And on the fifteenth day of the same month is the feast of unleavened bread unto the LORD: seven days ye must eat unleavened bread.

LEVITICUS 23:6KJV
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Leviticus 23:6 (KJV)

What does Leviticus 23:6 mean?

Leviticus 23:6 states that on the fifteenth day of the same month, the Israelites are to begin the Feast of Unleavened Bread, a seven-day period during which they must eat bread made without yeast, as an observance dedicated to the LORD. This verse sets out a specific time and practice for this festival within the Israelite calendar.

In this verse, God is instructing the people of Israel, through Moses, about the timing and requirements of a key festival. The setting is the wilderness, as God gives Moses detailed laws and instructions for worship and community life. The focus is on the ritual of eating only unleavened bread for seven days, marking a special period of remembrance and dedication.

The Hebrew behind Leviticus 23:6

  • חַג (chag, "feast"): This word refers specifically to a festival or pilgrimage celebration, emphasizing that this is not just a meal but a communal and sacred event.
  • מַצּוֹת (matzot, "unleavened bread"): This term means bread made without yeast, highlighting the requirement for purity and haste, as leaven often symbolized corruption or delay.
  • יְהוָה (YHWH, "LORD"): The use of God’s personal name underlines that this feast is an offering and act of obedience directed specifically to the God of Israel, not just a cultural tradition.
  • שִׁבְעַת (shiv'at, "seven"): The number seven often represents completeness in the Hebrew Bible, so the seven-day duration signals a full, set-apart period.

Why Leviticus 23:6 matters

  • Leviticus 23:6 clarifies that the Feast of Unleavened Bread is distinct from Passover, even though they are closely connected and occur back-to-back in the calendar.
  • The verse emphasizes the importance of following God’s instructions exactly, down to the type of bread eaten and the length of the observance.
  • This command connects to the larger story of the Exodus, reminding the Israelites of their deliverance from Egypt and the need to remember that event through specific, repeated actions.

Where else these words appear

“bread” Hebrew H4682 · used in 42 verses

  • Genesis 19:3 And he pressed upon them greatly; and they turned in unto him, and entered into his house; and he made them a feast, and did bake unleavened bread, and they did eat.
  • Leviticus 2:4 And if thou bring an oblation of a meat offering baken in the oven, it shall be unleavened cakes of fine flour mingled with oil, or unleavened wafers anointed with oil.
  • Deuteronomy 16:16 Three times in a year shall all thy males appear before the LORD thy God in the place which he shall choose; in the feast of unleavened bread, and in the feast of weeks, and in the feast of tabernacles: and they shall not appear before the LORD empty:

“feast” Hebrew H2282 · used in 55 verses

  • Exodus 10:9 And Moses said, We will go with our young and with our old, with our sons and with our daughters, with our flocks and with our herds will we go; for we must hold a feast unto the LORD.
  • Deuteronomy 16:16 Three times in a year shall all thy males appear before the LORD thy God in the place which he shall choose; in the feast of unleavened bread, and in the feast of weeks, and in the feast of tabernacles: and they shall not appear before the LORD empty:
  • Psalms 81:3 Blow up the trumpet in the new moon, in the time appointed, on our solemn feast day.