Bible Dictionary: Firstfruits

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Smith's Bible Dictionary

Firstfruits

The law ordered in general that the first of all ripe fruits and of liquors, or, as it is twice expressed, the first of first-fruits, should be offered in God's house. (Exodus 22:29; 23:19; 34:27) It was an act of allegiance to God as the giver of all. No exact quantity was commanded, but it was left to the spiritual and moral sense of each individual.
On the morrow after the passover sabbath, i.e. on the 16th of Nisan, a sheaf of new corn was to be brought to the priest and waved before the altar, in acknowledgment of the gift of fruitfulness. (Leviticus 2:12; 23:5,6,10,12)
At the expiration of seven weeks from this time, i.e. at the feast of pentecost, an oblation was to be made from the new flour, which were to be waved in like manner with the passover sheaf. (Exodus 34:22; Leviticus 23:15,17; Numbers 28:26)
The feast of ingathering, i.e. the feast of tabernacles, in the seventh month, was itself an acknowledgment of the fruits of the harvest. (Exodus 23:16; 34:22; Leviticus 23:39) These four sorts of offerings were national. Besides them, the two following were of an individual kind.
A cake of the first dough that was baked was to be offered as a heave-offering. (Numbers 15:19,21)
The first-fruits of the land were to be brought in a basket to the holy place of God's choice, and there presented to the priest, who was to set the basket down before the altar. (26:2-11) The offerings were the perquisite of the priests. (Numbers 18:11; 18:4) Nehemiah, at the return from captivity, took pains to reorganize the offerings of first-fruits of both kinds, and to appoint places to receive them. (Nehemiah 10:35,37; 12:44) An offering of first-fruits is mentioned as an acceptable one to the prophet Elisha. (2 Kings 4:42)

ATS Bible Dictionary

Firstfruits

Presents made to God of part of the fruits of the harvest, to express the submission, dependence, and thankfulness of the offerers. The portion given was instead of the whole, in acknowledgement that all was due to God. They were offered in the temple before the crop was gathered on the fifteenth of Nisan, in the evening, and threshed in a court of the temple. After it was well cleaned, about three pints of it were roasted, and pounded in a mortar. Over this was thrown a measure of olive oil and a handful of incense; and the priest, taking the offering, waved it before the Lord towards the four cardinal points, throwing a handful of it into the fire on the altar, and keeping the rest. After this, all were at liberty to get in the harvest. When the wheat harvest was over, on the day of Pentecost they offered as first fruits of another, in the name of the nation, two loaves, of about three pints of flour each, made of leavened dough, Le 23:10,17. In addition to these firstfruits, every private person was obliged to bring his firstfruits to the temple, but Scripture prescribes neither the time nor the quantity.

There was, besides this, another sort of firstfruits paid to God, Numbers 15:19,21 Nehemiah 10:37: when the bread in the family was kneaded, a portion of it was set apart, and given to the priest or Levite of the place; if there were no priest or Levite, it was cast into the oven and there consumed.

Those offerings are also often called firstfruits, which were brought by the Israelites from devotion, to the temple, for the feast of thanksgiving, to which they invited their relations and friends, and the Levites of their cities. The firstfruits and tenths were the most considerable revenue of the priests and Levites.

Christians have "the firstfruits of the Holy Spirit," Romans 8:23; that is, more abundant and more excellent gifts than the Jews; these were also a foretaste of the full harvest. "Christ is risen from the dead, and become the firstfruits of them that slept," 1 1 Corinthians 15:20, the forerunner of all those who, because he lives, shall live also, John 14:19.

Easton's Bible Dictionary

The first-fruits of the ground were offered unto God just as the first-born of man and animals.

The law required,

(1.) That on the morrow after the Passover Sabbath a sheaf of new corn should be waved by the priest before the altar (Leviticus 23:5, 6, 10, 12; 2:12).

(2.) That at the feast of Pentecost two loaves of leavened bread, made from the new flour, were to be waved in like manner (Leviticus 23:15, 17; Numbers 28:26).

(3.) The feast of Tabernacles was an acknowledgement that the fruits of the harvest were from the Lord (Exodus 23:16; 34:22).

(4.) Every individual, besides, was required to consecrate to God a portion of the first-fruits of the land (Exodus 22:29; 23:19; 34:26; Numbers 15:20, 21).

(5.) The law enjoined that no fruit was to be gathered from newly-planted fruit-trees for the first three years, and that the first-fruits of the fourth year were to be consecrated to the Lord (Leviticus 19:23-25). Jeremiah (2:3) alludes to the ordinance of "first-fruits," and hence he must have been acquainted with the books of Exodus, Leviticus, and Numbers, where the laws regarding it are recorded.

International Standard Bible Encyclopedia

FIRST-FRUITS

furst'-froots (re'shith, bikkurim; aparche. Septuagint translates re'shith by aparche, but for bikkurim it uses the word protogennemata; compare Philo 22 33):

In acknowledgment of the fact that the land and all its products were the gift of Yahweh to Israel, and in thankfulness for His bounty, all the first-fruits were offered to Him. These were offered in their natural state (e.g. cereals, tree fruits, grapes), or after preparation (e.g. musk, oil, flour, dough), after which the Israelite was at liberty to use the rest (Exodus 23:19 Numbers 15:20; Numbers 18:12 Deuteronomy 26:2 Nehemiah 10:35, 37). No absolute distinction can be made between re'shith and bikkurim, but re'shith seems generally to mean what is prepared by human labor, and bikkurim the direct product of Nature. The phrase "the first of the first-fruits" (Exodus 23:19; Exodus 34:26 Ezekiel 44:30), Hebrew re'shith bikkure, Greek aparchai ton protogennematon, is not quite clear. It may mean the first-ripe or the choicest of the first-fruits.

The re'shith offerings were individual, except that a re'shith of dough was to be offered as a heave offering (Numbers 15:17-21). The priest waved a re'shith of corn before the Lord on the morrow after the Sabbath in the week of unleavened bread (Leviticus 23:9-11). These offerings all fell to the priest (Numbers 18:12). Bikkurim refers specially to things sown (Exodus 23:16 Leviticus 2:14). At the Feast of Weeks, seven weeks after the offering of the sheaf, bikkurim of corn in the ear, parched with fire and bruised, were brought to the House of the Lord as a meal offering (Exodus 34:22-26 Leviticus 2:14-16). The bikkurim also fell to the priest, except a portion which was burned as a memorial (Leviticus 2:8-10, 16).

The beautiful ceremony of the offering of the re'shith in the House of God is described in Deuteronomy 26:1-11, and is enlarged upon in the Talmud (Bikkurim 3 2). According to the Talmud (Terumoth 4 3) a sixtieth part of the first-fruits in a prepared form was the minimum that could be offered; the more generous brought a fortieth part, and even a thirtieth. The fruits of newly planted trees were not to be gathered during the first three years; the fruits of the fourth year were consecrated to Yahweh, and from the fifth year the fruits belonged to the owner of the trees (Leviticus 19:23-25). According to Mishna, `Orlah i.10, even the shells of nuts and pomegranates could not be used during the first three years as coloring matter or for the lighting of fires. It is held by some scholars that the institution of the tithe (see TITHE) is a later development from the first-fruits.

Figurative: In the Old Testament, in Jeremiah 2:3, Israel is called "the re'shith of his increase." In the New Testament aparche is applied figuratively to the first convert or converts in a particular place (Romans 16:5 1 Corinthians 16:15); to the Christians of that age (James 1:18 2 Thessalonians 2:13, WHm), and to the 144,000 in heaven (Revelation 14:4); to Christ, as the first who rose from the dead (1 Corinthians 15:20, 23); also to the blessings which we receive now through the Spirit, the earnest of greater blessings to come (Romans 8:23).

Paul Levertoff

Greek

536. aparche -- the beginning of a sacrifice, ie the first fruit
... firstfruits. From a compound of apo and archomai; a beginning of sacrifice, ie The
(Jewish) first-fruit (figuratively) -- first-fruits. see GREEK apo. ...
//strongsnumbers.com/greek2/536.htm - 6k

Strong's Hebrew

7225. reshith -- beginning, chief
... first (16), first fruits (7), foremost (2). beginning, chiefest, firstfruits,
part, time, principal thing. From the same as ro'sh ...
/hebrew/7225.htm - 6k

Library

How we Ought Also to Offer Our Firstfruits to the Lord.
... The Conferences of John Cassian. Chapter XXVI. How we ought also to offer
our firstfruits to the Lord. But what shall I say of the ...
/.../cassian/the conferences of john cassian/chapter xxvi how we ought.htm

Of the Offering of Tithes and Firstfruits.
... The Conferences of John Cassian. Chapter III. Of the offering of tithes
and firstfruits. For indeed by the Lord's command tithes ...
/.../cassian/the conferences of john cassian/chapter iii of the offering.htm

Proof that the Divinity of the Saviour is Impassible.
... 6. The divine Apostle calls our Saviour Christ "the firstfruits of them that slept,"
[1601] but the firstfruits are related to the whole whereof they are ...
/.../the ecclesiastical history of theodoret/proof that the divinity of.htm

The Firstborn.
... "But now is Christ risen from the dead, and become the Firstfruits of them that
slept" (1 Corinthians 15:20). By His glorious resurrection ...
//christianbookshelf.org/gaebelein/the lord of glory/the firstborn.htm

The Fifth vision "In Heaven"
... They are comparatively a small body, but these are the firstfruits to God and the
Lamb; and the firstfruits are necessarily a small proportion compared with ...
/.../bullinger/commentary on revelation/the fifth vision in heaven.htm

The Answer.
... up, which as we read was figuratively foreshadowed also in the Old Testament, where
when seven weeks were fulfilled the bread of the firstfruits was ordered to ...
/.../cassian/the conferences of john cassian/chapter xx the answer.htm

Third Sunday after Easter Second Sermon.
... 20 But now hath Christ been raised from the dead, the firstfruits of them that are
asleep.21 For since by man came death, by man came also the resurrection of ...
/.../luther/epistle sermons vol ii/third sunday after easter second.htm

Jesus Living at Nazareth and visiting Jerusalem in his Twelfth ...
... It took place at the full moon which occurred next after the vernal equinox. At
it the firstfruits of the harvest were offered (Leviticus 23:10-15). ...
/.../mcgarvey/the four-fold gospel/xvi jesus living at nazareth.htm

Of the Fact that the Precepts of the Gospel are Milder than those ...
... But as sin is alive in one who loves marriage, so is it also in one who
is satisfied with merely paying his tithes and firstfruits. ...
/.../cassian/the conferences of john cassian/chapter xxxiii of the fact.htm

September 8 Evening
... SEPTEMBER 8 EVENING. Christ the firstfruits."I:COR.15:23. Except a corn
of wheat fall into the ground and die, it abideth alone ...
/.../anonymous/daily light on the daily path/september 8 evening.htm

Thesaurus

Firstfruits (37 Occurrences)
... Paul Levertoff. Multi-Version Concordance Firstfruits (37 Occurrences). ... Salute my
well-beloved Epaenetus, who is the firstfruits of Achaia unto Christ. (KJV). ...
/f/firstfruits.htm - 24k

Vigour (8 Occurrences)
... Genesis 49:3 Reuben, thou art my firstborn, My might, and the firstfruits of my
vigour: Excellency of dignity, and excellency of strength. (DBY). ...
/v/vigour.htm - 8k

Fruits (109 Occurrences)
... Romans 11:16 Now if the firstfruits of the dough are holy, so also is the whole
mass; and if the root of a tree is holy, so also are the branches. ...
/f/fruits.htm - 37k

Kid (42 Occurrences)
... (KJV JPS ASV DBY WBS YLT RSV). Exodus 23:19 The first of the firstfruits of
thy land thou shalt bring into the house of the LORD thy God. ...
/k/kid.htm - 20k

Ingathering (4 Occurrences)
... Exodus 23:16 And the feast of harvest, the firstfruits of thy labors, which thou
hast sown in the field: and the feast of ingathering, which is in the end of ...
/i/ingathering.htm - 8k

Epaenetus (1 Occurrence)
... Paul describes him as (1) "my beloved," (2) "who is the firstfruits of Asia unto
Christ." Textus Receptus of the New Testament has "firstfruits of Achaia" but ...
/e/epaenetus.htm - 8k

Dried (66 Occurrences)
... Leviticus 2:14 And if thou offer a meat offering of thy firstfruits unto the LORD,
thou shalt offer for the meat offering of thy firstfruits green ears of corn ...
/d/dried.htm - 26k

Shearing (6 Occurrences)
... Deuteronomy 18:4 The firstfruits also of thy corn, of thy new wine, and of thine
oil, and the firstfruits of the shearing of thy sheep, shalt thou give him ...
/s/shearing.htm - 9k

Seethe (8 Occurrences)
... morning. (KJV JPS). Exodus 23:19 The first of the firstfruits of thy land
thou shalt bring into the house of the LORD thy God. Thou ...
/s/seethe.htm - 9k

Green (72 Occurrences)
... Leviticus 2:14 And if thou offer a meat offering of thy firstfruits unto the LORD,
thou shalt offer for the meat offering of thy firstfruits green ears of corn ...
/g/green.htm - 31k

Bible Concordance

Firstfruits (37 Occurrences)

Romans 8:23 And not only they, but ourselves also, which have the firstfruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves, waiting for the adoption, to wit, the redemption of our body.
(KJV NIV)

Romans 11:16 Now if the firstfruits of the dough are holy, so also is the whole mass; and if the root of a tree is holy, so also are the branches.
(WEY NIV)

Romans 16:5 Likewise greet the church that is in their house. Salute my well-beloved Epaenetus, who is the firstfruits of Achaia unto Christ.
(KJV)

1 Corinthians 15:20 But now is Christ risen from the dead, and become the firstfruits of them that slept.
(KJV ASV NIV)

1 Corinthians 15:23 But every man in his own order: Christ the firstfruits; afterward they that are Christ's at his coming.
(KJV ASV NIV)

1 Corinthians 16:15 I beseech you, brethren, (ye know the house of Stephanas, that it is the firstfruits of Achaia, and that they have addicted themselves to the ministry of the saints,)
(KJV ASV)

James 1:18 Of his own will begat he us with the word of truth, that we should be a kind of firstfruits of his creatures.
(KJV WEY ASV NIV)

Revelation 14:4 These are they which were not defiled with women; for they are virgins. These are they which follow the Lamb whithersoever he goeth. These were redeemed from among men, being the firstfruits unto God and to the Lamb.
(KJV WEY ASV NIV)

Genesis 49:3 Reuben, thou art my firstborn, My might, and the firstfruits of my vigour: Excellency of dignity, and excellency of strength.
(DBY)

Exodus 23:16 And the feast of harvest, the firstfruits of thy labors, which thou hast sown in the field: and the feast of ingathering, which is in the end of the year, when thou hast gathered in thy labors out of the field.
(KJV NIV)

Exodus 23:19 The first of the firstfruits of thy land thou shalt bring into the house of the LORD thy God. Thou shalt not seethe a kid in his mother's milk.
(KJV NIV)

Exodus 34:22 And thou shalt observe the feast of weeks, of the firstfruits of wheat harvest, and the feast of ingathering at the year's end.
(KJV NIV)

Exodus 34:26 The first of the firstfruits of thy land thou shalt bring unto the house of the LORD thy God. Thou shalt not seethe a kid in his mother's milk.
(KJV NIV)

Leviticus 2:12 As an offering of firstfruits you shall offer them to Yahweh: but they shall not ascend for a pleasant aroma on the altar.
(WEB KJV NIV)

Leviticus 2:14 And if thou offer a meat offering of thy firstfruits unto the LORD, thou shalt offer for the meat offering of thy firstfruits green ears of corn dried by the fire, even corn beaten out of full ears.
(KJV NIV)

Leviticus 23:10 Speak unto the children of Israel, and say unto them, When ye be come into the land which I give unto you, and shall reap the harvest thereof, then ye shall bring a sheaf of the firstfruits of your harvest unto the priest:
(KJV)

Leviticus 23:17 Ye shall bring out of your habitations two wave loaves of two tenth deals; they shall be of fine flour; they shall be baked with leaven; they are the firstfruits unto the LORD.
(KJV NIV)

Leviticus 23:20 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.
(KJV NIV)

Numbers 18:12 All the best of the oil, and all the best of the wine, and of the wheat, the firstfruits of them which they shall offer unto the LORD, them have I given thee.
(KJV DBY NIV)

Numbers 18:13 The first-ripe fruits of all that is in their land, which they bring unto the LORD, shall be thine; every one that is clean in thy house may eat thereof.
(See NIV)

Numbers 28:26 Also in the day of the firstfruits, when ye bring a new meat offering unto the LORD, after your weeks be out, ye shall have an holy convocation; ye shall do no servile work:
(KJV NIV)

Deuteronomy 18:4 The firstfruits also of thy corn, of thy new wine, and of thine oil, and the firstfruits of the shearing of thy sheep, shalt thou give him;
(DBY NIV)

Deuteronomy 21:17 but he shall acknowledge as firstborn the son of the hated, by giving him a double portion of all that is found with him; for he is the firstfruits of his vigour: the right of the firstborn is his.
(DBY)

Deuteronomy 26:10 And now, behold, I have brought the firstfruits of the land, which thou, O LORD, hast given me. And thou shalt set it before the LORD thy God, and worship before the LORD thy God:
(KJV NIV)

2 Kings 4:42 And there came a man from Baalshalisha, and brought the man of God bread of the firstfruits, twenty loaves of barley, and full ears of corn in the husk thereof. And he said, Give unto the people, that they may eat.
(KJV)

2 Chronicles 31:5 And as soon as the commandment came abroad, the children of Israel brought in abundance the firstfruits of corn, wine, and oil, and honey, and of all the increase of the field; and the tithe of all things brought they in abundantly.
(KJV DBY NIV)

Nehemiah 10:35 And to bring the firstfruits of our ground, and the firstfruits of all fruit of all trees, year by year, unto the house of the LORD:
(KJV NIV)

Nehemiah 10:37 And that we should bring the firstfruits of our dough, and our offerings, and the fruit of all manner of trees, of wine and of oil, unto the priests, to the chambers of the house of our God; and the tithes of our ground unto the Levites, that the same Levites might have the tithes in all the cities of our tillage.
(KJV)

Nehemiah 12:44 And at that time were some appointed over the chambers for the treasures, for the offerings, for the firstfruits, and for the tithes, to gather into them out of the fields of the cities the portions of the law for the priests and Levites: for Judah rejoiced for the priests and for the Levites that waited.
(KJV NIV)

Nehemiah 13:31 And for the wood offering, at times appointed, and for the firstfruits. Remember me, O my God, for good.
(KJV NIV)

Psalms 78:51 And smote all the first-born in Egypt, the first-fruits of their strength in the tents of Ham;
(See NIV)

Psalms 105:36 And he smote every firstborn in their land, the firstfruits of all their vigour.
(DBY NIV)

Proverbs 3:9 Honour the LORD with thy substance, and with the firstfruits of all thine increase:
(KJV NIV)

Jeremiah 2:3 Israel was holiness unto the LORD, and the firstfruits of his increase: all that devour him shall offend; evil shall come upon them, saith the LORD.
(KJV NIV)

Ezekiel 20:40 For in mine holy mountain, in the mountain of the height of Israel, saith the Lord GOD, there shall all the house of Israel, all of them in the land, serve me: there will I accept them, and there will I require your offerings, and the firstfruits of your oblations, with all your holy things.
(KJV)

Ezekiel 44:30 And the first of all the firstfruits of all things, and every oblation of all, of every sort of your oblations, shall be the priest's: ye shall also give unto the priest the first of your dough, that he may cause the blessing to rest in thine house.
(KJV NIV)

Ezekiel 48:14 And they shall not sell of it, neither exchange, nor alienate the firstfruits of the land: for it is holy unto the LORD.
(KJV)

Subtopics

Firstfruits

Related Terms

Vigour (8 Occurrences)

Fruits (109 Occurrences)

Kid (42 Occurrences)

Ingathering (4 Occurrences)

Epaenetus (1 Occurrence)

Dried (66 Occurrences)

Shearing (6 Occurrences)

Seethe (8 Occurrences)