass, after which a sacrifice and libation were made.

We know that pagan nations³⁴⁷ thus invented gods and goddesses presiding over the fruits, so that the earth was considered the great and common mother of gods and men. Into this error the Jews would have immediately fallen, or would have gorged themselves without thinking about God, unless they had been reminded by this ceremony that the Father of their sustenance was in heaven, and that the earth was His minister for providing their food. For since the whole harvest was consecrated in the single handful, it was as if they had shown that whatever the earth produced belonged entirely to God. Thus, the admirable goodness of God was conspicuous: in claiming what was His own, He did not in any way diminish the food of the people. Afterwards, they received, as if from His hand, whatever each individual had stored at home, just as if it had come out of His sanctuary.

Paul’s statement is well known: For if the first-fruit be holy, the lump is also holy (Romans 11:16), in which he alludes to this ancient ceremony of the Law.

The phrase which they translate “unto your acceptance,”³⁴⁸ is from the same word that interpreters elsewhere render “good pleasure,” referring it to the people, as if it meant “at your own will,” or, as it is crudely put, ad libitum. But I have previously shown that it must be understood as the favor and goodwill of God, although it is transferred in a passive sense to the people. For example, in Psalm 106:4, רצון, ratson, or the favor of the chosen people, means the gratuitous love with which God regards His Church.

Moses, however, signifies that the fruits of the earth cannot otherwise be eaten with a clear conscience, because they would not feel that God accepted them and looked upon them with paternal affection. This ceremony, now abolished, still remains in full force among us as regards its substance. For nothing but the acknowledgment of God’s bounty, which springs from faith and thanksgiving, sanctifies whatever we receive from His hand.

Next to the first-fruits comes the Feast of Weeks, which the Greeks called Pentecost, serving the same purpose. For after they had offered the first-fruits from the standing harvest, they added another token of gratitude in the form of the loaves and the greater sacrifice. It must, however, be observed that the two loaves, consisting of two-tenths, are required of every family, but the sacrifices of seven lambs, one bullock, and two rams, and also of a goat and two lambs, are enjoined upon the whole people. This is, in fact, the legitimate acknowledgment of God’s liberality, because the waving of the sheaf, being performed in haste, was only a minor offering. We have seen that before they touched the grain, God required that the first-fruits should be offered to Him, until, at a time of leisure and greater convenience, they could more fully discharge their duty. Thus, what we have previously observed respecting the first-fruits was only a preparation for the day of Pentecost, on which the holy oblation was not ears of wheat but loaves made from the new wheat.

In the seventh month, in the first day of the month. I wonder how it ever entered the minds of the Jews³⁴⁹ that the Feast of Trumpets commemorated the deliverance of Isaac, when a goat was substituted to be slain in his place;³⁵⁰ but they have invented this with their characteristic audacity. Surely, it is as baseless as it is unreasonable.

Others more rightly suppose that it was a preparation for the approaching Feast of Atonement, due to the short interval of time. Since this day is distinguished by no peculiar mark, it is probable that it should not be separated from the other which follows soon afterward, namely, on the tenth day.

Unless, perhaps, it is more probable that they were thus assembled once a year by the sound of trumpets: first, so that they might learn that all their sacred assemblies were appointed by the voice of God; and secondly, so that His voice was thus renewed, ensuring they would always be ready to obey Him. The expression, a memorial of blowing of trumpets, seems to signify this: as if God had said that the trumpets sounded in their ears once a year so that they might be attentive to God’s voice throughout their lives, and always willing to follow wherever He should command them to go.

Others think that the trumpets sounded at the beginning of the month so that they might prepare themselves for the three festivals, and also because this month was significant in both the Sabbatical year and in the Jubilee. But what if, when God moved this month from being the beginning of the year to the seventh position, He chose to leave it some traces of its original dignity? For it is widely accepted that, until the people came out of Egypt, this was the first month. Some even think that the world was created in this month, which is not without some plausible basis. And even now, in political matters and in things related to this earthly life, the Jews retain this original computation according to unbroken custom; it is only in sacred matters that they begin the year in March.

This indeed seems to me the probable reason why, on the day just mentioned, God renewed the memory of His dominion by a solemn proclamation and assigned this seventh month to both the Jubilee and the Sabbatical year.³⁵¹ The solemnity was completed in one day, differing very little from an ordinary Sabbath, except for the trumpet-blowing and the sacrifice, as is described in Numbers 29. For Moses provides more details there than he does here; he there enumerates a calf, a ram, seven lambs, a goat for a sin offering, with its accompanying offerings, besides the burnt offering of the new moon, and commands an offering to be made by fire of them all. Here, he speaks generally, in a single word.

Also on the tenth day of this seventh month. The word כפר, caphar, from which comes the noun כפרים, cephurim, signifies both to propitiate and to blot out guilt and accusation by means of expiation. כפרים, therefore, are atonements (libationes) for appeasing God. The word is used in the plural because they were not under the imputation of a single kind of guilt, but had need of manifold reconciliations on account of their many and various transgressions.

This was indeed done both publicly and privately throughout the rest of the year, for all the victims they offered were so many satisfactions to obtain pardon and reconcile God. However, to these daily exercises was also added a yearly feast day as a special memorial and as a sharper spur to repentance. For it was appropriate that they should be aroused to pious grief by solemn fasting and sacrifices, since they had provoked God’s wrath against themselves throughout the whole year.

Therefore, on this feast day they were summoned before His tribunal, so that, placing themselves there, they would acknowledge that they deserved this judgment, and yet prayed that they might escape punishment; and this was the object of the fast. Meanwhile, they learned from the sacrifices that they were restored to His favor, since simple confession would have been only a ground for despair.

Thus, therefore, God required of them sorrow and other indications of penitence, so that on His part He might testify that He was duly appeased so as to be propitious to them. The expression, “ye shall afflict your souls,” here refers to the fast, which was required as an outward profession of repentance.

And assuredly, there was no weight in the fast of itself, since God plainly shows through Isaiah that He takes no account of hypocrites who trust that they appease Him by fasting (Isaiah 58:3). But being withdrawn from mere luxurious food and all delicacies, they were reminded of their misery, so that being cast down by grief and humbled, they might more ardently and zealously seek the remedy.

For remission of sins is promised to none but those who, affected by serious sorrow, feel themselves to be lost and miserable, and acknowledge and confess what they have deserved. In this way, a door is opened for imploring God’s mercy. Still, it is not to be supposed that those who are thus dissatisfied with themselves deserve pardon by their preparation for it.³⁵²

But since it would be contrary to God’s nature to embrace with His favor people who are plunged in their iniquities and obstinate in sin, and again, since it would be most unreasonable that by His clemency license to sin should be given under the pretext of impunity, it is necessary that penitence should precede our reconciliation to God.

From this it also appears that He so pardons sinners as still to hate their sins, since He only absolves those who voluntarily condemn themselves, nor does He admit any into His favor except those who forsake their sins. This is not to say that anyone perfectly renounces himself or his sins, but it is through indulgence that penitence is acceptable to God,³⁵³ though it might justly be rejected on account of its deficiencies.

By this, what I have just said is also confirmed: that it is not on account of the merit of our penitence that God acquits us of our sins, as if we redeemed ourselves from guilt and punishment by weeping, sorrowing, and confession. In contrast, even in the best of us, all penitence will always be found to be weak and imperfect. Therefore, the cause and the honor of our pardon must only be ascribed to the gratuitous goodness of God. Hence, I have said that in their fast the Israelites professed their guilt and condemnation, while they were expiated by the sacrifice, since there is no other means of satisfaction.