Exodus 13 15

Exodus 13:15 kjv

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.

Exodus 13:15 nkjv

And it came to pass, when Pharaoh was stubborn about letting us go, that the LORD killed 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 males that open the womb, but all the firstborn of my sons I redeem.'

Exodus 13:15 niv

When Pharaoh stubbornly refused to let us go, the LORD killed the firstborn of both people and animals in Egypt. This is why I sacrifice to the LORD the first male offspring of every womb and redeem each of my firstborn sons.'

Exodus 13:15 esv

For when Pharaoh stubbornly refused to let us go, the LORD killed all the firstborn in the land of Egypt, both the firstborn of man and the firstborn of animals. Therefore I sacrifice to the LORD all the males that first open the womb, but all the firstborn of my sons I redeem.'

Exodus 13:15 nlt

Pharaoh stubbornly refused to let us go, so the LORD killed all the firstborn males throughout the land of Egypt, both people and animals. That is why I now sacrifice all the firstborn males to the LORD ? except that the firstborn sons are always bought back.'

Exodus 13 verses

Exodus 13 15 Meaning

Exodus 13:15 profoundly articulates the divine reason behind the command to consecrate or redeem the firstborn of Israel. It serves as a direct memorial of Yahweh's decisive and powerful judgment upon Egypt, specifically referencing the Tenth Plague, where the LORD, demonstrating His ultimate sovereignty, struck down every firstborn of man and beast throughout the land. Consequently, this verse explains that because of this ultimate act of deliverance, Israel is commanded to sacrifice the male firstborn of their animals to the LORD, while redeeming their human firstborn sons through a substitute. It solidifies the connection between God's mighty acts of salvation and His people's ongoing obligation to acknowledge His ownership and grace through specific religious rites.

Exodus 13 15 Context

Exodus chapter 13 immediately follows the dramatic events of the Passover and the Tenth Plague, culminating in Israel's hurried departure from Egypt. Having been delivered from generations of slavery by God's mighty hand, the Israelites are now on their journey out. Chapter 13 shifts focus from narrative to instruction, emphasizing the necessity of remembering Yahweh's salvation. Verses 1-2 establish the core command to consecrate all firstborn to the LORD, serving as a permanent memorial. The verses leading up to verse 15 (vv. 3-10) repeatedly stress the observance of the Feast of Unleavened Bread as another memorial, instructing future generations about the exodus. Verse 15, therefore, serves as the climactic theological rationale for the seemingly specific and peculiar law regarding the firstborn, anchoring it firmly in the historical act of deliverance and judgment. It reminds Israel that their very lives, and the lives of their offspring, are gifts, spared by divine intervention when Egypt's strength and future (its firstborn) were destroyed.

Exodus 13 15 Word analysis

• For: This conjunction introduces the explanation or reason for the preceding command to consecrate the firstborn (Exo 13:12). It links the religious obligation to a pivotal historical event.
• when Pharaoh: Refers to the specific antagonist, the human embodiment of resistance against God's will. Pharaoh represents human rebellion and worldly power contrasted with divine omnipotence.
• stubbornly refused (Hebrew: qāshāh - קָשָׁה): Lit. "hardened himself" or "was stubborn/hardened in refusing." This term, consistently used throughout Exodus, emphasizes Pharaoh's resolute and persistent rebellion against God's command. It implies a moral culpability and direct opposition to the divine will, leading to severe consequences.
• to let us go: The divine mandate and core demand for Israel's liberation. Pharaoh's refusal directly obstructed God's redemptive purpose for His chosen people.
• the LORD (Hebrew: Yahweh - יְהוָה): The personal covenant name of God, indicating His direct, active, and sovereign involvement. It is Yahweh Himself who performs the ultimate act of judgment, demonstrating His unparalleled power over life and death.
• killed (Hebrew: hārag - הָרַג): Signifies a definitive and deadly act. It's not a natural death but a direct execution by divine decree, underscoring the severity of God's judgment and His control over creation.
• every firstborn (Hebrew: bĕkôr - בְּכוֹר): Literally "first-born," but also carries connotations of preeminence, strength, and the future. In ancient Near Eastern cultures, the firstborn held a position of honor and signified the continuation of the family line and its legacy. The striking of the firstborn was thus an attack on the very core and future of Egypt.
• in the land of Egypt: Specifies the universal scope of the plague within the territory, emphasizing that no part of Egypt was exempt from divine judgment.
• both man and beast: Underscores the comprehensive and devastating nature of the judgment, showing God's dominion over all creation and that even animals were affected by the judgment on the land.
• Therefore: Introduces the logical and theological consequence derived from the historical event. Because of this decisive act of deliverance and judgment, Israel's obligation follows.
• I sacrifice (Hebrew: zābāḥ - זָבַח): A liturgical term meaning to slay for sacrifice, to offer a sacrifice. This is a direct command from God, spoken through Moses, indicating Israel's active response of worship and dedication. It implies giving something to God by means of its death or offering.
• to the LORD: The specific recipient of the sacrifice and dedication, emphasizing that these rites are acts of worship and obedience directed solely to Yahweh.
• the males: A specific requirement for animal sacrifice, denoting ritual purity and often linked to reproductive capacity and vitality in a sacrificial context.
• of every firstborn of the womb: This clarifies and strengthens the meaning of "firstborn," emphasizing that it must be the very first offspring born, signifying the "firstfruits" or initial portion belonging to God. This excludes subsequent offspring.
• but all the firstborn of my sons: This crucial distinction highlights the sanctity of human life. While animals are sacrificed, human firstborn sons are treated differently, setting Israel apart from surrounding cultures that practiced child sacrifice.
• I redeem (Hebrew: pādāh - פָדָה): To ransom, to deliver by payment of a price or by providing a substitute. This word is central to biblical theology, especially salvation. For human firstborns, redemption implies a vicarious act, acknowledging God's ownership while providing an alternative, ultimately foreshadowing the substitutionary atonement of Christ.

Word-group analysis

• For when Pharaoh stubbornly refused to let us go: This phrase establishes the historical context of God's people's plight and Pharaoh's determined opposition. It sets up the problem that necessitated God's ultimate intervention.
• the LORD killed every firstborn in the land of Egypt, both man and beast: This describes the specific divine intervention, highlighting its nature as a precise act of judgment by Yahweh, comprehensive in its scope across Egypt, and affecting all levels of life. It underscores God's absolute power and authority.
• Therefore I sacrifice to the LORD the males of every firstborn of the womb, but all the firstborn of my sons I redeem: This phrase outlines the core religious response mandated by God. It signifies the covenant obligation rooted in remembrance: a required sacrificial offering for animals and a crucial, distinctive act of redemption (substitution) for humans, underscoring the preciousness of human life and God's gracious provision.

Exodus 13 15 Bonus section

The repeated emphasis on "memory" and "telling your son" throughout Exodus 13 reveals the pedagogic purpose of these laws. God instituted these rituals not just as a religious obligation but as a teaching tool. The firstborn law was designed to provoke questions from future generations ("What does this mean?"), providing an immediate opportunity for parents to narrate the mighty acts of God in the Exodus. This continuous oral tradition ensured that the foundational truth of God's deliverance and judgment remained central to Israel's identity and faith, countering any tendency towards forgetting or assimilation into pagan practices. Furthermore, the selection of "firstborn" for this dedication signifies God's claim on the choicest and best as an act of worship and trust, asserting that the very source of a family's future ultimately belonged to the God who granted it.

Exodus 13 15 Commentary

Exodus 13:15 provides the foundational theological underpinning for the law of the firstborn, demonstrating that divine commands are not arbitrary but deeply rooted in God's saving acts in history. The verse clearly links the solemn obligation of consecrating the firstborn to the climactic judgment of the Tenth Plague in Egypt. Pharaoh's hardened resistance led directly to God's unparalleled demonstration of power over life and death. The death of every firstborn in Egypt served as the ultimate proof of Yahweh's supremacy over all Egyptian deities and the authority of Pharaoh himself.

Therefore, the ritual remembrance — sacrificing firstborn animals and redeeming firstborn sons — served multiple purposes. Firstly, it was a perpetual reminder of God's past deliverance and His covenant faithfulness. Secondly, it emphasized God's ownership of all life, particularly the "firstfruits," demanding that Israel acknowledge His priority and sovereignty. Thirdly, the crucial distinction between the sacrifice of animals and the redemption of human firstborns highlighted the sanctity of human life under God's law and foreshadowed the principle of substitutionary atonement. This foreshadowing finds its ultimate fulfillment in Jesus Christ, the "firstborn" over all creation (Col 1:15), whose shed blood provides the complete redemption price for humanity from the dominion of sin and death, thereby fulfilling and transcending all the Mosaic sacrificial and redemptive laws. The law was not only about what happened in the past, but how it would continually shape their future obedience and understanding of God's redemptive plan.