Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of Exodus 23:15
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: )
15a. The first pilgrimage, the seven days’ festival of Maoth or Unleavened Cakes. Cf. the parallel Exo 34:18; and the later regulations in Deu 16:3-4; Deu 16:8; Lev 23:6-8 (P), 9 14 (H and P); Exo 12:14-20 and Num 28:17-25 (both P). This feast celebrated the beginning of the barley-harvest (which begins in Palestine towards the end of April or the beginning of May, some weeks before the wheat-harvest): cf. Lev 23:10-14 H (the ‘wave-sheaf’ of the first-fruits of the harvest to be presented then to Jehovah). The reason why this spring festival was observed in particular by eating unleavened cakes must remain matter of conjecture: perhaps it was simply because, at a time when men were busy with the harvest, such cakes (cf. on Exo 12:8) were most quickly and easily prepared (Wellh. Hist. p. 87; Nowack, Arch. ii. 146; EB. iii. 3591). Eerdmans ( Expositor, Nov. 1909, p. 459 ff.) conjectures that it was to preserve, in accordance with a primitive conception, the ‘soul’ of the corn for the seed of the year to come. The feast is regarded as commemorating the day of the Exodus in Exo 13:3-10 (JE), Deu 16:3, Exo 12:14-20 (P): in Exo 12:34; Exo 12:39 (J) a historical motive for the use of unleavened cakes is suggested; the haste viz. with which the Israelites left Egypt gave them no time to leaven their dough.
seven days empty ] These words, breaking the grammatical connexion between v. 15a and v. 16, have been most probably introduced here by a later hand from Exo 34:18 b, 20 c. The words, ‘as I commanded thee,’ refer apparently to Exo 13:6 J (cf. v. 4 ‘Abib’), and are in their proper place in J’s covenant (Exo 34:10-26; see p. 372), but cannot well be original in E.
15b. none shall appear before me empty ] So Exo 34:20 c, Deu 16:16 c (with the explanation in v. 17 ‘every man shall give [an offering] as he is able, according to the blessing of Jehovah which he hath given thee,’ i.e. according as he can afford to give, out of the produce of the year). In Deu 16:16 c the clause actually follows the one corresponding to Exo 23:17 = Exo 34:23, so that it refers to all three pilgrimages; and no doubt this was its original place (viz. after Exo 34:23 = Exo 23:17): it would be natural to expect an offering to be prescribed for each pilgrimage.
appear before me ] The standing phrase for visiting a sanctuary as a worshipper, esp. at the three great pilgrimages (Exo 34:20; Exo 34:23-24, Deu 31:11, 1Sa 1:22), but also used more generally (Isa 1:12, Psa 42:2). It is however held by many, on the basis, primarily, of grammatical considerations affecting Exo 23:15; Exo 34:20, Isa 1:12, and Psa 42:2, that in these and similar passages (Exo 34:23-24,) Deu 16:16 (twice), Exo 31:11) the existing punctuation does not represent the original vocalization, and that the true sense of the phrase is (with other vowel points) see my face, see the face of Yahweh, i.e. visit Him as Sovereign (so Ges., Dillm., Kirkpatrick on Psa 42:1, and others). The usual phrase for admission to the presence of a royal person (2Sa 3:13; 2Sa 14:28 ; 2Sa 14:32, 2Ki 25:19; cf. Gen 43:3) was applied to visiting the sanctuary; but as objection came to be felt to the expression ‘seeing the face of God’ (cf. Exo 33:20), the vocalization, and perhaps, in Exo 23:17, 1Sa 1:22, even the consonantal ext, was altered so as to express the idea of ‘appearing before God.’
Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges
This may be either,
1. A precept, as it is generally understood, that none should ever come at those times without some offering or other, for the support of the Levites, and of the worship of God; but the determination of this, or what they would give, was left to their choice. Or,
2. A promise to encourage them to come so oft from their remotest habitations to Jerusalem, because
they should never appear before God in vain, i.e. to no purpose, or without some benefit, for so the word rekam oft signifies. So it may be parallel to Isa 45:19, I said not unto the seed of Jacob, Seek ye me in vain. But the former sense is more probable, by comparing this with its parallel place, Deu 16:16,17.
Fuente: English Annotations on the Holy Bible by Matthew Poole
Thou shalt keep the feast of unleavened bread,…. Which began on the fourteenth of the month Abib or Nisan, and lasted seven days, during which time no leavened bread was to be eaten by the Israelites, or to be in their houses, of which see the notes on:
[See comments on Ex 12:15] [See comments on Ex 12:18] [See comments on Ex 12:19] [See comments on Ex 12:10] [See comments on Ex 13:6] [See comments on Ex 13:7]
thou shall eat unleavened bread, seven days, as I commanded thee, in the time appointed of the month Abib; from the fourteenth of the month to the twenty first:
for in it thou camest out of Egypt; in such haste that there was no time to leaven the dough in the troughs; in commemoration of which this law was given, and this feast was kept:
and none shall appear before me empty; at this feast and the two following ones; for, besides the offerings and sacrifices appointed, at the feast of passover was brought a sheaf of the first fruits of the barley harvest; and at the feast of pentecost the two wave loaves or cakes of the first fruits of the wheat harvest; and at the feast of tabernacles they appeared with palm tree branches, and boughs of goodly trees, and poured out water fetched from Siloam, before the Lord: but to this appearance the Jewish doctors b say,
“there was no measure fixed; for everyone, if he would, might go up and appear, and go away: according to another interpretation, for the burnt offering of appearance, and the peace offerings of the Chagigah, which a man is bound to bring, as it is written, “ye shall not appear empty”; there is no measure from the law, as it is written, “a man according to the gift of his hand”, De 16:17, but the wise men fix a measure; to the burnt offering a meah of silver, to the Chagigah two pieces of silver:”
some understand this, not of their bringing anything with them to appear before the Lord with, but of what they should be blessed with there; even with the presence of God, and communion with him, and with the blessings of his grace and goodness; so that however they came, they should not remain, nor go away empty, and so have no cause to repent their appearance before him; but the former sense seems best.
b Bartenora in Misn. Peah, c. 1. sect. 1.
Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible
(15) The feast of unleavened bread.See the Notes on Exo. 12:15-20.
In the time appointed of the month Abib.From the 14th day of the month Abib (or Nisan) to the 21st day. (See Exo. Xii. 18, 13:4-7.)
None shall appear before me empty.Viewed religiously, the festivals were annual national thanks-givings for mercies received, both natural and miraculousthe first for the commencement of harvest and the deliverance out of Egypt; the second for the completion of the grain-harvest and the passage of the Red Sea; the third for the final gathering in of the fruits and the many mercies of the wilderness. At such seasons we must not appear before God empty, we must give Him not only the salves of our lips, but some substantial acknowledgment of His goodness towards us. The law here laid down with respect to the first feast is afterwards extended to the other two (Deu. 16:16).
Fuente: Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers (Old and New Testaments)
Exo 23:15. Thou shalt keep the feast of unleavened bread Concerning this feast of passover, see ch. 12: and Deu 16:1-8. It is enjoined, at the close of this verse, that none should appear empty before God; i.e. without the appointed offering; a command, which refers to all the three festivals, Deu 16:16. What those offerings were to be, is specified elsewhere. See Sir 35:4.
Fuente: Commentary on the Holy Bible by Thomas Coke
Exo 23:15 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:)
Ver. 15. Thou shalt keep the feast. ] Let us also keep the feast, or holy day. 1Co 5:8 See Trapp on “ 1Co 5:8 “
Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
as = according as.
month Abib. See App-51.
appear before Me. This is the current Hebrew text: but this, and ten other passages were altered by the Sopherim (only in the pointing). App-33. The primitive text read (and ought to be) “see My face”. They did not know that “face” was used by Figure of speech Synecdoche (of Part), App-6, for the person “Me”, and they thought it too anthropomorphitic. See note on Exo 34:20.
empty = empty-handed.
Fuente: Companion Bible Notes, Appendices and Graphics
Abib
First month, i.e. April.
Fuente: Scofield Reference Bible Notes
the feast: Exo 12:14-28, Exo 12:43-49, Exo 13:6, Exo 13:7, Exo 34:18, Lev 23:5-8, Num 9:2-14, Num 28:16-25, Deu 16:1-8, Jos 5:10, Jos 5:11, 2Ki 23:21-23, Mar 14:12, Luk 22:7, 1Co 5:7, 1Co 5:8
and none: Exo 34:20, Lev 23:10, Deu 16:16, Pro 3:9, Pro 3:10
Reciprocal: Exo 12:2 – General Exo 12:15 – Seven Exo 12:19 – Seven Exo 13:3 – Remember Exo 13:4 – Abib Exo 13:10 – General Num 28:2 – General 1Sa 6:3 – empty 2Ch 35:17 – the feast Mat 4:4 – but Act 12:3 – Then Act 20:6 – the days
Fuente: The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
23:15 Thou shalt keep the feast of {g} 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:)
(g) That is, Easter, in remembrance that the angel passed over and spared the Israelites, when he slew the first born of the Egyptians.