Leviticus 23:10

23:10 “Speak to the Israelites and tell them, ‘When you enter the land that I am about to give to you and you gather in its harvest, ¹  then you must bring the sheaf of the first portion of your harvest ²  to the priest,

Jeremiah 2:3

2:3 Israel was set apart to the Lord; they were like the first fruits of a harvest to him. ³  All who tried to devour them were punished; disaster came upon them,” says the Lord.’”

Amos 6:1

The Party is over for the Rich

6:1 Woe ⁴  to those who live in ease in Zion, ⁵ 

to those who feel secure on Mount Samaria.

They think of themselves as ⁶  the elite class of the best nation.

The family ⁷  of Israel looks to them for leadership. ⁸ 

Hebrews 12:23

12:23 and congregation of the firstborn, who are enrolled in heaven, and to God, the judge of all, and to the spirits of the righteous, who have been made perfect,

Revelation 14:4

14:4 These are the ones who have not defiled themselves ⁹  with women, for they are virgins. These are the ones who follow the Lamb wherever he goes. These were redeemed from humanity as firstfruits to God and to the Lamb,

¹ tn Heb “and you harvest its harvest.”

² tn Heb “the sheaf of the first of your harvest.”

³ sn Heb “the first fruits of his harvest.” Many commentators see the figure here as having theological significance for the calling of the Gentiles. It is likely, however, that in this context the metaphor – here rendered as a simile – is intended to bring out the special relationship and inviolability that Israel had with God. As the first fruits were the special possession of the Lord, to be eaten only by the priests and off limits to the common people, so Israel was God’s special possession and was not to be “eaten” by the nations.

⁴ tn On the Hebrew term הוֹי (hoy; “ah, woe”) as a term of mourning, see the notes in 5:16, 18.

⁵ sn Zion is a reference to Jerusalem.

⁶ tn The words “They think of themselves as” are supplied in the translation for clarification. In the Hebrew text the term נְקֻבֵי (nÿquvey; “distinguished ones, elite”) is in apposition to the substantival participles in the first line.

⁷ tn Heb “house.”

⁸ tn Heb “comes to them.”

⁹ tn The aorist passive verb is rendered as a reflexive (“defiled themselves”) by BDAG 657 s.v. μολύνω 2.