Ye shall do no servile work therein: but ye shall offer an offering made by fire unto the LORD.

LEVITICUS 23:25KJV
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Leviticus 23:25 (KJV)

What does Leviticus 23:25 mean?

Leviticus 23:25 instructs the Israelites not to do any regular work on a special day and instead to present an offering by fire to the LORD. The verse sets apart this day as one of rest and worship, focusing on honoring God rather than daily labor.

In this verse, God is speaking to the people of Israel through Moses, giving them directions about sacred times and festivals. The context is the list of appointed feasts, and this specific instruction is about a day of assembly, where ordinary work is paused and a special sacrifice is made to God.

The Hebrew behind Leviticus 23:25

  • "do" (עָשָׂה, asah): This word means to make or perform. Here, it refers to carrying out work, highlighting what is to be avoided on this day.
  • "servile" (עֲבֹדָה, avodah): This term means labor or service, often referring to work done by servants or for daily needs. The verse singles out this kind of routine, necessary work as what should be set aside.
  • "work" (מְלָאכָה, melakhah): This word means occupation or task, often used for skilled or occupational work. The combination with "servile" emphasizes that all kinds of ordinary labor are to be stopped.
  • "offer" (קָרַב, qarav): This word means to bring near or present. It is used here for bringing an offering to God, stressing the act of drawing close to Him through sacrifice.
  • "fire" (אֵשׁ, esh): This word simply means fire, but in this context, it refers to offerings that are burned, a common way sacrifices were made in ancient Israel.
  • "LORD" (יְהוָה, YHWH): This is the personal name of God in the Hebrew Bible, reminding the reader that the offering is directed specifically to Israel’s covenant God.

Why Leviticus 23:25 matters

  • Leviticus 23:25 clarifies that the focus of the holy day is not just rest, but also actively honoring God through a specific offering, not merely refraining from work.
  • The verse helps distinguish between different kinds of work, showing that even necessary daily labor was to be set aside for the sake of worship on this day.
  • This instruction ties into the larger pattern of sacred times in Leviticus 23, showing how Israel’s calendar was shaped around both rest and acts of worship, not just one or the other.

Where else these words appear

“fire” Hebrew H801 · used in 64 verses

  • Exodus 29:18 And thou shalt burn the whole ram upon the altar: it is a burnt offering unto the LORD: it is a sweet savour, an offering made by fire unto the LORD.
  • Leviticus 6:17 It shall not be baken with leaven. I have given it unto them for their portion of my offerings made by fire; it is most holy, as is the sin offering, and as the trespass offering.
  • Leviticus 24:7 And thou shalt put pure frankincense upon each row, that it may be on the bread for a memorial, even an offering made by fire unto the LORD.

“servile” Hebrew H5656 · used in 125 verses

  • Genesis 29:27 Fulfil her week, and we will give thee this also for the service which thou shalt serve with me yet seven other years.
  • Numbers 4:31 And this is the charge of their burden, according to all their service in the tabernacle of the congregation; the boards of the tabernacle, and the bars thereof, and the pillars thereof, and sockets thereof,
  • 1 Chronicles 23:26 And also unto the Levites; they shall no more carry the tabernacle, nor any vessels of it for the service thereof.

“work” Hebrew H4399 · used in 149 verses

  • Genesis 2:2 And on the seventh day God ended his work which he had made; and he rested on the seventh day from all his work which he had made.
  • Numbers 29:1 And in the seventh month, on the first day of the month, ye shall have an holy convocation; ye shall do no servile work: it is a day of blowing the trumpets unto you.
  • 2 Chronicles 24:13 So the workmen wrought, and the work was perfected by them, and they set the house of God in his state, and strengthened it.