Covenant Laws IV: Corruption, Poverty, Three Festivals, God’s Promises: The book of the covenant concludes with laws that establish judicial integrity (vv. 1–9); Sabbath laws that protect the poor and beasts of burden (vv. 10–13); and the institution of three yearly festivals (vv. 14–19). Then the text returns to the narrative of God’s promises to Moses (vv. 20–33). The alternating pattern of social justice legislation with laws about the people’s relation to God continues.

23:10–13 The two Sabbath laws in this part of Exodus differ from the other three Sabbath texts in their motivation (16:23; 20:10; 31:15–17). The others state the purpose of the Sabbath in relation to God’s holiness and resting in creation. Here the focus is on providing for the poor and for beasts of burden. The seventh-…