And you shall observe the feast of weeks refers to the second of the three great festivals mentioned in 23.14-17. (The meaning of feast is discussed at 23.14.) It is called “the feast of harvest” in 23.16, but it later came to be known as “Pentecost.” Good News Translation and Contemporary English Version call it “the Harvest Festival” in both places.

The first fruits of wheat harvest refers to the first crop of wheat that was harvested about seven weeks after the barley harvest. (See the comment at 23.15-16.) This does not refer to an additional feast but rather to what the people were to offer in celebrating the feast of weeks. Translator’s Old Testament makes this clear: “You shall celebrate the festival of Weeks by offering the first crop of the wheat harvest.” One may also say “Celebrate the Harvest Festival each spring by offering the first wheat that you harvest.”

The feast of ingathering refers to the third great annual festival, also mentioned in 23.16. (See the comment there.) At the year’s end, literally “at the turning of the year,” refers to the turning of the sun at the autumnal equinox, which was the end of the agricultural year. New Revised Standard Version has “at the turn of the year,” Good News Translation has “in the autumn when you gather your fruit,” and Contemporary English Version has “each autumn when you pick your fruit.”

Quoted with permission from Osborn, Noel D. and Hatton, Howard A. A Handbook on Exodus. (UBS Helps for Translators). New York: UBS, 1999. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .