John Calvin Commentary Exodus 23:14

"Three times thou shalt keep a feast unto me in the year." — Exodus 23:14 (ASV)

Three times you shall keep a feast. It is strange that Moses, who elsewhere lists several feast days, should here only command them to appear in God’s presence three times a year. Where then is the Feast of Trumpets and the Day of Atonement? For undoubtedly, all were to be celebrated at Jerusalem.

In the first place, it should be observed that the principal feasts, to which the greater honor belonged, are mentioned here. Secondly, because the three holidays in the seventh month were almost continuous, it is probable³⁵⁸ that some allowance was made for them, so that they would not be absent from their homes the entire month. For at the beginning of the month the trumpets sounded, on the tenth day was the solemn fast, and on the fifteenth, they began to dwell in booths.

If the necessity of remaining in Jerusalem had been imposed on everyone, such a long stay would have been burdensome. However, if they chose to be present from the beginning to the end, there still would have been only one journey, which is named after the most significant day.

And certainly,³⁵⁹ the word רגלים, raglim, which Moses uses, metaphorically means journeys rather than times, although I acknowledge that פעמים, phagnemim, which signifies times, is used in Deuteronomy in a similar sense. In any case, it appears that God spared His people when He prescribed only three necessary convocations, so that the heads of families and their children would not be exhausted by the expense and trouble of them, since He approves of no service that does not come from a cheerful heart.

³⁵⁸ Added from Fr.

³⁵⁹ רגלים and and פעמים each signify each signify the feet, in their primary sense; and each are used, but the latter more commonly, for in their primary sense; and each are used, but the latter more commonly, for times, as when we say, “so many times.” — as when we say, “so many times.” — W