The Bible

 

Exodus 23:16

Study

       

16 And the feast of harvest, the firstfruits of thy labours, which thou hast sown in the field: and the feast of ingathering, which is in the end of the year, when thou hast gathered in thy labours out of the field.

Commentary

 

Down

  
Moses descends from Mount Sinai with the Ten Commandments, by Ferdinand Bol

Down" is used many different ways, and its spiritual meaning in the Bible is highly dependent on context. Phrases like "bowing down," "lying down" and "falling down" are defined primarily by "bowing," "lying" and "falling"; there is also a great difference between a person descending, the Lord sending fire from heaven and someone handling an object, to offer a few examples. In a very general sense, though, "down" indicates a lowering from more internal spiritual states to more external ones. That's why the journey is described as going "down" to Egypt from Canaan, and people from all quarters go "up" to Jerusalem. It's also why the Lord comes "down" to us, which generally indicates a state of judgment.