Exodus 23:15-33

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

Matthew Henry

Matthew Henry's Complete Commentary - Exodus 23:20-33

Three gracious promises are here made to Israel, to engage them to their duty and encourage them in it; and each of the promises has some needful precepts and cautions joined to it. I. It is here promised that they should be guided and kept in their way through the wilderness to the land of promise: Behold, I send an angel before thee (Exod. 23:20), my angel (Exod. 23:23), a created angel, say some, a minister of God's providence, employed in conducting and protecting the camp of Israel; that... 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

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Exodus 23:18

Thou shall not offer the blood of my sacrifice with leavened bread ,.... This belongs to the feast of the passover; for, as all the Jewish writers agree, this sacrifice is the sacrifice of the passover, as it is sometimes called, see Exodus 12:27 now when the paschal lamb was killed, and its blood shed, and its flesh eaten, there was to be no leaven along with it; it was to be eaten with unleavened bread, and there was to be no leaven in their houses at this time; nay, it was not to be... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Exodus 23:19

The first of the first fruits of thy land ,.... Both of the barley and wheat harvest, and of the wine and oil; yea, Jarchi says, the seventh year was obliged to first fruits; and Josephus F4 Antiqu. l. 3. c. 15. sect. 3. relates, that the Jews were so tenacious of this law, that even in the famine in the time of Claudius Caesar, the first fruits were brought to the temple, and were not meddled with: thou shall bring into the house of the Lord thy God ; to the tabernacle, during the... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Exodus 23:20

Behold, I send an angel before thee ,.... Not a created angel, but the uncreated one, the Angel of God's presence, that was with the Israelites at Sinai, and in the wilderness; who saved, redeemed, bore, and carried them all the days of old, whom they rebelled against and tempted in the wilderness; as appears by all the characters after given of him, which by no means agree with a created angel: Aben Ezra observes, that some say this is the book of the law, because it is said, "my name is in... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Exodus 23:21

Beware of him ,.... Of his face or countenance; observe his looks towards you in a providential way, whether frowning or smiling; observe his directions and instructions, laws and commands: and obey his voice ; hearken to what he says, and cheerfully, readily, and punctually do as he orders: provoke him not ; by unbelief, by murmurings and complaints, by unbecoming words and actions, by transgressing his commands, and acting contrary to his will: for he will not pardon your... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Exodus 23:22

But, if thou shall indeed obey his voice ,.... Or "hearkening hearken", F14 שמוע תשמע "audiendo audieris", Pagninus, Montanus, Drusius, Piscator. to it attentively, listen to it, and diligently and constantly observe and obey in whatever he shall direct and order: and do all that I speak ; by him; or whatsoever he had spoke, or was about to speak; for as yet all the laws and statutes were not delivered, especially those of the ceremonial kind: then I will be an enemy unto... read more

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