1And the LORDH3068 spokeH1696 to MosesH4872, sayingH559, 2SanctifyH6942 to me all the firstbornH1060, whatever openethH6363 the wombH7358 among the childrenH1121 of IsraelH3478, both of manH120 and of beastH929: it is mine. 3And MosesH4872 saidH559 to the peopleH5971, RememberH2142 thisH2088 dayH3117, when ye came outH3318 from EgyptH4714, out of the houseH1004 of bondageH5650; for by strengthH2392 of handH3027 the LORDH3068 brought you outH3318 from this place: there shall no leavened breadH2557 be eatenH398. 4This dayH3117 in the monthH2320 AbibH24, ye came outH3318. 5And it shall be when the LORDH3068 shall bringH935 thee into the landH776 of the CanaanitesH3669, and the HittitesH2850, and the AmoritesH567, and the HivitesH2340, and the JebusitesH2983, which he sworeH7650 to thy fathersH1 to giveH5414 thee, a landH776 flowingH2100 with milkH2461 and honeyH1706, that thou shalt keepH5647 this serviceH5656 in this monthH2320. 6SevenH7651 daysH3117 shalt thou eatH398 unleavened breadH4682, and in the seventhH7637 dayH3117 shall be a feastH2282 to the LORDH3068. 7Unleavened breadH4682 shall be eatenH398 sevenH7651 daysH3117; and there shall no leavened breadH2557 be seenH7200 with thee, neither shall there be leavenH7603 seenH7200 with thee in all thy quartersH1366. 8And thou shalt showH5046 thy sonH1121 in that dayH3117, sayingH559, This is done because ofH5668 thatH2088 which the LORDH3068 didH6213 to me when I came forthH3318 out of EgyptH4714. 9And it shall be for a signH226 to thee upon thy handH3027, and for a memorialH2146 between thy eyesH5869, that the LORD’SH3068 lawH8451 may be in thy mouthH6310: for with a strongH2389 handH3027 hath the LORDH3068 brought thee outH3318 of EgyptH4714. 10Thou shalt therefore keepH8104 this ordinanceH2708 in its seasonH4150 from yearH3117 to yearH3117. 11And it shall be when the LORDH3068 shall bringH935 thee into the landH776 of the CanaanitesH3669, as he sworeH7650 to thee and to thy fathersH1, and shall giveH5414 it to thee, 12That thou shall set apartH5674 to the LORDH3068 all that openethH6363 the wombH7358, and every firstlingH6363 that comethH7698 of a beastH929 which thou hast; the malesH2145 shall be the LORD’SH3068. 13And every firstlingH6363 of a donkeyH2543 thou shalt redeemH6299 with a lambH7716; and if thou wilt not redeemH6299 it, then thou shalt break his neckH6202: and all the firstbornH1060 of manH120 among thy childrenH1121 shalt thou redeemH6299. 14And it shall be when thy sonH1121 askethH7592 thee in time to comeH4279, sayingH559, What is this? that thou shalt sayH559 to him, By strengthH2392 of handH3027 the LORDH3068 brought us outH3318 from EgyptH4714, from the houseH1004 of bondageH5650: 15And it came to pass, when PharaohH6547 would hardlyH7185 let us goH7971, that the LORDH3068 slewH2026 all the firstbornH1060 in the landH776 of EgyptH4714, both the firstbornH1060 of manH120, and the firstbornH1060 of beastsH929: therefore I sacrificeH2076 to the LORDH3068 all that openethH6363 the wombH7358, being malesH2145; but all the firstbornH1060 of my childrenH1121 I redeemH6299. 16And it shall be for a tokenH226 upon thy handH3027, and for frontletsH2903 between thy eyesH5869: for by strengthH2392 of handH3027 the LORDH3068 brought us forthH3318 out of EgyptH4714. 17And it came to pass, when PharaohH6547 had let the peopleH5971 goH7971, that GodH430 ledH5148 them not through the wayH1870 of the landH776 of the PhilistinesH6430, althoughH3588 that was nearH7138; for GodH430 saidH559, Lest the peopleH5971 repentH5162 when they seeH7200 warH4421, and they returnH7725 to EgyptH4714: 18But GodH430 ledH5437 the peopleH5971 aboutH5437, through the wayH1870 of the wildernessH4057 of the RedH5488 seaH3220: and the childrenH1121 of IsraelH3478 went upH5927 armedH2571 from the landH776 of EgyptH4714. 19And MosesH4872 tookH3947 the bonesH6106 of JosephH3130 with him: for he had solemnlyH7650 swornH7650 the childrenH1121 of IsraelH3478, sayingH559, GodH430 will surelyH6485 visitH6485 you; and ye shall carry upH5927 my bonesH6106 from here with you. 20And they took their journeyH5265 from SuccothH5523, and encampedH2583 in EthamH864, in the edgeH7097 of the wildernessH4057. 21And the LORDH3068 wentH1980 beforeH6440 them by dayH3119 in a pillarH5982 of a cloudH6051, to leadH5148 them in the wayH1870; and by nightH3915 in a pillarH5982 of fireH784, to give them lightH215; to goH3212 by dayH3119 and nightH3915: 22He took not awayH4185 the pillarH5982 of the cloudH6051 by dayH3119, nor the pillarH5982 of fireH784 by nightH3915, from beforeH6440 the peopleH5971.
Jamieson Fausset Brown Bible Commentary 2 THE FIRST-BORN SANCTIFIED. (
Exod 13:1-
Exod 13:2)
Sanctify unto me all the first-born--To "sanctify" means to "consecrate," to "set apart" from a common to a sacred use. The foundation of this duty rested on the fact that the Israelites, having had their first-born preserved by a distinguishing act of grace from the general destruction that overtook the families of the Egyptians, were bound in token of gratitude to consider them as the Lord's peculiar property (compare
Heb 12:23).
3 MEMORIAL OF THE PASSOVER. (
Exod 13:3-
Exod 13:10)
Moses said unto the people, Remember this day--The day that gave them a national existence and introduced them into the privileges of independence and freedom, deserved to live in the memories of the Hebrews and their posterity; and, considering the signal interposition of God displayed in it, to be held not only in perpetual, but devout remembrance.
house of bondage--literally, "house of slaves"--that is, a servile and degrading condition.
for by strength of hand the Lord brought you out from this place--The emancipation of Israel would never have been obtained except it had been wrung from the Egyptian tyrant by the appalling judgments of God, as had been at the outset of his mission announced to Moses (
Exod 3:19).
There shall no leavened bread, &c.--The words are elliptical, and the meaning of the clause may be paraphrased thus:--"For by strength of hand the Lord brought you out from this place, in such haste that there could or should be no leavened bread eaten."
4 month Abib--literally, "a green ear," and hence the month Abib is the month of green ears, corresponding to the middle of our March. It was the best season for undertaking a journey to the desert region of Sinai, especially with flocks and herds; for then the winter torrents had subsided, and the wadies were covered with an early and luxuriant verdure.
5 when the Lord shall bring thee--The passover is here instituted as a permanent festival of the Israelites. It was, however, only a prospective observance; we read of only one celebration of the passover during the protracted sojourn in the wilderness [
Num 9:5]; but on their settlement in the promised land, the season was hallowed as a sacred anniversary [
Josh 5:10], in conformity with the directions here given.
8 thou shalt show thy son in that day, saying--The establishment of this and the other sacred festivals presented the best opportunities of instructing the young in a knowledge of His gracious doings to their ancestors in Egypt.
9 it shall be for a sign unto thee upon thine hand, &c.--There is no reason to believe that the Oriental tattooing--the custom of staining the hands with the powder of Hennah, as Eastern females now do--is here referred to. Nor is it probable that either this practice or the phylacteries of the Pharisees--parchment scrolls, which were worn on their wrists and foreheads--had so early an existence. The words are to be considered only as a figurative mode of expression.
that the Lord's law may be in thy mouth, &c.--that is, that it may be the subject of frequent conversation and familiar knowledge among the people.
12 FIRSTLINGS OF BEASTS. (
Exod 13:11-
Exod 13:16)
every firstling, &c.--the injunction respecting the consecration of the first-born, as here repeated, with some additional circumstances. The firstlings of clean beasts, such as lambs, kids, and calves, if males, were to be devoted to God and employed in sacrifice. Those unclean beasts, as the ass's colt, being unfit for sacrifice, were to be redeemed (
Num 18:15).
17 JOURNEY FROM EGYPT. (
Exod 13:17-
Exod 13:21)
God led them not through the way of the land of the Philistines, although that was near, &c.--The shortest and most direct route from Egypt to Palestine was the usual caravan road that leads by Belbeis, El-Arish, to Ascalon and Gaza. The Philistines, who then possessed the latter, would have been sure to dispute their passage, for between them and the Israelites there was a hereditary feud (
1Chr 7:21-22); and so early a commencement of hostilities would have discouraged or dismayed the unwarlike band which Moses led. Their faith was to be exercised and strengthened, and from the commencement of their travels we observe the same careful proportion of burdens and trials to their character and state, as the gracious Lord shows to His people still in that spiritual journey of which the former was typical.
18 God led the people about, through the way of the wilderness of the Red Sea, &c.--This wondrous expanse of water is a gulf of the Indian ocean. It was called in Hebrew "the weedy sea," from the forest of marine plants with which it abounds. But the name of the Red Sea is not so easily traced. Some think it was given from its contiguity to the countries of Edom ("red"); others derive it from its coral rocks; while a third class ascribe the origin of the name to an extremely red appearance of the water in some parts, caused by a numberless multitude of very small mollusca. This sea, at its northern extremity, separates into two smaller inlets--the eastern called anciently the Elanitic gulf, now the gulf of Akaba; and the western the Heroopolite gulf, now the gulf of Suez, which, there can be no doubt, extended much more to the north anciently than it does now. It was toward the latter the Israelites marched.
went up harnessed--that is, girded, equipped for a long journey. (See
Ps 105:37). The Margin renders it "five in a rank," meaning obviously five large divisions, under five presiding officers, according to the usages of all caravans; and a spectacle of such a mighty and motley multitude must have presented an imposing appearance, and its orderly progress could have been effected only by the superintending influence of God.
19 Moses took the bones of Joseph with him--in fulfilment of the oath he exacted from his brethren (
Gen 50:25-
Gen 50:26). The remains of the other patriarchs (not noticed from their obscurity) were also carried out of Egypt (
Acts 7:15-
Acts 7:16); and there would be no difficulty as to the means of conveyance--a few camels bearing these precious relics would give a true picture of Oriental customs, such as is still to be seen in the immense pilgrimages to Mecca.
20 encamped in Etham--This place is supposed by the most intelligent travellers to be the modern Ajrud, where is a watering-place, and which is the third stage of the pilgrim-caravans to Mecca. "It is remarkable that either of the different routes eastward from Heliopolis, or southward from Heroopolis, equally admit of Ajrud being Etham. It is twelve miles northwest from Suez, and is literally on the edge of the desert" [Pictorial Bible].
21 the Lord went before them--by a visible token of His presence, the Shekinah, in a majestic cloud (
Ps 78:14;
Neh 9:12;
1Cor 10:1), called "the angel of God" (
Exod 14:19;
Exod 23:20-
Exod 23:23;
Ps 99:6-
Ps 99:7;
Isa 63:8-
Isa 63:9).
