(16) Even unto the morrow after the seventh sabbath.--That is, the day after the seven complete weeks, or the fiftieth day. Hence its name, "Pentecost, or fiftieth-day" feast in the New Testament (Acts 2:1; Acts 20:16; 1 Corinthians 16:8), and "feast of weeks" in the Old Testament (Exodus 34:12; Deuteronomy 16:10; Deuteronomy 16:16; 2 Chronicles 8:13). The fiftieth day, according to the Jewish canons, may fall on the 5th, 6th, or 7th of Sivan, the third month of the year, i.e., from the new moon of May to the new moon of June.
Shall offer a new meat offering.--That is, of the first-fruits of the wheat-harvest in contradistinction to the omer first-fruits, which was of barley-harvest. Hence this festival is also called "the feast of harvest" (Exodus 23:16), because it concluded the harvest of the later grain.
23:15-22 The feast of Weeks was held in remembrance of the giving of the law, fifty days after the departure from Egypt; and looked forward to the outpouring of the Holy Ghost, fifty days after Christ our Passover was sacrificed for us. On that day the apostles presented the first-fruits of the Christian church to God. To the institution of the feast of Pentecost, is added a repetition of that law, by which they were required to leave the gleanings of their fields. Those who are truly sensible of the mercy they received from God, will show mercy to the poor without grudging.
Even unto the morrow after the seventh sabbath,.... Or weeks, forty nine days being counted, the following was the fiftieth day, or Pentecost:
shall ye number fifty days; from whence this feast had the name of Pentecost, Acts 2:1; all in Israel were obliged to number those days, except women and servants (t): the manner of doing it was this (u); on the night of the second (day of the passover), after the evening prayer, they began to number; but if anyone forgot to number at the beginning of the night, he went and numbered all the night; for the commandment is for everyone to number by himself, and he ought to number standing, and to bless first, and number the days and weeks: How? on the first day he says, This is one day, until he comes to seven days, and then he says, This is the seventh day, which is one week; and on the eighth day he says, This is the eighth day, which is one week and one day, and so till he comes to the fourteenth; then he says, This is the fourteenth day, which make two weeks; and in this way he numbers, and goes on until the forty ninth day: and ye shall offer a new meat offering unto the Lord; that is, of new corn, as the Targum of Jonathan and Jarchi explain it, and this was of wheat; for it was the offering for the wheat harvest, which was offered on the fiftieth day from the offering of the sheaf or omer of the barley harvest.
(t) Maimon. Hilchot Tamidin Umusaphim, c. 7. sect. 24. (u) Schulchan Aruch, par. 1. c. 489. sect. 1. & Lebush, ut supra, (c. 489.) sect. 1.
Shall offer a new meat offering.--That is, of the first-fruits of the wheat-harvest in contradistinction to the omer first-fruits, which was of barley-harvest. Hence this festival is also called "the feast of harvest" (Exodus 23:16), because it concluded the harvest of the later grain.
shall ye number fifty days; from whence this feast had the name of Pentecost, Acts 2:1; all in Israel were obliged to number those days, except women and servants (t): the manner of doing it was this (u); on the night of the second (day of the passover), after the evening prayer, they began to number; but if anyone forgot to number at the beginning of the night, he went and numbered all the night; for the commandment is for everyone to number by himself, and he ought to number standing, and to bless first, and number the days and weeks: How? on the first day he says, This is one day, until he comes to seven days, and then he says, This is the seventh day, which is one week; and on the eighth day he says, This is the eighth day, which is one week and one day, and so till he comes to the fourteenth; then he says, This is the fourteenth day, which make two weeks; and in this way he numbers, and goes on until the forty ninth day: and ye shall offer a new meat offering unto the Lord; that is, of new corn, as the Targum of Jonathan and Jarchi explain it, and this was of wheat; for it was the offering for the wheat harvest, which was offered on the fiftieth day from the offering of the sheaf or omer of the barley harvest.
(t) Maimon. Hilchot Tamidin Umusaphim, c. 7. sect. 24. (u) Schulchan Aruch, par. 1. c. 489. sect. 1. & Lebush, ut supra, (c. 489.) sect. 1.