And he shall wave the sheaf before the LORD, to be accepted for you: on the morrow after the sabbath the priest shall wave it.

LEVITICUS 23:11KJV
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Leviticus 23:11 (KJV)

What does Leviticus 23:11 mean?

Leviticus 23:11 describes how the priest is to take a sheaf of the first harvested grain and wave it before the LORD so that the offering will be accepted on behalf of the people. This ceremony is to take place on the day after the Sabbath during the Feast of Unleavened Bread.

In this verse, God is giving Moses instructions for the Israelites about a special ritual connected to their harvest festival. The priest’s action of waving the sheaf is a symbolic gesture, showing that the first and best of the harvest is dedicated to God. This ceremony marks the beginning of the grain harvest and sets the tone for the rest of the festival.

The Hebrew behind Leviticus 23:11

  • "Wave" (נָף naph): This word means to move something back and forth, often as a sign of presenting or dedicating it. Here, it shows that the offering is being formally given to God.
  • "Sheaf" (עֹמֶר omer): This refers to a bundle of cut grain stalks. The "omer" is not just any grain, but the very first portion gathered, highlighting the idea of giving God the first fruits.
  • "Before" (פָּנִים panim): This word means "in the presence of" or "before" someone. The sheaf is waved directly "before the LORD" (יְהוָה YHWH), emphasizing that this act is done in God’s presence.
  • "Accepted" (רָצוֹן ratson): This means something is pleasing or accepted. The ritual is meant to make the offering favorable to God on behalf of the people.
  • "Morrow" (מָחֳרָת macharat): This means the next day, specifically the day after the Sabbath, clarifying the timing of this ceremony.

Why Leviticus 23:11 matters

  • This verse clarifies that the offering of firstfruits is not just a private act but a public ceremony led by the priest, showing the community’s dependence on God for their harvest.
  • The timing—“on the morrow after the sabbath”—has been the subject of much discussion, and this verse anchors the ritual to a specific point in the festival calendar.
  • The act of waving the sheaf “before the LORD” sets a pattern for other offerings and rituals, highlighting the importance of dedicating the first and best to God as an act of trust and gratitude.

Where else these words appear

“sheaf” Hebrew H6016 · used in 14 verses

  • Exodus 16:16 This is the thing which the LORD hath commanded, Gather of it every man according to his eating, an omer for every man, according to the number of your persons; take ye every man for them which are in his tents.
  • Exodus 16:33 And Moses said unto Aaron, Take a pot, and put an omer full of manna therein, and lay it up before the LORD, to be kept for your generations.
  • Leviticus 23:15 And ye shall count unto you from the morrow after the sabbath, from the day that ye brought the sheaf of the wave offering; seven sabbaths shall be complete:

“morrow” Hebrew H4283 · used in 32 verses

  • Genesis 19:34 And it came to pass on the morrow, that the firstborn said unto the younger, Behold, I lay yesternight with my father: let us make him drink wine this night also; and go thou in, and lie with him, that we may preserve seed of our father.
  • Numbers 16:41 But on the morrow all the congregation of the children of Israel murmured against Moses and against Aaron, saying, Ye have killed the people of the LORD.
  • 1 Samuel 11:11 And it was so on the morrow, that Saul put the people in three companies; and they came into the midst of the host in the morning watch, and slew the Ammonites until the heat of the day: and it came to pass, that they which remained were scattered, so that two of them were not left together.

“wave” Hebrew H5130 · used in 35 verses

  • Exodus 20:25 And if thou wilt make me an altar of stone, thou shalt not build it of hewn stone: for if thou lift up thy tool upon it, thou hast polluted it.
  • Leviticus 14:24 And the priest shall take the lamb of the trespass offering, and the log of oil, and the priest shall wave them for a wave offering before the LORD:
  • Joshua 8:31 As Moses the servant of the LORD commanded the children of Israel, as it is written in the book of the law of Moses, an altar of whole stones, over which no man hath lift up any iron: and they offered thereon burnt offerings unto the LORD, and sacrificed peace offerings.

“accepted” Hebrew H7522 · used in 56 verses

  • Genesis 49:6 O my soul, come not thou into their secret; unto their assembly, mine honour, be not thou united: for in their anger they slew a man, and in their selfwill they digged down a wall.
  • Psalms 30:5 For his anger endureth but a moment; in his favour is life: weeping may endure for a night, but joy cometh in the morning.
  • Proverbs 14:9 Fools make a mock at sin: but among the righteous there is favour.