FIRST FRUIT (ferst frut), (Heb. rv1r, ray ,heeth').
No doubt the leading object, as far as regards the offering of the first fruits to God, was, that all the after fruits and after gatherings might be consecrated in and through them, and it was not less the dictate of a natural impulse that the first fruits should be offered to God in testi mony of thankfulness for his bounties. Hence we find some analogous customs among most na tions in which material offerings were used. There are, however, some particulars in the Mosaical regulations which these considerations do not adequately explain.
1. First Fruits of Fruit Trees. It was di rected that the first fruits of every tree whose fruit was used for food should, for the first three years of bearing, be counted 'uncircumcised,' and regarded as unclean (Lev. xix :23, 24). It was unlawful to sell them, to eat them, or to make any benefit of them. It was only in the fourth year of bearing that they were accounted 'holy,' and the fruit of that year was made an offer ing of first fruits, and was either given to the priests (Num. xviii 13), or, as the Jews themselves understand, was eaten by the owners of it 'before the Lord, at Jerusalem,' as was the case with second tithe. After the fourth year all fruits of trees were available for use by the owner. As the general principle of the law was, that only that which was perfect should be used in offerings, it is an obvious inference that the fruits of trees were considered imperfect until the fourth year, and if so, the law may have had the ulterior ob ject of excluding from use crude, immature, and therefore unwholesome fruits. Michaelis (iii :267 8), indeed, finds a benefit to the trees themselves in this regulation.
2. First Fruits of Yearly Increase. Of these there were two kinds—(1) The first fruits in the sheaf (Lev. xxiii :to). (2) The first fruits in the two wove-loaves (Lev. xxiii :17). These two bounded the harvest, that in the sheaf being offered at the beginning of the harvest, upon the 15th of the month Nisan ; the other at the end of the harvest, on the Feast of Pentecost.
Both of these are called 1;1-%71, ten-oo-faw' (undu lation), wave offerings.
(1) Heave Offerings. (1) The first of the dough, being the twenty-fourth part thereof, which was given to the priests (Num. xv :2o), and this kind of offering was not neglected even after the return from Babylon (Neh. x:37). (2) The first fruits of the Mreshing floor. These two are together called n'.:171, ter-oo-maw', ( raised), 'heave offerings;' the one, the 'heave offering of the threshing floor,' the other, 'the heave offer ing of the dough.' The words tcnuphoth and terumoth both signify 'shake offering,"heave offering,' or 'wave offering.' (2) First Fruits of Corn, Wine, etc. The sec ond sort consisted of corn, wine, oil and what ever other produce was fit for the support of hu man life. Under this class of first fruits was included the first of the fleece, by which the priests were provided with clothes, as by the other offerings with food. The hair of goats, which are shorn in the East, was included under this denomination.
(3) Ceremonies. The first fruits were brought up to Jerusalem with great pomp and ceremony. All the people of a given district assembled on an appointed day in one of the towns, and lodged in the streets. On the following morning the chief of the party gave the signal for departure.
When the party came to the mount of the Tem ple every one then, however high or noble, took his own basket upon his shoulder, and went for ward till he caine to the court of the Temple. The offerer, having the basket still upon his shoulder, then began to recite the passage, 'I profess this day,' etc. (Deut. xxvi :3-to). It was usual with those who were liberally disposed to hang turtle doves or pigeons about their baskets, and these formed part of the offering. The first fruits be came. the property of the course of priests which was in actual service. The party who brought them was obliged to spend the night following his offering in Jerusalem, but was at liberty to re turn home the ensuing morning.