The Torah · Old Testament

Exodus 13

Remembering deliverance and following the wilderness route

General context

The Lord claims Israel's firstborn, both human and animal. Moses tells the people to remember their departure from bondage in the month Abib through the yearly observance of unleavened bread. They are to explain the observance to their children as a response to what the Lord did in bringing them out. Instructions for the firstborn likewise connect future practice with rescue from Egypt. Firstborn males of livestock are set apart for the Lord; a firstborn donkey is to be redeemed with a lamb or have its neck broken, while the firstborn among their sons are to be redeemed. The explanation recalls the deaths of Egypt's firstborn when Pharaoh resisted release. The narrative then turns to the journey. God avoids the nearer Philistine route because the sight of war might lead the people to return to Egypt, and leads them by the wilderness toward the Red Sea. Moses carries Joseph's bones in keeping with the oath Joseph required. From Succoth they camp at Etham on the wilderness edge. The Lord leads them by a pillar of cloud by day and a pillar of fire by night.

Cited passages: Exodus 13:1, Exodus 13:2, Exodus 13:3, Exodus 13:4, Exodus 13:5, Exodus 13:6, Exodus 13:7, Exodus 13:8, Exodus 13:9, Exodus 13:10, Exodus 13:11, Exodus 13:12, Exodus 13:13, Exodus 13:14, Exodus 13:15, Exodus 13:16, Exodus 13:17, Exodus 13:18, Exodus 13:19, Exodus 13:20, Exodus 13:21, Exodus 13:22

Exodus 13 (KJV)

¹And the Lord spake unto Moses, saying,

²Sanctify unto me all the firstborn, whatsoever openeth the womb among the children of Israel, both of man and of beast: it is mine.

³And Moses said unto the people, Remember this day, in which ye 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.

⁴This day came ye out in the month Abib.

⁵And 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 in this month.

⁶Seven days thou shalt eat unleavened bread, and in the seventh day shall be a feast to the Lord.

⁷Unleavened 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.

⁸And thou shalt shew 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.

⁹And it shall be for a 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 strong hand hath the Lord brought thee out of Egypt.

¹⁰Thou shalt therefore keep this ordinance in his season from year to year.

¹¹And 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,

¹²That thou shalt set apart 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.

¹³And every firstling of an ass thou shalt redeem with a lamb; and if thou wilt not redeem it, then thou shalt break his neck: and all the firstborn of man among thy children shalt thou redeem.

¹⁴And 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:

¹⁵And it came to pass, when Pharaoh would hardly let us go, that the Lord slew all the firstborn in the land of Egypt, both the firstborn of man, and the firstborn of beast: therefore I sacrifice to the Lord all that openeth the matrix, being males; but all the firstborn of my children I redeem.

¹⁶And it shall be for a token upon thine hand, and for frontlets between thine eyes: for by strength of hand the Lord brought us forth out of Egypt.

¹⁷And 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, Lest peradventure the people repent when they see war, and they return to Egypt:

¹⁸But God led the people about, through the way of the wilderness of the Red sea: and the children of Israel went up harnessed out of the land of Egypt.

¹⁹And Moses took the bones of Joseph with him: for he had straitly sworn the children of Israel, saying, God will surely visit you; and ye shall carry up my bones away hence with you.

²⁰And they took their journey from Succoth, and encamped in Etham, in the edge of the wilderness.

²¹And 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:

²²He took not away the pillar of the cloud by day, nor the pillar of fire by night, from before the people.

This page shows the King James Version. In the app, reading opens in the Berean Standard Bible unless you have chosen another translation. The reader includes five translations: the Berean Standard Bible (BSB), the King James Version (KJV), the World English Bible (WEB), the Bible in Basic English (BBE), and the American Standard Version (ASV). Search covers three of them: Berean Standard, King James, and World English. Basic English and American Standard readers search the King James words.

Historical context

The month is named Abib, and the instructions anticipate keeping the observance after entry into the promised land. The chapter distinguishes the treatment of firstborn animals from the redemption of firstborn sons; it does not command the sacrifice of those sons. The sign upon the hand and memorial between the eyes connect remembrance with having the Lord's law in the mouth. This guide does not supply later objects or practices absent from the passage. The journey names Succoth and Etham but gives no modern coordinates. King James describes the departing people as 'harnessed,' American Standard as 'armed' and Bible in Basic English as 'in fighting order.' That wording does not establish their training or explain the route beyond the reason given in verse 17.

Cited passages: Exodus 13:4, Exodus 13:5, Exodus 13:8, Exodus 13:9, Exodus 13:10, Exodus 13:11, Exodus 13:12, Exodus 13:13, Exodus 13:14, Exodus 13:15, Exodus 13:16, Exodus 13:17, Exodus 13:18, Exodus 13:19, Exodus 13:20, Exodus 13:21, Exodus 13:22

Literary context

Two explanations to a child connect repeated observances with the Lord's strong-handed rescue. The first concerns unleavened bread; the second concerns the firstborn. Together they make the departure something to remember and teach after the immediate journey. Joseph's bones also carry an earlier expectation of divine visitation into the present movement out of Egypt. The route's stated purpose acknowledges the possibility that the people might turn back when confronted with war. The closing pillars provide continuing direction and light as the journey proceeds.

Cited passages: Exodus 13:3, Exodus 13:6, Exodus 13:7, Exodus 13:8, Exodus 13:9, Exodus 13:10, Exodus 13:12, Exodus 13:13, Exodus 13:14, Exodus 13:15, Exodus 13:16, Exodus 13:17, Exodus 13:18, Exodus 13:19, Exodus 13:20, Exodus 13:21, Exodus 13:22

Key moments

A child is told why the observance is kept (Exodus 13:8). The explanation connects the practice with what the Lord did in bringing the speaker out of Egypt.
Firstborn sons are to be redeemed (Exodus 13:13). The instructions require redemption for the firstborn among Israel’s children.
Moses carries Joseph’s bones (Exodus 13:19). Moses takes Joseph’s bones in keeping with the oath Joseph had required of Israel.
Cloud and fire lead the journey (Exodus 13:21). The Lord goes before the people in cloud by day and fire by night, providing direction and light.

For reflection

What do the two explanations to children emphasize about why these observances are to continue?

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