Exodus 23:15
in Exodus 23You are to keep the Feast of Unleavened Bread as I commanded you: At the appointed time in the month of Abib you are to eat unleavened bread for seven days, because that was the month you came out of Egypt. No one may appear before Me empty-handed.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
The feast of unleavened bread shalt thou keep: seven days thou shalt eat unleavened bread, as I commanded thee, at the time appointed in the month Abib (for in it thou camest out from Egypt); and none shall appear before me empty:
KJV
Thou shalt keep the feast of unleavened bread: (thou shalt eat unleavened bread seven days, as I commanded thee, in the time appointed of the month Abib; for in it thou camest out from Egypt: and none shall appear before me empty:)
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This verse in Exodus 23
Commentary
7 notes on this verseA commentator
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown1802–1910
Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)
Three times . . . keep a feast . . . in the year--This was the institution of the great religious festivals--"The feast of unleavened bread," or the passover--"the feast of harvest," or pentecost--"the feast of ingathering," or the feast of tabernacles, which was a memorial of the dwelling in booths in the wilderness, and which was observed in the seventh month (Ex 12:2).
This site's exposition
Three times thou shalt keep a feast unto me
on Exodus 23:14-15
Three annual feasts are commanded to a people who own no land to keep them in. The first is unleavened bread in the month Abib, dated by the going out of Egypt in chapter 12, so the year is anchored on the deliverance and the other two are hung on the harvests that follow it. None shall appear before me empty attaches a cost to attendance, and Deuteronomy 16:17 later sets that cost by what a man is able to give.
The record, by era
The Church Fathers2 voices
A commentator
John Chrysostom347–407
HOMILY TO THOSE WHO HAD NOT ATTENDED THE ASSEMBLY 4 · Written before 407.
proposed
The law said "Thou shalt not appear before the Lord empty;" that is, enter not into the temple without sacrifices. Now if it is not right to go into the house of God without sacrifices, much more ought we to enter the assembly accompanied by our brethren: for this sacrifice and offering is better than that, when thou bringest a soul with thee into the Church.
A commentator
John ChrysostomHOMILY TO THOSE WHO HAD NOT ATTENDED THE ASSEMBLY 4 · Written in the 5th century.
proposed
The law said "Thou shalt not appear before the Lord empty;" that is, enter not into the temple without sacrifices. Now if it is not right to go into the house of God without sacrifices, much more ought we to enter the assembly accompanied by our brethren: for this sacrifice and offering is better than that, when thou bringest a soul with thee into the Church.
The Puritans and the Awakening3 voices
), with some laws pertaining thereto. Gracious promises of the completing of the mercy God had begun for them, upon condition of their obedience. That God would conduct them through the wilderness (
quarantine:debris (2026-07-29) — leading-punctuation
Thou shalt keep the feast of unleavened bread,....
Some free-will offering or other they must bring, in token of their respect and gratitude to their great benefactor; and, as they were not allowed to come empty-handed, so we must not come to worship God empty-hearted; our souls must be filled with grace, with pious and devout affections, holy desires towards him, and dedications of ourselves to him, for with such sacrifices God is well-pleased.
How the passage was read
What the Jewish commentators add
On the verses either side of this one
[THREE TIMES.] The meaning of regalim. The word regel means a foot. Hence I.E.’s comment. is times. You shall serve only Me.
This section is reception history: how the passage was read and kept in the Jewish tradition. Where a reading parts from an essential of the Christian faith, the section says so at that point.
Texts and citation data: Sefaria; each excerpt follows its version’s licence. 3 further sources are cited on this chapter that carry no English text this site may quote or only restate the verse.
The words behind it
21 Hebrew wordsEvery Hebrew word of this verse in the order it stands, with what it means and the door to its own study. The last column counts the times a word stands in the whole Bible: the rarer the word, the more the places it appears belong together.
| Hebrew | Sound | Meaning | Word study | In the Bible |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| אֶת־ | ʾet- | <obj.> | H853 → | 10935 times |
| חַ֣ג | chag | [the] festival of | H2282 → | 62 times |
| הַמַּצּוֹת֮ | hamatzot | the unleavened bread<s> | H4682 → | 53 times |
| תִּשְׁמֹר֒ | tishmor | you will keep | H8104 → | 468 times |
| שִׁבְעַ֣ת | shivat | seven | H7651 → | 394 times |
| יָמִים֩ | yamim | days | H3117 → | 2304 times |
| תֹּאכַ֨ל | tokhal | you will eat | H398 → | 810 times |
| מַצּ֜וֹת | matzot | unleavened bread<s> | H4682 → | 53 times |
| כַּֽאֲשֶׁ֣ר | kaasher | just as | H834 → | 5497 times |
| צִוִּיתִ֗ךָ | tzivitikha | I commanded you | H6680 → | 494 times |
| לְמוֹעֵד֙ | lemoed | to [the] appointed time of | H4150 → | 223 times |
| חֹ֣דֶשׁ | chodesh | [the] month of | H2320 → | 284 times |
| הָֽאָבִ֔יב | haaviv | <the> Abib | H24 → | 8 times |
| כִּי־ | ki- | for | H3588 → | 4482 times |
| ב֖וֹ | vo | in <the> it | ||
| יָצָ֣אתָ | yatzata | you came out | H3318 → | 1067 times |
| מִמִּצְרָ֑יִם | mimitzrayim | from Egypt | H4714 → | 641 times |
| וְלֹא־ | velo'- | and not | H3808 → | 5168 times |
| יֵרָא֥וּ | yerau | they will present themselves | H7200 → | 1300 times |
| פָנַ֖י | fanai | face my | H6440 → | 2123 times |
| רֵיקָֽם׃ | reikam | empty | H7387 → | 16 times |
אֶת־<obj.>
ʾet-H853 →10935 times
חַ֣ג[the] festival of
chagH2282 →62 times
הַמַּצּוֹת֮the unleavened bread<s>
hamatzotH4682 →53 times
תִּשְׁמֹר֒you will keep
tishmorH8104 →468 times
שִׁבְעַ֣תseven
shivatH7651 →394 times
יָמִים֩days
yamimH3117 →2304 times
תֹּאכַ֨לyou will eat
tokhalH398 →810 times
מַצּ֜וֹתunleavened bread<s>
matzotH4682 →53 times
כַּֽאֲשֶׁ֣רjust as
kaasherH834 →5497 times
צִוִּיתִ֗ךָI commanded you
tzivitikhaH6680 →494 times
לְמוֹעֵד֙to [the] appointed time of
lemoedH4150 →223 times
חֹ֣דֶשׁ[the] month of
chodeshH2320 →284 times
הָֽאָבִ֔יב<the> Abib
haavivH24 →8 times
כִּי־for
ki-H3588 →4482 times
ב֖וֹin <the> it
vo
יָצָ֣אתָyou came out
yatzataH3318 →1067 times
מִמִּצְרָ֑יִםfrom Egypt
mimitzrayimH4714 →641 times
וְלֹא־and not
velo'-H3808 →5168 times
יֵרָא֥וּthey will present themselves
yerauH7200 →1300 times
פָנַ֖יface my
fanaiH6440 →2123 times
רֵיקָֽם׃empty
reikamH7387 →16 times
A shaded row is a word that stands 400 times or fewer in the Bible.
The walk
8 stopsEach card is a verse this one points to, and under it the verses that one points to in turn. Where several paths arrive at the same place, that place is listed first: the text keeps returning to it.
Through
Deuteronomy 16:16Three times a year all your men are to appear before the LORD your God in the place He will choose: at the Feast of Unleavened Bread, the Feast of Weeks, and the Feast…
it leads to
- Psalms 96:8
Ascribe to the LORD the glory due His name; bring an offering and enter His courts.
- Proverbs 3:9–10
Honor the LORD with your wealth and with the firstfruits of all your harvest;
- Haggai 1:9
You expected much, but behold, it amounted to little. And what you brought home, I blew away. Why? declares the LORD of Hosts. Because My house still lies in ruins, while each of you…
- Exodus 23:14–17
Three times a year you are to celebrate a feast to Me.
- Matthew 2:11
On coming to the house, they saw the Child with His mother Mary, and they fell down and worshiped Him. Then they opened their treasures and presented Him with gifts of gold and frankincense…
- Psalms 96:8
Through
Exodus 34:20You must redeem the firstborn of a donkey with a lamb; but if you do not redeem it, you are to break its neck. You must redeem all the firstborn of your sons. No…
it leads to
- Exodus 13:13
You must redeem every firstborn donkey with a lamb, and if you do not redeem it, you are to break its neck. And every firstborn of your sons you must redeem.
- Deuteronomy 16:16
Three times a year all your men are to appear before the LORD your God in the place He will choose: at the Feast of Unleavened Bread, the Feast of Weeks, and the Feast…
- Exodus 13:13
Through
Luke 22:7Then came the day of Unleavened Bread on which the Passover lamb was to be sacrificed.
it leads to
- Exodus 12:18
In the first month you are to eat unleavened bread, from the evening of the fourteenth day until the evening of the twenty-first day.
- Exodus 12:18
Where this verse is studied
On this page
Studies1
About Exodus
Who and where
1 name in this verse with a page on the site.
This page draws on Alfred Edersheim, The Temple: Its Ministry and Services; Jamieson, Fausset & Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible; John Chrysostom, HOMILY TO THOSE WHO HAD NOT ATTENDED THE ASSEMBLY 4; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763) and Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible.