Exodus 34:17-26

17 “Do not make any idols.

18 “Celebrate the Festival of Unleavened Bread. For seven days eat bread made without yeast, as I commanded you. Do this at the appointed time in the month of Aviv, for in that month you came out of Egypt.

19 “The first offspring of every womb belongs to me, including all the firstborn males of your livestock, whether from herd or flock.

20 Redeem the firstborn donkey with a lamb, but if you do not redeem it, break its neck. Redeem all your firstborn sons. “No one is to appear before me empty-handed.

21 “Six days you shall labor, but on the seventh day you shall rest; even during the plowing season and harvest you must rest.

22 “Celebrate the Festival of Weeks with the firstfruits of the wheat harvest, and the Festival of Ingathering at the turn of the year.^[a]

23 Three times a year all your men are to appear before the Sovereign LORD, the God of Israel.

24 I will drive out nations before you and enlarge your territory, and no one will covet your land when you go up three times each year to appear before the LORD your God.

25 “Do not offer the blood of a sacrifice to me along with anything containing yeast, and do not let any of the sacrifice from the Passover Festival remain until morning.

26 “Bring the best of the firstfruits of your soil to the house of the LORD your God. “Do not cook a young goat in its mother’s milk.”

Exodus 34:17-26 Meaning and Commentary

INTRODUCTION TO EXODUS 34

In this chapter Moses has orders to hew two tables of stone, that God might write on them the ten commands, and bring them up with him to the mount, Ex 34:1-4 where the Lord proclaimed his name, and caused his glory and his goodness to pass before him, Ex 34:5-7 when Moses took this favourable opportunity that offered to pray for the people, that God would forgive their sin, and go along with them, Ex 34:8,9 upon which he made a covenant with them, which on his part was to do wonders for them, and drive out the inhabitants of Canaan before them; and on their part, that they should have no confederacy and communion with these nations, and shun their idolatry, and everything that might lead unto it, Ex 34:10-17 and he repeated several laws before given, and urged the observance of them, which Moses was to acquaint the people with, Ex 34:18-27 and after a stay of forty days and forty nights on the mount, he came down with the two tables of the law; and the skin of his face shone so bright, that the people of Israel were afraid to come nigh him, and therefore he put a vail over his face while he conversed with them, Ex 34:28-35.

Cross References

• 1. S Exodus 20:4; Exodus 32:8
• 2. S Exodus 12:17; Matthew 26:17; Luke 22:1; Acts 12:3
• 3. S Exodus 12:15
• 4. S Exodus 12:2
• 5. Exodus 13:2
• 6. S Exodus 13:13; Exodus 13:13,15
• 7. S Exodus 13:2
• 8. S Exodus 22:29; Exodus 23:15; Deuteronomy 16:16; Ezekiel 46:9
• 9. Genesis 2:2-3; Exodus 20:9; Luke 13:14
• 10. Nehemiah 13:15; Isaiah 56:2; Isaiah 58:13
• 11. ver 26; Exodus 23:19; Leviticus 2:12,14; Leviticus 7:13; Leviticus 23:10,17; Numbers 28:26
• 12. S Exodus 23:16
• 13. S Exodus 23:14
• 14. S Exodus 23:28; Exodus 33:2; Psalms 78:55
• 15. Deuteronomy 12:20; Deuteronomy 19:8; Job 12:23
• 16. S Exodus 23:18
• 17. S Exodus 12:8; Exodus 12:8,10
• 18. S Exodus 22:29; S Numbers 18:12
• 19. S Exodus 23:19

Footnotes

• [a]. That is, in the autumn