Leviticus 19:23

When you enter the land and plant any kind of tree for food, you shall regard the fruit as forbidden. For three years it will be forbidden to you and must not be eaten.

Berean Standard Bible

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Study note

Setting — The Lord commands the Israelites through Moses regarding agricultural practices upon their entry into the Promised Land. The directive applies specifically to settlers who plant orchards for personal consumption.

The words — תָבֹאוּ (ta.Vo.'u) translates literally as "you will go," and וּ/נְטַעְתֶּם (u./ne.ta'.Tem) means "and you will plant." These verbs anchor the law to the physical act of territorial settlement and cultivation.

The thread — The motif of waiting before use appears in Leviticus 22:27 with new livestock, while the contrast between physical ritual and internal reality is developed in Acts 7:51 and Jeremiah 9:25. These passages collectively trace a biblical pattern where external boundaries require corresponding internal or temporal preparation.

Why it lands — The verse mandates a three-year prohibition on eating new fruit, establishing a concrete requirement for delayed consumption. It demands obedience to a fixed waiting period before agricultural yields become permissible.

Drafted by a language model from the text, its original words and its cross-references, then checked against them. It can still be wrong: open the verse in the app to report it.

The Hebrew words

וְכִי־ve./khi-and/ if תָבֹ֣אוּta.Vo.'uyou will go אֶל־'el-into הָאָ֗רֶץha./'A.retzthe/ land וּנְטַעְתֶּם֙u./ne.ta'.Temand/ you will plant כָּל־kol-every עֵ֣ץ'etztree of מַאֲכָ֔לma.'a.Khalfood וַעֲרַלְתֶּ֥םva./'a.ral.Temand/ you will regard as uncircumcised עָרְלָת֖וֹa.re.la.T/oforeskin/ its אֶת־'et-<obj.>פִּרְי֑וֹpir.Y/ofruit/ its שָׁלֹ֣שׁsha.Loshthree שָׁנִ֗יםsha.Nimyears יִהְיֶ֥הyih.Yehit will beלָכֶ֛םla./Khemto <the>/ youעֲרֵלִ֖ים'a.re.Limuncircumcised לֹ֥אlo'not יֵאָכֵֽל׃ye.'a.Khelit will be eaten

King James Version

And when ye shall come into the land, and shall have planted all manner of trees for food, then ye shall count the fruit thereof as uncircumcised: three years shall it be as uncircumcised unto you: it shall not be eaten of.

Cross-references

Leviticus 22:27 “When an ox, a sheep, or a goat is born, it must remain with its mother for seven days. From the eighth day on, it will be acceptable as a food offering presented to the LORD.
Acts 7:51 You stiff-necked people with uncircumcised hearts and ears! You always resist the Holy Spirit, just as your fathers did.
Jeremiah 9:25 “Behold, the days are coming,” declares the LORD, “when I will punish all who are circumcised only in the flesh—
Exodus 6:12 But in the LORD’s presence Moses replied, “If the Israelites will not listen to me, then why would Pharaoh listen to me, since I am unskilled in speech?”
Exodus 22:29 You must not hold back offerings from your granaries or vats. You are to give Me the firstborn of your sons.
Leviticus 12:3 And on the eighth day the flesh of the boy’s foreskin is to be circumcised.
Leviticus 14:34 “When you enter the land of Canaan, which I am giving you as your possession, and I put a contamination of mildew into a house in that land,
Jeremiah 6:10 To whom can I give this warning? Who will listen to me? Look, their ears are closed, so they cannot hear. See, the word of the LORD has become offensive to them; they find no pleasure in it.
Exodus 6:30 But in the LORD’s presence Moses replied, “Since I am unskilled in speech, why would Pharaoh listen to me?”