“If the family of Egypt
Does not go up,
If they do not
Present themselves,
Then upon them
Shall come
The plague
That Yahweh inflicts
On the nations
That do not go up
To keep the festival of booths.
This shall be the punishment
Of Egypt.
This shall be the punishment
Of all the nations
That do not go up
To keep the festival of booths.”
Egypt would suffer a plague, if they did not present themselves for the festival of booths or tents. However, this same punishment would be inflicted on other countries that did not show up of this festival of booths. Suddenly, this festival has become an important universal religious festival for all countries, not just the Israelites.
Eugene Finnegan Bible Project 