Exodus 13:2-10

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

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Exodus 13:2

Sanctify unto me all the firstborn ,.... That is, of males, as the Targum of Jonathan adds, for those, and not females, were only either sacrificed or redeemed, see Exodus 13:12 , and this sanctification of them to the Lord signifies the separation or devoting of them to the service of God; if the firstborn of clean creatures they were to be sacrificed, if unclean to be redeemed with a price, and so the firstborn of men, because it was not lawful to sacrifice them; and the money for the... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Exodus 13:3

And Moses said unto the people ,.... After the Lord had spoken to him, and said the above things: remember this day in which ye came out of Egypt, out of the house of bondage ; or "of servants" F24 מבית עבדים "e domo servorum", Pagninus, Montanus, Tigurine version, Junius & Tremellius, Piscator, Vatablus, & Drusius. where they had been servants to the Egyptians, by whom they had been made to serve with rigour, and their lives made bitter with hard bondage; that country... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Exodus 13:4

This day came ye out ,.... Out of Egypt, on the fifteenth of Nisan, as the Targum of Jonathan: in the month Abib ; which signifies an ear of corn, because in this month barley was in the ear, see Exodus 9:31 , the Syriac version renders it, "in the month of flowers"; when the flowers were rising up out of the earth, being spring time, and a very fit time to travel in; and this is observed, not only because they might not know what month it was, in such a state of ignorance, as well as... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Exodus 13:5

And it shall be when the Lord shall bring thee into the land of the Canaanites ,.... Though the whole land was called the land of Canaan, yet there was one tribe or nation of them particularly so called as here, distinct from those that follow: and the Hittites, and the Amorites, and the Hivites, and the Jebusites ; there were seven nations in all, but two are here omitted, the Girgashites and Perizzites, but they are added in the Septuagint version, see Deuteronomy 7:1 . which he... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Exodus 13:6

Seven days shalt thou eat unleavened bread ,.... The Jews F25 In Siphre apud Manasseh Ben lsrael. Conciliat. in loc. gather from this place, and from Deuteronomy 16:8 , that the obligation to eat unleavened bread lasted no longer than the first night of the seven days, but on the rest it was enough if they abstained from leavened bread, and it was lawful for them to eat of other food as they pleased; see Gill on Exodus 12:15 , but the words are very express in both places, and so... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Exodus 13:7

Unleavened bread shall be eaten seven days ,.... From the evening of the fourteenth day, to the evening of the twenty first, Exodus 12:18 , this is very express as before, that not only they were to abstain from leaven, but that they were obliged to eat unleavened bread; and as for the cakes of eggs and sugar the Jews now use, these, as Leo Modeua says F26 History of the Rites, &c.; of the Jews, par. 3. c. 3. sect. 5. , are for those that are dainty and of tender stomachs and... 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

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