Exodus 13

Listen to Exodus 13

Consecration of the Firstborn

1 The LORD said to Moses,
2 1"Consecrate to me all the firstborn. Whatever is the first to open the womb among the people of Israel, both of man and of beast, is mine."

The Feast of Unleavened Bread

3 Then Moses said to the people, 2"Remember this day in which you came out from Egypt, out of the house of slavery, 3for by a strong hand the LORD brought you out from this place. 4No leavened bread shall be eaten.
4 Today, in the month of 5Abib, you are going out.
5 And when the LORD brings you into 6the land of the Canaanites, the Hittites, the Amorites, the Hivites, and the Jebusites, which 7he swore to your fathers to give you, a land 8flowing with milk and honey, 9you shall keep this service in this month.
6 10Seven days you shall eat unleavened bread, and on the seventh day there shall be a feast to the LORD.
7 Unleavened bread shall be eaten for seven days; no leavened bread shall be seen with you, and no leaven shall be seen with you in all your territory.
8 11You shall tell your son on that day, 'It is because of what the LORD did for me when I came out of Egypt.'
9 And it shall 12be to you as a sign on your hand and as 13a memorial 14between your eyes, that the law of the LORD may be in your mouth. For with a strong hand the LORD has brought you out of Egypt.
10 15You shall therefore keep this statute at its appointed time from year to year.
11 "When the LORD brings you into the land of the Canaanites, 16as he swore to you and your fathers, and shall give it to you,
12 17you shall set apart to the LORD all that first opens the womb. All the firstborn of your animals that are males shall be the LORD's.
13 18Every firstborn of a donkey you shall redeem with a lamb, or if you will not redeem it you shall break its neck. Every 19firstborn of man among your sons you shall redeem.
14 20And when in time to come your son asks you, 'What does this mean?' you shall say to him, 21'By a strong hand the LORD brought us out of Egypt, from the house of 22slavery.
15 For when Pharaoh stubbornly refused to let us go, the 23LORD killed all the firstborn in the land of Egypt, both the firstborn of man and the firstborn of animals. Therefore I sacrifice to the LORD all the males that first open the womb, but 24all the firstborn of my sons I redeem.'
16 25It shall be as a mark on your hand or frontlets between your eyes, for 26by a strong hand the LORD brought us out of Egypt."

Pillars of Cloud and Fire

17 When Pharaoh let the people go, God did 27not lead them by way of the land of the Philistines, although that was near. For God said, "Lest the people 28change their minds when they see war and return to Egypt."
18 But God 29led the people around by the way of the wilderness toward the Red Sea. And the people of Israel went up out of the land of Egypt equipped for battle.
19 Moses took the bones of Joseph with him, for Joseph[a] had made the sons of Israel solemnly swear, saying, 30"God will surely visit you, and you shall carry up my bones with you from here."
20 And 31they moved on from Succoth and encamped at Etham, on the edge of the wilderness.
21 And 32the LORD went before them by day in a pillar of cloud to lead them along the way, and by night in a pillar of fire to give them light, that they might travel by day and by night.
22 The pillar of cloud by day and the pillar of fire by night did not depart from before the people.

Exodus 13 Commentary

Chapter 13

The first-born sanctified to God The remembrance of the passover commanded. (1-10) The firstlings of beasts set apart. (11-16) Joseph's bones carried with the Israelites, They come to Etham. (17-20) God guideth the Israelites by a pillar of cloud fire. (21,22)

Verses 1-10 In remembrance of the destruction of the first-born of Egypt, both of man and of beast, and the deliverance of the Israelites out of bondage, the first-born males of the Israelites were set apart to the Lord. By this was set before them, that their lives were preserved through the ransom of the atonement, which in due time was to be made for sin. They were also to consider their lives, thus ransomed from death, as now to be consecrated to the service of God. The parents were not to look upon themselves as having any right in their first-born, till they solemnly presented them to God, and allowed his title to them. That which is, by special mercy, spared to us, should be applied to God's honour; at least, some grateful acknowledgment, in works of piety and charity, should be made. The remembrance of their coming out of Egypt must be kept up every year. The day of Christ's resurrection is to be remembered, for in it we were raised up with Christ out of death's house of bondage. The Scripture tells us not expressly what day of the year Christ rose, but it states particularly what day of the week it was; as the more valuable deliverance, it should be remembered weekly. The Israelites must keep the feast of unleavened bread. Under the gospel, we must not only remember Christ, but observe his holy supper. Do this in remembrance of him. Also care must be taken to teach children the knowledge of God. Here is an old law for catechising. It is of great use to acquaint children betimes with the histories of the Bible. And those who have God's law in their heart should have it in their mouth, and often speak of it, to affect themselves, and to teach others.

Verses 11-16 The firstlings of beast not used in sacrifice, were to be changed for others so used, or they were to be destroyed. Our souls are forfeited to God's justice, and unless ransomed by the sacrifice of Christ, will certainly perish. These institutions would continually remind them of their duty, to love and serve the Lord. In like manner, baptism and the Lord's supper, if explained and attended to, would remind us, and give us occasion to remind one another of our profession and duty.

Verses 17-20 There were two ways from Egypt to Canaan. One was only a few days' journey; the other was much further about, through the wilderness, and that was the way in which God chose to lead his people Israel. The Egyptians were to be drowned in the Red sea; the Israelites were to be humbled and proved in the wilderness. God's way is the right way, though it seems about. If we think he leads not his people the nearest way, yet we may be sure he leads them the best way, and so it will appear when we come to our journey's end. The Philistines were powerful enemies; it was needful that the Israelites should be prepared for the wars of Canaan, by passing through the difficulties of the wilderness. Thus God proportions his people's trials to their strength, 1Co. 10:13 . They went up in good order. They went up in five in a rank, some; in five bands, so others, which it seems rather to their faith and hope, that God would bring them to Canaan, in expectation of which they carried these bones with them while in the desert.

Verses 21-22 The Lord went before them in a pillar, or appearance of the Divine Majesty. Christ was with the church in the ( 1 Corinthians. 10:13 ) he will not leave nor lose there, but will take care to lead them through it. It was great satisfaction to Moses and the pious Israelites, to be sure that they were under Divine guidance. Those who make the glory of God their end, and the word of God their rule, the Spirit of God the guide of their affections, and the providence of God the guide of their affairs, may be sure that the Lord goes before them, though they cannot see it with their eyes: we must now live by faith. When Israel marched, this pillar went before, and pointed out the place of encampment, as Divine Wisdom saw fit. It sheltered by day from the heat, and gave light by night. The Bible is a light to our feet, a lantern to our paths, with which the Saviour's love has provided us. It testifies of Christ. It is to us like the pillar to the Israelites. Listen to that voice which cries, I am the Light of the world; he that followeth me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the Light of life, ( John 8:12 ) . Jesus Christ alone, as shown in the Bible, and as the Holy Spirit, in answer to prayer, recommends him to the soul, is the Way, the Truth, and the Life, ( John 14:6 ) .

Cross References 32

  • 1. ver. 12, 13, 15; Exodus 22:29, 30; Exodus 34:19; Leviticus 27:26; Numbers 3:13; Numbers 8:16, 17; Numbers 18:15; Deuteronomy 15:19; Cited Luke 2:23
  • 2. Exodus 12:42; Deuteronomy 16:3
  • 3. Exodus 3:19; Exodus 6:1
  • 4. See Exodus 12:8
  • 5. Exodus 23:15; Exodus 34:18; Deuteronomy 16:1
  • 6. Exodus 3:8; Exodus 23:23; Exodus 33:2; Exodus 34:11; Joshua 12:8; Joshua 24:11
  • 7. Exodus 6:8
  • 8. See Exodus 3:8
  • 9. Exodus 12:25, 26
  • 10. Exodus 12:15, 16
  • 11. See Exodus 12:26
  • 12. Deuteronomy 6:8; Deuteronomy 11:18; [Numbers 15:39; Matthew 23:5]
  • 13. Exodus 12:14, 24
  • 14. Deuteronomy 6:8; Deuteronomy 11:18; [Numbers 15:39; Matthew 23:5]
  • 15. [Exodus 12:14, 17, 24, 43]
  • 16. ver. 5
  • 17. ver. 2
  • 18. Exodus 34:20
  • 19. Numbers 3:46, 47; Numbers 18:15, 16
  • 20. See Exodus 12:26
  • 21. ver. 3, 16
  • 22. ver. 3
  • 23. Exodus 12:29
  • 24. ver. 13
  • 25. ver. 9
  • 26. ver. 14
  • 27. [Psalms 107:7]
  • 28. Exodus 14:11, 12; [Nehemiah 9:17]; See Numbers 14:1-4
  • 29. Exodus 14:2; [Deuteronomy 32:10]; See Numbers 33:6-49
  • 30. Genesis 50:25; Joshua 24:32; Hebrews 11:22; [Acts 7:16]
  • 31. Exodus 12:37; Numbers 33:6
  • 32. Exodus 14:19, 24; Exodus 40:38; Numbers 10:34; Numbers 14:14; Deuteronomy 1:33; Nehemiah 9:12, 19; Psalms 78:14; Psalms 99:7; Psalms 105:39; 1 Corinthians 10:1; [Isaiah 4:5]; See Numbers 9:15-23

Footnotes 1

  • [a]. Samaritan, Septuagint; Hebrew he

Chapter Summary

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.

Exodus 13 Commentaries

The English Standard Version is published with the permission of Good News Publishers.