Exodus 13:8-18

8 "1You shall tell your son on that day, saying, 'It is because of what the LORD did for me when I came out of Egypt.'
9 "And 2it shall serve as a sign to you on your hand, and as a reminder on your forehead *, that the law of the LORD may be in your mouth; for with 3a powerful hand the LORD brought you out of Egypt.
10 "Therefore, you shall 4keep this ordinance at its appointed time from year to year.
11 "Now when 5the LORD brings you to the land of the Canaanite, as 6He swore to you and to your fathers, and gives it to you,
12 7you shall devote to the LORD the first offspring of every womb, and the first offspring of every beast that you own; the males belong to the LORD.
13 "But 8every first offspring of a donkey you shall redeem with a lamb, but if you do not redeem it, then you shall break its neck; and 9every firstborn of man among your sons you shall redeem.
14 "10And it shall be when your son asks you in time to come, saying, 'What is this?' then you shall say to him, '11With a powerful hand the LORD brought us out of Egypt, from the house of slavery.
15 'It came about, when Pharaoh was stubborn about letting us go, that the 12LORD killed every firstborn in the land of Egypt, both the firstborn of man and the firstborn of beast. Therefore *, I sacrifice to the LORD the males, the first offspring of every womb, but every firstborn of my sons I redeem.'
16 "So 13it shall serve as a sign on your hand and as phylacteries on your forehead *, for with a powerful hand the LORD brought us out of Egypt."

God Leads the People

17 Now when Pharaoh had let the people go, God did not lead them by the way of the land of the Philistines, even though it was near; for God said, "14The people might change their minds when they see war, and return to Egypt."
18 Hence God led the people around by the way of the wilderness to the Red * Sea; and the sons of Israel went up 15in martial array from the land of Egypt.

Exodus 13:8-18 Meaning and Commentary

INTRODUCTION TO EXODUS 13

This chapter begins with an order to sanctify or set apart the firstborn of man and beast to the Lord, Ex 13:1,2 and the people of Israel are charged to keep the feast of unleavened bread in its season, from year to year, when they came into the land of Canaan, the reason of which they were to acquaint their children with, Ex 13:3-10 and they are also directed, when come into the land of Canaan, to set apart every firstling of a beast unto the Lord, and particularly the firstling of an ass was to be redeemed with a lamb, or its neck to be broke, and all the firstborn of men were to be redeemed also, Ex 13:11-13, and when their children inquired the reason of it, they were to be told it was on account of the Lord's slaying the firstborn of men and beast among the Egyptians, when Pharaoh would not let Israel go, and of saving the firstborn of his people, Ex 13:14-16, and it is observed, that when the children of Israel went out of Egypt, they were not led by the nearest way, the way of the land of the Philistines, but a round about way, the way of the wilderness of the Red sea, when they took the bones of Joseph with them, as he had adjured them to do, Ex 13:17-19, and the chapter is concluded with an account of their journeying from Succoth to Etham, the Lord going before them in a pillar of cloud by day, and in a pillar of fire by night, Ex 13:20-22.

Cross References 15

  • 1. Exodus 10:2; Exodus 12:26; Exodus 13:14; Psalms 44:1
  • 2. Exodus 12:14; Exodus 13:16; Numbers 15:39; Deuteronomy 6:8; Deuteronomy 11:18
  • 3. Exodus 13:3
  • 4. Exodus 12:24, 25; Exodus 13:5
  • 5. Exodus 13:5
  • 6. Genesis 15:18; Genesis 17:8; Genesis 28:15; Psalms 105:42-45
  • 7. Exodus 13:1, 2; Exodus 22:29; Exodus 34:19; Leviticus 27:26; Numbers 18:15; Ezekiel 44:30; Luke 2:23
  • 8. Exodus 34:20; Numbers 18:15
  • 9. Numbers 3:46
  • 10. Exodus 10:2; Exodus 12:26, 27; Exodus 13:8; Deuteronomy 6:20; Joshua 4:6, 21
  • 11. Exodus 13:3, 9
  • 12. Exodus 12:29
  • 13. Exodus 13:9; Deuteronomy 6:8
  • 14. Exodus 14:11, 12; Numbers 14:1-4; Deuteronomy 17:16
  • 15. Joshua 1:14; Joshua 4:12, 13

Footnotes 15

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