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Exodus 34:23

Old Testament Law (Torah) ASV (1901)

What does Exodus 34:23 say?

The American Standard Version records this verse as: “Three times in the year shall all thy males appear before the Lord Jehovah, the God of Israel.” Read the surrounding verses and the named sources below before drawing broader conclusions.

The verse

Three times in the year shall all thy males appear before the Lord Jehovah, the God of Israel.
Exodus 34:23 — American Standard Version

Context — Exodus 34

American Standard Version (1901) — public domain. Click any verse for its study page.
20And the firstling of an ass thou shalt redeem with a lamb: and if thou wilt not redeem it, then thou shalt break its neck. All the first-born of thy sons thou shalt redeem. And none shall appear before me empty.
21Six days thou shalt work, but on the seventh day thou shalt rest: in plowing time and in harvest thou shalt rest.
22And thou shalt observe the feast of weeks, [even] of the first-fruits of wheat harvest, and the feast of ingathering at the year`s end.
23Three times in the year shall all thy males appear before the Lord Jehovah, the God of Israel.
24For I will cast out nations before thee, and enlarge thy borders: neither shall any man desire thy land, when thou goest up to appear before Jehovah thy God three times in the year.
25Thou shalt not offer the blood of my sacrifice with leavened bread; neither shall the sacrifice of the feast of the passover be left unto the morning.
26The first of the first-fruits of thy ground thou shalt bring unto the house of Jehovah thy God. Thou shalt not boil a kid in its mother`s milk.
← Exodus 34:22Exodus 34:24 →
← Full Chapter 34 Exodus Overview

What do historical commentaries say?

John Gill's Exposition
John Gill (1697–1771) · Exposition of the Old and New Testament · 18th-century historical commentary
“Thrice in the year shall all your men children appear before the Lord God, etc.] At the three above mentioned feasts, ((see Gill on “<022317>Exodus 23:17”)) here it is added, the God of Israel; who had chosen them to be his special people, had redeemed them out of Egypt, and done great things for them since; had made a covenant with them, and had now renewed that covenant with them, and was their covenant God, and they his people, and so were under great obligations to present themselves unto him at the times appointed by him.”
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Barnes' Notes
Albert Barnes (1798–1870) · Notes on the Whole Bible · 19th-century historical commentary
“The precepts contained in these verses are, for the most part, identical in substance with some of those which follow the Ten Commandments and are recorded in “the Book of the covenant” (Exo. 20–23; see Exodus 24:7). Exodus 34:13 Cut down their groves - This is the first reference to what is commonly known as grove-worship. The original word for “grove” in this connection אשׁרה 'ăshêrāh is different from that so rendered in Genesis 21:33. Our translators supposed that what the law commands is the destruction of groves dedicated to the worship of false deities Judges 6:25; 2 Kings 18:4; but inasmuch as the worship of asherah is found associated with that of Astarte, or Ashtoreth Judges…”
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Wesley's Explanatory Notes
John Wesley (1703–1791) · Explanatory Notes upon the New Testament and Old Testament notes · 18th-century historical commentary
“Thrice in the year shall all the men - children appear - But it might be suggested, when all the males slain every part were gone up to worship in the place that God should chuse, the country would he left exposed to the insults of their neighbours; and what would become of the poor women and children? Trust God with them. Exodus 34:24”
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Tyndale Open Study Notes
Tyndale House Publishers · Tyndale Open Study Notes · Modern study notes
“34:23 Three times: See 23:14-17.”
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Treasury of Scriptural Knowledge
R. A. Torrey and contributors · The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge · Cross-reference reference work
“Thrice: Exo 23:14, Exo 23:17; Deu 16:16; Psa 84:7 the God: Gen 32:28, Gen 33:20 Exodus 34:24”
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Related study paths

Read Exodus 34 in contextBrowse Hebrew word studiesOpen this verse in the study reader

Sources and verification