Leviticus 23:15 - Coke's Commentary on the Holy Bible

Ye shall count unto you from the morrow after the sabbath— From the second day of unleavened bread, Leviticus 23:7; Leviticus 23:11 that is, from the 16th day of the first month, they were to reckon seven sabbaths, i.e. seven weeks complete; and the next day after the seventh sabbath or week, making just 50 days, was to be the first of another festival, hence commonly called pentecost or the fiftieth; when the first-fruits of the wheat harvest were to be offered, Leviticus 23:17. This festival was partly commemorative of God's goodness in giving the law from mount Sinai, on the 50th day after their coming out of Egypt; and partly gratulatory for the fair hope of completing their harvest; and it was also typical of the gospel law; see Exodus 19:1 and Acts 2:1; Acts 2:47. Archbishop Usher observes, that our blessed Lord being slain at the feast of the passover, rested in his grave the whole sabbath following, which was the day of unleavened bread. The next day after, the sheaf or omer of the first-fruits, of barley-harvest was offered to the Lord; when Christ rose from the dead, and became the first-fruits of them that slept: from this day the account of the seven sabbaths or weeks was computed; and upon the morrow after the seventh, i.e. upon the Lord's day, was celebrated the feast of weeks, or the day of the first-fruits; because then the first-fruits of the second, or wheat harvest were offered; as likewise the feast of harvest; because it was the principal and last harvest of the year. On this day the apostles, having themselves received the first-fruits of the spirit, converted no less than 3000 souls, and presented them, as the first-fruits of the Christian church, to God. Now the seventh day of the week, or Jewish sabbath, being purposely passed over in the observation of the feast of weeks, and that great solemnity kept on the first day of the week, it is no wonder that the Christian church has appropriated that day instead of the seventh for public worship.