In the first day. — That is, the first of the seven days, or the fifteenth of the month Nisan. (See Exodus 12:16.)
Ye shall do no servile work therein. — Servile work was defined during the second Temple to consist in building, pulling down edifices, weaving, reaping, threshing, winnowing, grinding, &c, whilst needful work which was allowed was killing beasts, kneading dough, baking bread, boiling, roasting, &e. For violating this law the offender was not to be stoned to death, as in the case of violating the sabbath, but to receive forty stripes save one.