Exodus 13
Laws commemorating the Exodus
13:1
And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying,
13:2
Sanctify unto me all
the firstborn, whatsoever openeth the womb among the children of Israel, both
of man and of beast: it is mine.
13:3
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.
13:4
This day came ye out in the month Abib.
13:5
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.

(13:2-15)
To commemorate the divine massacre of the Egyptian children, God instructs the Israelites to
"sacrifice to the Lord all that openeth the matrix" -- all the males,
that is. God has no use for dead, burnt female bodies.
(13:2) Sanctify unto me all the firstborn ... both of man and of beast: it is mine.
13:6
Seven days thou shalt eat unleavened bread, and in the seventh day shall
be a feast to the LORD.
13:7 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.
13:8
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.
13:9
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.
13:10
Thou shalt therefore keep this ordinance in his season from year to year.
13:11
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,

(13:9)
And it shall be for a sign unto thee upon thine hand,
and for a memorial between thine eyes.
Wear the commandments on your hand and between your eyes.
13:12
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.
(13:12) 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.
13:13
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.
13:14
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:
(13:13) Then thou shalt break his neck: and all the firstborn of man
among thy children shalt thou redeem.
13:15
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.
(13:15) 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
The Lord killed so you should too.
13:16
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.
(13:16) It shall be for a token upon thine hand, and for frontlets
between thine eyes
Wear the commandments on your hand and between your eyes.
God led the Israelites through the land of the Philistines.
13:17
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, Lest peradventure the people repent when they see war, and
they return to Egypt:
13:18
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.
13:19
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.
13:20
And they took their journey from Succoth, and encamped in Etham, in the
edge of the wilderness.
(13:17) The land of the Philistines
God led the Israelites through the land of the Philistines, hundreds of years before the Philistines
were established in Canaan.
A pillar of cloud by day; a pillar of fire by night
13:21
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:
13:22
He took not away the pillar of the cloud by day, nor the pillar of fire by
night, from before the people.
(13:21) 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.
God travels in a cloud by day and a fire by night.
- Give your firstborn son to God.
- Sanctify unto me all the firstborn, whatsoever openeth the womb among the children of Israel, both of man and of beast: it is mine. 13:2a
- Sanctify all of your firstborn animals.
- Sanctify unto me all the firstborn, whatsoever openeth the womb among the children of Israel, both of man and of beast: it is mine. 13:2b
- 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. 13:12
- Eat unleavened bread for seven days.
- Seven days thou shalt eat unleavened bread ... Unleavened bread shall be eaten seven days. 13:6-7
- During the feast of unleavened bread, remove all yeast from every house.
- There shall no leavened bread be seen with thee, neither shall there be leaven seen with thee in all thy quarters. 13:7
- On the Passover, show your son what God did to you when you left Egypt.
- 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.
13:8
- Every firstborn donkey shall be redeemed by sacrificing a lamb.
- Every firstling of an ass thou shalt redeem with a lamb. 13:13a
- If a firstborn donkey is not redeemed, break its neck.
- If thou wilt not redeem it, then thou shalt break his neck. 13:13b
- When your son asks you why your are sacrificing lambs and breaking donkeys' necks, tell him that you are doing
it because God killed all the Egyptian firstborn children and animals.
- 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:
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. 13:14-15
- Wear the commandments on your hand.
- It shall be for a sign unto thee upon thine hand. 13:9a
- It shall be for a token upon thine hand. 13:16a
- Wear the commandments between your eyes.
- It shall be ... a memorial between thine eyes. 13:9b
- It shall be ... for frontlets between thine eyes. 13:16b
- Dwindling in Unbelief
- Richard Dawkins:
The God of the Old Testament (Exodus 13:15)
- Slate Blogs the Bible by David Plotz
- God Enjoys the 10 Plagues Way Too Much
- Christian Response
- The Annotated Skeptic's Annotated Bible
Drunk With Blood Audiobook: Exodus