Exodus 13:1-16

1 The LORD spoke to Moses,

2 "Set apart every firstborn male for me. Every firstborn male offspring among the Israelites is mine, whether human or animal."

3 Then Moses said to the people, "Remember this day--the day when you left Egypt, the land of slavery. The LORD used his mighty hand to bring you out of there. Don't eat anything made with yeast.

4 Today, in the month of Abib, you are leaving Egypt.

5 The LORD swore to your ancestors that he would give you the land of the Canaanites, Hittites, Amorites, Hivites, and Jebusites. When he brings you into that land flowing with milk and honey, you must observe this ceremony in this month.

6 "For seven days you must eat unleavened bread. The seventh day will be a pilgrimage festival in the LORD's honor.

7 Only unleavened bread should be eaten during these seven days. No sourdough or yeast should be seen anywhere in your territory.

8 On that day tell your children, 'We do this because of what the LORD did for us when we left Egypt.'

9 This [festival] will be [like] a mark on your hand or a reminder on your forehead that the teachings of the LORD are [always] to be a part of your conversation. Because the LORD used his mighty hand to bring you out of Egypt,

10 you must follow these rules every year at this time.

11 "When the LORD brings you to the land of the Canaanites and gives it to you, as he swore to you and your ancestors,

12 sacrifice every firstborn male offspring to the LORD. The firstborn male offspring of each of your animals belongs to the LORD.

13 It will cost you a sheep or a goat to buy any firstborn donkey back from the LORD. If you don't buy it back, then you must break the donkey's neck. You must also buy every firstborn son back from the LORD.

14 "In the future when your children ask you what this means, tell them, 'The LORD used his mighty hand to bring us out of slavery in Egypt.

15 When Pharaoh was too stubborn to let us go, the LORD killed every firstborn male in Egypt--human and animal. This is why we sacrifice every firstborn male to the LORD and buy every firstborn son back from the LORD.'

16 So this [festival] will be [like] a mark on your hand and [like] a band on your forehead, because the LORD used his mighty hand to bring us out of 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.