Leviticus 23:40
in Leviticus 23On the first day you are to gather the fruit of majestic trees, the branches of palm trees, and the boughs of leafy trees and of willows of the brook. And you are to rejoice before the LORD your God for seven days.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
And ye shall take you on the first day the fruit of goodly trees, branches of palm-trees, and boughs of thick trees, and willows of the brook; and ye shall rejoice before Jehovah your God seven days.
KJV
And ye shall take you on the first day the boughs of goodly trees, branches of palm trees, and the boughs of thick trees, and willows of the brook; and ye shall rejoice before the Lord your God seven days.
⋯
This verse in Leviticus 23
Commentary
8 notes on this verseBoughs of goodly trees - The Jews and many critics imagine the citron-tree to be intended, and by boughs of thick tree the myrtle.
This site's exposition
Also in the fifteenth day of the seventh month
on Leviticus 23:39-41
The chapter closed its list at verse 37 and then returns to tabernacles to give more. Boughs of goodly trees, palm branches, thick trees and willows of the brook are gathered, and the people are told to rejoice before the LORD their God seven days. The word rejoice occurs once in the whole of Leviticus, here at verse 40, in a book otherwise given to blood, quarantine and penalties.
The record, by era
The Puritans and the Awakening4 voices
Of goodly trees - Namely, olive, myrtle and pine, mentioned, Neh. viii, 15, 16, which were most plentiful there, and which would best preserve their greenness.
The tradition of the Jews is that they were to express their joy by dancing, and singing hymns of praise to God, with musical instruments: and not the common people only, but the wise men of Israel, and their elders, were to do it in the court of the sanctuary: for (say they) the joy with which a man rejoices in doing a commandment is really a great service.
13 ), and is alluded to, Rev. vii. The eighth day some make a distinct feast of itself, but it is called ( John vii. 37 ) that great day of the feast; it was the day on which they returned from their booths, to settle again in their own houses.
quarantine:debris (2026-07-29) — leading-citation-number+unbalanced-parens
And ye shall take you the boughs of goodly trees,....
The Nineteenth Century1 voice
A commentator
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown1802–1910
Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)
While the solid branches were reserved for the construction of the booths, the lighter branches were carried by men, who marched in triumphal procession, singing psalms and crying "Hosanna!" which signifies, "Save, we beseech thee!" (Ps 118:15, 25, 26). It was a season of great rejoicing.
1 more voice on this verse
The Nineteenth Century1 voice
A commentator
Albert Barnes1798–1870
Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869)
proposed
The boughs of goodly trees - Or, the fruit (see the margin) of the citron trees. It is said that every Israelite at the Feast of tabernacles carried in one hand a bundle of branches and in the other a citron. The branches seem to have comprised the boughs of palm-trees, “thick trees” and willows here named. See the note to Lev 23:42; Neh 8:15-16.
How the passage was read
On Leviticus 23:1-44On Leviticus 23:1-44
The year Israel keeps
This chapter is the calendar of the whole Jewish year, and every feast in it is still on the calendar today. In order: the weekly Sabbath; Passover and Unleavened Bread in spring (now kept as the seder meal and a week without leavened bread); Firstfruits (the first sheaf of barley waved before God); Weeks, in Hebrew Shavuot, fifty days later (Christians know the Greek name: Pentecost); then in autumn the Day of Trumpets (now Rosh Hashanah, the Jewish new year, announced by the ram's-horn trumpet called a shofar), the Day of Atonement (Yom Kippur, the great fast), and Tabernacles, in Hebrew Sukkot, when families still build and eat in leafy backyard booths for a week, remembering the wilderness.
So when the New Testament says Jesus or Paul went up for “the feast,” it means one of these appointments: the same calendar, kept for over three thousand years.
This section is reception history: how the passage was read and kept in the Jewish tradition. Where a reading parts from an essential of the Christian faith, the section says so at that point.
Sources: The Feasts of the LORD (this site's study of all seven) · Mishnah Rosh Hashanah 1:1 (the four new years)
The words behind it
20 Hebrew wordsEvery Hebrew word of this verse in the order it stands, with what it means and the door to its own study. The last column counts the times a word stands in the whole Bible: the rarer the word, the more the places it appears belong together.
| Hebrew | Sound | Meaning | Word study | In the Bible |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| וּלְקַחְתֶּ֨ם | ulekachtem | and you will take | H3947 → | 966 times |
| לָכֶ֜ם | lakhem | for <the> yourselves | ||
| בַּיּ֣וֹם | baiyom | on the day | H3117 → | 2304 times |
| הָרִאשׁ֗וֹן | harishon | <the> first | H7223 → | 182 times |
| פְּרִ֨י | peri | fruit of | H6529 → | 119 times |
| עֵ֤ץ | ʾetz | tree[s] of | H6086 → | 328 times |
| הָדָר֙ | hadar | splendor | H1926 → | |
| כַּפֹּ֣ת | kapot | fronds of | H3709 → | 192 times |
| תְּמָרִ֔ים | temarim | palm trees | H8558 → | |
| וַעֲנַ֥ף | vaanaf | and branch[es] of | H6057 → | |
| עֵץ־ | ʾetz- | tree[s] | H6086 → | 328 times |
| עָבֹ֖ת | ʾavot | leafy | H5687 → | |
| וְעַרְבֵי־ | vearvei- | and poplars of | H6155 → | |
| נָ֑חַל | nachal | a wadi | H5158 → | 141 times |
| וּשְׂמַחְתֶּ֗ם | usemachtem | and you will rejoice | H8055 → | |
| לִפְנֵ֛י | lifnei | <to> before | H6440 → | 2123 times |
| יְהוָ֥ה | yahweh | Yahweh | H3068 → | 6520 times |
| אֱלֹהֵיכֶ֖ם | ʾeloheikhem | God your | H430 → | 2601 times |
| שִׁבְעַ֥ת | shivat | seven | H7651 → | 394 times |
| יָמִֽים׃ | yamim | days | H3117 → | 2304 times |
וּלְקַחְתֶּ֨םand you will take
ulekachtemH3947 →966 times
לָכֶ֜םfor <the> yourselves
lakhem
בַּיּ֣וֹםon the day
baiyomH3117 →2304 times
הָרִאשׁ֗וֹן<the> first
harishonH7223 →182 times
פְּרִ֨יfruit of
periH6529 →119 times
עֵ֤ץtree[s] of
ʾetzH6086 →328 times
הָדָר֙splendor
hadarH1926 →
כַּפֹּ֣תfronds of
kapotH3709 →192 times
תְּמָרִ֔יםpalm trees
temarimH8558 →
וַעֲנַ֥ףand branch[es] of
vaanafH6057 →
עֵץ־tree[s]
ʾetz-H6086 →328 times
עָבֹ֖תleafy
ʾavotH5687 →
וְעַרְבֵי־and poplars of
vearvei-H6155 →
נָ֑חַלa wadi
nachalH5158 →141 times
וּשְׂמַחְתֶּ֗םand you will rejoice
usemachtemH8055 →
לִפְנֵ֛י<to> before
lifneiH6440 →2123 times
יְהוָ֥הYahweh
yahwehH3068 →6520 times
אֱלֹהֵיכֶ֖םGod your
ʾeloheikhemH430 →2601 times
שִׁבְעַ֥תseven
shivatH7651 →394 times
יָמִֽים׃days
yamimH3117 →2304 times
A shaded row is a word that stands 400 times or fewer in the Bible.
The walk
8 stopsEach card is a verse this one points to, and under it the verses that one points to in turn. Where several paths arrive at the same place, that place is listed first: the text keeps returning to it.
Through
Philippians 4:4Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice!
it leads to
- 1 Thessalonians 5:16–18
Rejoice at all times.
- Romans 12:12
Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, persistent in prayer.
- James 1:2–4
Consider it pure joy, my brothers, when you encounter trials of many kinds,
- Philippians 3:1
Finally, my brothers, rejoice in the Lord. It is no trouble for me to write the same things to you again, and it is a safeguard for you.
- Matthew 5:12
Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven; for in the same way they persecuted the prophets before you.
- 1 Thessalonians 5:16–18
Through
Revelation 7:9After this I looked and saw a multitude too large to count, from every nation and tribe and people and tongue, standing before the throne and before the Lamb. They were wearing white robes…
it leads to
- Revelation 5:9
And they sang a new song: “Worthy are You to take the scroll and open its seals, because You were slain, and by Your blood You purchased for God those from every tribe and…
- John 12:13
They took palm branches and went out to meet Him, shouting: “Hosanna!” “Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord!” “Blessed is the King of Israel!”
- Revelation 5:9
Through
John 12:13They took palm branches and went out to meet Him, shouting: “Hosanna!” “Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord!” “Blessed is the King of Israel!”
it leads to
- Psalms 118:25–26
O LORD, save us, we pray. We beseech You, O LORD, cause us to prosper!
- Psalms 118:25–26
Where this verse is studied
On this page
Studies10
About Leviticus
This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; Albert Barnes, Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869); Jamieson, Fausset & Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763); John Wesley, Explanatory Notes upon the Old Testament and Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible.