Focused Passage

Exodus 23:10-19

Justice, Sabbath Mercy, Festivals, and Covenant Faithfulness

The chapter moves from commands about truthful justice and impartial courts, to mercy toward enemies and vulnerable workers, to Sabbath and sabbatical rest, to Israel’s festival calendar, to worship instructions, and finally to covenant promises and warnings concerning the angel of the LORD, conquest, idolatry, and life in the promised land.

Berean Standard Bible, Public Domain - Translation notes - Reference sources

10For six years you are to sow your land and gather its produce,

11but in the seventh year you must let it rest and lie fallow, so that the poor among your people may eat from the field and the wild animals may consume what they leave. Do the same with your vineyard and olive grove.

12For six days you are to do your work, but on the seventh day you must cease, so that your ox and your donkey may rest and the son of your maidservant may be refreshed, as well as the foreign resident.

13Pay close attention to everything I have said to you. You must not invoke the names of other gods; they must not be heard on your lips.

14Three times a year you are to celebrate a feast to Me.

15You 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.

16You are also to keep the Feast of Harvest with the firstfruits of the produce from what you sow in the field. And keep the Feast of Ingathering at the end of the year, when you gather your produce from the field.

17Three times a year all your males are to appear before the Lord GOD.

18You must not offer the blood of My sacrifices with anything leavened, nor may the fat of My feast remain until morning.

19Bring the best of the firstfruits of your soil to the house of the LORD your God. You must not cook a young goat in its mother’s milk.

Study Helps

References and Original Words

Verse 10

Original words

For sixוְשֵׁ֥שׁH8337Conjunctive waw | Number - feminine singularyearsשָׁנִ֖יםH8141Noun - feminine pluralyou are to sowתִּזְרַ֣עH2232Verb - Qal - Imperfect - second person masculine singular-אֶת־H853Direct object markeryour landאַרְצֶ֑ךָH776Noun - feminine singular construct | second person masculine singularand gatherוְאָסַפְתָּ֖H622Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Conjunctive perfect - second person masculine singular-אֶת־H853Direct object markerits produceתְּבוּאָתָֽהּ׃H8393Noun - feminine singular construct | third person feminine singular
Verse 11

Original words

but in the seventh [year]וְהַשְּׁבִיעִ֞תH7637Conjunctive waw, Article | Number - ordinal feminine singularyou must let it restתִּשְׁמְטֶ֣נָּהH8058Verb - Qal - Imperfect - second person masculine singular | third person feminine singularand lie fallowוּנְטַשְׁתָּ֗הּH5203Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Conjunctive perfect - second person masculine singular | third person feminine singularso that the poorאֶבְיֹנֵ֣יH34Noun - masculine plural constructamong your peopleעַמֶּ֔ךָH5971Noun - masculine singular construct | second person masculine singularmay eatוְאָֽכְלוּ֙H398Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Conjunctive perfect - third person common pluralfrom the fieldהַשָּׂדֶ֑הH7704Article | Noun - masculine singularand the wild animalsחַיַּ֣תH2416Noun - feminine singular constructmay consumeתֹּאכַ֖לH398Verb - Qal - Imperfect - third person feminine singularwhat they leaveוְיִתְרָ֕םH3499Conjunctive waw | Noun - masculine singular construct | third person masculine pluralDoתַּעֲשֶׂ֥הH6213Verb - Qal - Imperfect - second person masculine singularthe sameכֵּֽן־H3651Adverbwith your vineyardלְכַרְמְךָ֖H3754Preposition-l | Noun - masculine singular construct | second person masculine singularand olive groveלְזֵיתֶֽךָ׃H2132Preposition-l | Noun - masculine singular construct | second person masculine singular
Verse 12

Original words

For sixשֵׁ֤שֶׁתH8337Number - masculine singular constructdaysיָמִים֙H3117Noun - masculine pluralyou are to doתַּעֲשֶׂ֣הH6213Verb - Qal - Imperfect - second person masculine singularyour workמַעֲשֶׂ֔יךָH4639Noun - masculine plural construct | second person masculine singularbut on the seventhהַשְּׁבִיעִ֖יH7637Article | Number - ordinal masculine singulardayוּבַיּ֥וֹםH3117Conjunctive waw, Preposition-b, Article | Noun - masculine singularyou must ceaseתִּשְׁבֹּ֑תH7673Verb - Qal - Imperfect - second person masculine singularso thatלְמַ֣עַןH4616Conjunctionyour oxשֽׁוֹרְךָ֙H7794Noun - masculine singular construct | second person masculine singularand your donkeyוַחֲמֹרֶ֔ךָH2543Conjunctive waw | Noun - masculine singular construct | second person masculine singularmay restיָנ֗וּחַH5117Verb - Qal - Imperfect - third person masculine singularand the sonבֶּן־H1121Noun - masculine singular constructof your maidservantאֲמָתְךָ֖H519Noun - feminine singular construct | second person masculine singularmay be refreshedוְיִנָּפֵ֥שׁH5314Conjunctive waw | Verb - Nifal - Conjunctive imperfect - third person masculine singularas well as the foreign residentוְהַגֵּֽר׃H1616Conjunctive waw, Article | Noun - masculine singular
Verse 13

Original words

Pay close attentionתִּשָּׁמֵ֑רוּH8104Verb - Nifal - Imperfect - second person masculine pluralto everythingוּבְכֹ֛לH3605Conjunctive waw, Preposition-b | Noun - masculine singular-אֲשֶׁר־H834Pronoun - relativeI have saidאָמַ֥רְתִּיH559Verb - Qal - Perfect - first person common singularto youאֲלֵיכֶ֖םH413Preposition | second person masculine pluralYou must notלֹ֣אH3808Adverb - Negative particleinvokeתַזְכִּ֔ירוּH2142Verb - Hifil - Imperfect - second person masculine pluralthe namesוְשֵׁ֨םH8034Conjunctive waw | Noun - masculine singular constructof otherאֲחֵרִים֙H312Adjective - masculine pluralgodsאֱלֹהִ֤יםH430Noun - masculine pluralthey must notלֹ֥אH3808Adverb - Negative particlebe heardיִשָּׁמַ֖עH8085Verb - Nifal - Imperfect - third person masculine singularonעַל־H5921Prepositionyour lipsפִּֽיךָ׃H6310Noun - masculine singular construct | second person masculine singular
Verse 14

Original words

Threeשָׁלֹ֣שׁH7969Number - feminine singulartimesרְגָלִ֔יםH7272Noun - feminine plurala yearבַּשָּׁנָֽה׃H8141Preposition-b, Article | Noun - feminine singularyou are to celebrate a feastתָּחֹ֥גH2287Verb - Qal - Imperfect - second person masculine singularto Meלִ֖יPreposition | first person common singular
Verse 15

Original words

-אֶת־H853Direct object markerYou are to keepתִּשְׁמֹר֒H8104Verb - Qal - Imperfect - second person masculine singularthe Feastחַ֣גH2282Noun - masculine singular constructof Unleavened Breadהַמַּצּוֹת֮H4682Article | Noun - feminine pluralasכַּֽאֲשֶׁ֣רH834Preposition-k | Pronoun - relativeI commanded youצִוִּיתִ֗ךָH6680Verb - Piel - Perfect - first person common singular | second person masculine singularAt the appointed timeלְמוֹעֵד֙H4150Preposition-l | Noun - masculine singularin the monthחֹ֣דֶשׁH2320Noun - masculine singular constructof Abibהָֽאָבִ֔יבH24Article | Noun - masculine singularyou are to eatתֹּאכַ֨לH398Verb - Qal - Imperfect - second person masculine singularunleavened breadמַצּ֜וֹתH4682Noun - feminine pluralfor sevenשִׁבְעַ֣תH7651Number - masculine singular constructdaysיָמִים֩H3117Noun - masculine pluralbecauseכִּי־H3588Conjunctionthat [was the month]ב֖וֹPreposition | third person masculine singularyou came outיָצָ֣אתָH3318Verb - Qal - Perfect - second person masculine singularof Egyptמִמִּצְרָ֑יִםH4714Preposition-m | Noun - proper - feminine singularNo oneוְלֹא־H3808Conjunctive waw | Adverb - Negative particlemay appearיֵרָא֥וּH7200Verb - Nifal - Imperfect - third person masculine pluralbefore Meפָנַ֖יH6440Noun - masculine plural construct | first person common singularempty-handedרֵיקָֽם׃H7387Adverb

BSB notes

  • That is, the seven-day period after the Passover during which no leaven may be eaten; see Exodus 12:14–20.
  • Abib was the first month of the ancient Hebrew lunar calendar, usually occurring within the months of March and April.
Verse 16

Original words

[You are also to keep] the Feastוְחַ֤גH2282Conjunctive waw | Noun - masculine singular constructof Harvestהַקָּצִיר֙H7105Article | Noun - masculine singularwith the firstfruitsבִּכּוּרֵ֣יH1061Noun - masculine plural constructof the produceמַעֲשֶׂ֔יךָH4639Noun - masculine plural construct | second person masculine singularfrom whatאֲשֶׁ֥רH834Pronoun - relativeyou sowתִּזְרַ֖עH2232Verb - Qal - Imperfect - second person masculine singularin the fieldבַּשָּׂדֶ֑הH7704Preposition-b, Article | Noun - masculine singularAnd [keep] the Feastוְחַ֤גH2282Conjunctive waw | Noun - masculine singular constructof Ingatheringהָֽאָסִף֙H614Article | Noun - masculine singularat the endבְּצֵ֣אתH3318Preposition-b | Verb - Qal - Infinitive constructof the yearהַשָּׁנָ֔הH8141Article | Noun - feminine singularwhen you gatherבְּאָסְפְּךָ֥H622Preposition-b | Verb - Qal - Infinitive construct | second person masculine singular-אֶֽת־H853Direct object markeryour produceמַעֲשֶׂ֖יךָH4639Noun - masculine plural construct | second person masculine singularfromמִן־H4480Prepositionthe fieldהַשָּׂדֶֽה׃H7704Article | Noun - masculine singular

BSB notes

  • That is, Shavuot, the late spring feast of pilgrimage to Jerusalem; it is also known as the Feast of Weeks (see Exodus 34:22) or the Feast of Pentecost (see Acts 2:1).
  • That is, Sukkot, the autumn feast of pilgrimage to Jerusalem; it is later called the Feast of Tabernacles (or Booths or Shelters).
Verse 17

Original words

Threeשָׁלֹ֥שׁH7969Number - feminine singulartimesפְּעָמִ֖יםH6471Noun - feminine plurala yearבַּשָּׁנָ֑הH8141Preposition-b, Article | Noun - feminine singularallכָּל־H3605Noun - masculine singular constructyour malesזְכ֣וּרְךָ֔H2138Noun - masculine singular construct | second person masculine singularare to appearיֵרָאֶה֙H7200Verb - Nifal - Imperfect - third person masculine singularbeforeאֶל־H413Preposition. . .פְּנֵ֖יH6440Noun - common plural constructthe Lordהָאָדֹ֥ן׀H113Article | Noun - masculine singularGODיְהוָֽה׃H3068Noun - proper - masculine singular
Verse 18

Original words

You must notלֹֽא־H3808Adverb - Negative particleofferתִזְבַּ֥חH2076Verb - Qal - Imperfect - second person masculine singularthe bloodדַּם־H1818Noun - masculine singular constructof My sacrificesזִבְחִ֑יH2077Noun - masculine singular construct | first person common singularwithעַל־H5921Prepositionanything leavenedחָמֵ֖ץH2557Noun - masculine singularnor mayוְלֹֽא־H3808Conjunctive waw | Adverb - Negative particlethe fatחֵֽלֶב־H2459Noun - masculine singular constructof My feastחַגִּ֖יH2282Noun - masculine singular construct | first person common singularremainיָלִ֥יןH3885Verb - Qal - Imperfect - third person masculine singularuntilעַד־H5704Prepositionmorningבֹּֽקֶר׃H1242Noun - masculine singular
Verse 19

Original words

Bringתָּבִ֕יאH935Verb - Hifil - Imperfect - second person masculine singularthe bestרֵאשִׁ֗יתH7225Noun - feminine singular constructof the firstfruitsבִּכּוּרֵי֙H1061Noun - masculine plural constructof your soilאַדְמָ֣תְךָ֔H127Noun - feminine singular construct | second person masculine singularto the houseבֵּ֖יתH1004Noun - masculine singular constructof the LORDיְהוָ֣הH3068Noun - proper - masculine singularyour Godאֱלֹהֶ֑יךָH430Noun - masculine plural construct | second person masculine singularYou must notלֹֽא־H3808Adverb - Negative particlecookתְבַשֵּׁ֥לH1310Verb - Piel - Imperfect - second person masculine singulara young goatגְּדִ֖יH1423Noun - masculine singularin its mother’sאִמּֽוֹ׃סH517Noun - feminine singular construct | third person masculine singularmilkבַּחֲלֵ֥בH2461Preposition-b | Noun - masculine singular construct

Berean Standard Bible (BSB): CC0 Public Domain Scripture text. Focused passages are drawn from the same reader contract as the full chapter. Reference sources explains external study-link sources.