King James Version
Exodus 13
22 verses with commentary
Consecration of the Firstborn
And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying,
View commentary (2 sources)
KJV Study Commentary
The immediate command following exodus to 'Sanctify unto me all the firstborn' establishes the principle that redemption creates ownership. The Hebrew 'qadesh' (קַדֵּשׁ) means to set apart, consecrate as holy. Because God spared Israel's firstborn while judging Egypt's, they now belong to Him by right of redemption. This principle extends to all believers—'ye are bought with a price' (1 Corinthian...
Read full commentary →Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
Chapter 13
Chapter Outline
The first-born sanctified to God, The remembrance of the passover commanded.
(1-10)
The firstlings of beasts set apart.(11-16)
Joseph's bones carried with the Israelites, They come to Etham.(17-20)
God guideth the Israelites by a pillar of cloud fire.(21-22)
**Verses 1-10**
In remembrance of the destruction of the first-born of Egypt, both o...
Read full commentary →Sanctify unto me all the firstborn, whatsoever openeth the womb among the children of Israel, both of man and of beast: it is mine.
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KJV Study Commentary
The comprehensive scope—'whatsoever openeth the womb among the children of Israel, both of man and of beast'—means every firstborn life belongs to God. The phrase 'openeth the matrix' (peter rechem, פֶּטֶר רֶחֶם) literally means 'first issue of the womb.' The declaration 'it is mine' asserts divine ownership based on redemption. This anticipates Christ as God's firstborn (Colossians 1:15), consecr...
Read full commentary →Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers
XIII.
SANCTIFICATION OF THE FIRSTBORN, AND LAW OF REDEMPTION.
(2) **Sanctify unto me all the firstborn.**—It was a reasonable demand that the existing firstborn of Israel, spared by God when the Egyptian firstborn were destroyed, should be regarded thenceforth as His, and set apart for His service. The extension of the demand to existing beasts was also reasonable, since they too had been spared. ...
Read full commentary →Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
**28. Pharaoh said, ... Get thee from me--**The calm firmness of Moses provoked the tyrant. Frantic with disappointment and rage, with offended and desperate malice, he ordered him from his presence and forbade him ever to return.
Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
Chapter 13
Chapter Outline
The first-born sanctified to God, The remembrance of the passover commanded.
(1-10)
The firstlings of beasts set apart.(11-16)
Joseph's bones carried with the Israelites, They come to Etham.(17-20)
God guideth the Israelites by a pillar of cloud fire.(21-22)
**Verses 1-10**
In remembrance of the destruction of the first-born of Egypt, both o...
Read full commentary →And 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. bondage: Heb. servants
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KJV Study Commentary
Moses' instruction to 'Remember this day, in which ye came out from Egypt' establishes perpetual commemoration. The description 'out of the house of bondage' (mibeyt avadim, מִבֵּית עֲבָדִים—from the house of slaves) identifies Egypt as bondage, not home. The emphasis 'by strength of hand the LORD brought you out' credits God alone for deliverance. Remembering prevents spiritual amnesia—forgetting...
Read full commentary →Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers
(3) **Remember this day.**—Remembrance was secured in four ways:—(1) By the month being made to commence the ecclesiastical year; (2) by the institution of the Passover; (3) by the seven days of unleavened bread; and (4) by the redemption, and the inquiries it would necessitate (Exodus 13:14-15).
Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
29. Moses said, Thou hast spoken well.
Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
Chapter 13
Chapter Outline
The first-born sanctified to God, The remembrance of the passover commanded.
(1-10)
The firstlings of beasts set apart.(11-16)
Joseph's bones carried with the Israelites, They come to Etham.(17-20)
God guideth the Israelites by a pillar of cloud fire.(21-22)
**Verses 1-10**
In remembrance of the destruction of the first-born of Egypt, both o...
Read full commentary →This day came ye out in the month Abib.
View commentary (3 sources)
KJV Study Commentary
The temporal marker 'This day came ye out in the month Abib' fixes the exodus to a specific historical date. 'Abib' (Aviv, אָבִיב) means 'spring' or 'green ears,' referring to ripening barley. Anchoring faith to historical events rather than myths distinguishes biblical religion. Christianity similarly roots in datable events—Christ's crucifixion 'under Pontius Pilate' (1 Timothy 6:13).
Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers
(4) **The month Abib.**—Abib means “green ears of corn,” or “greenness;” and the month of Abib was that in which the wheat came into ear, and the earth generally renewed its verdure. It was a “vague,” or shifting month, since it properly began with the day of the full moon that followed next after the vernal equinox. It retained its name until the Babylonian captivity, when the Babylonian name Nis...
Read full commentary →Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
Chapter 13
Chapter Outline
The first-born sanctified to God, The remembrance of the passover commanded.
(1-10)
The firstlings of beasts set apart.(11-16)
Joseph's bones carried with the Israelites, They come to Etham.(17-20)
God guideth the Israelites by a pillar of cloud fire.(21-22)
**Verses 1-10**
In remembrance of the destruction of the first-born of Egypt, both o...
Read full commentary →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 in this month.
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KJV Study Commentary
The forward-looking promise 'when the LORD shall bring thee into the land' expresses confidence despite wilderness obstacles ahead. Naming the nations—Canaanites, Hittites, Amorites, Hivites, Jebusites—specifies the concrete goal. The description 'land flowing with milk and honey' pictures abundant provision. The command to observe this service 'in this month' ensures perpetual memorial connects f...
Read full commentary →Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers
(5) **The Canaanites, and the Hittites . . . —**The full number of the Canaanitish nations was seven, five of which are here enumerated. The other two were the Perizzites and the Girgashites, which seem to have been the least important. The most important were the Canaanites, Hittites, and Amorites; and these are consequently almost always placed first. At the time of the Exodus, and for many cent...
Read full commentary →Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
CHAPTER 11 Ex 11:1-10. Death of the First-born Threatened.
**1. the Lord said--**rather, "had said unto Moses." It may be inferred, therefore, that he had been apprised that the crisis had now arrived, that the next plague would so effectually humble and alarm the mind of Pharaoh, that he would "thrust them out thence altogether"; and thus the word of Moses (Ex 10:29), must be regarded as a predi...
Read full commentary →Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
Chapter 13
Chapter Outline
The first-born sanctified to God, The remembrance of the passover commanded.
(1-10)
The firstlings of beasts set apart.(11-16)
Joseph's bones carried with the Israelites, They come to Etham.(17-20)
God guideth the Israelites by a pillar of cloud fire.(21-22)
**Verses 1-10**
In remembrance of the destruction of the first-born of Egypt, both o...
Read full commentary →Seven days thou shalt eat unleavened bread, and in the seventh day shall be a feast to the LORD.
View commentary (4 sources)
KJV Study Commentary
The seven-day feast of unleavened bread reiterates Exodus 12:15's command. Seven days symbolizes completeness—redemption sanctifies the whole of life, not just one day. The removal of leaven (representing corruption, sin, pride) pictures comprehensive purification. Paul explicitly applies this: 'purge out therefore the old leaven...let us keep the feast...with the unleavened bread of sincerity and...
Read full commentary →Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers
(6) **A feast to the Lord.**—Comp. Exodus 12:16, where a “holy convocation” is ordered for the seventh day. The Jews regard this day—the twenty-first of Ahib—as the anniversary of the passage of the Red Sea.
Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
**2-3. Speak now in the ears of the people--**These verses, describing the communication which had been made in private to Moses, are inserted here as a parenthesis, and will be considered (Ex 12:35).
Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
Chapter 13
Chapter Outline
The first-born sanctified to God, The remembrance of the passover commanded.
(1-10)
The firstlings of beasts set apart.(11-16)
Joseph's bones carried with the Israelites, They come to Etham.(17-20)
God guideth the Israelites by a pillar of cloud fire.(21-22)
**Verses 1-10**
In remembrance of the destruction of the first-born of Egypt, both o...
Read full commentary →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.
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KJV Study Commentary
The command 'Unleavened bread shall be eaten seven days' requires active participation—not merely avoiding leaven but eating matzah. The comprehensive prohibition 'neither shall there be leaven seen with thee' and 'in all thy quarters' extends through all territory. This visible absence of leaven throughout Israel's land made the entire nation a testimony to purity. Total removal, not merely conce...
Read full commentary →Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
**2-3. Speak now in the ears of the people--**These verses, describing the communication which had been made in private to Moses, are inserted here as a parenthesis, and will be considered (Ex 12:35).
Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
Chapter 13
Chapter Outline
The first-born sanctified to God, The remembrance of the passover commanded.
(1-10)
The firstlings of beasts set apart.(11-16)
Joseph's bones carried with the Israelites, They come to Etham.(17-20)
God guideth the Israelites by a pillar of cloud fire.(21-22)
**Verses 1-10**
In remembrance of the destruction of the first-born of Egypt, both o...
Read full commentary →And 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.
View commentary (3 sources)
KJV Study Commentary
The instruction to 'shew thy son in that day' establishes intergenerational transmission as central to faith. The explanation 'because of that which the LORD did unto me' makes past event personal present reality—not distant history but formative identity. The phrase 'when I came forth out of Egypt' uses first person, requiring each generation to personally identify with the exodus. This pedagogic...
Read full commentary →Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
**4. Thus saith the Lord, About midnight--**Here is recorded the announcement of the last plague made in the most solemn manner to the king, on whose hardened heart all his painful experience had hitherto produced no softening, at least no permanently good effect.
**will I go out into the midst of Egypt--**language used after the manner of men.
Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
Chapter 13
Chapter Outline
The first-born sanctified to God, The remembrance of the passover commanded.
(1-10)
The firstlings of beasts set apart.(11-16)
Joseph's bones carried with the Israelites, They come to Etham.(17-20)
God guideth the Israelites by a pillar of cloud fire.(21-22)
**Verses 1-10**
In remembrance of the destruction of the first-born of Egypt, both o...
Read full commentary →And 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.
View commentary (4 sources)
KJV Study Commentary
The imagery 'for a sign unto thee upon thine hand, and for a memorial between thine eyes' uses bodily placement metaphorically—constant remembrance affecting action (hand) and thought (eyes/forehead). Though later Judaism literalized this with phylacteries (tefillin), the primary meaning is comprehensive orientation of life around redemption. 'The LORD's law may be in thy mouth' means redemption s...
Read full commentary →Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers
(*9*) **It shall be for a sign unto thee upon thine hand, and for a memorial between thine eyes.**—The practice of wearing *tephillin,* or “phylacteries,” is referred by the Jews themselves to the time of the Exodus, and regarded by them as resting on the present passage, together with Deuteronomy 6:8; Deuteronomy 11:18. These phylacteries consist of small strips of parchment, on which are written...
Read full commentary →Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
**5. And all the first-born in the land ... shall die--**The time, the suddenness, the dreadful severity of this coming calamity, and the peculiar description of victims, among both men and beasts, on whom it was to fall, would all contribute to aggravate its character.
**the maid-servant that is behind the mill--**The grinding of the meal for daily use in every household is commonly done by fem...
Read full commentary →Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
Chapter 13
Chapter Outline
The first-born sanctified to God, The remembrance of the passover commanded.
(1-10)
The firstlings of beasts set apart.(11-16)
Joseph's bones carried with the Israelites, They come to Etham.(17-20)
God guideth the Israelites by a pillar of cloud fire.(21-22)
**Verses 1-10**
In remembrance of the destruction of the first-born of Egypt, both o...
Read full commentary →Thou shalt therefore keep this ordinance in his season from year to year.
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KJV Study Commentary
The requirement to keep this ordinance 'in his season from year to year' establishes annual rhythm. The Hebrew 'miyamim yamimah' (מִיָּמִים יָמִימָה) means 'from days to days'—the anniversary returns cyclically. Regular commemoration prevents forgetfulness. This principle underlies Christian liturgical calendar observances—regular remembrance maintains spiritual vitality and prevents drift.
Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
**6. shall be a great cry throughout all the land--**In the case of a death, people in the East set up loud wailings, and imagination may conceive what "a great cry" would be raised when death would invade every family in the kingdom.
Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
Chapter 13
Chapter Outline
The first-born sanctified to God, The remembrance of the passover commanded.
(1-10)
The firstlings of beasts set apart.(11-16)
Joseph's bones carried with the Israelites, They come to Etham.(17-20)
God guideth the Israelites by a pillar of cloud fire.(21-22)
**Verses 1-10**
In remembrance of the destruction of the first-born of Egypt, both o...
Read full commentary →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,
View commentary (4 sources)
KJV Study Commentary
The promise 'when the LORD shall bring thee into the land of the Canaanites' reiterates the covenant oath 'as he sware unto thee and to thy fathers.' This grounds confidence not in Israel's merit but God's faithfulness to promises made to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. Divine oath-keeping guarantees fulfillment regardless of circumstances. God's character, not human performance, secures covenant promi...
Read full commentary →Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers
(11) **The land of the Canaanites.**—Either their superior importance or their genealogical position (Genesis 10:15) caused the term “Canaanites” to be used inclusively of all the Palestinian nations. The land is always “the land of Canaan” (Genesis 11:31; Genesis 12:5; Genesis 13:12, &c).
Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
**7. against any of the children of Israel shall not a dog move his tongue--**No town or village in Egypt or in the East generally is free from the nuisance of dogs, who prowl about the streets and make the most hideous noise at any passers-by at night. What an emphatic significance does the knowledge of this circumstance give to this fact in the sacred record, that on the awful night that was com...
Read full commentary →Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
**Verses 11-16**
The firstlings of beast not used in sacrifice, were to be changed for others so used, or they were to be destroyed. Our souls are forfeited to God's justice, and unless ransomed by the sacrifice of Christ, will certainly perish. These institutions would continually remind them of their duty, to love and serve the Lord. In like manner, baptism and the Lord's supper, if explaine...
Read full commentary →That 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. set: Heb. cause to pass over
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KJV Study Commentary
The command to 'set apart unto the LORD all that openeth the matrix' uses the same verb (avar, עָבַר) as 'pass over'—dedicating firstborn to God. The phrase 'every firstling that cometh of a beast' extends to livestock. The declaration 'the males shall be the LORD's' specifies gender—males represented strength and primary value in agrarian culture. Giving firstborn/firstlings acknowledges God's ow...
Read full commentary →Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers
(12) **Thou shalt set apart**—i.e., separate off from the rest of the flock or herd, that it might not be mixed up with those which were not “sanctified.”
Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
**8. all these thy servants shall ... bow down themselves unto me--**This would be the effect of the universal terror; the hearts of the proudest would be humbled and do reverential homage to God, in the person of His representative.
**went out ... in a great anger--**Holy and righteous indignation at the duplicity, repeated falsehood, and hardened impenitence of the king; and this strong emotio...
Read full commentary →Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
**Verses 11-16**
The firstlings of beast not used in sacrifice, were to be changed for others so used, or they were to be destroyed. Our souls are forfeited to God's justice, and unless ransomed by the sacrifice of Christ, will certainly perish. These institutions would continually remind them of their duty, to love and serve the Lord. In like manner, baptism and the Lord's supper, if explaine...
Read full commentary →And 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. lamb: or, kid
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KJV Study Commentary
The provision 'every firstling of an ass thou shalt redeem with a lamb' recognizes that unclean animals cannot be sacrificed but must still be consecrated. The Hebrew 'padah' (פָּדָה) means to ransom or redeem—substitutionary exchange. The dire alternative 'if thou wilt not redeem it, then thou shalt break his neck' prevents casual disregard. All firstborn of man must be redeemed, reflecting human...
Read full commentary →Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers
(13) **Every firstling of an ass.**—It is observable that nothing is said of the Israelites possessing horses. Horses were well known in Egypt at the time, but were kept only by the kings and the great men. The Hebrews had not been in a position ever to have possessed any. Asses, on the contrary, were exceedingly common, and formed the ordinary beasts of burden in the country. In default of camels...
Read full commentary →Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
**Verses 11-16**
The firstlings of beast not used in sacrifice, were to be changed for others so used, or they were to be destroyed. Our souls are forfeited to God's justice, and unless ransomed by the sacrifice of Christ, will certainly perish. These institutions would continually remind them of their duty, to love and serve the Lord. In like manner, baptism and the Lord's supper, if explaine...
Read full commentary →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: in: Heb. to morrow
View commentary (2 sources)
KJV Study Commentary
The anticipated question 'What is this?' from future sons creates teaching opportunities. The prescribed answer explains firstborn consecration through exodus history: God's 'strength of hand' brought Israel out, slaying Egypt's firstborn but sparing Israel's. The phrase 'therefore I sacrifice' connects present practice to past deliverance. Ritual becomes catechesis, with each observance prompting...
Read full commentary →Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
**Verses 11-16**
The firstlings of beast not used in sacrifice, were to be changed for others so used, or they were to be destroyed. Our souls are forfeited to God's justice, and unless ransomed by the sacrifice of Christ, will certainly perish. These institutions would continually remind them of their duty, to love and serve the Lord. In like manner, baptism and the Lord's supper, if explaine...
Read full commentary →And 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.
View commentary (2 sources)
KJV Study Commentary
The historical recitation 'when Pharaoh would hardly let us go' recalls Egyptian resistance. The judgment 'the LORD slew all the firstborn in the land of Egypt' included both human and beast, demonstrating comprehensive divine sovereignty. The conclusion 'therefore I sacrifice' and 'redeem' shows that practice rooted in history maintains meaning. Present obedience flows from past deliverance—grati...
Read full commentary →Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
**Verses 11-16**
The firstlings of beast not used in sacrifice, were to be changed for others so used, or they were to be destroyed. Our souls are forfeited to God's justice, and unless ransomed by the sacrifice of Christ, will certainly perish. These institutions would continually remind them of their duty, to love and serve the Lord. In like manner, baptism and the Lord's supper, if explaine...
Read full commentary →And 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.
View commentary (4 sources)
KJV Study Commentary
The return to 'sign upon thine hand' and 'frontlets between thine eyes' emphasizes total life orientation around redemption. Physical imagery pictures spiritual reality—redemption should govern action (hand) and thought (forehead/eyes). The rationale 'by strength of hand the LORD brought us forth' credits God's power alone. Constant remembrance prevents pride ('we delivered ourselves') and maintai...
Read full commentary →Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers
(16) **It shall** ***be*** **for a token.**—See the comment on Exodus 13:9. The “frontlets” (*totaphôth*) of this passage, and of Deuteronomy 6:8, were called *tephillin* in Chaldee, both words signifying properly “bands” or “circlets.” The injunctions on the subject which are here given might undoubtedly be explained as metaphorical; but those in Deuteronomy 6:6-9 seem to have been intended, and ...
Read full commentary →Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
CHAPTER 12 Ex 12:1-10. The Passover Instituted.
**1. the Lord spake unto Moses--**rather, "had spoken unto Moses and Aaron"; for it is evident that the communication here described must have been made to them on or before the tenth of the month.
Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
**Verses 11-16**
The firstlings of beast not used in sacrifice, were to be changed for others so used, or they were to be destroyed. Our souls are forfeited to God's justice, and unless ransomed by the sacrifice of Christ, will certainly perish. These institutions would continually remind them of their duty, to love and serve the Lord. In like manner, baptism and the Lord's supper, if explaine...
Read full commentary →The Pillar of Cloud and Fire
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, Lest peradventure the people repent when they see war, and they return to Egypt:
View commentary (4 sources)
KJV Study Commentary
God's guidance avoids the direct route to Canaan—'through the way of the land of the Philistines, although that was near.' The rationale reveals pastoral wisdom: 'Lest peradventure the people repent when they see war.' God orchestrates circumstances considering Israel's weakness. The concern 'return to Egypt' shows how quickly discouraged people abandon God's purposes. Divine strategy accommodates...
Read full commentary →Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers
**THE DIRECTION OF THE MARCH**.
(17) **God led them not through the way of the land of the Philistines.**—In Exodus 13:17-19 the writer interposes some parenthetic remarks, which are not a continuation of the narrative interrupted (Exodus 12:42), but rather reflections that occur to him. The starting point of the journey being Tanis or Rameses, in the Eastern Delta, not far from the sea, he sees t...
Read full commentary →Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
**2. this month shall be unto you the beginning of months--**the first not only in order but in estimation. It had formerly been the seventh according to the reckoning of the civil year, which began in September, and continued unchanged, but it was thenceforth to stand first in the national religious year which began in March, April.
Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
**Verses 17-20**
There were two ways from Egypt to Canaan. One was only a few days' journey; the other was much further about, through the wilderness, and that was the way in which God chose to lead his people Israel. The Egyptians were to be drowned in the Red sea; the Israelites were to be humbled and proved in the wilderness. God's way is the right way, though it seems about. If we think he...
Read full commentary →But 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. harnessed: or, by five in a rank
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KJV Study Commentary
The alternative route 'led the people about, through the way of the wilderness of the Red sea' seems indirect but serves purposes—testing, training, revealing dependence on God. The phrase 'the children of Israel went up harnessed out of the land of Egypt' has ambiguous Hebrew ('chamushim,' חֲמֻשִׁים) meaning either 'armed' or 'organized by fifties.' Either way, it indicates order, not chaos. Wild...
Read full commentary →Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers
(18) **But God led the people about.**—Or, *led the people a circuit*—took them, not by the direct route, through Pelusium, past Lake Serbônis, to Rhinocolura and Gaza, but led them by the most circuitous route possible—the way of the Red Sea and the wilderness of Sinai to the Transjordanic region, the land of the Amorites, and so across Jordan to Canaan proper. The passage seems to dispose altoge...
Read full commentary →Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
**3. Speak ye unto all the congregation of Israel--**The recent events had prepared the Israelitish people for a crisis in their affairs, and they seem to have yielded implicit obedience at this time to Moses. It is observable that, amid all the hurry and bustle of such a departure, their serious attention was to be given to a solemn act of religion.
**a lamb for an house--**a kid might be taken...
Read full commentary →Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
**Verses 17-20**
There were two ways from Egypt to Canaan. One was only a few days' journey; the other was much further about, through the wilderness, and that was the way in which God chose to lead his people Israel. The Egyptians were to be drowned in the Red sea; the Israelites were to be humbled and proved in the wilderness. God's way is the right way, though it seems about. If we think he...
Read full commentary →And 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.
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KJV Study Commentary
Moses taking Joseph's bones fulfills the oath Joseph extracted in Genesis 50:25. The phrase 'Ye shall carry up my bones away hence with you' shows Joseph's faith that God would fulfill His promise to bring Israel to Canaan. Carrying these bones throughout forty wilderness years testified to covenant faithfulness—both God's (bringing Israel out) and Joseph's (trusting God's promise despite dying in...
Read full commentary →Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers
(19) **Moses took the bones of Joseph.**—Joseph’s body had been embalmed according to the Egyptian fashion (Genesis 1:26). He had ordered it to be conveyed to Canaan when the Israelites went there (Genesis 1:25).
Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
**4. if the household be too little for the lamb, &c.--**It appears from Josephus that ten persons were required to make up the proper paschal communion.
**every man according to his eating--**It is said that the quantity eaten of the paschal lamb, by each individual, was about the size of an olive.
Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
**Verses 17-20**
There were two ways from Egypt to Canaan. One was only a few days' journey; the other was much further about, through the wilderness, and that was the way in which God chose to lead his people Israel. The Egyptians were to be drowned in the Red sea; the Israelites were to be humbled and proved in the wilderness. God's way is the right way, though it seems about. If we think he...
Read full commentary →And they took their journey from Succoth, and encamped in Etham, in the edge of the wilderness.
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KJV Study Commentary
The journey from Succoth to Etham marks progress. Succoth was the first camp after leaving Rameses (Exodus 12:37); Etham was 'in the edge of the wilderness'—the boundary between civilization and wilderness. This spatial progression symbolizes spiritual movement from bondage toward promise, through wilderness testing. The journey requires leaving security for dependence on God.
Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers
THE JOURNEY RESUMED.
(20) **They took their journey from Succoth, and encamped in Etham.**—The exact positions of both Succoth and Etham are uncertain, and can only be conjectured; but they probably lay to the southeast of Tanis, between that city and the Bitter Lakes. Succoth may have been at or near Tel Dafneh, about fifteen miles from Tanis, and Etham near the modern Ismailia, on the verge of t...
Read full commentary →Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
**5. lamb ... without blemish--**The smallest deformity or defect made a lamb unfit for sacrifice--a type of Christ (He 7:26; 1Pe 1:19).
**a male of the first year--**Christ in the prime of life.
Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
**Verses 17-20**
There were two ways from Egypt to Canaan. One was only a few days' journey; the other was much further about, through the wilderness, and that was the way in which God chose to lead his people Israel. The Egyptians were to be drowned in the Red sea; the Israelites were to be humbled and proved in the wilderness. God's way is the right way, though it seems about. If we think he...
Read full commentary →And 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:
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KJV Study Commentary
The LORD's guidance through 'pillar of a cloud' by day and 'pillar of fire' by night provides both direction and protection. Cloud shielded from desert heat; fire gave light and warmth in darkness. The continuity—'to go by day and night'—meant Israel could travel any time under divine guidance. This visible manifestation of God's presence (Shekinah glory) assured them of His nearness. God doesn't ...
Read full commentary →Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers
(21) **The Lord went before them.**—In Exodus 13:17-18, the writer has declared that “God led the people;” he now explains how. from Succoth certainly, probably from Rameses, He moved in front of the host in the form of a pillar, which had the appearance of smoke by day and of fire by night. The Israelites marched, it is implied, some part of each day and some part of each night, which would be in...
Read full commentary →Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
**6. keep it up until the fourteenth day, &c.--**Being selected from the rest of the flock, it was to be separated four days before sacrifice; and for the same length of time was Christ under examination and His spotless innocence declared before the world.
**kill it in the evening--**that is, the interval between the sun's beginning to decline, and sunset, corresponding to our three o'clock...
Read full commentary →Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
**Verses 21-22**
The Lord went before them in a pillar, or appearance of the Divine Majesty. Christ was with the church in the wilderness, 1Co 10:9. Those whom God brings into a wilderness, he will not leave nor lose there, but will take care to lead them through it. It was great satisfaction to Moses and the pious Israelites, to be sure that they were under Divine guidance. Those who make the...
Read full commentary →He took not away the pillar of the cloud by day, nor the pillar of fire by night, from before the people.
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KJV Study Commentary
The statement 'He took not away the pillar of the cloud by day, nor the pillar of fire by night' emphasizes constancy. God's guidance never ceased—through plains and mountains, encouragement and judgment, obedience and rebellion. The phrase 'from before the people' indicates the pillar led from the front, going ahead to prepare the way. Continuous divine presence meant they were never abandoned, e...
Read full commentary →Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers
(22) **He took not away.**—Comp. Exodus 40:38; Numbers 9:16; Numbers 10:34. The cloud probably disappeared at Abel-shittim (Numbers 33:49).
**Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers
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Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
**7. take of the blood, and strike it on the two side-posts, &c.--**as a sign of safety to those within. The posts must be considered of tents, in which the Israelites generally lived, though some might be in houses. Though the Israelites were sinners as well as the Egyptians, God was pleased to accept the substitution of a lamb--the blood of which, being seen sprinkled on the doorposts, procu...
Read full commentary →Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
**Verses 21-22**
The Lord went before them in a pillar, or appearance of the Divine Majesty. Christ was with the church in the wilderness, 1Co 10:9. Those whom God brings into a wilderness, he will not leave nor lose there, but will take care to lead them through it. It was great satisfaction to Moses and the pious Israelites, to be sure that they were under Divine guidance. Those who make the...
Read full commentary →