John Calvin Commentary Leviticus 23:36

"Seven days ye shall offer an offering made by fire unto Jehovah: on the eighth day shall be a holy convocation unto you; and ye shall offer an offering made by fire unto Jehovah: it is a solemn assembly; ye shall do no servile work." — Leviticus 23:36 (ASV)

Seven days you shall offer. They only kept holiday on the first and eighth day, yet they lived in huts and for seven successive days offered sacrifices, a fuller account of which was given elsewhere. What, therefore, Moses distinctly treats of in the book of Numbers, I have preferred to introduce in another place, where I have spoken of the sacrifices in general.

Not all are agreed about the word I have translated “solemnity.”³⁵⁴עצרת, gnatsereth, is derived from עצר, gnatsar, which means both to restrain and to gather together. Some interpreters, therefore, preserve the first etymology, translating it, “it is the retaining or prohibition of God.” But since this meaning is somewhat obscure, I have not hesitated to take it, as in other passages, for a solemnity, because, unquestionably, it sometimes means feast days, sometimes assemblies or conventions. Let my readers, however, choose whichever sense they prefer.

After Moses has prescribed regarding the rest and the offerings, he adds a caution that there should be no reduction of the ordinary service. Otherwise, they might have fraudulently transferred the sacrifices, which they were already required to offer, to the feast days and thus, as the saying is, have endeavored to whitewash two walls out of the same pot.

Therefore, at the beginning of verse 39, the particle אך, ac, seems to be taken adversatively;³⁵⁵ for there is a contrast between the special service of this solemnity and the common rites that were to be observed at other times. It is as if he had said that when they had done all that the Law required every day, they still were not to fail in this observance. And so, they must comply separately with both the general and special command if they were to do their duty properly.

Moreover, by reference to the time, he shows that they should be cheerful in its performance, because they would then incur little loss, as the fruits would all be harvested. And this is what he refers to when he says, “when you have gathered in the fruit of the land;” as if he had said that he was considerate of their convenience, since they would otherwise have been at leisure at home. Thus he removes all excuse (for neglect).

³⁵⁴ A. V., “a solemn assembly.” ., “a solemn assembly.” Margin, “Heb., day of restraint.” restraint.” עצרת from from עצר to retain, detain, or restrain. to retain, detain, or restrain. S.M. says the Latin interpreters commonly render the noun . says the Latin interpreters commonly render the noun an assembly; but the Hebrews interpret it but the Hebrews interpret it a retaining, because the people were still retained a day after the completion of seven days of the solemnity. — because the people were still retained a day after the completion of seven days of the solemnity. — W

³⁵⁵ “Il y a un mot qui emporte antant corame Neantmoins, ou Quoy qu’il en soil;” there is a word which is equivalent to Nevertheless, or At any rate. — ;” there is a word which is equivalent to Nevertheless, or At any rate. — Fr.