And ye shall do no work in that same day: for it is a day of atonement, to make an atonement for you before the LORD your God.

LEVITICUS 23:28KJV
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Leviticus 23:28 (KJV)

What does Leviticus 23:28 mean?

Leviticus 23:28 commands the Israelites not to do any work on the Day of Atonement because it is a special day set aside for making atonement before God. The verse emphasizes that this day is dedicated to seeking forgiveness and being made right with the LORD, not for ordinary activities.

In this verse, God is speaking to Moses, instructing him to tell the people of Israel about the requirements for the Day of Atonement. This day was a central part of Israel’s calendar, focused on reconciliation with God. The command to avoid work highlights the seriousness and sacredness of the occasion, setting it apart from regular days.

The Hebrew behind Leviticus 23:28

  • "work" (מְלָאכָה, melakhah): This word refers to ordinary labor or occupational tasks, not just any activity. The command is about refraining from regular work, not from all movement or action.
  • "atonement" (כִּפֻּרִים, kippurim from the root כָּפַר, kaphar): This word means covering or reconciliation. The focus is on the idea of sins being covered or dealt with so that the relationship with God can be restored.
  • "before" (לִפְנֵי, lifnei): This means "in the presence of" or "before" the LORD, stressing that the atonement is made directly in God’s presence, not just as a ritual but as a real encounter with God.

Why Leviticus 23:28 matters

  • Leviticus 23:28 clarifies that the Day of Atonement is not just a holiday but a day with a unique spiritual purpose, centered on seeking forgiveness and restoration with God.
  • The verse shows that the command to rest is not about physical rest alone but about focusing entirely on the act of atonement and God’s presence.
  • This instruction fits into the larger context of Leviticus 23, which lists Israel’s sacred times and festivals, highlighting how each one has a distinct role in the community’s relationship with God.

Where else these words appear

“atonement” Hebrew H3725 · used in 8 verses

  • Exodus 29:36 And thou shalt offer every day a bullock for a sin offering for atonement: and thou shalt cleanse the altar, when thou hast made an atonement for it, and thou shalt anoint it, to sanctify it.
  • Exodus 30:16 And thou shalt take the atonement money of the children of Israel, and shalt appoint it for the service of the tabernacle of the congregation; that it may be a memorial unto the children of Israel before the LORD, to make an atonement for your souls.
  • Leviticus 25:9 Then shalt thou cause the trumpet of the jubile to sound on the tenth day of the seventh month, in the day of atonement shall ye make the trumpet sound throughout all your land.

“atonement” Hebrew H3722 · used in 94 verses

  • Genesis 6:14 Make thee an ark of gopher wood; rooms shalt thou make in the ark, and shalt pitch it within and without with pitch.
  • Leviticus 14:21 And if he be poor, and cannot get so much; then he shall take one lamb for a trespass offering to be waved, to make an atonement for him, and one tenth deal of fine flour mingled with oil for a meat offering, and a log of oil;
  • Numbers 28:22 And one goat for a sin offering, to make an atonement for you.

“same” Hebrew H6106 · used in 108 verses

  • Genesis 2:23 And Adam said, This is now bone of my bones, and flesh of my flesh: she shall be called Woman, because she was taken out of Man.
  • 2 Kings 13:21 And it came to pass, as they were burying a man, that, behold, they spied a band of men; and they cast the man into the sepulchre of Elisha: and when the man was let down, and touched the bones of Elisha, he revived, and stood up on his feet.
  • Proverbs 3:8 It shall be health to thy navel, and marrow to thy bones.

“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.