Three times in the year all thy males shall appear before the Lord GOD.

EXODUS 23:17KJV
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Exodus 23:17 (KJV)

What does Exodus 23:17 mean?

Exodus 23:17 commands that all Israelite males must appear before the Lord GOD three times each year. This instruction sets a requirement for regular, communal worship at specific times in the religious calendar.

In this verse, God is speaking to the Israelites through Moses, giving them laws for their life as a nation after leaving Egypt. The context is a list of instructions about festivals and worship. The verse highlights the importance of gathering all males at set times to honor God, showing the central role of worship and obedience in Israel’s relationship with God.

The Hebrew behind Exodus 23:17

  • "Three" (שָׁלוֹשׁ, shalosh): This word sets the number of required gatherings, emphasizing that it is not a one-time or occasional event, but a regular, repeated practice.
  • "Appear" (יֵרָאֶה, yera'eh): This word means to be seen or to present oneself, stressing that the act of physically coming before God is essential, not just a symbolic or internal gesture.
  • "Before" (פָּנִים, panim): Literally meaning "face" or "presence," this word underlines the idea of coming into God’s presence in a direct and personal way.
  • "Lord" (אֲדֹנָי, Adonai) and "GOD" (יְהוָה, YHWH): The use of both titles together highlights both God’s authority (Adonai) and His personal, covenant name (YHWH), showing the seriousness and intimacy of the command.

Why Exodus 23:17 matters

  • Exodus 23:17 clarifies that worship was not just a private or family matter, but a public, national obligation for all Israelite men.
  • The verse connects to the broader context of the chapter, which describes three major festivals (Passover, Weeks, and Tabernacles), showing that these gatherings were central to Israel’s identity and faith.
  • This command helps explain the structure of Israel’s religious life and why pilgrimage festivals became such a significant part of Jewish tradition.

Where else these words appear

“males” Hebrew H2138 · used in 4 verses

  • Exodus 34:23 Thrice in the year shall all your men children appear before the Lord GOD, the God of Israel.
  • Deuteronomy 16:16 Three times in a year shall all thy males appear before the LORD thy God in the place which he shall choose; in the feast of unleavened bread, and in the feast of weeks, and in the feast of tabernacles: and they shall not appear before the LORD empty:
  • Deuteronomy 20:13 And when the LORD thy God hath delivered it into thine hands, thou shalt smite every male thereof with the edge of the sword:

“times” Hebrew H6471 · used in 108 verses

  • Genesis 2:23 And Adam said, This is now bone of my bones, and flesh of my flesh: she shall be called Woman, because she was taken out of Man.
  • Deuteronomy 10:10 And I stayed in the mount, according to the first time, forty days and forty nights; and the LORD hearkened unto me at that time also, and the LORD would not destroy thee.
  • 2 Kings 5:14 Then went he down, and dipped himself seven times in Jordan, according to the saying of the man of God: and his flesh came again like unto the flesh of a little child, and he was clean.