Exodus 23:17

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

Cross-references

Exodus 34:23 repeats the same command for all males to appear three times a year — a parallel passage reinforcing this requirement.

Deuteronomy 16:16 names the three festivals (Unleavened Bread, Weeks, Tabernacles) that the males must appear — specifying the times from this verse.

Deuteronomy 31:11 Historical context

In Deuteronomy 31:11, the pilgrimage command is specified as the occasion for reading the law every seventh year at Tabernacles.

Psalm 84:7 Allusion

Psalm 84:7 poetically echoes the same phrase 'appears before God', depicting pilgrims journeying to Zion for the festivals.

Luke 2:42 Parallel

Luke 2:42 gives a narrative example: Jesus' family going up to Jerusalem for Passover, following the three-times-a-year command.

1 Samuel 1:3 shows Elkanah yearly going to Shiloh to worship—a direct application of the pilgrimage command to the tabernacle era.

Psalm 122:4 Allusion

Psalm 122:4 describes the tribes going up to Jerusalem as a statute for Israel, directly referencing the pilgrimage command.

Isaiah 1:12 Contrast

Isaiah 1:12 uses the same phrase 'appear before me' to rebuke empty worship, contrasting outward obedience with heartless ritual.

John 7:2 Historical context

John 7:2 mentions the Feast of Tabernacles, one of the three annual pilgrimages commanded in this verse.

Deuteronomy 12:5 Historical context

Deuteronomy 12:5 designates the central sanctuary where the males must appear — the location implied in the command here.

Ezekiel 36:38 compares restored cities to flocks at appointed feasts, using the pilgrimage festivals as a metaphor for blessing.