Exodus 13:16

16 And this shall be as a token in thine hande, and as a thinge hanged vpp betwene thine eyes: because the Lorde broughte us out of Egipte with a mightie hande.

Exodus 13:16 Meaning and Commentary

Exodus 13:16

And it shall be for a token upon thine head, and for frontlets
between thine eyes
These laws observed concerning the setting apart the firstlings of their beasts, the redemption of the firstborn of unclean ones, and of the firstborn of men, will bring the reason of it, the destruction of the firstborn of Egypt, and the preservation of the firstborn of Israel, as fresh to remembrance as any token upon the hand, put there to bring things to mind; and it will be as easily and as clearly discerned as anything upon a man's forehead may be seen by another: for by strength of hand the Lord brought us forth out of Egypt:
which is often mentioned, that it might be observed; it being the signs and wonders which the omnipotent hand of God wrought, especially the last, which worked upon Pharaoh, to let the people of Israel go; and their posterity, in all succeeding ages, would speak of this affair as if personally concerned in it, they being then in the loins of their ancestors, and represented by them, as well as they reaped and enjoyed all the benefits of that wonderful deliverance, the possession of the land of Canaan, and the blessings of it, as well as many other privileges both of a civil and religious kind. And so Maimonides F11 says,

``in every age a man is obliged to consider himself as if he in himself now went out of the bondage of Egypt, as it is said, "and he brought us forth from thence"''

FOOTNOTES:

F11 Hilchot Chametz Umetzah, c. 7. sect. 6.

Exodus 13:16 In-Context

14 And when thi sonne axeth the in tyme to come saynge: what is this? thou shalt saye vnto him: with a mightie hande the Lorde broughte us out of Egipte, out of the housse of bondage.
15 And when Pharao was looth to lete us goo, the Lorde slewe all the firstborne in the lande of Egipte: as well the firstborne of men as of beastes. And therfore I sacrifice vnto the Lorde all the males that open the matrice, but all the firstborne of my childern I must redeme.
16 And this shall be as a token in thine hande, and as a thinge hanged vpp betwene thine eyes: because the Lorde broughte us out of Egipte with a mightie hande.
17 when Pharao had let the people goo, God caried them not thorow the londe of the Philistines, though it were a nye waye. For God sayde: the people myghte happly repent when they se warre, and so turne agayne to Egipte:
18 therfore God led the aboute thorow the wyldernesse that bordreth on the redd see. The childern of Israel went harnessed out of the lade of Egipte.
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