Exodus 23:14-17

14 1"Three times in the year you shall keep a feast to me
15 2You shall keep the Feast of Unleavened Bread. As I commanded you, you shall eat unleavened bread for seven days at the appointed time in the month of 3Abib, for in it you came out of Egypt. 4None shall appear before me empty-handed.
16 You shall keep 5the Feast of Harvest, of the firstfruits of your labor, of what you sow in the field. You shall keep the 6Feast of Ingathering at the end of the year, when you gather in from the field the fruit of your labor.
17 7Three times in the year shall all your males appear before the Lord GOD.

Exodus 23:14-17 Meaning and Commentary

INTRODUCTION TO EXODUS 23

This chapter contains several laws, chiefly judicial, relating to the civil polity of Israel, as concerning witness borne and judgment made of cases in courts of judicature, without any respect to poor or rich, and without the influence of a bribe, Ex 23:1-3,6-8, concerning doing good to an enemy in case any of his cattle go astray, or fall under their burden, Ex 23:4,5, and of the oppression of a stranger, Ex 23:9, and then follow others concerning the sabbath of the seventh year, and of the seventh day, with a caution against the use of the names of idols, Ex 23:10-13, next are laws concerning the appearance of all their males at the three feasts, Ex 23:14-17, and concerning the slaying of the sacrifice of the passover, and bringing the first of the firstfruits of the land, Ex 23:18,19 and then a promise is made of sending an angel to them to bring them into the land of Canaan, where they should carefully avoid all idolatry, and show a just indignation against it, and serve the Lord, and then it would be well with them, Ex 23:20-26, and particularly it is promised, that the Lord would send his fear, and his hornets, before them, to destroy the inhabitants of the land, and drive out the rest by little and little, until they should possess the utmost borders of it, which are fixed, Ex 23:27-31, and the chapter is concluded with a direction not to make a covenant with these people, or their gods, nor suffer them to dwell among them, lest they should be a snare unto them, Ex 23:32,33.

Cross References 7

  • 1. ver. 17; Exodus 34:23; Deuteronomy 16:16
  • 2. See Exodus 12:15
  • 3. Exodus 13:4
  • 4. Exodus 34:20; Deuteronomy 16:16
  • 5. Exodus 34:22; See Leviticus 23:9-21
  • 6. Deuteronomy 16:13; See Leviticus 23:34-44
  • 7. [See ver. 14 above]
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