Exodus 23:12-17

Matthew Henry's Complete Commentary - Exodus 23:10-19

Here is, I. The institution of the sabbatical year, Exod. 23:10, 11. Every seventh year the land was to rest; they must not plough nor sow it at the beginning of the year, and then they could not expect any great harvest at the end of the year: but what the earth did produce of itself should be eaten from hand to mouth, and not laid up. Now this was designed, 1. To show what a plentiful land that was into which God was bringing them?that so numerous a people could have rich maintenance out of... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Exodus 23:12

Six days thou shalt do thy work ,.... That is, they might do what work they would on the six days of the week: and on the seventh day thou shall rest ; from all the work and labour done on other days, and give up themselves to religious exercises: that thine ox and thine ass may rest ; and so every other beast, as horses, camels, &c.; and the son of thy handmaid, and the stranger, may be refreshed ; the former, the Targum of Jonathan, and so Jarchi, interprets, of one... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Exodus 23:13

And in all things that I have said unto you, be circumspect ,.... Or observe them, be careful to keep them punctually and constantly, even all that are delivered in this and the preceding chapters: and make no mention of the name of other gods ; neither call upon them, nor swear by them, nor make vows to them; and, as little as possible, ever utter their names, and never with pleasure and delight, and showing any honour of them, and reverence to them, but with the utmost detestation... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Exodus 23:14

Three times thou shall keep a feast unto me in the year. The feast of the passover, on the fourteenth of the month Nisan or March; and the feast of weeks or pentecost fifty days after that; and the feast of tabernacles on the fifteenth day of Tisri or September. read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Exodus 23:15

Thou shalt keep the feast of unleavened bread ,.... Which began on the fourteenth of the month Abib or Nisan, and lasted seven days, during which time no leavened bread was to be eaten by the Israelites, or to be in their houses, of which see the notes on:See Gill on Exodus 12:15 , Exodus 12:18 , Exodus 12:19 , Exodus 12:10 , Exodus 13:6 , Exodus 13:7 . thou shall eat unleavened bread, seven days, as I commanded thee, in the time appointed of the month Abib ; from the... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Exodus 23:16

And the feast of harvest ,.... This is the second feast, the feast of wheat harvest, between which and barley harvest were fifty days; or between the firstfruits of the one and the first fruits of the other were seven weeks, as Aben Ezra observes, and was sometimes called the feast of weeks; at which feast were to be brought: the first fruits of thy labours, which thou hast sown in the field ; the two wave loaves or cakes, made of the first new wheat, which was the effect of their labour... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Exodus 23:17

Three times in the year all thy males shall appear before the Lord thy God. In the city of Jerusalem, when they were come into the land of Canaan, and the temple was there built: here they were to show themselves before the Lord as being his, and devoted to his service; concerning which the Misnic doctors have the following canon F3 Misn. Chagigah, c. 1. sect. 1. ,"all are bound to appear except a man deaf and dumb, a fool, a little one, one of neither sex, or of both sexes, women,... read more

Adam Clarke

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible - Exodus 23:12

Six days thou shalt do thy work - Though they were thus bound to keep the sabbatical year, yet they must not neglect the seventh day's rest or weekly Sabbath; for that was of perpetual obligation, and was paramount to all others. That the sanctification of the Sabbath was of great consequence in the sight of God, we may learn from the various repetitions of this law; and we may observe that it has still for its object, not only the benefit of the soul, but the health and comfort of the body... read more

Adam Clarke

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible - Exodus 23:14

Three times thou shalt keep a feast unto me in the year - The three feasts here referred to were, The feast of the Passover; The feast of Pentecost; The feast of Tabernacles. The feast of the Passover was celebrated to keep in remembrance the wonderful deliverance of the Hebrews from Egypt. The feast of Pentecost, called also the feast of harvest and the feast of weeks, Exodus 34:22 , was celebrated fifty days after the Passover to commemorate the giving of the law on Mount... read more

Adam Clarke

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible - Exodus 23:17

All thy males - Old men, sick men, male idiots, and male children under thirteen years of age, excepted; for so the Jewish doctors understand this command. read more

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