Exodus 13:1-7

1 And the LORD spoke unto Moses, saying,
2 Sanctify unto me all the firstborn, whatever opens the womb among the sons of Israel, both of man and of beast; for it is mine.
3 And Moses said unto the people, Remember this day, in which ye came out from Egypt, out of the house of slavery; for the LORD has brought you out of here with a strong hand; therefore, ye shall not eat with leaven.
4 This day ye came out in the month Abib.
5 And when the LORD shall have brought thee into the land of the Canaanite and the Hittite and the Amorite and the Hivite and the Jebusite, which he swore unto thy fathers to give thee, a land flowing with milk and honey, that thou shalt do this service in this month.
6 Thou shalt eat without leaven for seven days, and the seventh day shall be a feast unto the LORD.
7 Bread without leaven shall be eaten the seven days; and nothing leavened shall be seen with thee, neither shall there be any leaven in all thy borders.

Exodus 13:1-7 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.

The Jubilee Bible (from the Scriptures of the Reformation), edited by Russell M. Stendal, Copyright © 2000, 2001, 2010