Exodus 13:1-16

Unleavened Bread and Dedication of Firstborn to Commemorate the Rescue from Egypt

1 And Yahweh spoke to Moses, saying,

2 "Consecrate to me every firstborn, the first offspring of every womb among the {Israelites}, among humans and among domestic animals; {it belongs to me}."

3 And Moses said to the people, "Remember this day when you went out from Egypt, from a house of slaves, because with strength of hand Yahweh brought you out from here, and [food with] yeast will not be eaten.

4 Today you are going out in the month of Abib.

5 And when Yahweh brings you to the land of the Canaanites and the Hittites and the Amorites and the Hivites and the Jebusites--which he swore to your ancestors to give to you, a land flowing with milk and honey--you will perform this service in this month.

6 Seven days you will eat unleavened bread, and on the seventh day [will be] a feast for Yahweh.

7 Unleavened bread will be eaten the seven days; [food with] yeast will not be seen for you; and yeast will not be seen for you in all your territory.

8 And you shall tell your son on that day, saying, 'This [is] because of what Yahweh did for me when I came out from Egypt.'

9 And it will be as a sign on your hand and as a memorial between your eyes so that the law of Yahweh will be in your mouth, that with a strong hand Yahweh brought you out from Egypt.

10 And you will keep this statute at its appointed time {from year to year}.

11 "And when Yahweh brings you to the land of the Canaanite, as he swore to you and to your ancestors, and he gives it to you,

12 you will hand over every first offspring of a womb to Yahweh, and every first offspring dropped by a domestic animal that will belong to you, the males [will be] for Yahweh.

13 And every first offspring of a donkey you will redeem with small livestock, and if you will not redeem [it], then you will break its neck, and every firstborn human among your sons you will redeem.

14 And when your son asks you {in the future}, saying, 'What [is] this?' you will say to him, 'With strength of hand Yahweh brought us out from Egypt, from a house of slaves.

15 And when Pharaoh was stubborn to release us, Yahweh killed every firstborn in the land of Egypt, from firstborn human to firstborn domestic animal. Therefore I [am] sacrificing to Yahweh every first offspring of a womb, the males, and every firstborn of my sons I redeem.'

16 And it will be as a sign on your hand and as symbolic ornaments between your eyes that with strength of hand Yahweh brought us out from Egypt."

Exodus 13:1-16 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.

Footnotes

• [a]. Literally "sons/children of Israel"
• [b]. Hebrew "human"
• [c]. Hebrew "animal"
• [d]. Literally "to/for me it"
• [e]. Hebrew "Canaanite"
• [f]. Hebrew "Hittite"
• [g]. Hebrew "Amorite"
• [h]. Hebrew "Hivite"
• [i]. Hebrew "Jebusite"
• [j]. Or "fathers"
• [k]. Literally "from days to days"
• [l]. Or "fathers"
• [m]. Literally "tomorrow"