you are to present to the LORD the firstborn male of every womb. All the firstborn males of your livestock belong to the LORD. you are to presentThe Hebrew word for "present" is "עָבַר" (avar), which means to pass over or to transfer. This implies an act of dedication or consecration, signifying a deliberate and conscious act of offering something to God. In the context of ancient Israel, this was not merely a ritual but a profound acknowledgment of God's sovereignty and provision. The act of presenting the firstborn is a reminder of God's deliverance of Israel from Egypt, where the firstborn of the Egyptians were struck down, but the Israelites were spared. to the LORD
The term "LORD" in Hebrew is "יהוה" (YHWH), the sacred and personal name of God, often rendered as Yahweh. This name signifies God's eternal presence and covenantal faithfulness. Presenting the firstborn to the LORD is an act of worship and recognition of His ultimate authority and ownership over all creation. It is a declaration of trust in God's promises and His ongoing relationship with His people. the firstborn of every womb
The "firstborn" in Hebrew is "בְּכוֹר" (bekhor), which holds significant cultural and theological importance. In ancient Near Eastern societies, the firstborn son held a place of privilege and responsibility, often receiving a double portion of the inheritance. In the biblical context, the firstborn of every womb, whether human or animal, is dedicated to God as a symbol of gratitude and acknowledgment of His deliverance and blessings. This practice serves as a continual reminder of the Passover event and God's saving grace. All the firstborn males
The specification of "males" highlights the patriarchal structure of ancient Israelite society, where lineage and inheritance were typically traced through the male line. However, this dedication is not merely about societal norms but about recognizing God's claim over the first and best of what His people have. It underscores the principle of giving God the first and finest, a theme that runs throughout Scripture. of your livestock
Livestock in ancient Israel was a primary source of wealth and sustenance. By dedicating the firstborn of their livestock, the Israelites were acknowledging God's provision and expressing their dependence on Him for their livelihood. This act of faith was a tangible way to honor God with their resources, trusting that He would continue to provide for their needs. belong to the LORD
The phrase "belong to the LORD" signifies ownership and dedication. In Hebrew, the concept of belonging is deeply tied to covenantal relationships. By declaring that the firstborn belong to the LORD, the Israelites were affirming their covenant with God and His rightful claim over their lives and possessions. This act of dedication is a powerful reminder of God's deliverance and the ongoing relationship between God and His people, rooted in love, obedience, and trust. Persons / Places / Events 1. The LORD (Yahweh)The covenant God of Israel, who commands the dedication of the firstborn as a sign of His deliverance and sovereignty. 2. MosesThe leader of the Israelites, who conveys God's commandments to the people. 3. IsraelitesThe chosen people of God, who are instructed to dedicate their firstborn to the LORD as a remembrance of their deliverance from Egypt. 4. EgyptThe land of bondage from which the Israelites were delivered, symbolizing sin and oppression. 5. FirstbornRefers to the first male offspring of both humans and animals, which are to be consecrated to God. Teaching Points Dedication to GodJust as the Israelites were to dedicate their firstborn to God, Christians are called to dedicate their lives to Him, recognizing His sovereignty and grace. Remembrance of DeliveranceThe act of dedicating the firstborn serves as a continual reminder of God's deliverance. Believers should regularly remember and celebrate their spiritual deliverance through Christ. Substitutionary SacrificeThe concept of the firstborn being dedicated points to the ultimate sacrifice of Jesus, the firstborn over all creation, who redeems us. Stewardship of God's GiftsRecognizing that all we have is from God, we are called to steward our resources, including our families and possessions, for His glory. Living as FirstfruitsAs believers, we are to live as the firstfruits of God's creation, set apart and holy, reflecting His character in the world. Bible Study Questions 1. How does the dedication of the firstborn in Exodus 13:12 serve as a reminder of God's deliverance for the Israelites, and how can we apply this principle in our lives today? 2. In what ways does the concept of the firstborn in Exodus 13:12 point to the person and work of Jesus Christ? 3. How can the principle of dedicating the firstborn to God influence our understanding of stewardship and the use of our resources? 4. What are some practical ways we can live as "firstfruits" in our daily lives, reflecting our dedication to God? 5. How does the substitution of the Levites for the firstborn in Numbers 3 deepen our understanding of Christ's substitutionary atonement for us? Connections to Other Scriptures Exodus 12The Passover event, where the firstborn of Egypt were struck down, leading to the Israelites' liberation. This event is directly connected to the command in Exodus 13:12 as a memorial of God's deliverance. Numbers 3The Levites are taken in place of the firstborn of Israel, showing a substitutionary principle that points to Christ. Luke 2Jesus, as the firstborn, is presented at the temple, fulfilling the law and foreshadowing His role as the ultimate sacrifice. Romans 8Paul speaks of believers as the firstfruits of the Spirit, connecting the idea of dedication and consecration to the life of a Christian. People Amorites, Canaanites, Hittites, Hivite, Hivites, Israelites, Jebusites, Joseph, Moses, PharaohPlaces Etham, Red Sea, SuccothTopics Animal, Apart, Beast, Beasts, Belong, Body, Breaketh, Cattle, Caused, Child, Devote, Firstborn, First-fruit, Firstling, Firstlings, Hast, Holy, Increase, Livestock, Lord's, Male, Males, Matrix, Mother's, Offer, Offspring, Open, Openeth, Opening, Opens, Pass, WombDictionary of Bible Themes Exodus 13:12 5199 womb Exodus 13:1-16 7410 phylactery Exodus 13:11-12 8270 holiness, set apart Exodus 13:11-13 1680 types Exodus 13:11-15 5688 firstborn Exodus 13:11-16 4442 firstfruits
5724 offspring Exodus 13:12-13 6714 ransom
6721 redemption, in life
8218 consecration Library Thought, Deed, Word
'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.'--EXODUS xiii. 9. The question may be asked, whether this command is to be taken metaphorically or literally. No doubt the remembrance of the great deliverance was intrusted to acts. Besides the annual Passover feasts, inscriptions on the door-posts and fringes on the dress were appointed for this purpose. And the Jews from a very early period, certainly before our Lord's …
Alexander Maclaren—Expositions of Holy ScriptureFifth Day. Holiness and Redemption.
Sanctify unto me all the first-born.'--Ex. xiii. 2. 'All the first-born are mine; for on the day I smote all the first-born in the land of Egypt I sanctified unto me all the first-born in Israel: mine they shall be: I am the Lord.'--Num. iii. 13, viii. 17. 'For I am the Lord your God that bringeth you up out of the land of Egypt to be your God: ye shall therefore be holy, for I am holy.'--Lev. xi. 45. 'I have redeemed thee; thou art mine.'--Isa. xliii. 1. At Horeb we saw how the …
Andrew Murray—Holy in Christ June the Tenth Pillars of Cloud and Fire
"The Lord went before them by day in a pillar of cloud." --EXODUS xiii. 17--xiv. 4. I need His leadership in the daytime. Sometimes the daylight is my foe. It tempts me into carelessness. I become the victim of distraction. The "garish day" can entice me into ways of trespass, and I am robbed of my spiritual health. Many a man has been faithful in the twilight and night who has lost himself in the sunshine. He went astray in his prosperity: success was his ruin. And so in the daytime I need the …
John Henry Jowett—My Daily Meditation for the Circling Year The Personality of Power.
A Personally Conducted Journey. Everyone enjoys the pleasure of travel; but nearly all shrink back from its tiresomeness and drudgery. The transportation companies are constantly scheming to overcome this disagreeable side for both pleasure and business travel. One of the popular ways of pleasure travel of late is by means of personally conducted tours. A party is formed, often by the railroad company, and is accompanied by a special agent to attend to all the business matters of the trip. A variation …
S.D. Gordon—Quiet Talks on Power "The Lord Hath Need of Him. " Mark xi, 3
What! of an Ass? Yes, "God hath chosen the foolish things of the world." He gets renown to Himself by "using things which are despised." Let us never despair of the most foolish of men, if he become the servant of Jesus. It is said of the great John Hunt, that when a young man, he gave no promise of the talents he shewed in the work of the Ministry. We have spoken with one who knew him before his conversion, who made us smile as he described his gait and style of life. Yet this ungainly ploughboy …
Thomas Champness—Broken Bread Entangled in the Land
"For Pharaoh will say of the children of Israel, They are entangled in the land, the wilderness hath shut them in."--Exodus 14:3. ISRAEL WAS CLEAN escaped from Egypt. Not a hoof of their cattle was left behind; nor foot of child or aged man remained in the house of bondage. But though they were gone, they were not forgotten by the tyrant who had enslaved them. They had been a very useful body of workers; for they had built treasure cities and storehouses for Pharaoh. Compelled to work without wages, …
Charles Haddon Spurgeon—Spurgeon's Sermons Volume 37: 1891 Letter xxxvi. To Pope Damasus.
Jerome's reply to the foregoing. For the second and fourth questions he refers Damasus to the writings of Tertullian, Novatian, and Origen. The remaining three he deals with in detail. Gen. iv. 15, he understands to mean "the slayer of Cain shall complete the sevenfold vengeance which is to be wreaked upon him." Exodus xiii. 18, he proposes to reconcile with Gen. xv. 16, by supposing that in the one place the tribe of Levi is referred to, in the other the tribe of Judah. He suggests, however, that …
St. Jerome—The Principal Works of St. Jerome Letter xxxv. From Pope Damasus.
Damasus addresses five questions to Jerome with a request for information concerning them. They are: 1. What is the meaning of the words "Whosoever slayeth Cain vengeance shall be taken on him sevenfold"? (Gen. iv. 5.) 2. If God has made all things good, how comes it that He gives charge to Noah concerning unclean animals, and says to Peter, "What God hath cleansed that call not thou common"? (Acts x. 15.) 3. How is Gen. xv. 16, "in the fourth generation they shall come hither again," to be reconciled …
St. Jerome—The Principal Works of St. Jerome Epistle xxviii. To Augustine, Bishop of the Angli .
To Augustine, Bishop of the Angli [136] . Gregory to Augustine, &c. Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace to men of good will (Luke ii. 14); because a grain of wheat, falling into the earth, has died, that it might not reign in heaven alone; even He by whose death we live, by whose weakness we are made strong, by whose suffering we are rescued from suffering, through whose love we seek in Britain for brethren whom we knew not, by whose gift we find those whom without knowing them we sought. …
Saint Gregory the Great—the Epistles of Saint Gregory the Great Jesus Living at Nazareth and visiting Jerusalem in his Twelfth Year.
(Nazareth and Jerusalem, a.d. 7 or 8.) ^C Luke II. 40-52. ^c 40 And the child grew [This verse contains the history of thirty years. It describes the growth of our Lord as a natural, human growth (compare Luke i. 80); for, though Jesus was truly divine, he was also perfectly man. To try to distinguish between the divine and human in Jesus, is to waste time upon an impracticable mystery which is too subtle for our dull and finite minds], and waxed strong [His life expanded like other human lives. …
J. W. McGarvey—The Four-Fold Gospel The Healing of the Woman - Christ's Personal Appearance - the Raising of Jairus' Daughter
THERE seems remarkable correspondence between the two miracles which Jesus had wrought on leaving Capernaum and those which He did on His return. In one sense they are complementary to each other. The stilling of the storm and the healing of the demonised were manifestations of the absolute power inherent in Christ; the recovery of the woman and the raising of Jairus' daughter, evidence of the absolute efficacy of faith. The unlikeliness of dominion over the storm, and of command over a legion of …
Alfred Edersheim—The Life and Times of Jesus the Messiah Jesus' Last Public Discourse. Denunciation of Scribes and Pharisees.
(in the Court of the Temple. Tuesday, April 4, a.d. 30.) ^A Matt. XXIII. 1-39; ^B Mark XII. 38-40; ^C Luke XX. 45-47. ^a 1 Then spake Jesus ^b 38 And in his teaching ^c in the hearing of all the people he said unto ^a the multitudes, and to his disciples [he spoke in the most public manner], 2 saying, ^c 46 Beware of the scribes, ^a The scribes and the Pharisees sit on Moses' seat: 3 all things whatsoever they bid you, these do and observe: but do not ye after their works: for they say, and do not. …
J. W. McGarvey—The Four-Fold Gospel The Old Testament Canon from Its Beginning to Its Close.
The first important part of the Old Testament put together as a whole was the Pentateuch, or rather, the five books of Moses and Joshua. This was preceded by smaller documents, which one or more redactors embodied in it. The earliest things committed to writing were probably the ten words proceeding from Moses himself, afterwards enlarged into the ten commandments which exist at present in two recensions (Exod. xx., Deut. v.) It is true that we have the oldest form of the decalogue from the Jehovist …
Samuel Davidson—The Canon of the Bible Circumcision, Temple Service, and Naming of Jesus.
(the Temple at Jerusalem, b.c. 4) ^C Luke II. 21-39. ^c 21 And when eight days [Gen. xvii. 12] were fulfilled for circumcising him [The rite was doubtless performed by Joseph. By this rite Jesus was "made like unto his brethren" (Heb. ii. 16, 17); that is, he became a member of the covenant nation, and became a debtor to the law--Gal. v. 3] , his name was called JESUS [see Luke i. 59], which was so called by the angel before he was conceived in the womb. [Luke i. 31.] 22 And when the days of their …
J. W. McGarvey—The Four-Fold Gospel The Cavils of the Pharisees Concerning Purification, and the Teaching of the Lord Concerning Purity - the Traditions Concerning Hand-Washing' and Vows. '
As we follow the narrative, confirmatory evidence of what had preceded springs up at almost every step. It is quite in accordance with the abrupt departure of Jesus from Capernaum, and its motives, that when, so far from finding rest and privacy at Bethsaida (east of the Jordan), a greater multitude than ever had there gathered around Him, which would fain have proclaimed Him King, He resolved on immediate return to the western shore, with the view of seeking a quieter retreat, even though it were …
Alfred Edersheim—The Life and Times of Jesus the Messiah Among the People, and with the Pharisees
It would have been difficult to proceed far either in Galilee or in Judaea without coming into contact with an altogether peculiar and striking individuality, differing from all around, and which would at once arrest attention. This was the Pharisee. Courted or feared, shunned or flattered, reverently looked up to or laughed at, he was equally a power everywhere, both ecclesiastically and politically, as belonging to the most influential, the most zealous, and the most closely-connected religions …
Alfred Edersheim—Sketches of Jewish Social Life Concerning the Communion, or Participation of the Body and Blood of Christ.
Concerning the Communion, or Participation of the Body and Blood of Christ. The communion of the body and blood of Christ is [1104] inward and spiritual, which is the participation of his flesh and blood, by which the inward man is daily nourished in the hearts of those in whom Christ dwells. Of which things the breaking of bread by Christ with his disciples was a figure, which even they who had received the substance used in the church for a time, for the sake of the weak; even as abstaining from …
Robert Barclay—Theses Theologicae and An Apology for the True Christian Divinity The Third Day in Passion-Week - the Last Controversies and Discourses - the Sadducees and the Resurrection - the Scribe and the Great Commandment - Question
THE last day in the Temple was not to pass without other temptations' than that of the Priests when they questioned His authority, or of the Pharisees when they cunningly sought to entangle Him in His speech. Indeed, Christ had on this occasion taken a different position; He had claimed supreme authority, and thus challenged the leaders of Israel. For this reason, and because at the last we expect assaults from all His enemies, we are prepared for the controversies of that day. We remember that, …
Alfred Edersheim—The Life and Times of Jesus the Messiah Third Withdrawal from Herod's Territory.
Subdivision D. The Transfiguration. Concerning Elijah. (a Spur of Hermon, Near Cæsarea Philippi.) ^A Matt. XVII. 1-13; ^B Mark IX. 2-13; ^C Luke IX. 28-36. ^c 28 And it came to pass about eight days { ^a six days} ^c after these sayings [Mark agrees with Matthew in saying six days. Luke qualifies his estimate by saying "about." But if we regard him as including the day of the "sayings" and also the day of the transfiguration, and the other two as excluding these days, then the three statements …
J. W. McGarvey—The Four-Fold Gospel Exodus
The book of Exodus--so named in the Greek version from the march of Israel out of Egypt--opens upon a scene of oppression very different from the prosperity and triumph in which Genesis had closed. Israel is being cruelly crushed by the new dynasty which has arisen in Egypt (i.) and the story of the book is the story of her redemption. Ultimately it is Israel's God that is her redeemer, but He operates largely by human means; and the first step is the preparation of a deliverer, Moses, whose parentage, …
John Edgar McFadyen—Introduction to the Old Testament Links Exodus 13:12 NIVExodus 13:12 NLTExodus 13:12 ESVExodus 13:12 NASBExodus 13:12 KJV
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