The Second Book of Moses, called Exodus
Exodus 13
Chapter XIII · Vol. I, pp. 316–318
1 The first-born are sanctified to God. 3 The memorial of the passover is commanded. 11 The firstlings of man and beast are set apart to God. 17 The Israelites go out of Egypt, and carry Joseph's bones with them. 20 They come to Etham. 21 God guideth them by a pillar of a cloud, and a pillar of fire.
1 AND the LORD spake unto Moses, saying,
2 Sanctifya unto me all the first-born, whatsoever openeth the womb among the children of Israel, both of man and of beast;2 it is mine.
a ver. 12-15; ch. 12.42; 23.19; 34.19. Le. 27.26. Nu. 3.13; 8.16,17; 18.15. Lu. 2.23. He. 12.2. Ro. 6.13,19,22; 2.1,12.
A.M. 2513. B.C. 1491.
2 In remembrance of the destruction of the first-born of Egypt, both man and beast; and of the preservation of Israel and their deliverance out of bondage by means of that judgment, the first-born males of the Israelites must be solemnly presented and dedicated to the Lord, and a price was appointed to be paid for their redemption. This represented their redemption by the atonement of Christ.—I.
3 And Moses said unto the people, b Remember this day, in which ye came out from Egypt, out of the house of bondage; for by c strength of hand the LORD brought you out from this place: there shall no d leavened bread be eaten.
b De. 16.1. ch. 12.14, 42.
c ch. 6.1, 6; ver. 16. De. 11.2,3. Ne. 9.10.
d ch. 12.8, 15, 18-20. 1 Pe. 2.1. 1 Co. 5.7,8.
5 And it shall be, when the LORD f shall bring thee into the land of the Canaanites, and the Hittites, and the Amorites, and the Hivites, and the Jebusites, which he sware unto thy fathers to give thee, a land flowing with milk and honey, that g thou shalt keep this service in this month.
f See ch. 3.8; 6.8. Nu. 15.2. De. 26.1.
g ch. 12.15, 26. De. 16.3, 4, 8.
6 Sevenh days thou shalt eat unleavened bread, and in the seventh day shall be a feast to the LORD.
h ch. 12.15-20; 34.18. Le. 23.8. De. 16.3,4,8. Ac. 24.16. 2 Co. 1.12. Phi. 4.8. 1 Co. 5.7,8. 1 Pe. 2.1.
7 Unleavened bread shall be eaten seven days: and there shall no leavened bread be seen with thee; neither shall there be leaven seen with thee in all thy quarters.
8 And i thou shalt show thy son3 in that day, saying, This is done because of that which the LORD did unto me when I came forth out of Egypt.
i ch. 12.26, 27. Ps. 44.1; 78.3-9. Is. 38.19. Ep. 6.4. See ver. 14.
3 It is interesting to observe the regard had to the young in the ends and uses of these institutions, that they might, in satisfying their natural curiosity, be instructed from generation to generation in the history of God's wonderful deliverance of their fathers. This is one great end and reason for the public administration of religious ordinances, which may be made highly profitable for the instruction of the young, and to remind all of their vows and obligations.—I.
9 And it shall be for a k sign unto thee upon thine hand, and for a memorial between thine eyes, that the LORD's law may be in thy mouth: for with a l strong hand hath the LORD brought thee out of Egypt.
10 Thoum shalt therefore keep this ordinance in his season from year to year.
m ch. 23.15; 34.18. Le. 23.6. Nu. 28.17-25. De. 16.3,4,8.
11 And it shall be, when the LORD shall bring thee into the land of the Canaanites, as he sware unto thee and to thy fathers, and shall give it thee,
12 Thatn thou shalt set apart4 unto the LORD all that openeth the matrix, and every firstling that cometh of a beast which thou hast; the males shall be the LORD's.
n ver. 2; ch. 22.29; 34.19. Eze. 44.30. Le. 27.26. Nu. 8.17. De. 15.19.
4 Heb. cause to pass over.
13 Ando every firstling of an ass thou shalt redeem with a lamb;3 and if thou wilt not redeem it, then thou shalt break his neck: and allp the first-born of man among thy children shalt thou redeem.
A.M. 2513. B.C. 1491.
o ch. 34.20. Nu. 18.15. 1 Pe. 1.18,19. Ac. 4.12.
3 Or, kid.
p Nu. 18.15,16; 3.46,47. Re. 14.4.
14 And it shall be, when thy q son asketh thee in time to come,4 saying, What is this? that thou shalt say unto him, By r strength of hand the LORD brought us out from Egypt, from the house of bondage:
q ch. 12.26. De. 6.20. Jos. 4.22. Ps. 145.4. Ep. 6.4. See ver. 8.
4 Heb. to-morrow.
r See ver. 3; ch. 6.1,6; 12.26,27. De. 6.6,7,20-25; 11.19. Ps. 78.2-9. Is. 38.19.
15 And it came to pass, when Pharaoh would hardlys let us go, that the LORD slew all the first-born in the land of Egypt, both the first-born of man and the first-born of beast: therefore I sacrifice to the LORD all that openeth the matrix, being males; but all the first-born of my children I redeem.
16 And it shall be for a t token upon thine hand, and for frontlets between thine eyes: for by strength of hand the LORD brought us forth out of Egypt.
t De. 6.8; 11.18,20. Pr. 3.21; 7.3. Re. 14.1,2,14. ver. 9. Nu. 15.38-40.
17 And it came to pass, when Pharaoh had let the people go, that God led them not through the way of the land of the Philistines, although that was near; for God said, u Lest peradventure the people repent when they see war, and they x return to Egypt:
18 But God y led the people about, through the way of the wilderness of the Red sea. And the children of Israel went up z harnessed5 out of the land of Egypt.
y ch. 14.2. Nu. 33.8. Ps. 107.7; 80.1; 77.20; 78.52,53. Is. 63.12,13. ver. 20.
z As armies; or by five in a rank. ch. 14.8; 12.51.
5 The word may be rendered harnessed, in array, or by fives. We adopt the last translation. Against it it has been alleged that the Hebrews formed into a column of five in breadth would have required a line of march of 60 miles. But why should they march in one single column? Why not rather in twelve columns, requiring a line of barely five miles! Our reason for preferring the translation by fives to harnessed is simply this:—Five is the ordinary average of a family: and though some are fewer, some more, yet the arrangement into columns of five in breadth would finally keep families of all sizes together. The importance of this arrangement to the oversight, protection, and morals of children must at once be apparent.—C.
19 And Moses took the bones of Joseph with him: for he had straitly sworn the children of Israel, saying, a God will surely visit you; and ye shall carry up my bones away hence with you.
20 And b they took their journey from Succoth, and encamped in Etham, in the edge of the wilderness.6
b Nu. 33.6. Je. 2.2. Ho. 2.14. De. 8.2,15.
6 In the edge of the wilderness of Sinai, at or near the line marked by the ancient canal between the irrigated and tilled soil of Egypt, and the untilled pasture-land of the peninsula. The route of the Israelites was, for the first two days, so directed as if they were determined to pass round the northern end of the Gulf of Suez.—P.
21 And c the LORD went before them by day in a pillar of a cloud, to lead them the way; and by night in a pillar of fire, to give them light; to go by day and night.
22 He d took not away the pillar of the cloud by day, nor the pillar of fire by night, from before the people.
d ch. 4.19,20,24. Nu. 9.19. Is. 4.5. Ps. 121.5-8.
Notes
Ver. 2. The Lord's preservation of the Hebrews' first-born, when he destroyed those of the Egyptians, gave him a peculiar right to them.
Ver. 9, 16. Their exact observation of these feasts, and the dedication of their firstlings, together with the repeated explication of the meaning thereof to their children, would make their deliverance from Egypt as fresh and evident to them and their seed as a thing hung or written in their foreheads.
Ver. 13. Unclean firstlings were either to be redeemed, or else killed, that they might not be put to any other use than for the Lord.—[From Nu. 18. 15 we learn that 'the firstlings of unclean beasts' were to be redeemed; but in this passage we find an alternative, viz. breaking the neck in the case of the ass. By referring to the fourth commandment we find that the ox and the ass are alone enumerated as the representatives of the clean and unclean beasts; and hence we may infer, that as the firstling of the ass might either be redeemed with a lamb or destroyed, so a like rule of redemption or destruction might be applied to the firstlings of all other unclean animals.—Note, (1) Infidels have cavilled against this law, as an alleged instance of cruelty. But will these infidels refuse to put an animal to death to satisfy the demand of their natural appetite? They will not refuse. How then dare they to accuse God, when he orders an animal to die, to teach avarice to sacrifice its property to him that bestows it all? (2) This law of redemption or destruction is expressively symbolic of the state of the unclean sinner: he must be redeemed by the 'blood of the Lamb,' or he must be destroyed with 'everlasting destruction.' C.]
Ver. 17. The Philistines, who had originated from Lower Egypt, Ge. 10. 13, 14; and dwelt in the south-west corner of Canaan, were a numerous, valiant, and fierce nation, whom the Hebrews, unarmed, and quite dispirited by their long bondage, durst not have encountered.—['The way of the land of the Philistines' was the route direct along the coast of the Mediterranean from El-Arish to Gaza. There the Israelites would have been exposed during the second or third day's march to an attack from the whole forces of the Philistines, then the most powerful nation of Canaan. P.]
Ver. 18. [The Hebrew word hamushim, here translated 'harnessed,' occurs only four times in the Bible, and its real meaning is uncertain. It would seem however that in this place it signifies 'marshalled,' or 'ranged in order.' Reference is of course made to the leading men assembled at Rameses, and who went out under Moses. P.]
Reflections.—Never forget, O my soul, the great things which God has done for his church, or for thyself, in his common or special providence! Let me carefully observe every mean of keeping them fresh on my mind; and let me teach them diligently unto my children, that they may hear and fear the Lord for their good. What the Lord marvellously brings to me, or preserves for me, let me cheerfully surrender to his service, at his call. The life he rescues from imminent danger is doubly obliged to be devoted to his service; and they who truly love God will readily serve him with the best they have. But if troubles and difficulties attend my path, conscious of my weakness and folly, let me trust in him who proportions his people's trials to their strength, and look up to him for direction in all my ways. In this pillar of cloud and fire I discern God's special care and protection of his people. Even while clouds and darkness are round about him, justice and judgment are the habitation of his throne, and mercy and truth go before his face. Do I not behold Jesus likewise given to be an ever-attending light and leader, as well as protector and glory, to his people in this wilderness world? Let me always follow his direction and example; so shall I, in due time, arrive safe at the promised Canaan which is above. And, though the way in which he leads me be very contrary to the will and wisdom of the flesh, let me rest assured that it is a right one to the fulfilment of all his glorious promises of grace and glory.