Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of Leviticus 23:7
In the first day ye shall have a holy convocation: ye shall do no servile work therein.
7. servile work ] The expression (see R.V. mg. and introd. note to ch.) is used in reference to the three great festivals and that of the New Year, and implies a less strict abstinence from labour than was demanded by the corresponding rule for the sabbath ( Lev 23:3) and the Day of Atonement ( Lev 23:28). In the former case it was probably only work of an agricultural kind that was forbidden.
Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges
In the first day ye shall have an holy convocation,…. That is, on the first of the seven days of the feast of unleavened bread, even the fifteenth day of the month Nisan; this was separated from the other days of the festival, and more particularly devoted to religions exercises, see Ex 12:16;
ye shall do no servile work therein; such as agriculture, or any manufacture or mechanical business, which they and their servants were at other times employed in; but they might bake bread, and boil or roast their meat, and walk abroad, which they might not do on their sabbaths; and therefore it is so expressed as to distinguish it from the work forbidden on that day.
Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible
(7) In the first day.That is, the first of the seven days, or the fifteenth of the month Nisan. (See Exo. 12:16.)
Ye shall do no servile work therein.Servile work was defined during the second Temple to consist in building, pulling down edifices, weaving, reaping, threshing, winnowing, grinding, &c, whilst needful work which was allowed was killing beasts, kneading dough, baking bread, boiling, roasting, &e. For violating this law the offender was not to be stoned to death, as in the case of violating the sabbath, but to receive forty stripes save one.
Fuente: Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers (Old and New Testaments)
7. No servile work Literally, no service of husbandry, no manual toil. The law always speaks of the days of holy convocation as sabbaths. But labour incident to the festivities, such as the building of booths, was lawful. In addition to the fifty-two sabbaths, the day of atonement was the only day when all kinds of labor was forbidden. On the other six days of holy convocation certain acts not called servile labour might be performed. Too many days of absolute rest are detrimental to the moral tone of a people, and are apt to degenerate from holy days to holidays. God made no such mistake.
Fuente: Whedon’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
Lev 23:7 In the first day ye shall have an holy convocation: ye shall do no servile work therein.
Ver. 7. No servile work. ] But that about victuals. Exo 12:26
Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
servile = laborious.
Fuente: Companion Bible Notes, Appendices and Graphics
Num 28:18-25
Reciprocal: Exo 12:16 – first day Lev 16:29 – do no Lev 23:35 – General Luk 6:1 – the second Joh 6:4 – General Joh 19:31 – that sabbath
Fuente: The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
23:7 In the first day ye shall have an holy convocation: ye shall do no {b} servile work therein.
(b) Or, bodily labour, save about that which one must eat, Exo 12:16.