And in the fifteenth day of this month is the feast: seven days shall unleavened bread be eaten.

NUMBERS 28:17KJV
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Numbers 28:17 (KJV)

What does Numbers 28:17 mean?

Numbers 28:17 states that on the fifteenth day of the specified month, the Israelites are to begin a special festival during which they must eat unleavened bread for seven days. This verse sets the timing and main requirement for the observance of the Feast of Unleavened Bread.

In this passage, God is giving Moses instructions for the Israelites about their religious calendar. The context is a list of offerings and observances that the people are to follow. The fifteenth day refers to the start of the Feast of Unleavened Bread, which immediately follows Passover, and eating unleavened bread is a central part of this festival.

The Hebrew behind Numbers 28:17

  • "fifteenth" (חֲמִשָּׁה עָשָׂר, chamishah asar): This word combines "five" and "ten" to specify the exact day, emphasizing the precise timing of the feast.
  • "feast" (חַג, chag): This word means a festival or pilgrimage feast, highlighting that this is not just a meal but a significant, communal celebration.
  • "bread" (מַצָּה, matzah): This refers specifically to unleavened bread, which is bread made without yeast, symbolizing haste and purity in the context of the Exodus story.

Why Numbers 28:17 matters

  • Numbers 28:17 clarifies that the Feast of Unleavened Bread is a distinct event with its own requirements, separate from but connected to Passover, which helps avoid confusion between the two observances.
  • The verse highlights the importance of precise timing in Israel’s religious life, showing that these festivals were not random but carefully scheduled and commanded by God.
  • By specifying unleavened bread, the verse connects the ritual to the historical memory of the Exodus, deepening the meaning of the festival for the community.

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.