The Meaning of Leviticus 23:20 Explained

Leviticus 23:20

KJV: And the priest shall wave them with the bread of the firstfruits for a wave offering before the LORD, with the two lambs: they shall be holy to the LORD for the priest.

YLT: and the priest hath waved them, besides the bread of the first -fruits -- a wave-offering before Jehovah, besides the two lambs; they are holy to Jehovah for the priest;

Darby: And the priest shall wave them with the bread of the first-fruits as a wave-offering before Jehovah, with the two he-lambs; they shall be holy to Jehovah, for the priest.

ASV: And the priest shall wave them with the bread of the first-fruits for a wave-offering before Jehovah, with the two lambs: they shall be holy to Jehovah for the priest.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

And the priest  shall wave  them with the bread  of the firstfruits  [for] a wave offering  before  the LORD,  with the two  lambs:  they shall be holy  to the LORD  for the priest. 

What does Leviticus 23:20 Mean?

Context Summary

Leviticus 23:15-32 - Wave-Loaves, Trumpets And Atonement
The Hebrew feasts divide themselves into two groups, connected with the Passover and the Day of Atonement, respectively, and occurring in the first and seventh months of the year. First came the Passover, on the fourteenth day of the first month, followed closely by the Week of Unleavened Bread, and at a distance of seven weeks further on by the Feast of Pentecost (Pentecost is the Greek word for fifty; see Leviticus 23:16).
These three form the first group. Six months afterward, on the tenth day of the seventh month, came the most solemn day in the whole year-the Day of Atonement. It was preceded by the Feast of Trumpets, and followed closely by the Feast of Tabernacles. This was the second group. But each group set forth a distinct aspect of redemption. In the Passover, we are reminded that we were redeemed from sin: in the Atonement, that we are redeemed to God. Do not forget to find Christ's resurrection in Leviticus 23:11, and the first-fruits of the Spirit in Leviticus 23:17. [source]

Chapter Summary: Leviticus 23

1  The feasts of the Lord
3  the Sabbath
4  The Passover
9  The sheaf of firstfruits
15  The feast of Pentecost
22  Gleanings to be left for the poor
23  The feast of trumpets
26  The day of atonement
33  The feast of tabernacles

What do the individual words in Leviticus 23:20 mean?

And shall wave the priest them with the bread of the firstfruits [as] a wave offering before Yahweh with two the lambs holy they shall be to Yahweh for the priest
וְהֵנִ֣יף הַכֹּהֵ֣ן ׀ אֹתָ֡ם עַל֩ לֶ֨חֶם הַבִּכּוּרִ֤ים תְּנוּפָה֙ לִפְנֵ֣י יְהוָ֔ה עַל־ שְׁנֵ֖י כְּבָשִׂ֑ים קֹ֛דֶשׁ יִהְי֥וּ לַיהוָ֖ה לַכֹּהֵֽן

וְהֵנִ֣יף  And  shall  wave 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Hifil, Conjunctive perfect, third person masculine singular
Root: הֲנָפָה 
Sense: to move to and fro, wave, besprinkle.
הַכֹּהֵ֣ן ׀  the  priest 
Parse: Article, Noun, masculine singular
Root: כֹּהֵן  
Sense: priest, principal officer or chief ruler.
לֶ֨חֶם  the  bread 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: לֶחֶם  
Sense: bread, food, grain.
הַבִּכּוּרִ֤ים  of  the  firstfruits 
Parse: Article, Noun, masculine plural
Root: בִּכּוּרִים  
Sense: first-fruits.
תְּנוּפָה֙  [as]  a  wave  offering 
Parse: Noun, feminine singular
Root: תְּנוּפָה  
Sense: swinging, waving, wave offering, offering.
לִפְנֵ֣י  before 
Parse: Preposition-l, Noun, common plural construct
Root: לִפְנֵי 
Sense: face.
יְהוָ֔ה  Yahweh 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: יהוה 
Sense: the proper name of the one true God.
שְׁנֵ֖י  two 
Parse: Number, mdc
Root: שְׁנַיִם  
Sense: two.
כְּבָשִׂ֑ים  the  lambs 
Parse: Noun, masculine plural
Root: כֶּבֶשׂ  
Sense: lamb, sheep, young ram.
קֹ֛דֶשׁ  holy 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular
Root: קֹדֶשׁ  
Sense: apartness, holiness, sacredness, separateness.
יִהְי֥וּ  they  shall  be 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Imperfect, third person masculine plural
Root: אֶהְיֶה 
Sense: to be, become, come to pass, exist, happen, fall out.
לַיהוָ֖ה  to  Yahweh 
Parse: Preposition-l, Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: יהוה 
Sense: the proper name of the one true God.
לַכֹּהֵֽן  for  the  priest 
Parse: Preposition-l, Article, Noun, masculine singular
Root: כֹּהֵן  
Sense: priest, principal officer or chief ruler.