Exodus 13:14

14 When the time comes and your son asks you, 'What does this mean?' you tell him, 'God brought us out of Egypt, out of a house of slavery, with a powerful hand.

Exodus 13:14 Meaning and Commentary

Exodus 13:14

And it shall be when thy son asketh thee in time to come
Or "on the morrow" F8, the day following such a separation of the firstborn of clean creatures, or such a redemption of the firstborn of unclean ones, and of man, or in any later time: saying, what is this?
what is the meaning of this? for what reason are such things done? that thou shall say unto him, by strength of hand the Lord brought us
out of Egypt from the house of bondage:
by laying his mighty hand upon the firstborn of Egypt, and destroying them, which made the king of Egypt, and his people, willing to let Israel go; (See Gill on Exodus 13:3).


FOOTNOTES:

F8 (rxm) "eras", Pagninus, Montanus, Tiguriue version.

Exodus 13:14 In-Context

12 you are to set aside the first birth out of every womb to God. Every first birth from your livestock belongs to God.
13 You can redeem every first birth of a donkey if you want to by substituting a lamb; if you decide not to redeem it, you must break its neck.
14 When the time comes and your son asks you, 'What does this mean?' you tell him, 'God brought us out of Egypt, out of a house of slavery, with a powerful hand.
15 When Pharaoh stubbornly refused to let us go, God killed every firstborn in Egypt, the firstborn of both humans and animals. That's why I make a sacrifice for every first male birth from the womb to God and redeem every firstborn son.'
16 The observance functions like a sign on your hands or a symbol on the middle of your forehead: God brought us out of Egypt with a powerful hand."
Published by permission. Originally published by NavPress in English as THE MESSAGE: The Bible in Contemporary Language copyright 2002 by Eugene Peterson. All rights reserved.