Exodus 34:21

Exo 34:21 Six days thou shalt work, but on the seventh day thou shalt rest: in earing time and in harvest thou shalt rest.

Ver. 21. In earing time and in harvest.] Though most busy times, you may not make bold with God.

John Trapp, A Commentary or Exposition upon All the Books of the Old and New Testament (1647–1656) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

Exo_34:21-26

Thou shalt rest.

Sabbath rest in harvest

Six days thou shalt work, but on the seventh day thou shalt rest: in earing time and in harvest thou shalt rest; that is, you shall not violate the Sabbath-day because it is harvest. I have heard persons say, It has been six days very wet; the corn is standing, and Sunday happens to be a bright sunny day; and they say, We ought to go and cut down the corn on the Sabbath-day. Here is a provision for this very possibility. God says, Even in harvest and earing time you shall still keep the Sabbath sacred to God. And I have noticed, although I admit my observation has been very limited, that that man who has cut down his corn on the Sunday in order to get it in well, did not succeed one whir better in the long run than he that observed the Sabbath as holy, and waited for sunny week-days in order to do his week-day work. I admit that there are works of necessity and mercy that are proper to be done on the Sabbath-day; and I can conceive the possibility that a time may come--an autumn may come when, even upon the Sabbath-day, you should be obliged to cut down the corn in consequence of unfavourable weather on the week-days; but you should first be well satisfied that there is no prospect of sunshine during the six days that are to follow. Do not forget that God said--not as ceremony but morality--that in earing time, and in harvest even, thou shalt rest, or sabbatize, or keep the Lords day. (J. Cumming, D. D.)

Exemplary Sabbath-keeping

I remember one time, many years ago, I was standing out for Sunday, but the owners could not bear the thought of the smacks laying to for the Sabbath. Well, the owner I sailed for wanted me to work on Sunday. I felt I could not, so I had to leave my berth. I walked about eight weeks after that in search of employment. Several owners asked me whether I wanted a situation. I asked them whether they wished me to fish on the Lords day. They said, yes. I had to decline. Well, the money was getting short, and I used to go in the dark places on the sands to lift up my heart to God to help me to stand against this fierce temptation. I had no help at home. My wife, not loving my Saviour, could not understand my objection, and I have often seen her crying to think that she and the two little children would have no bread to eat. My faith told me that my Father in heaven would not let them be without bread and water--that would be sure. At length the time came when I had to take my watch to pledge to get bread. I started with a heavy heart, and when I got to the shop I could not gain, courage to go in for a long time. I walked up and down praying to God to keep ms strong and faithful and able to part with everything rather than to betray my trust. At last I went in, and there stood one of our Church helpers behind the counter. Hullo, says he, Wilkinson, has it come to this? He was a dear young Christian, and has been a minister of the gospel for many years now. He asked me what I wanted there. Then I told him I had come to pledge my watch to get bread for wife and children. The tears stood in both our eyes. At last he asked, How much do you want on it? I said, I dont know; give me enough to get something to eat to-day; and to-morrow, perhaps, God may see fit to give me something to do where I can still serve Him. Well, he gave me some money, and he shook hands with me, and said, Have faith and courage; keep trusting in the Lord, and He will bring you through. And so He did. The next week three smacks had to be sold, and a Christian man bought one. He asked me to go as skipper of her. He told me, before I went to sea, not to do anything on Sundays if I could help it. That is twenty-six years ago, and that is how the Lord brought me through. (Captain Wilkinson, Mission Smack Ed. Birkbeck.)

Observe the feast.

Gods provision for His peoples enjoyment

I. That seasons for rejoicing were commanded. Let those who think that the Old Dispensation was gloomy remember that there was Divine injunction for joy and feasting three times a year.

II. That these seasons for rejoicing were conveniently appointed. Not in winter, but--

1. In spring, Passover.

2. Summer, First-fruits.

3. Autumn, Ingathering.

III. That these seasons for rejoicing had a religious basis.

1. The feasts were unto God.

2. Were in remembrance of Divine services which made rejoicing possible.

IV. That these seasons for rejoicing were connected with religious acts (Exo_34:17-19).

1. Personal dedication.

2. Sacrifices.

V. That seasons of rejoicing must not engender slovenliness and uncleanness (Exo_34:18).

VI. That seasons of rejoicing must not be desecrated by unnatural or superstitious ceremonies. Thou shalt not seethe a kid in his mothers milk; an outrage on nature and connected with witchcraft. In conclusion, if Judaism was a religion of joy, much more so is Christianity. The latter--

1. Was inaugurated as glad tidings of great joy.

2. Its leading fact and doctrines are grounds of joy (1Jn_1:1-4).

3. Its great central and fundamental principle is an occasion of joy (Rom_5:11).

4. The fruit of the Spirit is joy.

5. It provides an eternity of joy.

6. But remember the joy of the Lords your strength, and it is only in the Lord that we can rejoice evermore (Php_4:4). (J. W. Burn.)

Thrice in the year.--

The three yearly feasts at Jerusalem

We will--

I. Draw your attention to the institution recorded in the text. Consider--

1. Of what nature this appointment was: partly political, and partly religious.

2. What care God took to guard against the objections to which it was liable.

II. Suggest some observations founded upon it.

1. The service of God is of paramount obligation.

2. They who serve the Lord shall be saved by Him. (C. Simeon, M. A.)

The Biblical Illustrator, edited by Joseph S. Exell (c. 1880s–1900s) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

Exo 34:21. Here is a repetition of several appointments made before, especially relating to their solemn feasts: when they had made the calf, they proclaimed a feast in honour of it; now, that they might never do so again, they are here charged with the observance of the feasts which God had instituted. Thou shalt rest, even in earing-time and in harvest — The most busy times of the year. All worldly business must give way to that holy rest: harvest-work will prosper the better for the religious observation of the sabbath day in harvest-time. Hereby we must show that we prefer our communion with God, before either the business or the joy of harvest.

Joseph Benson's Commentary on the Old and New Testaments (1811–1818) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

Verse 21. In earing time and in harvest thou shalt rest.] This commandment is worthy of especial note; many break the Sabbath on the pretense of absolute necessity, because, if in harvest time the weather happens to be what is called bad, and the Sabbath day be fair and fine, they judge it perfectly lawful to employ that day in endeavouring to save the fruits of the field, and think that the goodness of the day beyond the preceding, is an indication from Providence that it should be thus employed. But is not the above command pointed directly against this? I have known this law often broken on this pretence, and have never been able to discover a single instance where the persons who acted thus succeeded one whit better than their more conscientious neighbors, who availed themselves of no such favourable circumstances, being determined to keep God's law, even to the prejudice of their secular interests; but no man ever yet ultimately suffered loss by a conscientious attachment to his duty to God. He who is willing and obedient, shall eat the good of the land; but God will ever distinguish those in his providence who respect his commandments.

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible (1810–1826) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.

(21) The law of the Sabbath meets us at every turn in Exodus. It was so fundamental to the entire polity, that it naturally held a place in every section of the legislation. We have already found it (1) propounded at the giving of the manna (Exo_16:22-30); (2) reasserted in the fourth commandment (Exo_20:8-11); (3) introduced into the “Book of the Covenant” (Exo_23:12); and (4) appended to the directions given for the construction of the Tabernacle (Exo_31:13-17).

In earing time and in harvest thou shalt rest.—“Earing-time” is ploughing time, “to ear” being an old English verb, etymologically connected with the Greek ἄρω and the Latin aro. (Comp. Gen_45:6; Deu_21:4; 1Sa_8:12; Isa_30:24.) There was a special temptation to trench on the Sabbatical rest at the times most critical in respect to agricultural operations.

A Bible Commentary for English Readers, edited by Charles John Ellicott (1878–1897) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

21. in plowing time, &c.] i.e. even at times when the need of working continuously might seem most urgent. For clause a, see on Exo_23:12.

The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges (gen. ed. J. J. S. Perowne; Cambridge University Press, 1878–1918) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

Thrice in the year shall all your men children appear before the Lord God,.... At the three above mentioned feasts; see Gill on Exo 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.

John Gill's Exposition of the Whole Bible (1746–1763) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API.

Reap; when the most urgent necessity might seem to authorize labour. (Haydock)

George Leo Haydock (1774–1849), Haydock's Catholic Family Bible and Commentary, 1859 edition — public domain. Excludes Psalms (Douay-Rheims chapter numbering differs from Protestant) and Deuterocanonical books (Catholic canon only).

Which times are expressed, because the great profit and seeming necessity of working at that time was likely to be a powerful temptation to make men break the sabbath.

Matthew Poole's English Annotations on the Holy Bible (1683–1685) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.

Six days, etc. This is repeated from the "Book of the Covenant", (Exo_23:12) but with a remarkable additionin earing time and in harvest thou shalt rest. "Earing time" is "ploughing time to "ear" being to "plough" in Old English, a word cognate with the Greek arw and the Latin are; and the command to rest both then and at harvest time is a command not to break the Sabbath rest at the seasons when it might seem most necessary so to do The temptation to "save the harvest" is readily intelligible to Englishmen. To appreciate the other temptation, we require to know the peculiar circumstances of the East. It is necessary there to complete the ploughing before the spring rains are over. These last but a short time; and when they are once past no rain can be looked for till the autumn.

The Pulpit Commentary (1880–1919), ed. H.D.M. Spence-Jones & Joseph S. Exell — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

Here is a repetition of several appointments made before, especially relating to their solemn feasts: when they had made the calf they proclaimed a feast in honour of it; now, that they might never do so again, they are here charged with the observance of the feasts which God had instituted. Thou shalt rest, even in earing-time and in harvest - The most busy times of the year. All wordly business must give way to that holy rest: harvest-work will prosper the better for the religious observation of the sabbath- day in harvest-time. Hereby we must shew that we prefer our communion with God, before either the business or the joy of harvest.

John Wesley, Explanatory Notes Upon the Whole Bible (1754–1765) — public domain. Text via the GEBible commentary corpus.

General Information:

Yahweh continues telling Moses what the people must do.

Even at plowing time and in harvest

"Even when you are preparing the soil or gathering the crops"

Festival of Ingathering

This festival was also known as the Festival of Shelters or the Festival of Booths. The idea came from the practice of the farmers living in temporary booths, or huts, out in the fields to guard the crop as it ripened. The word "Ingathering" means when they harvest their crop.

translationWords

rest

harvest

Pentecost

wheat

unfoldingWord translationNotes — © Distant Shores Media and the Door43 World Missions Community, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0. Source: git.door43.org/Door43/en_tn.

בחריש ובקציר IN PLOUGHING TIME AND IN HARVEST [THOU SHALT LEAVE OFF] — Why are ploughing and harvesting specially mentioned (since all work is forbidden on Sabbath)? There are some of our Rabbis who say that this refers to ploughing in the year preceding the Sabbatical year which ploughing passeth into (produces its first fruits in) the seventh year and to harvesting grain that has reached one-third of its maturity during the Sabbatical year which harvesting actually goeth forth into (takes place in) the eighth year, that following the Sabbatical year; and that this statement is intended to teach you that one must add part of the secular time to the holy time (i. e. that one must apply to a certain period before the beginning and after the termination of the Sabbatical year the laws applicable to that year in order to prevent its desecration). Thus, the following is what it (this verse) means: “Six days thou mayest work, but on the seventh day thou shalt rest”; but even with regard to the six days’ work which I have permitted you there are years when ploughing and harvesting are forbidden. This must be the meaning, referring to ploughing in the sixth year and harvesting in the seventh, and it cannot refer to the seventh year itself for it is unnecessary to make any mention of ploughing and harvesting in the seventh year being forbidden, for it is already said (Leviticus 25:4) “[But in the seventh year …] thou shalt neither sow thy field [nor prune thine vineyard]”! Others, however, hold that Scripture in this part of the text, is only speaking of the ordinary Sabbath day, as in the first part, and ploughing and harvesting which are specially mentioned in it as being forbidden on the Sabbath are mentioned to suggest to you the following: What is the characteristic of ploughing? It is an optional act (no such work being commanded anywhere in the Law)! So, too, is harvesting forbidden on Sabbath only when it constitutes an optional act! There is, therefore, excluded the harvesting of the barley for the “Omer” (cf. Leviticus 23:10: ye shall reap the harvest thereof) which is obligatory and which therefore supersedes the Sabbath (occasions a suspension of the Sabbath laws) (Rosh Hashanah 9a).

Rashi on the Tanakh — English translations: “The Judaica Press complete Tanach with Rashi, translated by A. J. Rosenberg” (CC BY 4.0); “Pentateuch with Rashi's commentary by M. Rosenbaum and A.M. Silbermann, 1929-1934” (public domain); “The Metsudah Tanach series, Lakewood, N.J” (CC BY 4.0); and “The Book of Joshua, Metsudah Publications, 1997” (CC BY 4.0). Text via Sefaria.

IN PLOWING TIME AND IN HARVEST THOU SHALT REST. In line with the plain meaning of Scripture He mentioned plowing and harvesting [as works forbidden on the Sabbath] because they are the mainstay of man’s life. He mentioned the Sabbath between the holidays, putting it next to the feast of unleavened bread and the sanctification of the firstborn, because they are all a reminder of the act of Creation, for in the exodus from Egypt itself there is a sign and wonder referring to the Creation, as I have explained in the Ten Commandments. Besides, Scripture states that in the Sabbath likewise there is a reminder of the exodus from Egypt, as it says in the second Ten Commandments, And thou shalt remember that thou wast a servant in the land of Egypt, and the Eternal thy G-d brought thee out thence [by a mighty hand and by an outstretched arm]; therefore the Eternal thy G-d commanded thee to keep the Sabbath-day. There I will explain it, with the help of G-d, blessed and exalted be He.

Ramban (Nachmanides) on the Tanakh — English translation: “Commentary on the Torah by Ramban (Nachmanides). Translated and annotated by Charles B. Chavel. New York, Shilo Pub. House, 1971-1976” (CC BY 4.0). Text via Sefaria.