23 And Jehovah speaketh unto Moses, saying, 24 'Speak unto the sons of Israel, saying, In the seventh month, on the first of the month, ye have a sabbath, a memorial of shouting, a holy convocation; 25 ye do no servile work, and ye have brought near a fire-offering to Jehovah.' 26 And Jehovah speaketh unto Moses, saying, 27 'Only—on the tenth of this seventh month is a day of atonements; ye have a holy convocation, and ye have humbled yourselves, and have brought near a fire-offering to Jehovah; 28 and ye do no work in this self-same day, for it is a day of atonements, to make atonement for you, before Jehovah your God. 29 'For any person who is not humbled in this self-same day hath even been cut off from his people; 30 and any person who doth any work in this self-same day I have even destroyed that person from the midst of his people; 31 ye do no work—a statute age-during to your generations in all your dwellings. 32 It 'is' a sabbath of rest to you, and ye have humbled yourselves in the ninth of the month at even; from evening till evening ye do keep your sabbath.'
Matthew Henry's Commentary on Leviticus 23:23-32
Commentary on Leviticus 23:23-32
(Read Leviticus 23:23-32)
the blowing of trumpets represented the preaching of the gospel, by which men are called to repent of sin, and to accept the salvation of Christ, which was signified by the day of atonement. Also it invited to rejoice in God, and become strangers and pilgrims on earth, which was denoted by the feast of Tabernacles, observed in the same month. At the beginning of the year, they were called by this sound of trumpet to shake off spiritual drowsiness, to search and try their ways, and to amend them. The day of atonement was the ninth day after this; thus they were awakened to prepare for that day, by sincere and serious repentance, that it might indeed be to them a day of atonement. The humbling of our souls for sin, and the making our peace with God, is work that requires the whole man, and the closest application of mind. On that day God spake peace to his people, and to his saints; therefore they must lay aside all their wordly business, that they might the more clearly hear that voice of joy and gladness.