Exodus 13

AND the LORD spake unto Moses, saying,

Sanctifie unto me To my use and service, in manner as I shall hereafter explain. And Sanctifie, i. e. command all the people to sanctifie as Moses did, ver. 12. all the first-born viz. if they be males, as it is limited ver. 12., whatsoever openeth the womb Every child which is the first-born of his mother: So that if a man had many wives either together or successively, his first child by every one of these was a first-born. among the children of Israel, both of man and of beast Whether clean or unclean, though in different manner, whereof see Numb. 18. 13, 15, 17.: it is mine By special right and title, as being by my singular care and favour preserved... om the common destruction, and therefore I challenge a peculiar interest in them, and do hereby require that they be devoted to me..

And Moses said unto the people, Remember this day, in which... e came out from Egypt, out of the house of bondage: for by strength of hand the LORD brought you out from this place: there shall no leavened bread be eaten.

This day came ye out, in the month Abib See Exod. 12. 2. in the spring time, the most proper season for a long journey..

And it shall be when the LORD 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 thou shalt keep this service Which is spoken of before, and in the following verses. From this place it is evident, the Israelites were not obliged to this service in the wilderness without a particular command from God. See Deut. 12. 1, 9. in this month.

Seven days thou shalt eat unleavened bread, and in the seventh day shall be a feast to the LORD.

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.

And thou shalt show thy son in that day, saying, This is done because of that which the LORD did unto me, when I came forth out of Egypt.

And it shall be for a sign unto thee upon thine hand The celebration of this feast shall be to thee instead of a mark which a man makes, or a ring or any thing else which he puts, upon his hand or arm, to bring any thing to his remembrance. For such things his eye is most frequently fixed upon. Compare Cant. 8. 6. Isa. 49. 16. Ier. 22. 24. Hag. 2. 23., and for a memorial between thine eyes In stead of any monument or memorial, which is placed between, and therefore directly before, a mans eyes, which he can scarcely overlook, and therefore must needs bring to remembrance the thing which he would not forget. Such proverbial phrases are usual in Scripture, as Deut. 6. 8. Prov. 3. 3. and 6. 21. and 7. 3. and are not to be understood literally as the superstitious Iews understood them, who hence derive their custom of wearing scrowls of parchment upon their foreheads and arms and garments, which they call Phylacteries, wherein they wrote certain portions of Scripture. But they might aswell have added parcels of Gods law to be kept in their mouths, because it follows, that the Lords law may be in thy mouth: from whence we may better infer, that neither mouth nor hand nor eyes are to be properly understood, for then it had been an improper method to fasten a parchment between their eyes that it might be in their mouths, but figuratively, as they are commonly understood in Scripture., that the LORDS Law may be in thy mouth: for with a strong hand has the LORD brought thee out of Egypt.

Thou shalt therefore keep this Ordinance in his season from year to year Heb. from days to days. But days in the Hebrew tongue are oft put for a complete year: of which see Gen. 4. 3. Lev. 25. 29. Amos 4. 4..

And it shall be when the LORD shall bring thee into the land of the Canaanites Under which general name all the other nations are contained, as being all the children of Canaan., as he sware unto thee, and to thy fathers, and shall give it thee:

That thou shalt set apart (i. e.) Separate it from the rest; resign thy right in it to God: Heb. cause it to pass, not through the fire, a... that verb is used Deut. 18. 10. 2 King. 16. 3. but under the rod, as it is used, and more fully expressed, Lev. 27. 32. which was the rite when any thing was separated and consecrated to God. unto the LORD all that openeth the matrix, and every firstling that cometh of a beast, which thou hast, the males shall be the LORDS Devoted to him, either to be sacrificed, if it was clean, or to be otherwise destroyed, if it was unclean, as it here follows..

And every firstling of an ass An unclean creature, and therefore this rule was to be observed in all other unclean creatures, as appears, 1. because the reason of this law is common to all such. 2. by comparing this place with Numb. 18. 15. 3. because the first-born of all beasts were appropriated to God, and because many of them were unclean and so could not be sacrificed, there was no other way of offering them to God but by redemption or a price paid for them. And the single exception of the price of a dog in this case, Deut. 23. 18. does sufficiently intimate, that the price of all other unclean creatures was allowed and required. The ass alone is here named for all the rest, because this creature was most common and most useful, and yet was not to be spared: whence it was easie to infer, that this course was much rather to be observed in other creatures which were of less use. thou shalt redeem with a lamb: and if thou wilt not redeem it, then thou shalt break his neck Or, cut off his neck or head, as the word is used Deut. 21. 4. Isa. 66. 3. because being consecrated to God it was not to be applyed to any profane or common use., and all the first-born of man amongst thy children shalt thou redeem.

And it shall be when thy son asketh thee in time to come, saying, What is this? that thou shalt say unto him, By strength of hand the LORD brought us out from Egypt, from the house of bondage Which is added to teach Parents in all succeeding ages that it is their duty to instruct their children in the word and works of God, and in the nature and reasons of every particular kind or part of Gods worship and service. See Deut. 15. 5. Psal. 66. 4. Hos. 12. 4..

And it came to pass, when Pharaoh would hardly let us go, that the LORD slew all the first-born in the land of Egypt, both the firstborn 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.

And it shall be for a token upon thine hand, and for frontlets In stead of frontlets. The sense is, This practice shall make your deliverance from Egypt as fresh and evident to you and to your children as any thing which you see hanged or written upon one anothers foreheads. See Ezek. 9. 4. It seems strange to me, that they that understand the sign on the hand, and the memorial between the eyes, ver. 9. metaphorically should understand the frontlets between the eyes in this place properly, seeing the phrase is perfectly the same; only here is a more particular allusion to the custom of the Egyptians, which used to wear some devices upon their foreheads, which probably, they called totaphot..., which were memorials of their Idols, or of something relating to them. And therefore it seems unlikely that he would here prescribe the use of the same things to the Iews, and the more probable meaning of the phrase is only this, that this practice would be as effectual and useful a remembrancer of this mighty and glorious work of God in bringing them out of Egypt as those contrivances were to the Egyptians of their Idols. between thine eyes: For by strength of hand the LORD brought us forth out of Egypt.

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 A fierce and warlike people, whereof they had sad and late experience, 1 Chron. 7. 21., although that was near There being this way but few days journey between Egypt and Canaan.: For God said, Lest peradventure God speaks after the manner of men, for nothing was unknown nor uncertain to him. Though the Hebrew particle, pen does not always imply doubting, but oft-times only signifies, lest, as Gen. 3. 3. and 38. 23. Numb. 20. 18. the people repent them when they see war Which they were likely to do, because the war would probably be long and hot, and their bodies were much weakned, and their spirits and courage broken, by a tedious and grievous bondage. And therefore it was fit that before they were called to such sharp conflicts, they should be hardened by the labours of a long and troublesome journey, and their faith should be strengthened by further experience of Gods power and faithfulness and goodness, and by the glorious appearance of God at mount Sinai, and those commands, promises and encouragements there given them. But though this which is here mentioned was one, yet it was not the only, reason of this counsel, but there were other causes for it, the Egyptians were to be drowned in the sea, the Israelites to be further tried, Deut. 8. 2. and full measure to be allowed to the iniquity of the Amorites., and they return to Egypt As afterwards they attempted to do Numb. 14. upon a like occasion..

But God led the people about through the way of the wilderness of the red Sea, and the children of Israel went up harnessed Or, armed, or girt with swords and belts about the fifth rib, as the Hebrew word may imply. But it does not appear how or whence they should get their arms, nor how the Egyptians would permit so numerous a people to have and to keep arms, especially when they had a long time oppressed and exasperated them, and made them desperate. It is true, some few of them might procure arms, but this word is here used concerning the whole body of them. Others render it, by fives, five and five in a rank, that is, by an usual Synecdoche, in military order, not doubtfully and fearfully but confidently and couragiously, not confusedly, as men that steal or run away, but in good order, so as one might not hinder another. Which interpretation is strengthened by comparing Ios. 1. 14. It may be rendred, girt, to wit, about the fifth rib, as the word implies, the place where men used to gird their garments, this being the usual posture for travellers: He implies that they went out resolved upon and prepared for their journey. out of the land of Egypt.

And Moses took the bones of Joseph And the other Patriarchs, as appears from Act. 7. 16. with him: for he had straitly sworn the children of Israel The Oath was taken only by the Parents, but because the matter of it was not personal and of particular concernment to them, but common to them and to their children, therefore it obliged both the Parents and their Children, as Moses here signifieth., saying; God will surely visit you, and ye shall carry up my bones away hence with you.

And they took their journey from Succoth, and encamped in Etham, in the edge of the wilderness.

And the LORD The Son of God, whose presence and conduct the Israelites had in the Wilderness, as appears from 1 Cor. 10. 4, 9. Compare Heb. 11. 26. who is sometimes called the Angel of the Lord, chap. 14. 19. because he was and was to be his Fathers Angel or Messenger sent by God unto men to ratifie his Covenant with them, whence he is called the Angel of the Covenant, Mal. 3. 1. as he is upon another account called the Angel of his presence, Isa. 63. 9. went before them Not by local motion, but by his gracious and powerful operations for and about them. by day in a pillar of a cloud It was but one pillar, Numb. 9. 15, 16. having two different appearances and uses, of a Cloud by day to defend them from the heat, Psal. 105. 39. which in those parts was excessive, and of a fire by Night to illuminate them. It was a Cloud erected towards Heaven like a pillar upwards, but downwards flat and broad, spread over the body of the people, and afterwards more eminently over the Tabernacle. to lead them the way Which was altogether necessary in those vast and pathless Deserts, Numb. 10. 33. Deut. 1. 33., and by night in a pillar of fire, to give them light to go by day and night.

He took not away the pillar of the Cloud by day, nor the pillar of fire by night from before the people Whilst they continued in the Wilderness, and had need of such direction..