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Matthew Henry

Matthew Henry's Complete Commentary - Exodus 13:1-10

Care is here taken to perpetuate the remembrance, I. Of the preservation of Israel's firstborn, when the firstborn of the Egyptians were slain. In memory of that distinguishing favour, and in gratitude for it, the firstborn, in all ages, were to be consecrated to God, as his peculiars (Exod. 13:2), and to be redeemed, Exod. 13:13. God, who by the right of creation is proprietor and sovereign of all the creatures, here lays claim in particular to the firstborn of the Israelites, by right of... read more

Matthew Henry

Matthew Henry's Complete Commentary - Exodus 13:11-16

Here we have, I. Further directions concerning the dedicating of their firstborn to God. 1. The firstlings of their cattle were to be dedicated to God, as part of their possessions. Those of clean beasts?calves, lambs, and kids?if males, were to be sacrificed, Exod. 22:30; Num. 18:17, 18. Those of unclean beasts, as colts, were to be redeemed with a lamb, or knocked on the head. For whatsoever is unclean (as we all are by nature), if it be not redeemed, will be destroyed, Exod. 13:11, 13. 2.... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Exodus 13:8

And thou shall show thy son in that day ,.... On the first of the days of the feast of unleavened bread, the reason of eating it; and this is to be shown not to a son or single child only, but by parents to all their children, sons and daughters, and even unasked, as Maimonides F2 Hilchot Chametz Umetzah, c. 7. sect. 2, 3. interprets it; and so Jarchi's note is, to a son that knows not how to ask or what to ask about; see Gill on Exodus 12:26 , Exodus 12:27 , saying, this is... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Exodus 13:9

And it shall be for a sign unto thee upon thine hand, and for a memorial between thine eyes ,.... These are not the words of God or of Moses to the children of Israel, but of an lsraelitish parent to his son, telling him that this feast of unleavened bread would serve the same purpose to refresh his memory with what God did for his people of old, as the tying of a thing on the hand, or placing it before the eye, is to a person to bring anything to his remembrance, to which the allusion is;... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Exodus 13:10

Thou shall therefore keep the ordinance in his season ,.... Not the ordinance of the phylacteries, as the Targum of Jonathan, but the ordinance of unleavened bread: from year to year ; every year successively, so long as in force, even unto the coming of the Messiah. It is in the Hebrew text, "from days to days" F3 מימים ימימה "a diebus in dies", V. L. Montanus, Munster, Vatablus, Drusius. ; that is, either year after year, as we understand it; or else the sense is, that the... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Exodus 13:11

And it shall be when the Lord shall bring thee into the land of the Canaanites ,.... Put for all the rest of the nations: as he sware unto thee, and to thy fathers, and shall give it thee ; to them as they were in their loins, and from thence might certainly conclude it would be given them. read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Exodus 13:12

That thou shalt set apart unto the Lord all that openeth the matrix ,.... Or "the womb", as in Exodus 13:2 , and this phrase, "set apart", explains the word "sanctify" there, and shows that it signifies the separating of such to the use and service of God, causing it to "pass", as the word F4 והעברת "et transire facies", Pagninus, Montanus, Fagius, Vatablus, Drusius, Cartwright; so Ainsworth. here used signifies, from a man's own power and use, to be the Lord's only: and every... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Exodus 13:13

And every firstling of an ass thou shalt redeem with a lamb ,.... Which was given to the priest for it; and according to the Jewish canon F6 Misn. Becorot, sect. 1. sect. 5. , 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... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Exodus 13:14

And it shall be when thy son asketh thee in time to come ,.... Or "on the morrow" F8 מחר "eras", Pagninus, Montanus, Tiguriue version. , the day following such a separation of the firstborn of clean creatures, or such a redemption of the firstborn of unclean ones, and of man, or in any later time: saying, what is this ? what is the meaning of this? for what reason are such things done? that thou shall say unto him, by strength of hand the Lord brought us out of Egypt from the... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Exodus 13:15

And it came to pass, when Pharaoh would hardly let us go ,.... Showed great reluctance to it, and with difficulty was prevailed upon to dismiss them: that the Lord slew all the firstborn in the land of Egypt, both the firstborn of men, and the firstborn of beast : which he did in one night, making use of a destroying angel or angels for that purpose: therefore I sacrifice to the Lord all that openeth thee matrix, being males ; that is, the firstborn of all clean creatures, as oxen,... read more

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