Leviticus 23:43

Lev 23:43 That your generations may know that I made the children of Israel to dwell in booths, when I brought them out of the land of Egypt: I [am] the LORD your God.

Ver. 43. That your generations may know.] For which purpose also they had at this feast the law read unto them. {Neh 8:18 Deu 31:10; Deu 31:13}

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.

23:43 The Israelites were never to forget God’s great acts of redemption on their behalf, but were to remind each new generation of what God had done (Deut 4:9; 11:19). Their understanding of who they were and of who God was revolved around their knowledge of those things. See Deut 6:20-24; 26:5-9; Josh 24:2-13; Ps 136.

Tyndale Open Study Notes — © Tyndale Open Resources, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0. Text via the HelloAO Bible API.

In the wilderness, forasmuch as they would not credit Joshua and Caleb, when they returned from spying the land of Canaan.

Geneva Bible (1599) marginal notes — public domain. Text via Bolls.life.

Verse 43. That your generations may know, &c.] By the institution of this feast God had two great objects in view:

1. To perpetuate the wonderful display of his providence and grace in bringing them out of Egypt, and in preserving them in the wilderness.

2. To excite and maintain in them a spirit of gratitude and obedience, by leading them to consider deeply the greatness of the favours which they had received from his most merciful hands.

SIGNAL displays of the mercy, kindness, and providential care of God should be particularly remembered. When we recollect that we deserve nothing at his hands, and that the debt of gratitude is all the debt we can pay, in it we should be cheerful, fervent, and frequent. An ungrateful heart is an unfeeling, unloving, unbelieving, and disobedient heart. Reader, pray to God that he may deliver thee from its influence and its curse.

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

(43) That your generations may know.—When their posterity are securely occupying the land of Canaan, the temporary dwelling in booths once a year may remind them of the goodness of God vouchsafed to their fathers in delivering them from the land of bondage, and sheltering them in booths in the wilderness.

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

That your generations may know that I made the children of Israel to dwell in booths,.... Which by the providence of God the Israelites were obliged to make for themselves to dwell in:

when I brought them out of the land of Egypt; for the very first place they came to, when they departed from thence, was called Succoth, from the booths they there built:

I am the Lord your God; who brought them out of Egypt, made them to dwell in booths in the wilderness, and enjoined them the observance of the feast of tabernacles in memory of it, in which he expected to be obeyed.

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

כי בסכות הושבתי THAT I MADE [THE CHILDREN OF ISRAEL] ABIDE IN BOOTHS — This does not mean literally “booths” but, “the clouds of Glory" by which they were sheltered (cf. Onkelos; Sifra, Emor, Chapter 17 11; Mekhilta; Sukkah 11b).

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.

THAT I MADE THE CHILDREN OF ISRAEL TO ABIDE IN BOOTHS. “This means the clouds of Glory” [which surrounded the camp of the Israelites during their stay in the wilderness]. This is Rashi’s language. And in my opinion this is the correct interpretation [even] according to the literal sense of Scripture, for He commanded that the generations should know all the great deeds of the Eternal which He did wondrously with them, that He made them dwell in the clouds of His Glory like in a booth, similar to what is said, And the Eternal will create over the whole habitation of Mount Zion, and over her assemblies, a cloud and smoke by day, and the shining of a flaming fire by night; for over all the glory shall be a canopy. And there shall be a ‘succah’ (pavilion) for a shadow in the day-time from the heat etc. And since Scripture has already explained that the cloud of the Eternal was upon them by day and the pillar of fire by night, 13:22. He just says here, that I made the children of Israel to abide in booths, [without explaining what kind of booths, but meaning] “I made them booths out of the clouds of My Glory to protect them.” Thus He commanded that at the beginning of the summer season we are to remember the exodus from Egypt by [calling] its month [the first of the months], and by observing its festival [of Passover], and He further commanded the remembrance of the continuous miracle which was done for them throughout the days of their stay in the wilderness, at the beginning of the winter season. And according to the opinion of the Sage who says were “clouds of Glory” [mentioned above] is the opinion of Rabbi Eliezer (ibid.). that they made themselves booths in the literal sense, [we must explain that the reason why this commandment is to be observed at the onset of the winter season], is because they began to make them at the beginning of the winter, on account of the cold, as is customary in camps, and therefore He commanded [that we also make] them at that time. The sense of the remembrance is that they should know and remember that they were in the wilderness, and did not live in homes, and they found no city of habitation for forty years, but G-d was with them and they lacked nothing.

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.