Exodus 23 Study Notes
General
Which of these blessings does God promise in Exodus 23:25-26 if Israel serves Him?
Answer: Blessing on their food and water, removal of sickness, and freedom from miscarriage and barrenness
God promised that if Israel served Him, He would bless their bread and water and take sickness away from them. No woman would lose a child before birth or be unable to have children, and He would give them a full span of life (23:25-26). These were covenant blessings, gifts God promised to His people in the land as they lived in loyalty to Him. Deuteronomy promises similar blessings of fruitfulness, freedom from barrenness, and removal of sickness (Deuteronomy 7:12-15). At Marah God had already shown that He is the One who heals His people (Exodus 15:26).
- Exodus 23:25-26 (BSB)“So you shall serve the LORD your God, and He will bless your bread and your water. And I will take away sickness from among you. No woman in your land will miscarry or be barren; I will fulfill the number of your days.”God promises that if Israel serves Him, He will bless their food and water, remove sickness, and give them fruitfulness and full lives.
- Deuteronomy 7:12-15 (BSB)“If you listen to these ordinances and keep them carefully, then the LORD your God will keep His covenant and the loving devotion that He swore to your fathers. He will love you and bless you and multiply you. He will bless the fruit of your womb and the produce of your land—your grain, new wine, and oil, the young of your herds and the lambs of your flocks—in the land that He swore to your fathers to give you. You will be blessed above all peoples; among you there will be no barren man or woman or livestock. And the LORD will remove from you all sickness. He will not lay upon you any of the terrible diseases you knew in Egypt, but He will inflict them on all who hate you.”The same covenant blessings of fruitfulness and freedom from sickness are promised for obedience.
- Exodus 15:26 (BSB)“saying, “If you will listen carefully to the voice of the LORD your God, and do what is right in His eyes, and pay attention to His commands, and keep all His statutes, then I will not bring on you any of the diseases I inflicted on the Egyptians. For I am the LORD who heals you.””At Marah God had already called Himself the LORD who heals, tied to Israel's obedience.
Theological
Which covenant blessings are promised in 23:25-26 to Israel's service of the LORD?
Answer: Blessing on bread and water, removal of sickness, fruitfulness, and a full span of days
Serving the LORD is attended by covenant blessing on bread and water, the removal of sickness, the absence of miscarriage and barrenness, and a full measure of days (23:25-26). These are the Sinai covenant's temporal sanctions in the land, echoed in Deuteronomy's promise of fruitfulness without barrenness and the removal of sickness (Deuteronomy 7:12-15) and anticipated at Marah, where God revealed Himself as the healer of His people (Exodus 15:26).
- Exodus 23:25-26 (BSB)“So you shall serve the LORD your God, and He will bless your bread and your water. And I will take away sickness from among you. No woman in your land will miscarry or be barren; I will fulfill the number of your days.”God promises that if Israel serves Him, He will bless their food and water, remove sickness, and give them fruitfulness and full lives.
- Deuteronomy 7:12-15 (BSB)“If you listen to these ordinances and keep them carefully, then the LORD your God will keep His covenant and the loving devotion that He swore to your fathers. He will love you and bless you and multiply you. He will bless the fruit of your womb and the produce of your land—your grain, new wine, and oil, the young of your herds and the lambs of your flocks—in the land that He swore to your fathers to give you. You will be blessed above all peoples; among you there will be no barren man or woman or livestock. And the LORD will remove from you all sickness. He will not lay upon you any of the terrible diseases you knew in Egypt, but He will inflict them on all who hate you.”The same covenant blessings of fruitfulness and freedom from sickness are promised for obedience.
- Exodus 15:26 (BSB)“saying, “If you will listen carefully to the voice of the LORD your God, and do what is right in His eyes, and pay attention to His commands, and keep all His statutes, then I will not bring on you any of the diseases I inflicted on the Egyptians. For I am the LORD who heals you.””At Marah God had already called Himself the LORD who heals, tied to Israel's obedience.
General
What did God tell Israel to do with the gods and sacred stones of the Canaanite nations (23:24, 32-33)?
Answer: Refuse to worship them, tear them down, and break apart their sacred pillars
If Israel listened carefully and obeyed, God promised to oppose their enemies (23:22-23). Israel was not to bow to the Canaanites' gods, serve them, or copy their ways, but to tear them down and shatter their sacred pillars (23:24). They were to make no covenant, meaning a binding agreement, with those nations or their gods, because those gods would become a trap that pulled Israel into sin (23:32-33). Deuteronomy repeats these commands (Deuteronomy 7:2-5). Sadly, Israel did not fully obey, and God then declared that He would not drive those nations out and that their gods would trap Israel, just as He had warned (Judges 2:2-3).
- Exodus 23:22-24 (BSB)“But if you will listen carefully to his voice and do everything I say, I will be an enemy to your enemies and a foe to your foes. For My angel will go before you and bring you into the land of the Amorites, Hittites, Perizzites, Canaanites, Hivites, and Jebusites, and I will annihilate them. You must not bow down to their gods or serve them or follow their practices. Instead, you are to demolish them and smash their sacred stones to pieces.”If Israel obeys, God will oppose their enemies; they must not worship the Canaanites' gods but demolish them and smash their sacred stones.
- Exodus 23:32-33 (BSB)“You shall make no covenant with them or with their gods. They must not remain in your land, lest they cause you to sin against Me. For if you serve their gods, it will surely be a snare to you.””Israel must make no covenant with the nations or their gods, because their gods would become a snare.
- Deuteronomy 7:2-5 (BSB)“and when the LORD your God has delivered them over to you to defeat them, then you must devote them to complete destruction. Make no treaty with them and show them no mercy. Do not intermarry with them. Do not give your daughters to their sons or take their daughters for your sons, because they will turn your sons away from following Me to serve other gods. Then the anger of the LORD will burn against you, and He will swiftly destroy you. Instead, this is what you are to do to them: tear down their altars, smash their sacred pillars, cut down their Asherah poles, and burn their idols in the fire.”Israel must make no treaty with the nations and must tear down their altars and smash their sacred pillars.
- Judges 2:2-3 (BSB)“and you are not to make a covenant with the people of this land, but you shall tear down their altars.’ Yet you have not obeyed My voice. What is this you have done? So now I tell you that I will not drive out these people before you; they will be thorns in your sides, and their gods will be a snare to you.””Because Israel disobeyed, God declares that He will not drive out the nations and that their gods will be a snare, as warned.
Theological
What does 23:24 and 23:32-33 require regarding the Canaanites' gods and sacred stones?
Answer: Refusal of their worship, demolition of the idols, and smashing of their pillars
Obedience would make God the enemy of Israel's enemies (23:22-23). Israel must not bow to the Canaanite gods, serve them, or imitate their practices, but must overthrow them and shatter their sacred pillars (23:24), and must cut no covenant with the peoples or their gods, which would otherwise ensnare them in sin (23:32-33). Deuteronomy restates these demands (Deuteronomy 7:2-5), and Judges records God's verdict on Israel's disobedience: the nations would remain and their gods would ensnare Israel (Judges 2:2-3).
- Exodus 23:22-24 (BSB)“But if you will listen carefully to his voice and do everything I say, I will be an enemy to your enemies and a foe to your foes. For My angel will go before you and bring you into the land of the Amorites, Hittites, Perizzites, Canaanites, Hivites, and Jebusites, and I will annihilate them. You must not bow down to their gods or serve them or follow their practices. Instead, you are to demolish them and smash their sacred stones to pieces.”If Israel obeys, God will oppose their enemies; they must not worship the Canaanites' gods but demolish them and smash their sacred stones.
- Exodus 23:32-33 (BSB)“You shall make no covenant with them or with their gods. They must not remain in your land, lest they cause you to sin against Me. For if you serve their gods, it will surely be a snare to you.””Israel must make no covenant with the nations or their gods, because their gods would become a snare.
- Deuteronomy 7:2-5 (BSB)“and when the LORD your God has delivered them over to you to defeat them, then you must devote them to complete destruction. Make no treaty with them and show them no mercy. Do not intermarry with them. Do not give your daughters to their sons or take their daughters for your sons, because they will turn your sons away from following Me to serve other gods. Then the anger of the LORD will burn against you, and He will swiftly destroy you. Instead, this is what you are to do to them: tear down their altars, smash their sacred pillars, cut down their Asherah poles, and burn their idols in the fire.”Israel must make no treaty with the nations and must tear down their altars and smash their sacred pillars.
- Judges 2:2-3 (BSB)“and you are not to make a covenant with the people of this land, but you shall tear down their altars.’ Yet you have not obeyed My voice. What is this you have done? So now I tell you that I will not drive out these people before you; they will be thorns in your sides, and their gods will be a snare to you.””Because Israel disobeyed, God declares that He will not drive out the nations and that their gods will be a snare, as warned.
General
True or False: Exodus 23:4-5 tells an Israelite to return his enemy's straying ox and to help with his enemy's donkey that has collapsed under its burden.
Answer: True
This is true. If an Israelite came across his enemy's ox or donkey wandering loose, he had to bring it back; and if he saw the donkey of someone who hated him collapsed under its burden, he was not to walk away but help (23:4-5). Personal hostility did not cancel the duty to do good. The law gives the same duty toward a brother's animals (Deuteronomy 22:1-4), and Proverbs tells us to feed a hungry enemy (Proverbs 25:21). When Jesus later told His followers to love their enemies (Matthew 5:44), He was drawing out what God's law already taught.
- Exodus 23:4-5 (BSB)“If you encounter your enemy’s stray ox or donkey, you must return it to him. If you see the donkey of one who hates you fallen under its load, do not leave it there; you must help him with it.”Israel must return an enemy's straying ox or donkey and help an enemy's donkey that has fallen under its load.
- Deuteronomy 22:1-4 (BSB)“If you see your brother’s ox or sheep straying, you must not ignore it; be sure to return it to your brother. If your brother does not live near you, or if you do not know who he is, you are to take the animal home to remain with you until your brother comes seeking it; then you can return it to him. And you shall do the same for his donkey, his cloak, or anything your brother has lost and you have found. You must not ignore it. If you see your brother’s donkey or ox fallen on the road, you must not ignore it; you must help him lift it up.”The same duties are laid down toward a brother's lost or fallen animals.
- Proverbs 25:21 (BSB)“If your enemy is hungry, give him food to eat, and if he is thirsty, give him water to drink.”Wisdom commands feeding a hungry enemy and giving him water.
- Matthew 5:44 (BSB)“But I tell you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you,”Jesus commands His followers to love their enemies.
Theological
True or False: Exodus 23:4-5 requires returning an enemy's stray animal and helping to relieve his overburdened donkey.
Answer: True
This is true. An enemy's wandering animal must be brought back, and a hater's donkey collapsed beneath its burden must not be abandoned but helped (23:4-5). Enmity does not suspend the obligation of practical love. The parallel law applies the same duty toward a brother (Deuteronomy 22:1-4), and wisdom already commands feeding the hungry enemy (Proverbs 25:21). Christ's command to love one's enemies (Matthew 5:44) thus draws out what the law itself already required.
- Exodus 23:4-5 (BSB)“If you encounter your enemy’s stray ox or donkey, you must return it to him. If you see the donkey of one who hates you fallen under its load, do not leave it there; you must help him with it.”Israel must return an enemy's straying ox or donkey and help an enemy's donkey that has fallen under its load.
- Deuteronomy 22:1-4 (BSB)“If you see your brother’s ox or sheep straying, you must not ignore it; be sure to return it to your brother. If your brother does not live near you, or if you do not know who he is, you are to take the animal home to remain with you until your brother comes seeking it; then you can return it to him. And you shall do the same for his donkey, his cloak, or anything your brother has lost and you have found. You must not ignore it. If you see your brother’s donkey or ox fallen on the road, you must not ignore it; you must help him lift it up.”The same duties are laid down toward a brother's lost or fallen animals.
- Proverbs 25:21 (BSB)“If your enemy is hungry, give him food to eat, and if he is thirsty, give him water to drink.”Wisdom commands feeding a hungry enemy and giving him water.
- Matthew 5:44 (BSB)“But I tell you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you,”Jesus commands His followers to love their enemies.
General
In Exodus 23:6-7, what reason does God give for not condemning the innocent?
Answer: God Himself will not declare the guilty to be in the right
God forbids twisting a poor man's case, commands His people to keep far from false charges, and forbids putting the innocent and righteous to death, because He Himself will never declare the wicked innocent (23:6-7). God's own justice is the standard for Israel's courts: He never calls wrong right. Proverbs says the LORD hates it when judges let the guilty off or punish the innocent (Proverbs 17:15), and God's own name includes that He will not let the guilty go unpunished (Exodus 34:7). This raises a question the gospel answers: how can God declare sinners righteous? Paul explains that God put Christ forward as the sacrifice that pays for sin, so that God stays just while He justifies, meaning declares righteous, those who trust in Jesus (Romans 3:25-26).
- Exodus 23:6-7 (BSB)“You shall not deny justice to the poor in their lawsuits. Stay far away from a false accusation. Do not kill the innocent or the just, for I will not acquit the guilty.”Israel must not deny the poor justice, must keep away from false charges and not kill the innocent, for God will not acquit the guilty.
- Proverbs 17:15 (BSB)“Acquitting the guilty and condemning the righteous—both are detestable to the LORD.”Acquitting the guilty and condemning the righteous are both detestable to the LORD.
- Exodus 34:7 (BSB)“maintaining loving devotion to a thousand generations, forgiving iniquity, transgression, and sin. Yet He will by no means leave the guilty unpunished; He will visit the iniquity of the fathers on their children and grandchildren to the third and fourth generations.””God's proclaimed name includes that He will by no means leave the guilty unpunished.
- Romans 3:25-26 (BSB)“God presented Him as an atoning sacrifice in His blood through faith, in order to demonstrate His righteousness, because in His forbearance He had passed over the sins committed beforehand. He did this to demonstrate His righteousness at the present time, so as to be just and to justify the one who has faith in Jesus.”God justifies believers without compromising His justice, because Christ was presented as the atoning sacrifice.
Theological
What ground does God give in 23:7 for the prohibition against slaying the innocent?
Answer: His own refusal to justify the wicked
Justice must not be wrested from the poor; false charges are to be shunned and the innocent and righteous not slain, for God will not justify the wicked (23:6-7). Israel's courts must mirror the Judge of all, who never reverses moral reality. To justify the wicked and condemn the righteous are equally abominable (Proverbs 17:15), and the LORD's name includes that He refuses to clear the guilty (Exodus 34:7). This sharpens the gospel's wonder: God justifies sinners without becoming unjust, because He set forth Christ as a propitiation in His blood, so that He is both just and the justifier of whoever believes in Jesus (Romans 3:25-26).
- Exodus 23:6-7 (BSB)“You shall not deny justice to the poor in their lawsuits. Stay far away from a false accusation. Do not kill the innocent or the just, for I will not acquit the guilty.”Israel must not deny the poor justice, must keep away from false charges and not kill the innocent, for God will not acquit the guilty.
- Proverbs 17:15 (BSB)“Acquitting the guilty and condemning the righteous—both are detestable to the LORD.”Acquitting the guilty and condemning the righteous are both detestable to the LORD.
- Exodus 34:7 (BSB)“maintaining loving devotion to a thousand generations, forgiving iniquity, transgression, and sin. Yet He will by no means leave the guilty unpunished; He will visit the iniquity of the fathers on their children and grandchildren to the third and fourth generations.””God's proclaimed name includes that He will by no means leave the guilty unpunished.
- Romans 3:25-26 (BSB)“God presented Him as an atoning sacrifice in His blood through faith, in order to demonstrate His righteousness, because in His forbearance He had passed over the sins committed beforehand. He did this to demonstrate His righteousness at the present time, so as to be just and to justify the one who has faith in Jesus.”God justifies believers without compromising His justice, because Christ was presented as the atoning sacrifice.
General
According to Exodus 23:29-30, why would God not drive out the nations of Canaan all in one year?
Answer: So the emptied land would not be overrun by wild beasts before Israel grew enough to fill it
God promised to send His terror and the hornet before Israel to clear the nations away (23:27-28). But He would not do it all within one year, or the land would lie empty and wild beasts would overrun it. Instead He would drive them out gradually until Israel grew enough to fill and take over the land (23:29-30). He then sets wide borders, marked by the Red Sea, the Philistine coast, the wilderness, and the Euphrates River (23:31), echoing His promise to Abram (Genesis 15:18). Moses repeats the gradual plan (Deuteronomy 7:22), and Joshua later reminds Israel that it was God who sent the hornet, not their own weapons (Joshua 24:12).
- Exodus 23:27-31 (BSB)“I will send My terror ahead of you and throw into confusion every nation you encounter. I will make all your enemies turn and run. I will send the hornet before you to drive the Hivites and Canaanites and Hittites out of your way. I will not drive them out before you in a single year; otherwise the land would become desolate and wild animals would multiply against you. Little by little I will drive them out ahead of you, until you become fruitful and possess the land. And I will establish your borders from the Red Sea to the Sea of the Philistines, and from the desert to the Euphrates. For I will deliver the inhabitants into your hand, and you will drive them out before you.”God will send terror and the hornet before Israel, drive the nations out gradually rather than in one year, and set the borders of the land.
- Deuteronomy 7:22 (BSB)“The LORD your God will drive out these nations before you little by little. You will not be enabled to eliminate them all at once, or the wild animals would multiply around you.”Moses repeats that God will drive out the nations little by little so wild animals do not multiply.
- Joshua 24:12 (BSB)“I sent the hornet ahead of you, and it drove out the two Amorite kings before you, but not by your own sword or bow.”God reminds Israel that He sent the hornet ahead of them, not their own sword or bow.
- Genesis 15:18 (BSB)“On that day the LORD made a covenant with Abram, saying, “To your descendants I have given this land—from the river of Egypt to the great River Euphrates—”The borders reaching to the Euphrates echo what God promised Abram.
Theological
What reason does 23:29-30 give for a gradual rather than immediate conquest?
Answer: Preventing desolation and the increase of wild beasts until Israel grew to possess the land
Though God will send His terror and the hornet before Israel (23:27-28), He will not expel the nations in one year, lest the land become desolate and the beasts multiply; He will expel them gradually until Israel increases and inherits the land (23:29-30). The promised borders, bounded by the Red Sea, the Philistine coast, the wilderness, and the Euphrates (23:31), echo the Abrahamic grant (Genesis 15:18). The gradual pace is restated in Deuteronomy (Deuteronomy 7:22), and Joshua credits the victory to God's hornet rather than Israel's sword and bow (Joshua 24:12). God's providence orders even the timing of His gifts for His people's good.
- Exodus 23:27-31 (BSB)“I will send My terror ahead of you and throw into confusion every nation you encounter. I will make all your enemies turn and run. I will send the hornet before you to drive the Hivites and Canaanites and Hittites out of your way. I will not drive them out before you in a single year; otherwise the land would become desolate and wild animals would multiply against you. Little by little I will drive them out ahead of you, until you become fruitful and possess the land. And I will establish your borders from the Red Sea to the Sea of the Philistines, and from the desert to the Euphrates. For I will deliver the inhabitants into your hand, and you will drive them out before you.”God will send terror and the hornet before Israel, drive the nations out gradually rather than in one year, and set the borders of the land.
- Deuteronomy 7:22 (BSB)“The LORD your God will drive out these nations before you little by little. You will not be enabled to eliminate them all at once, or the wild animals would multiply around you.”Moses repeats that God will drive out the nations little by little so wild animals do not multiply.
- Joshua 24:12 (BSB)“I sent the hornet ahead of you, and it drove out the two Amorite kings before you, but not by your own sword or bow.”God reminds Israel that He sent the hornet ahead of them, not their own sword or bow.
- Genesis 15:18 (BSB)“On that day the LORD made a covenant with Abram, saying, “To your descendants I have given this land—from the river of Egypt to the great River Euphrates—”The borders reaching to the Euphrates echo what God promised Abram.
General
According to Exodus 23:2-3, which of these would be wrong for a witness or judge in Israel?
Answer: Siding with a poor person in court simply because he is poor
God told Israel not to follow the majority into doing wrong, and not to bend testimony in a trial just to agree with the crowd (23:2). Then He adds something surprising: do not tilt a case toward someone just because he is poor (23:3). Justice must not lean toward the powerful, but it must not lean toward the poor just because they are poor. The only question is what is true and right. The law repeats this elsewhere: judges must lean neither toward the needy nor toward the wealthy (Leviticus 19:15), and small and great must be heard alike (Deuteronomy 1:17). James likewise forbids believers to show favoritism (James 2:1).
- Exodus 23:2-3 (BSB)“You shall not follow the crowd in wrongdoing. When you testify in a lawsuit, do not pervert justice by siding with the crowd. And do not show favoritism to a poor man in his lawsuit.”Israel must not follow a majority into wrongdoing or twist testimony to side with the crowd, nor favor a poor man in court.
- Leviticus 19:15 (BSB)“You must not pervert justice; you must not show partiality to the poor or favoritism to the rich; you are to judge your neighbor fairly.”Judgment must show partiality neither to the poor nor to the rich.
- Deuteronomy 1:17 (BSB)“Show no partiality in judging; hear both small and great alike. Do not be intimidated by anyone, for judgment belongs to God. And bring to me any case too difficult for you, and I will hear it.””Judges must hear small and great alike without fear.
- James 2:1 (BSB)“My brothers, as you hold out your faith in our glorious Lord Jesus Christ, do not show favoritism.”The New Testament forbids believers to show favoritism.
Theological
Which of the following does 23:2-3 forbid in judicial matters?
Answer: Partiality toward the needy litigant
The witness or judge must not follow the multitude into evil or distort testimony to agree with the majority (23:2), and, strikingly, must not tilt judgment toward the needy man's cause (23:3). Justice is to be blind to both social pressure and social sympathy; the merits alone decide. The law elsewhere forbids partiality to poor or rich (Leviticus 19:15) and demands that small and great be heard alike (Deuteronomy 1:17), and James forbids favoritism among those who hold the faith of Christ (James 2:1).
- Exodus 23:2-3 (BSB)“You shall not follow the crowd in wrongdoing. When you testify in a lawsuit, do not pervert justice by siding with the crowd. And do not show favoritism to a poor man in his lawsuit.”Israel must not follow a majority into wrongdoing or twist testimony to side with the crowd, nor favor a poor man in court.
- Leviticus 19:15 (BSB)“You must not pervert justice; you must not show partiality to the poor or favoritism to the rich; you are to judge your neighbor fairly.”Judgment must show partiality neither to the poor nor to the rich.
- Deuteronomy 1:17 (BSB)“Show no partiality in judging; hear both small and great alike. Do not be intimidated by anyone, for judgment belongs to God. And bring to me any case too difficult for you, and I will hear it.””Judges must hear small and great alike without fear.
- James 2:1 (BSB)“My brothers, as you hold out your faith in our glorious Lord Jesus Christ, do not show favoritism.”The New Testament forbids believers to show favoritism.
General
What does Exodus 23:1 forbid?
Answer: Spreading false rumors and helping the wicked by giving lying testimony
God forbids passing on a false report and forbids joining with a wicked person by testifying to help him do harm (23:1). The verse carries the ninth commandment, which forbids lying about a neighbor (Exodus 20:16), to everyday gossip and not only the courtroom. Lies can destroy a person's name and even his life in a trial. The law was so serious about this that a witness caught lying received the very penalty he had tried to bring on the other person (Deuteronomy 19:16-19). Proverbs agrees that a lying witness will surely be punished (Proverbs 19:5).
- Exodus 23:1 (BSB)““You shall not spread a false report. Do not join the wicked by being a malicious witness.”Israel must not spread false rumors or side with the wicked as a malicious witness.
- Exodus 20:16 (BSB)“You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor.”The ninth commandment forbids false testimony against a neighbor, which this law applies to rumors and courts.
- Deuteronomy 19:16-19 (BSB)“If a false witness testifies against someone, accusing him of a crime, both parties to the dispute must stand in the presence of the LORD, before the priests and judges who are in office at that time. The judges shall investigate thoroughly, and if the witness is proven to be a liar who has falsely accused his brother, you must do to him as he intended to do to his brother. So you must purge the evil from among you.”A witness proven to have lied was to receive the penalty he intended for the accused.
- Proverbs 19:5 (BSB)“A false witness will not go unpunished, and one who utters lies will not escape.”A false witness will not escape punishment.
Theological
What does 23:1 prohibit?
Answer: Circulating false reports and lending oneself as a malicious witness to the wicked
The law forbids circulating a false report and colluding with the wicked as a malicious witness (23:1), extending the ninth commandment (Exodus 20:16) from formal testimony to the spread of rumor. Because false testimony could cost a neighbor his reputation or life, the law imposed on the perjurer the penalty he had sought for the accused (Deuteronomy 19:16-19), and wisdom promises that the perjurer will not escape punishment (Proverbs 19:5).
- Exodus 23:1 (BSB)““You shall not spread a false report. Do not join the wicked by being a malicious witness.”Israel must not spread false rumors or side with the wicked as a malicious witness.
- Exodus 20:16 (BSB)“You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor.”The ninth commandment forbids false testimony against a neighbor, which this law applies to rumors and courts.
- Deuteronomy 19:16-19 (BSB)“If a false witness testifies against someone, accusing him of a crime, both parties to the dispute must stand in the presence of the LORD, before the priests and judges who are in office at that time. The judges shall investigate thoroughly, and if the witness is proven to be a liar who has falsely accused his brother, you must do to him as he intended to do to his brother. So you must purge the evil from among you.”A witness proven to have lied was to receive the penalty he intended for the accused.
- Proverbs 19:5 (BSB)“A false witness will not go unpunished, and one who utters lies will not escape.”A false witness will not escape punishment.
General
True or False: Exodus 23:13 allows Israel to call on other gods as long as they worship the LORD first.
Answer: False
This is false. God tells Israel to pay careful attention to all He has said and not to invoke other gods at all; such names were not even to be heard from their mouths (23:13). Calling on a god's name meant praying to it or swearing by it, which would be giving it honor. Joshua later warned Israel of the same thing (Joshua 23:7). David refused to let other gods' names pass his lips (Psalm 16:4), and God promised a day when He would remove the names of false gods from His people's lips (Hosea 2:17).
- Exodus 23:13 (BSB)“Pay 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.”Israel must heed all God has said and not invoke other gods or let their names be heard from their lips.
- Joshua 23:7 (BSB)“So you are not to associate with these nations that remain among you. You must not call on the names of their gods or swear by them, and you must not serve them or bow down to them.”Joshua warns Israel not to call on the names of the nations' gods or swear by them.
- Psalm 16:4 (BSB)“Sorrows will multiply to those who chase other gods. I will not pour out their libations of blood, or speak their names with my lips.”David refuses even to take the names of other gods on his lips.
- Hosea 2:17 (BSB)“For I will remove from her lips the names of the Baals; no longer will their names be invoked.”God promises to remove the names of the Baals from His people's mouths.
Theological
True or False: Exodus 23:13 permits invoking other gods provided the LORD retains preeminence.
Answer: False
This is false. Israel must give heed to all God has spoken and must not invoke other gods; their names are not even to be heard on Israel's lips (23:13). To invoke a name was to pray or swear by it, rendering it religious honor. Joshua repeats the charge (Joshua 23:7), David renounces taking such names on his lips (Psalm 16:4), and God promises to remove the Baals' names from His people's mouths (Hosea 2:17).
- Exodus 23:13 (BSB)“Pay 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.”Israel must heed all God has said and not invoke other gods or let their names be heard from their lips.
- Joshua 23:7 (BSB)“So you are not to associate with these nations that remain among you. You must not call on the names of their gods or swear by them, and you must not serve them or bow down to them.”Joshua warns Israel not to call on the names of the nations' gods or swear by them.
- Psalm 16:4 (BSB)“Sorrows will multiply to those who chase other gods. I will not pour out their libations of blood, or speak their names with my lips.”David refuses even to take the names of other gods on his lips.
- Hosea 2:17 (BSB)“For I will remove from her lips the names of the Baals; no longer will their names be invoked.”God promises to remove the names of the Baals from His people's mouths.
General
True or False: Exodus 23:15 says no one is to come before God without an offering.
Answer: True
This is true. In the command about the seven days of eating bread without yeast, God adds that no one is to come before Him empty-handed (23:15). Worshipers were to bring an offering, recognizing that everything they had was from God. Deuteronomy explains that each person was to give in proportion to how the LORD had blessed him (Deuteronomy 16:17). The New Testament adds that God delights in people who give gladly (2 Corinthians 9:7).
- Exodus 23:15 (BSB)“You 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.”At the Feast of Unleavened Bread, no one is to come before God with nothing to offer.
- Deuteronomy 16:17 (BSB)“Everyone must appear with a gift as he is able, according to the blessing the LORD your God has given you.”Each man was to give as he was able, according to the blessing God had given him.
- 2 Corinthians 9:7 (BSB)“Each one should give what he has decided in his heart to give, not out of regret or compulsion. For God loves a cheerful giver.”God loves a cheerful giver, the spirit in which offerings should be brought.
Theological
True or False: Exodus 23:15 forbids anyone to come before the LORD with nothing in hand.
Answer: True
This is true. Within the ordinance of Unleavened Bread, God stipulates that none shall appear before Him empty-handed (23:15). Worship involves acknowledging His bounty with an offering, proportioned, as Deuteronomy specifies, to the blessing He has given (Deuteronomy 16:17), and offered, as Paul adds, in the spirit of the cheerful giver God loves (2 Corinthians 9:7).
- Exodus 23:15 (BSB)“You 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.”At the Feast of Unleavened Bread, no one is to come before God with nothing to offer.
- Deuteronomy 16:17 (BSB)“Everyone must appear with a gift as he is able, according to the blessing the LORD your God has given you.”Each man was to give as he was able, according to the blessing God had given him.
- 2 Corinthians 9:7 (BSB)“Each one should give what he has decided in his heart to give, not out of regret or compulsion. For God loves a cheerful giver.”God loves a cheerful giver, the spirit in which offerings should be brought.
General
In Exodus 23:12, which purpose does God give for resting every seventh day?
Answer: So that the ox and donkey could rest and the servant and foreigner be refreshed
Six days were for work, and then on the seventh Israel was to stop, so that their working animals could rest and their servants and the foreigners among them could be refreshed (23:12). In this verse the Sabbath is presented as a gift of rest for those who could not choose to rest on their own. Deuteronomy also lists servants, animals, and foreigners and reminds Israel that they themselves had been slaves in Egypt (Deuteronomy 5:14-15). Jesus taught that the Sabbath exists for people's good (Mark 2:27).
- Exodus 23:12 (BSB)“For 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.”Israel works six days and rests on the seventh so that animals, servants, and foreigners may be refreshed.
- Deuteronomy 5:14-15 (BSB)“but the seventh day is a Sabbath to the LORD your God, on which you must not do any work—neither you, nor your son or daughter, nor your manservant or maidservant, nor your ox or donkey or any of your livestock, nor the foreigner within your gates, so that your manservant and maidservant may rest as you do. Remember that you were a slave in the land of Egypt, and that the LORD your God brought you out of there with a mighty hand and an outstretched arm. That is why the LORD your God has commanded you to keep the Sabbath day.”The Sabbath command includes servants, animals, and foreigners, and recalls Israel's slavery in Egypt.
- Mark 2:27 (BSB)“Then Jesus declared, “The Sabbath was made for man, not man for the Sabbath.”Jesus says the Sabbath was made for man, which matches the refreshing purpose stated here.
Theological
What purpose of the seventh-day rest does 23:12 emphasize?
Answer: The rest of the working animals and the refreshment of the servant and sojourner
Here the weekly rest is framed humanely: six days of work, then cessation, so that the working animals may have rest, and the slave-born son and the sojourner be refreshed (23:12). The Sabbath protects the dependent and the laboring. Deuteronomy likewise includes servants, livestock, and sojourners and grounds the command in Israel's own redemption from slavery (Deuteronomy 5:14-15), and Christ affirms that the Sabbath exists for man's good (Mark 2:27).
- Exodus 23:12 (BSB)“For 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.”Israel works six days and rests on the seventh so that animals, servants, and foreigners may be refreshed.
- Deuteronomy 5:14-15 (BSB)“but the seventh day is a Sabbath to the LORD your God, on which you must not do any work—neither you, nor your son or daughter, nor your manservant or maidservant, nor your ox or donkey or any of your livestock, nor the foreigner within your gates, so that your manservant and maidservant may rest as you do. Remember that you were a slave in the land of Egypt, and that the LORD your God brought you out of there with a mighty hand and an outstretched arm. That is why the LORD your God has commanded you to keep the Sabbath day.”The Sabbath command includes servants, animals, and foreigners, and recalls Israel's slavery in Egypt.
- Mark 2:27 (BSB)“Then Jesus declared, “The Sabbath was made for man, not man for the Sabbath.”Jesus says the Sabbath was made for man, which matches the refreshing purpose stated here.
General
Which of these is among the worship rules in Exodus 23:18-19?
Answer: Bring the choicest early produce of the ground to the LORD's house
God gave several rules for worship: the blood of His sacrifices was not to be offered with anything containing yeast, the fat of His feast was not to be left until morning, and the finest of the first crops was to be brought to the LORD's house (23:18-19). The last rule forbids boiling a kid in the milk of its own mother. The text does not give the reason for that final rule, and interpreters have suggested different ones, but God commanded it and repeated it elsewhere (Exodus 34:26; Deuteronomy 14:21). What is clear is that God's worship was to be done His way, and that the first and best belonged to Him (Proverbs 3:9).
- Exodus 23:18-19 (BSB)“You must not offer the blood of My sacrifices with anything leavened, nor may the fat of My feast remain until morning. Bring 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.”Rules for sacrifice: no leaven with the blood, no fat left overnight, the best firstfruits to God's house, and no young goat cooked in its mother's milk.
- Exodus 34:26 (BSB)“Bring 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.””The firstfruits command and the young-goat prohibition are repeated together.
- Deuteronomy 14:21 (BSB)“You are not to eat any carcass; you may give it to the foreigner residing within your gates, and he may eat it, or you may sell it to a foreigner. For you are a holy people belonging to the LORD your God. You must not cook a young goat in its mother’s milk.”The young-goat prohibition appears again among the food laws of a people holy to the LORD.
- Proverbs 3:9 (BSB)“Honor the LORD with your wealth and with the firstfruits of all your crops;”Honoring the LORD with the firstfruits is commanded in wisdom literature as well.
Theological
Which of the following belongs to the cultic regulations of 23:18-19?
Answer: Bringing the choicest firstfruits of the ground to the LORD's house
The sacrificial blood must not be offered with leaven, the fat of the feast must not remain until morning, and the choicest firstfruits of the ground belong in the LORD's house (23:18-19). The closing prohibition of boiling a kid in the milk of its own mother is not explained in the text; Scripture never states its rationale, and the various proposed reasons remain conjecture. It recurs with the firstfruits command (Exodus 34:26) and among the food laws of a holy people (Deuteronomy 14:21). The clear principle is that worship is regulated by God's word and that the first and best are His (Proverbs 3:9).
- Exodus 23:18-19 (BSB)“You must not offer the blood of My sacrifices with anything leavened, nor may the fat of My feast remain until morning. Bring 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.”Rules for sacrifice: no leaven with the blood, no fat left overnight, the best firstfruits to God's house, and no young goat cooked in its mother's milk.
- Exodus 34:26 (BSB)“Bring 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.””The firstfruits command and the young-goat prohibition are repeated together.
- Deuteronomy 14:21 (BSB)“You are not to eat any carcass; you may give it to the foreigner residing within your gates, and he may eat it, or you may sell it to a foreigner. For you are a holy people belonging to the LORD your God. You must not cook a young goat in its mother’s milk.”The young-goat prohibition appears again among the food laws of a people holy to the LORD.
- Proverbs 3:9 (BSB)“Honor the LORD with your wealth and with the firstfruits of all your crops;”Honoring the LORD with the firstfruits is commanded in wisdom literature as well.
General
What does God say about the angel He is sending before Israel in Exodus 23:20-21?
Answer: He will guard them and bring them to the prepared place, and they must obey him because he bears God's name
God promises to send an angel ahead of Israel to protect them on the way and bring them to the place He has prepared (23:20). They must heed him and not rebel against him, because he will not pardon their rebellion, since he carries God's own name (23:21). To have God's name in him means he carries God's own authority and presence. Later God again promises that His angel will go before them (Exodus 32:34), and Isaiah remembers the Angel of God's Presence who saved Israel (Isaiah 63:9). Who this angel is has long been discussed. Many Reformed teachers believe he is the Son of God appearing before He was born as a man, pointing to places like the burning bush where the angel of the LORD speaks as God (Exodus 3:2-4). Others understand him as a created angel sent with God's full authority. Either way, to disobey him is to disobey God.
- Exodus 23:20-21 (BSB)“Behold, I am sending an angel before you to protect you along the way and to bring you to the place I have prepared. Pay attention to him and listen to his voice; do not defy him, for he will not forgive rebellion, since My Name is in him.”God promises an angel to guard Israel and bring them to the prepared place, warning them to obey him because God's name is in him.
- Exodus 32:34 (BSB)“Now go, lead the people to the place I described. Behold, My angel shall go before you. But on the day I settle accounts, I will punish them for their sin.””After the golden calf, God again promises that His angel will go before the people.
- Isaiah 63:9 (BSB)“In all their distress, He too was afflicted, and the Angel of His Presence saved them. In His love and compassion He redeemed them; He lifted them up and carried them all the days of old.”Isaiah looks back to the Angel of God's Presence who saved Israel in the days of old.
- Exodus 3:2-4 (BSB)“There the angel of the LORD appeared to him in a blazing fire from within a bush. Moses saw the bush ablaze with fire, but it was not consumed. So Moses thought, “I must go over and see this marvelous sight. Why is the bush not burning up?” When the LORD saw that he had gone over to look, God called out to him from within the bush, “Moses, Moses!” “Here I am,” he answered.”At the bush the angel of the LORD appears and the voice from the bush is God's own, a precedent for this angel's divine authority.
Theological
What does 23:20-21 say about the angel sent before Israel?
Answer: He will guard and lead Israel to the prepared place, and must be obeyed because he bears God's name
God sends an angel to guard Israel on the way and bring them to the place prepared (23:20). They must heed his voice and not provoke him, as he will not pardon their transgression, because he bears God's name (23:21), language of God's own authority and presence. The promise is renewed after the calf (Exodus 32:34), and Isaiah recalls the Angel of God's Presence who saved them (Isaiah 63:9). The angel's identity is debated. Many in the Reformed tradition see a pre-incarnate appearance of the Son, since the angel of the LORD elsewhere speaks as God, as at the bush (Exodus 3:2-4); others hold that he is a created messenger bearing God's name and authority. On either view, rebellion against him is rebellion against the LORD.
- Exodus 23:20-21 (BSB)“Behold, I am sending an angel before you to protect you along the way and to bring you to the place I have prepared. Pay attention to him and listen to his voice; do not defy him, for he will not forgive rebellion, since My Name is in him.”God promises an angel to guard Israel and bring them to the prepared place, warning them to obey him because God's name is in him.
- Exodus 32:34 (BSB)“Now go, lead the people to the place I described. Behold, My angel shall go before you. But on the day I settle accounts, I will punish them for their sin.””After the golden calf, God again promises that His angel will go before the people.
- Isaiah 63:9 (BSB)“In all their distress, He too was afflicted, and the Angel of His Presence saved them. In His love and compassion He redeemed them; He lifted them up and carried them all the days of old.”Isaiah looks back to the Angel of God's Presence who saved Israel in the days of old.
- Exodus 3:2-4 (BSB)“There the angel of the LORD appeared to him in a blazing fire from within a bush. Moses saw the bush ablaze with fire, but it was not consumed. So Moses thought, “I must go over and see this marvelous sight. Why is the bush not burning up?” When the LORD saw that he had gone over to look, God called out to him from within the bush, “Moses, Moses!” “Here I am,” he answered.”At the bush the angel of the LORD appears and the voice from the bush is God's own, a precedent for this angel's divine authority.
General
According to Exodus 23:8, what does a bribe do?
Answer: It clouds the sight of clear-sighted people and distorts what upright people say
God forbids accepting a bribe, because a gift given to sway a decision blinds even people who normally see clearly and bends the words of those who are upright (23:8). A bribe does not just tempt the wicked; it corrupts the judgment of good people too. The law repeats this for Israel's judges (Deuteronomy 16:19), and Proverbs calls the secret bribe a tool of the wicked for perverting justice (Proverbs 17:23). Human judges must refuse bribes because God Himself cannot be bought (2 Chronicles 19:7).
- Exodus 23:8 (BSB)“Do not accept a bribe, for a bribe blinds those who see and twists the words of the righteous.”Israel must not take a bribe, because it blinds the clear-sighted and twists the words of the righteous.
- Deuteronomy 16:19 (BSB)“Do not deny justice or show partiality. Do not accept a bribe, for a bribe blinds the eyes of the wise and twists the words of the righteous.”The prohibition of bribery is repeated for Israel's judges with the same reason.
- Proverbs 17:23 (BSB)“A wicked man takes a covert bribe to subvert the course of justice.”A wicked man takes a secret bribe to pervert justice.
- 2 Chronicles 19:7 (BSB)“And now, may the fear of the LORD be upon you. Be careful what you do, for with the LORD our God there is no injustice or partiality or bribery.””Judges must refuse bribes because with the LORD there is no bribery.
Theological
What effect of a bribe does 23:8 give as the reason to refuse it?
Answer: It blinds the clear-sighted and subverts the cause of the righteous
The bribe is forbidden because it robs the clear-sighted of sight and warps the speech of the upright (23:8): its power works even on otherwise upright judges. Deuteronomy repeats both the prohibition and the reason (Deuteronomy 16:19), Proverbs names the concealed bribe an instrument of the wicked to subvert justice (Proverbs 17:23), and Jehoshaphat grounds his charge to Judah's judges in the fact that with the LORD there is no bribery (2 Chronicles 19:7).
- Exodus 23:8 (BSB)“Do not accept a bribe, for a bribe blinds those who see and twists the words of the righteous.”Israel must not take a bribe, because it blinds the clear-sighted and twists the words of the righteous.
- Deuteronomy 16:19 (BSB)“Do not deny justice or show partiality. Do not accept a bribe, for a bribe blinds the eyes of the wise and twists the words of the righteous.”The prohibition of bribery is repeated for Israel's judges with the same reason.
- Proverbs 17:23 (BSB)“A wicked man takes a covert bribe to subvert the course of justice.”A wicked man takes a secret bribe to pervert justice.
- 2 Chronicles 19:7 (BSB)“And now, may the fear of the LORD be upon you. Be careful what you do, for with the LORD our God there is no injustice or partiality or bribery.””Judges must refuse bribes because with the LORD there is no bribery.
General
According to Exodus 23:10-11, who was to benefit when the land was left unplanted every seventh year?
Answer: The poor among the people, and then the wild animals
Israel could plant and harvest for six years, but every seventh year the fields were to rest and not be worked, so that needy people could eat what came up by itself, and wild creatures whatever remained. Vineyards and olive groves were treated the same way (23:10-11). Leviticus calls this a Sabbath year for the soil (Leviticus 25:3-5). The law reminded Israel that the land really belonged to God (Psalm 24:1) and that He cared for the poor and even for animals.
- Exodus 23:10-11 (BSB)“For six years you are to sow your land and gather its produce, but 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.”Every seventh year Israel's fields, vineyards, and olive groves were to rest, so that the poor and wild animals could eat.
- Leviticus 25:3-5 (BSB)“For six years you may sow your field and prune your vineyard and gather its crops. But in the seventh year there shall be a Sabbath of complete rest for the land—a Sabbath to the LORD. You are not to sow your field or prune your vineyard. You are not to reap the aftergrowth of your harvest or gather the grapes of your untended vines. The land must have a year of complete rest.”The seventh year is called a Sabbath of complete rest for the land.
- Psalm 24:1 (BSB)“A Psalm of David. The earth is the LORD’s, and the fullness thereof, the world and all who dwell therein.”The earth belongs to the LORD, so His people hold their land as stewards.
Theological
Who are the named beneficiaries of the seventh-year fallow in 23:10-11?
Answer: The poor of the people, and afterward the beasts of the field
After six years of sowing and harvesting, the land is to lie fallow in the seventh, so the needy may eat its volunteer growth and wild creatures what remains, with vineyards and olive groves treated alike (23:10-11). Leviticus names this a solemn Sabbath for the soil (Leviticus 25:3-5). The ordinance confessed the LORD's ownership of the earth (Psalm 24:1) and embodied His provision for the needy and His care for creation.
- Exodus 23:10-11 (BSB)“For six years you are to sow your land and gather its produce, but 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.”Every seventh year Israel's fields, vineyards, and olive groves were to rest, so that the poor and wild animals could eat.
- Leviticus 25:3-5 (BSB)“For six years you may sow your field and prune your vineyard and gather its crops. But in the seventh year there shall be a Sabbath of complete rest for the land—a Sabbath to the LORD. You are not to sow your field or prune your vineyard. You are not to reap the aftergrowth of your harvest or gather the grapes of your untended vines. The land must have a year of complete rest.”The seventh year is called a Sabbath of complete rest for the land.
- Psalm 24:1 (BSB)“A Psalm of David. The earth is the LORD’s, and the fullness thereof, the world and all who dwell therein.”The earth belongs to the LORD, so His people hold their land as stewards.
General
Which three feasts does God command Israel to keep each year in Exodus 23:14-17?
Answer: Unleavened Bread, Harvest, and Ingathering
God commanded three yearly feasts (23:14). The first, Unleavened Bread, lasted seven days in Abib and remembered that Israel left Egypt in that month (23:15). The Harvest feast celebrated the first crops from the fields, and the Ingathering feast came as the year closed, when the crops were brought in (23:16). Every man in Israel was to come before the Lord on these three occasions each year (23:17). Deuteronomy calls these the Feasts of Unleavened Bread, Weeks, and Tabernacles (Deuteronomy 16:16). The New Testament ties these feasts to God's saving work: Christ is our Passover lamb, and believers are to live as unleavened bread, in sincerity and truth (1 Corinthians 5:7-8). The Holy Spirit was poured out at Pentecost, the harvest feast (Acts 2:1-4).
- Exodus 23:14-17 (BSB)“Three times a year you are to celebrate a feast to Me. You 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. You 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. Three times a year all your males are to appear before the Lord GOD.”God appoints three annual feasts and requires all Israel's males to appear before Him three times a year.
- Deuteronomy 16:16 (BSB)“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 of Tabernacles. No one should appear before the LORD empty-handed.”The three pilgrimage feasts are named Unleavened Bread, Weeks, and Tabernacles.
- Acts 2:1-4 (BSB)“When the day of Pentecost came, they were all together in one place. Suddenly a sound like a mighty rushing wind came from heaven and filled the whole house where they were sitting. They saw tongues like flames of fire that separated and came to rest on each of them. And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit enabled them.”On the day of Pentecost, the New Testament name for the harvest feast, the Spirit filled the gathered disciples.
- 1 Corinthians 5:7-8 (BSB)“Get rid of the old leaven, that you may be a new unleavened batch, as you really are. For Christ, our Passover lamb, has been sacrificed. Therefore let us keep the feast, not with the old bread, leavened with malice and wickedness, but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and of truth.”Paul connects Christ our Passover lamb with keeping the feast with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth.
Theological
Which three annual feasts does 23:14-17 prescribe?
Answer: Unleavened Bread, Harvest, and Ingathering
Three pilgrimage feasts are appointed (23:14): Unleavened Bread, seven days in Abib, commemorating the exodus (23:15); Harvest, marking the first yield of the fields; and Ingathering at the year's end (23:16), the three occasions when every male must present himself before the Lord (23:17). Deuteronomy names them Unleavened Bread, Weeks, and Tabernacles (Deuteronomy 16:16). The New Testament ties these feasts to God's saving work in Christ: He is our sacrificed Passover, and the church celebrates with sincerity and truth rather than malice (1 Corinthians 5:7-8), and the Spirit was poured out at Pentecost, the harvest feast Deuteronomy calls Weeks (Acts 2:1-4).
- Exodus 23:14-17 (BSB)“Three times a year you are to celebrate a feast to Me. You 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. You 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. Three times a year all your males are to appear before the Lord GOD.”God appoints three annual feasts and requires all Israel's males to appear before Him three times a year.
- Deuteronomy 16:16 (BSB)“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 of Tabernacles. No one should appear before the LORD empty-handed.”The three pilgrimage feasts are named Unleavened Bread, Weeks, and Tabernacles.
- Acts 2:1-4 (BSB)“When the day of Pentecost came, they were all together in one place. Suddenly a sound like a mighty rushing wind came from heaven and filled the whole house where they were sitting. They saw tongues like flames of fire that separated and came to rest on each of them. And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit enabled them.”On the day of Pentecost, the New Testament name for the harvest feast, the Spirit filled the gathered disciples.
- 1 Corinthians 5:7-8 (BSB)“Get rid of the old leaven, that you may be a new unleavened batch, as you really are. For Christ, our Passover lamb, has been sacrificed. Therefore let us keep the feast, not with the old bread, leavened with malice and wickedness, but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and of truth.”Paul connects Christ our Passover lamb with keeping the feast with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth.
General
What does Exodus 23:9 say Israel knows that should keep them from oppressing foreigners?
Answer: What life as a foreigner is like, from their years in Egypt
God repeats His command not to oppress a foreigner and adds a personal reason: Israel knows from the inside what a foreigner feels, because they had been foreigners in Egypt (23:9). Their own suffering was meant to make them tender, not harsh, toward outsiders. Leviticus goes further and commands Israel to love the foreigner as themselves (Leviticus 19:33-34), and Deuteronomy grounds the same command in their Egyptian past (Deuteronomy 10:19). The New Testament calls believers to welcome strangers into their homes (Hebrews 13:2).
- Exodus 23:9 (BSB)“Do not oppress a foreign resident, since you yourselves know how it feels to be foreigners; for you were foreigners in the land of Egypt.”Israel must not oppress a foreigner, since they know what it is to be foreigners from their time in Egypt.
- Leviticus 19:33-34 (BSB)“When a foreigner resides with you in your land, you must not oppress him. You must treat the foreigner living among you as native-born and love him as yourself, for you were foreigners in the land of Egypt. I am the LORD your God.”Israel must love the foreigner as themselves, because they were foreigners in Egypt.
- Deuteronomy 10:19 (BSB)“So you also must love the foreigner, since you yourselves were foreigners in the land of Egypt.”The command to love the foreigner rests on Israel's own time as foreigners in Egypt.
- Hebrews 13:2 (BSB)“Do not neglect to show hospitality to strangers, for by so doing some people have entertained angels without knowing it.”Believers are told not to neglect hospitality to strangers.
Theological
What does 23:9 appeal to in forbidding the oppression of the sojourner?
Answer: Israel's own knowledge of the sojourner's heart from its time in Egypt
Repeating the prohibition of 22:21, God appeals to Israel's experiential knowledge: they know the sojourner's inner life, having been sojourners in Egypt (23:9). Redemption was to produce empathy, not a new oppressor. The law commands loving the sojourner as oneself (Leviticus 19:33-34), grounding it, as Deuteronomy also does, in Israel's Egyptian past (Deuteronomy 10:19), and the apostolic church is likewise charged not to neglect hospitality to strangers (Hebrews 13:2).
- Exodus 23:9 (BSB)“Do not oppress a foreign resident, since you yourselves know how it feels to be foreigners; for you were foreigners in the land of Egypt.”Israel must not oppress a foreigner, since they know what it is to be foreigners from their time in Egypt.
- Leviticus 19:33-34 (BSB)“When a foreigner resides with you in your land, you must not oppress him. You must treat the foreigner living among you as native-born and love him as yourself, for you were foreigners in the land of Egypt. I am the LORD your God.”Israel must love the foreigner as themselves, because they were foreigners in Egypt.
- Deuteronomy 10:19 (BSB)“So you also must love the foreigner, since you yourselves were foreigners in the land of Egypt.”The command to love the foreigner rests on Israel's own time as foreigners in Egypt.
- Hebrews 13:2 (BSB)“Do not neglect to show hospitality to strangers, for by so doing some people have entertained angels without knowing it.”Believers are told not to neglect hospitality to strangers.