Ye shall dwell in booths seven days; all that are Israelites born shall dwell in booths:
The verse commands all native-born Israelites to leave their houses and live in booths for seven days during the Feast of Tabernacles. The booths were leafy arbors made of branches of goodly trees, palms, pines, myrtles and willows, set up on rooftops, in streets and courtyards, in the courts of God, and on the hills and valleys around Jerusalem. Dwelling in them commemorates Israel's pilgrim tent life in the wilderness, their deliverance from Egypt, and God's miraculous protecting care and guidance over them. Kept in the seventh month after the harvest ingathering and following the Day of Atonement, it was a harvest thanksgiving and a joyful time of rejoicing, sacred song and gratitude for God's goodness, mercy and peace with Heaven. The week's encampment joined sacred remembrance with outdoor fellowship, reunion and generous hospitality to Levites, strangers and the poor, keeping God in the minds of the people and strengthening their ties to Him and to one another.
Observance and Setting
The command is to leave houses and dwell in booths for seven days during the Feast of Tabernacles, binding upon all who are native-born Israelites. The first day was observed as a holy convocation, and an eighth day was added to the seven and observed in the same manner.
The booths were arbors or leafy shelters made from green branches of goodly trees, palms, thick trees and brook willows. Pine or myrtle was included among the green branches used.
They were set up on housetops and rooftops, in streets and courtyards, in the courts of the house of God, and outside the city in valleys and on hillsides. At Jerusalem this meant leafy shelters of branches erected in the streets, temple courts and housetops, as well as on the surrounding hills and valleys.
The feast took place in the seventh month after the harvest ingathering as the closing religious gathering of the year and lasted seven days. It followed the Day of Atonement.
Commemoration and Purpose
Like the Passover, the Feast of Tabernacles was commemorative, and dwelling in booths for seven days commemorated Israel's pilgrim tent life during the wilderness journey and sojourn, when the Hebrews lived in tents. The booths of green boughs recalled that wilderness sojourn, and the feast included a ceremony commemorating that time. The dwelling in booths recalled Israel's deliverance from Egypt and God's miraculous protecting care, guidance, and continued care over the people in the wilderness.
The feast was also a harvest festival and great thanksgiving service, the closing religious gathering of the year, meant to remind the people of God's goodness, mercy, guidance, continued care, and blessing and to prompt thanksgiving for the year's harvest. The land had received His guidance and blessing, and its harvest, olives, oil, dates, and grapes had been gathered for future use, with offerings brought from orchard and field. The week-long encampment in leafy booths therefore joined sacred memorial service with gratitude to God for crowning the year with goodness.
It was a joyful time of rejoicing, sacred song, and thanksgiving, bringing great gladness as the people gathered in Jerusalem free to devote themselves to worship. The seven days were marked by rejoicing and thanksgiving for God's goodness, made warmer by welcoming strangers, Levites, and the poor, within a week of outdoor recreation and social life. Coming after the Day of Atonement, when the people confessed their sins and were declared at peace with Heaven, its joy expressed gratitude for God's goodness and enduring mercy.
That week's encampment joined sacred remembrance with outdoor recreation, social life, fellowship, reunions, and generous hospitality that welcomed the Levites of the sanctuary, strangers, and the poor. With the other feasts it gave the devout in Israel fully a month of every year free from care and labor, devoted almost wholly to education in gratitude, knowledge of God, fellowship with Him, likeness to Him in character imparted by parents to children, encouragement in His service, and strengthened ties to God and one another. As part of God's directions for Israel's annual religious gatherings to keep Him in the people's minds, the feast provides a biblical example of God's people assembling together to worship and a pattern for gratefully remembering how God brings His people out of the world and error into the light of His grace and truth.
The verse commands all native-born Israelites to leave their houses and live in booths for seven days during the Feast of Tabernacles. The booths were leafy arbors made of branches of goodly trees, palms, pines, myrtles and willows, set up on rooftops, in streets and courtyards, in the courts of God, and on the hills and valleys around Jerusalem. Dwelling in them commemorates Israel's pilgrim tent life in the wilderness, their deliverance from Egypt, and God's miraculous protecting care and guidance over them. Kept in the seventh month after the harvest ingathering and following the Day of Atonement, it was a harvest thanksgiving and a joyful time of rejoicing, sacred song and gratitude for God's goodness, mercy and peace with Heaven. The week's encampment joined sacred remembrance with outdoor fellowship, reunion and generous hospitality to Levites, strangers and the poor, keeping God in the minds of the people and strengthening their ties to Him and to one another.
Observance and Setting
The command is to leave houses and dwell in booths for seven days during the Feast of Tabernacles, binding upon all who are native-born Israelites. The first day was observed as a holy convocation, and an eighth day was added to the seven and observed in the same manner.
The booths were arbors or leafy shelters made from green branches of goodly trees, palms, thick trees and brook willows. Pine or myrtle was included among the green branches used.
They were set up on housetops and rooftops, in streets and courtyards, in the courts of the house of God, and outside the city in valleys and on hillsides. At Jerusalem this meant leafy shelters of branches erected in the streets, temple courts and housetops, as well as on the surrounding hills and valleys.
The feast took place in the seventh month after the harvest ingathering as the closing religious gathering of the year and lasted seven days. It followed the Day of Atonement.
Commemoration and Purpose
Like the Passover, the Feast of Tabernacles was commemorative, and dwelling in booths for seven days commemorated Israel's pilgrim tent life during the wilderness journey and sojourn, when the Hebrews lived in tents. The booths of green boughs recalled that wilderness sojourn, and the feast included a ceremony commemorating that time. The dwelling in booths recalled Israel's deliverance from Egypt and God's miraculous protecting care, guidance, and continued care over the people in the wilderness.
The feast was also a harvest festival and great thanksgiving service, the closing religious gathering of the year, meant to remind the people of God's goodness, mercy, guidance, continued care, and blessing and to prompt thanksgiving for the year's harvest. The land had received His guidance and blessing, and its harvest, olives, oil, dates, and grapes had been gathered for future use, with offerings brought from orchard and field. The week-long encampment in leafy booths therefore joined sacred memorial service with gratitude to God for crowning the year with goodness.
It was a joyful time of rejoicing, sacred song, and thanksgiving, bringing great gladness as the people gathered in Jerusalem free to devote themselves to worship. The seven days were marked by rejoicing and thanksgiving for God's goodness, made warmer by welcoming strangers, Levites, and the poor, within a week of outdoor recreation and social life. Coming after the Day of Atonement, when the people confessed their sins and were declared at peace with Heaven, its joy expressed gratitude for God's goodness and enduring mercy.
That week's encampment joined sacred remembrance with outdoor recreation, social life, fellowship, reunions, and generous hospitality that welcomed the Levites of the sanctuary, strangers, and the poor. With the other feasts it gave the devout in Israel fully a month of every year free from care and labor, devoted almost wholly to education in gratitude, knowledge of God, fellowship with Him, likeness to Him in character imparted by parents to children, encouragement in His service, and strengthened ties to God and one another. As part of God's directions for Israel's annual religious gatherings to keep Him in the people's minds, the feast provides a biblical example of God's people assembling together to worship and a pattern for gratefully remembering how God brings His people out of the world and error into the light of His grace and truth.