Seven days you shall offer an offering made by fire to the LORD. On the eighth day shall be a holy convocation to you. You shall offer an offering made by fire to the LORD. It is a solemn assembly; you shall do no regular work.
ExplanationCommentary
Verse 36. Most holy. Hebrew “an holy assembly.” The great day of the festivity, John 7:37.—Congregation. Hebrew hatsereth, “retention.” All were bound to wait till this day was over. In other festivals, it was sufficient if they were present one day. This was the concluding day of the feast of tabernacles. Septuagint exodion. Plutarch (Sym. iv. 5.) observes, that this festival greatly resembles that of Bacchus. Ovid (Fast. iii.) speaking of the feast of Anna Perenna, describes it thus:
Sub Jove pars durat, pauci tentoria ponunt,
Sub quibus e ramis frondea facta casa est.
Casaubon (on Athen. iv. 9. and verse 5.) mentions other feasts, on which the pagans dwelt under tents. The devil has caused his slaves to imitate most of the holy ceremonies of the true religion. Calmet.