Éxodo 13:13

13 Mas todo primogénito de asno rescatarás con un cordero; y si no lo quisieras rescatar, le cortarás la cabeza; asimismo rescatarás todo humano primogénito de tus hijos

Éxodo 13:13 Meaning and Commentary

Exodus 13:13

And every firstling of an ass thou shalt redeem with a lamb,
&c.] Which was given to the priest for it; and according to the Jewish canon ^F6, it might be redeemed with that only;

``not with a calf, nor with an animal (a goat or a ram, as Bartenora interprets it), nor with a lamb slain, or torn to pieces.''

Jarchi thinks the ass only was to be redeemed, and not the firstling of any other unclean creature, but his reasons are insufficient; all unclean creatures, as horses, camels, dogs, swine are included in it, as should seem from ( Numbers 18:15 ) and this is the rather particularly mentioned, because there was a greater plenty of them than of horses and camels, and because they were very useful creatures; and if these were to be redeemed, then much more those of less value, and less useful. Hence might arise the story and calumny, as some have thought, of the Jews worshipping an ass's head: and if thou wilt not redeem it, then thou shall break its neck;
cut off its head on the back of the neck with a knife or cleaver, such as butchers use, as the Misnah ^F7, and its commentators, interpret it, so that the owner should have no profit by it: and all the firstborn of man amongst thy children shall thou redeem;
with the price of five shekels of the sanctuary, and within thirty days of the birth of it, ( Numbers 18:16 ) and these being to be redeemed as the unclean beasts were, shows that men are by nature unclean, and even the firstborn, whose names are written in heaven, the elect of God, and need redemption by the blood of the Lamb.

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FOOTNOTES:

F6 Misn. Becorot, sect. 1. sect. 5.
F7 lbid. sect. 7. Maimon & Bartenora in ib.

Éxodo 13:13 In-Context

11 Y cuando el SEÑOR te hubiere metido en la tierra del cananeo, como te ha jurado a ti y a tus padres, y cuando te la hubiere dado

12 harás pasar al SEÑOR todo lo que abriere la matriz, asimismo todo primerizo que abriere la matriz de tus animales; los machos serán del SEÑOR

13 Mas todo primogénito de asno rescatarás con un cordero; y si no lo quisieras rescatar, le cortarás la cabeza; asimismo rescatarás todo humano primogénito de tus hijos

14 Y cuando mañana te preguntare tu hijo, diciendo: ¿Qué es esto? Le dirás: El SEÑOR nos sacó con mano fuerte de Egipto, de casa de servidumbre

15 y endureciéndose el Faraón en no dejarnos ir, el SEÑOR mató en la tierra de Egipto a todo primogénito, desde el primogénito humano hasta el primogénito de la bestia; y por esta causa yo sacrifico al SEÑOR todo macho que abre matriz, y rescato todo primogénito de mis hijos