12 aSix days you shall do your work, and on the seventh day you shall rest, that your ox and your donkey may rest, and the son of your female servant and the stranger may be refreshed.
13 “And in all that I have said to you, abe circumspect and bmake no mention of the name of other gods, nor let it be heard from your mouth.
Three Annual Feasts
14 a“Three times you shall keep a feast to Me in the year:
15 aYou shall keep the Feast of Unleavened Bread (you shall eat unleavened bread seven days, as I commanded you, at the time appointed in the month of Abib, for in it you came out of Egypt; bnone shall appear before Me empty);
16 aand bthe Feast of Harvest, the firstfruits of your labors which you have sown in the field; and the Feast of Ingathering at the end of the year, when you have gathered in the fruit of your labors from the field.
17 a“Three times in the year all your males shall appear before the Lord1 God.
New King James Version®, Copyright© 1982, Thomas Nelson. All rights reserved.
Commentaries:
| << Exodus 23:13 | Exodus 23:15 >> |
What Does Exodus 23:14 Mean?
Exodus 23:14-16
The "three times" are three general periods during which God's holy days fall. Passover and Unleavened Bread occur in early spring, the "Feast of Harvest" in late spring, and the "Feast of Ingathering" in the fall.
Earl L. Henn
Holy Days: Pentecost
Related Topics: Feast of Firstfruits
| Feast of Harvest
| Feast of Ingathering
| Feast of Tabernacles
| Feast of Trumpets
| Feast of Unleavened Bread
| Feast of Weeks
| Feasts of God
| Passover
| Pentecost
Other Forerunner Commentary entries containing Exodus 23:14:
| << Exodus 23:13 | Exodus 23:15 >> |
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The three times mark three general seasons when God's holy days fall: Passover and Unleavened Bread in early spring, the Feast of Harvest (Pentecost) in late spring, and the Feast of Ingathering (Tabernacles) in the fall. These are the three pilgrimage feasts. The pre-incarnate Christ commands keeping them to Him, centering His people's minds on His works, providence, and deliverance. Each season carries an agricultural focus, pointing to dependence on Him. Passages like Exodus 23:14-17, Exodus 34:18-24, and Deuteronomy 16:1-17 all pertain to these three festival seasons, not Passover or the Last Great Day. Metaphorically, harvest implies evaluation, when the fruit of one's labors—especially spiritual labors—is brought before God.