And ye shall eat neither bread, nor parched corn, nor green ears, until the selfsame day that ye have brought an offering unto your God: it shall be a statute for ever throughout your generations in all your dwellings.

LEVITICUS 23:14KJV
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Leviticus 23:14 (KJV)

What does Leviticus 23:14 mean?

Leviticus 23:14 commands the Israelites not to eat bread, roasted grain, or fresh grain from the new harvest until they have brought an offering to God on a specific day. This rule is set as a lasting law for all generations, wherever they live.

In this verse, God is speaking to the Israelites through Moses, giving instructions about the Feast of Firstfruits. The people are told to honor God with the first part of their harvest before enjoying any of it themselves. This command highlights the importance of recognizing God as the provider and sets a pattern for worship and gratitude in Israel’s yearly calendar.

The Hebrew behind Leviticus 23:14

  • "Bread" (לֶחֶם, lechem) refers to any kind of baked or prepared grain food, not just loaves. The restriction covers all processed grain from the new crop.
  • "Corn" (קָלִי, qali) means roasted grain, a common way to eat fresh grain in ancient Israel. The verse specifically forbids eating even this simple preparation before the offering.
  • "Ears" (כַּרְמֶל, karmel) points to fresh, green ears of grain, showing that even unprocessed, raw grain from the new harvest was off-limits.
  • "Offering" (קָרְבָּן, qorban) is a general word for a gift or sacrifice brought near to God, emphasizing that the first portion of the harvest was to be dedicated to Him before personal use.

Why Leviticus 23:14 matters

  • Leviticus 23:14 clarifies that the Israelites’ relationship with God included practical, everyday obedience, not just ritual acts in the tabernacle.
  • This verse shows that gratitude and dependence on God were woven into the agricultural cycle, not just religious ceremonies.
  • The command connects to the larger theme of Leviticus 23, where each festival and offering is designed to remind Israel of God’s provision and their ongoing covenant with Him.

Where else these words appear

“corn” Hebrew H7039 · used in 5 verses

  • Ruth 2:14 And Boaz said unto her, At mealtime come thou hither, and eat of the bread, and dip thy morsel in the vinegar. And she sat beside the reapers: and he reached her parched corn, and she did eat, and was sufficed, and left.
  • 1 Samuel 17:17 And Jesse said unto David his son, Take now for thy brethren an ephah of this parched corn, and these ten loaves, and run to the camp to thy brethren;
  • 1 Samuel 25:18 Then Abigail made haste, and took two hundred loaves, and two bottles of wine, and five sheep ready dressed, and five measures of parched corn, and an hundred clusters of raisins, and two hundred cakes of figs, and laid them on asses.

“ears” Hebrew H3759 · used in 11 verses

  • Leviticus 2:14 And if thou offer a meat offering of thy firstfruits unto the LORD, thou shalt offer for the meat offering of thy firstfruits green ears of corn dried by the fire, even corn beaten out of full ears.
  • Isaiah 16:10 And gladness is taken away, and joy out of the plentiful field; and in the vineyards there shall be no singing, neither shall there be shouting: the treaders shall tread out no wine in their presses; I have made their vintage shouting to cease.
  • Isaiah 32:16 Then judgment shall dwell in the wilderness, and righteousness remain in the fruitful field.

“selfsame” Hebrew H2088 · used in 37 verses

  • Genesis 5:1 This is the book of the generations of Adam. In the day that God created man, in the likeness of God made he him;
  • Exodus 13:3 And Moses said unto the people, Remember this day, in which ye came out from Egypt, out of the house of bondage; for by strength of hand the LORD brought you out from this place: there shall no leavened bread be eaten.
  • 1 Kings 17:24 And the woman said to Elijah, Now by this I know that thou art a man of God, and that the word of the LORD in thy mouth is truth.

“dwellings” Hebrew H4186 · used in 43 verses

  • Genesis 10:30 And their dwelling was from Mesha, as thou goest unto Sephar a mount of the east.
  • Leviticus 25:29 And if a man sell a dwelling house in a walled city, then he may redeem it within a whole year after it is sold; within a full year may he redeem it.
  • Job 29:7 When I went out to the gate through the city, when I prepared my seat in the street!